“Our wedding theme/colours… Navy and classic Ivory. We wanted to stick with an elegant look. We had our 3 groomsmen in all navy suits and dicky bows & had our bridesmaids in navy fitted peplum dresses.”
Names: Darren & Shannen O’Reilly
Length of engagement: 5 years
Wedding Date: 20/09/2019
Wedding location: Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise
Photographer: Finn Mooney Photography
We met… 10years ago at a bus stop on St Patrick’s Day. He followed me home, begged for my number and the rest is history!
Our proposal… 20/09/2014 on the engagement bridge in The Japenese Gardens. Super romantic!
Our wedding theme/colours… Navy and classic Ivory. We wanted to stick with an elegant look. We had our 3 groomsmen in all navy suits and dicky bows & had our bridesmaids in navy fitted peplum dresses.
Things we DIY’d/made ourselves… Our wishing well, memory table bits, an alternative guest book which included an Instax Polaroid camera and you had to swap your name with a selfie of yourself. A timeline collage of our relationship, bathroom baskets and our adorable ring security props for our ring bearer.
My dress… was an elegant Diane LeGrand design from Smart Brides in Portlaoise. Jess was the lady who helped me on the day. It was such a lovely experience from start to finish!
My hair and make up… Pelo Hairdressing. We were in the very gifted hands of Shauna Corley, Mary & Shannen for hair and make up. These ladies are truly amazing at what they do. We felt a million dollars. We danced the night away, not a hair nor smudge of make up went out of place and we all managed to still have our make up last us for the second day!
His suit… 6th Sense in White Water Shopping Centre in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. The customer service in that store is absolutely exceptional. We had a major issue with the fit of the groomsman’s suit 3 weeks prior to the wedding and Shauna the manager in the store helped us get everything sorted, very kindly exchanged 3 suits and helped me pick 3 more. We spent 2 hours in the shop, I was stressed to the max but Shauna put my mind at ease and had everything perfect for us before we left.
What our bridal party wore… Fitted Navy Peplum Quiz dresses from Debenhams.
Our ceremony… St Brigid’s Church, The Curragh Co. Kildare.
We chose our photographer because… We came across Finn through a recommendation from a friend who had booked him for his wedding. From the moment we looked at Finn’s work we knew he was exactly the style of photography we wanted for our wedding. His attention to detail is unbelievable! And after speaking with Finn we knew we were in good hands for our wedding day. From start to finish Finn was an absolute gentleman. There was such a relaxed feeling from him on the day. It never felt like we had a camera watching our every move he blended right in and always knew how to capture the perfect shot. Especially the unexpected ones. Our daughter who is 3 absolutely adored him also, he was amazing with all the kids. I can’t wait to see the finished results if the few previews are anything to go by, then they will be simply breathtaking!
We chose our wedding coordinator because… From the moment we met Briona in the Midlands Park Hotel we felt at ease. She knew exactly what to say and when to say it. She was always at the other end of an email whenever we had any queries. No stone was left unturned for the planning of the day. She is amazing at her job!
We chose our venue because… when we stepped foot inside the Midlands Park Hotel we just got that ‘this is the one’ feeling. The décor is absolutely beautiful. The staff so friendly. And when we enquired into the wedding packages we were sold. The food was so delicious. And the bridal suite! Just wow!!
Our menu… We chose the top package which included Prosecco for all guests and sweet and savoury canapes on arrival. For the starter we went with Caesar Salad or Chicken and Mushroom Val-Au-Vant, followed by Roast Market Vegetable Soup. Main course was a choice of either Turkey & Ham or Featherblade steak. And for dessert we chose an assiette of desserts which was Bailey’s Cheesecake, Chocolate Profiteroles and a scoop of Salted Caramel Ice Cream in a Waffle cup.
Our honeymoon… we Flew out to Lanzarote for a week on the 25th of September. We stayed in the 5 star Hesperia Hotel in Puerto Calero. All-inclusive. It was so beautiful. We were treated like royalty for the week and the weather was amazing!
My favourite part of the wedding day… Getting to stand at the top of the altar and finally say ‘I do’ to becoming the wife of my childhood sweetheart!
My piece of advice for other couples… Don’t sweat the small things. Everything will fall into place on the day and if it doesn’t, you won’t even notice! Also, keep everything between yourself and your hubby to be. The less you tell people, the less they can have an opinion on. Because everyone will want to put their 2 pence worth in. And finally, enjoy it! As everyone says, it goes so fast. Take it all in, let the hair down and remember it’s your celebration, have a ball!
Suppliers
Wedding venue: Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise | Photographer: Finn Mooney Photography | Planner/coordinator: Briona Farrell | Videographer: Conor Stafford Videography | Band: Panic Animal | Hair and makeup: Pelo Hairdressing, Newbridge Co. Kildare | Dress: Diane LeGrand (designer), Smart Brides Portlaoise | Suits: 6th Sense, Whitewater Shopping Centre Newbridge Co. Kildare | Bridesmaids dresses: Quiz, Debenhams | Cake: The Old Fashioned Baker, Jackie Brown | Celebrant: Mons John McDonald
