An incredible and extensive DIY wedding with a distinctly girly feel.

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We often see brides and grooms doing DIY projects for their wedding day, but today's real wedding couple Aislinn and James might just be the most impressive pair yet. As a genuine craft enthusiast, our bride went above and beyond to create countless details and decor elements for their Ballybeg House wedding: from dainty hanging butterflies in the ceremony space to elaborate handmade centrepieces, signage, floral arrangements, the list is almost endless. Some were destroyed in a storm the night before the wedding, but you'd never know because what was left created a wonderland, and Aislinn and James wouldn't have changed a thing. Memento Photography was there to capture every happy moment and detail, and as for that dreamy Vera Wang dress... Enjoy!

Aislinn and James' DIY extravaganza wedding at Ballybeg by Memento Photography | onefabday.com

Aislinn and James met in an elevator at work. Aislinn thought James had barely noticed her, until she got an email later that day. Aislinn explains: "I work in marketing so I'm generally carrying boxes/ signs/ whatever, so one morning James and I were going to the lift at the same time. Imagine me with mounds of stuff in my arms and him with only a coffee in his hand. He didn't hold the door. He didn't offer to help. I'm pretty sure he didn't even smile to say hello. Not exactly the best meeting ever. Later that morning I got an email to apologise. I had thought nothing of it so I went back and said it was fine. The emailing went back and forth for ages (months) and nothing. I had no clue what this chap was at. Eventually, really just to stop the emails, I asked him out. That was the first and last time I ever asked anyone out."

When it came time to propose James was a little more direct, although he didn't quite manage to keep it a surprise from bride Aislinn. She explains: "In November 2013 James mentioned that we were going away for a weekend that he was planning himself. We were going to Castle Leslie (my absolute favourite hotel). I smiled to myself. On the 7th of December on our way down to Castle Leslie, he let me listen to Christmas FM. Seriously, I thought, anyone that knows James would know that he is normally glued to Off the Ball in the evenings. The next day, after breakfast, James decided that we should go for a walk. We walked all around the grounds… mud everywhere. James was wearing suede shoes! He was on his tippie toes trying desperately to avoid ruining his shoes. I even felt sorry for him and offered to turn back. But he was persistent…..we must go on! We eventually got to the edge of the lake opposite the hotel and he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes. He then rushed back to the room to try and save the shoes!"

A marketing girl, Aislinn is used to organising and attending events so was eager to find a venue that didn't remind her of just another work do. Aislinn and James visited a few hotels but none of them seemed right. Eventually Aislinn found Ballybeg and went to visit it, she fell in love instantly, the only problem was that James wasn't there to see it too. Aislinn explains: "The first time I visited Ballybeg I was with my mum, not the groom. I couldn't hide how I felt but I needed him to see it (and like it!). I saw it on a Saturday so the earliest I could get him down was Wednesday evening after work. It was very dark, the traffic was horrific and I was up to 90. Thankfully my mum was there to try and keep me calm! We met Paddy there and he showed us around. I was holding my breath. James gave nothing away. The more I saw the more convinced I was that this was the ONLY place I wanted to get married in. We thanked Paddy for his time and set back on the road to Dublin. James had said we'd talk about it when we got home that night. I was in a panic, I didn't think I could get all the way back to Dublin without knowing what he thought…. In fact we only got as far as Aughrim (about 5 miles away) before we got it out of him. He loved it. I emailed Paddy to confirm before we even got home. Phew!!!"

The ceremony at Ballybeg was kept intimate and very personal with music from Aislinn's cousin and a touching ceremony from their chosen priest, Fr. Joe Kennedy. She tells us: "He made the ceremony so special. He was so inclusive and so welcoming to everyone. Everything about the ceremony seemed so personal and we are so grateful to him. We couldn't thank him enough."

