“We met the group back at the hotel where we had our first dance in front of the beautiful Bayview Hotel looking out on to the bay.”
The couple: Christine & Brett
Wedding venue: The Bayview Hotel, Ballycotton, Co. Cork
Photographer: DKPHOTO
We met… Brett and I met in high school, senior year to be exact. We hit it off right away, mainly because we have matching border collies (Brandi and Toby). We went off to college together and became closer as each year passed. Brett never made a move. It wasn’t until senior year of college I decided to take things into my own hands. We were at our university’s football game when I kissed him on the cheek and told him how much he meant to me. He turned to me with the fattest grin on his face and we’ve been inseparable ever since.
Our engagement… was nothing flashy and every bit perfect. It was the Saturday before Valentine’s Day in our cosy apartment. Our apartment at the time was the converted attic of a crazy purple coloured house in the city. The house was strange and loud and we made it our home, our escape from the world. It was and always will be one of my favourite places. It was five in the morning and I was, of course, asleep when Brett decided to turn on all of the lights. Before I could even finish rolling over Brett and Brandi (my dog) were by my side with a bouquet of flowers. Brandi had the ring tied to her collar and Brett went down on one knee. He asked and I said YES! After, he had breakfast prepared. Chocolate croissants, smoked salmon and bagels. The perfect meal in my favourite place with the people (and dogs) I love the most. My perfect engagement.
Our wedding… Being from a coastal city in Texas, Brett and I knew we had to be married by the water, so what better place than Ireland! Our planner Annie showed us Ballycotton and instantly we knew it was the spot for us. A beautiful church looking over the bay with a cosy hotel placed along the cliffs nearby. It was the most intimate setting. 60 of our closest family and friends made it to our big day. Brett and I are huge on family and good food and that is exactly what our big day was about, two families becoming one and celebrating.
The day for the boys started with a quick dip in the ocean to cure their hangover from the night before while us girls were being pampered in the room drinking champagne and eating cake and cheese. The ceremony was perfect, I was so happy to see Brett after being apart all day, I could barely wait for our first kiss.
Afterwards we took a beautiful walk along the cliffs enjoying finally having time between just the two of us (and Daniel our photographer). It was unreal, so peaceful and romantic. We met the group back at the hotel where we had our first dance in front of the beautiful Bayview Hotel looking out onto the bay. We then drank, ate and cut cake! Afterwards we headed down to the Blackbird pub and drank some more! We ended up stay up all night drinking and celebrating at the Bayview Hotel. To say the least, the party was a huge success. I still can’t believe it was real!
Our wedding photographer… For me, choosing a photographer for our day was a HUGE deal, I am sooo thankful we booked DKPHOTO. Daniel’s photos are truly stunning! He is a real artist with his work! The moments Daniel captured are memories we will cherish forever. He did an amazing job and was a pure delight to work with! Thank you again Daniel for being the BEST!
