After the summer, they both agreed that they just wanted to be married more than anything, so they planned a lowkey wedding with just their immediate families. There were 7 of them and they got to surprise their family and friends with photos of them on the day!
Names: Suzanne O’ Neill & Mark Breen
Engagement length: 23 months
Engagement length: 23 months
Wedding date: 08/10/2020
Wedding location: Clontarf Castle Hotel
Photographer: Lisa Chonier Photographer
Wedding location: Clontarf Castle Hotel
Photographer: Lisa Chonier Photographer
Suzanne and Mark met in college in 2003. They dated on and off for a few years and then got back together in 2013. For Suzanne’s birthday, Mark whisked her away for a fabulous weekend in Monart. He surprised her by getting down on one knee with the most exquisite sapphire ring!
They had planned a big wedding for June 2020, but this was cancelled because of the pandemic. After the summer, they both agreed that they just wanted to be married more than anything, so they planned a lowkey wedding with just their immediate families. There were 7 of them and they got to surprise their family and friends with photos of them on the day!
Mark wore a Louis Copeland suit and Suzanne says he looked handsome!
Suzanne decided not to wear her traditional dress on the day. Instead, she opted for a less formal look and chose a white dress from Coast.
Mark and Suzanne’s daughter was the flower girl! She wore a fun and colorful dress, fit for a princess. It’s from the Billieblush range in Arnotts.
“Our ceremony was lovely. We did not know what to expect and had not organised any readings or music. Our celebrant was so kind and guided us through the ceremony without stress. It was lovely to have our daughter Charlotte with us and there was a relaxed atmosphere throughout. I was delighted we could still have traditions such as my dad walking me up the aisle to the song we had chosen for the original ceremony.”
“We went to Clontarf Castle following our ceremony where we were greeted with prosecco and had some light nibbles. At this stage we were in a Level 5 lockdown so the hotel was quiet. We checked into an amazing suite in the hotel with the most beautiful views of Dublin. We had our meal in the Knights Bridge bar and it was delicious. The staff were attentive and made us feel very special on the day. The sun was shining and the grounds of the castle walls of the hotel made for a perfect backdrop for our photos.”
They chose Lisa Chonier to document their wedding.
“She came to our home that morning and met us at Clontarf castle after the ceremony. I was worried Charlotte might not be interested in photos however Lisa sprinkled fairy dust over our daughter who then struck a pose every time she thought the camera was anywhere near her. She has a wonderful way with children and Charlotte still asks for her to this day. Myself and Mark would not be the biggest fans of posing for photos however Lisa had us feeling relaxed and we laughed and smiled our way through our pictures. I worried that having a photographer at such a small wedding might be too much however Lisa just fit in perfectly to our day and was like one of our guests. Our Final photos are ready to be hung on my wall and I absolutely love them.”
“One of our favourite memories from the day was when we arrived in Bray. As we were early we ended up sitting outside the fabulous Molloy’s Coffee shop who catered to our every need. The sun was shining while we sat outside drinking tea and eating fancies provided to us by the owner. People were congratulating us on the street and Molloy’s coffee shop played music outside for us. It was so uplifting and brightened up our Level 5 lockdown wedding. I am very much looking forward to getting back to Molloys for our 1 year anniversary.”
“While this was not the big wedding we had planned originally it did highlight for me that a wedding is about the couple getting married. Try not to let anything take away from that. It is such a special day and while I do look forward to having a big party post-pandemic with all our family and friends I am glad we had our small intimate wedding day for us.”
Suppliers
Ceremony venue: Royal Hotel Bray | Reception venue: Clontarf Castle Hotel | Photographer: Lisa Chonier Photographer | Hair: Shush Hair Design Rush (Rachel Byrne) | Makeup: Bride | Male grooming: The Barber Shop @56 | Couple’s outfits: Louis Copeland and Coast | Wedding party outfits: Billieblush at Arnotts | Cake: Thunders Bakery Clontarf | Jewellery: John Brereton Jewellers Grafton street | Flowers: Clontarf Florist