The dark and romantic ceremony space was decorated impressively with 1700 butterflies, which Aislinn was perfecting up until the day before the I dos. Aislinn explains: "The butterfly bunting was so easy but I can't tell you how long it took. The groom and the best man arrived 5pm the night before the wedding and they were trying to make up for being late so of course offered to help. They must have helped with about 20 butterflies (there were about 1700 in total)…. All I've heard since is what a great job they did!" Impressed? Just wait until you see the reception...

Aislinn's gorgeous Vera Wang wedding dress was bought at David's Bridal in New York, which she accessorised with a pale pink cardi she found in Nice just a month before the wedding and a fab floral crown made by her mum's friend. She told us: "My mum, Granny and her amazing friends from her flower club did all my flowers. From the table centres to the flowers in the house and everything was incredible. I'd shown them what I wanted and my goodness, did they deliver. The bouquets for me and the girls were amazing. I loved them so much. Rose, one of mum’s friends stayed up half the night before the wedding making my headpiece. I’m so grateful to them all. They are a seriously talented bunch of women. We'd also made paper flowers for outdoors to try and give some colour to the winter landscape! Some of the outdoor arrangements were destroyed in the storm the night before the wedding but it didn't really matter."

Not to be outdone by his stylish bride, groom James picked up a dapper blue suit in Dublin's Alias Tom. James explains: "My suit was bought in Alias Tom (St. Annes St) in a Summer sale. After a day’s shopping for wedding bands, honeymoon etc I happened upon the suit by pure chance and it really helped that Aislinn was there to give it the thumbs up. The suit was an unusual shade of petrol blue and was an excellent fit."

Although it may not be obvious from these shots, Aislinn and James wedding day was rainy and cold (a storm even knocked down a tree in the Ballybeg driveway!) Luckily, Aislinn and James had planned for the weather with lots of pretty umbrellas, Wellington boots for under Aislinn's dress, a shorter wedding dress for later in the evening and fur stoles for the bridesmaids.

The heavy rain on the day also made life tricky for all of Aislinn and Jame's wedding suppliers, especially Aislinn's hair and makeup team - who put in some extra effort to make it to Ballybeg that morning. Aislinn explains: "Kate Rose Crean and Sinead McGoldrick were both just amazing. They are so tallented and so lovely. They really put everyone at ease. I am still going to Joanne to get my hair done. They had a serious ordeal getting down to Wicklow the morning of the wedding (again the weather) so we were very grateful to them."

Now back to Aislinn's DIY, she gives us the details: "We did so so many different things for the wedding but I really enjoy that kind of stuff (arts, crafts, home-made decorations etc). My 94 year old granny crocheted 160 napkin rings (one for each guest). We made table centres (some from branches/some made from hot air balloons), name places, ribbon chair covers, paper flowers, signs, photos bunting of each of our guests photographs, butterfly decorations for the ceremony room, ceiling decorations, personalised seed packets for each guest, ‘you are just our cuppa tea’ teabags with invites, loads of stuff. I knew I was doing it for me and that very few people would notice it but I loved doing it all. I really miss having crafts to make for the wedding. I had such a special year doing all the little things. Everyone was so supportive and helpful. It was all very humbling. James is crazy about golf and so when I was thinking about the wedding I was keen to include something golf related. I contacted some of the best golf courses from around the world and got scorecards from them and they became the table names, such as St Andrews, Pebble Beach, Olympic Club, Lytham & St. Annes etc."

Although Aislinn did a lot of decoration, she still prioritised to avoid unnecessary costs and stress and would recommend you do too. Her advice: "Make the day personal to you. Work out what’s important to you from the start and focus on that. Whatever it is. If it doesn't matter to you then forget about it (that was cake/cars for me). Always remember any of the extra things you do are for you. Nobody else cares, some people will notice, others won't but as long as you enjoyed the process that’s all that matters."

A huge congratulations to you both, and thanks so much for sharing your fab Ballybeg House wedding with us all. A big thank you also goes to Memento Photography for sharing his work with us. To see more from Memento pop over to www.mementophotography.ie