“Our wedding theme… Classic but with a Hollywood Glam twist.”
Bride and Groom: Jayann Maher and Darren Walsh
Length of engagement: 22 months | Wedding Date: 21st April 2018
Wedding location: The Knightsbrook Hotel | Photographer: Paul Duane Photography
We met… Outside his house! I bumped into him with a friend and I thought “Oh wow this guy is tall and very handsome!”
Our proposal... In the beautiful resort of Lopesan Baobab in Meloneres, Gran Canaria. The hotel had an African theme with statue animals of elephants, flamingos and zebras. It was so romantic and happened on our balcony before dinner. We kept it a secret from everyone until we got home which was really special. We were both so giddy every time we phoned home thinking we know
something they don’t know!
Our wedding theme… Classic but with a Hollywood Glam twist. The Knighsbrook hotel decor is incredibly luxurious and classic and we wanted our theme to reflect that. I love pastels, simple designs without fuss and my dress, flowers, cake etc reflected that.
My dress… Was very simple, yet classic. Everyone on the day told me I look like a 1940’s movie star, which I’ll admit was very nice 😉 I love block colour and always knew I would go with a simple piece. I initially thought I would go for a ballgown but at 5’2 the silhouette style suited my shape better. It was Stella York and made of crepe fabric, set off with a sparkly belt and two-tier veil.
My hair and makeup… Were courtesy of the fabulous duo Emma Farrell Makeup and Sian Sharkey Hair Design. Both ladies worked their magic and we all felt incredible on the day. My make up was flawless and my Hollywood wave added the touch of glamour that suited the dress down to the ground.
His suit… As Darren is tall I knew he could pull off a long style coat. The suit was a dark navy with a grey waistcoat from the wonderful Sean Freemans in Drogheda. Cormac who owns the store knows everything about wedding suits and we knew we were in good hands with him.
What our bridal party wore… I wanted to steer away from the traditional bridesmaids dress and ended up with 3 beautiful blush pink short dresses from Coast. They were classic and elegant and the colour suited all three of the girls so well. They looked truly amazing. Everyone complimented them on how gorgeous they were on the day.
Our ceremony…We opted for a Humanist ceremony, purely because of logistics as we wanted
everything in the one space. We hired the amazing Gers Covers to turn the ceremony room into an
ivory wonderland with draping, candles and flowers. It really took my breath away! Our humanist
was the lovely Emma Sides who is so personable, down to earth and downright lovely.
We chose our photographer, Paul Duane, because… We loved his style and how he captured the couples. From the get-go, we got on really well with Paul and Fiona. Nothing was too much hassle. Paul advised us really well before the day and gave his tips on all aspects of the wedding! On the day itself, he blended right in and felt like a friend by the end of it. Our photos are simply incredible – sometimes I can’t believe it’s us! Choosing Paul was one of the best decisions we made during the wedding!
We chose our wedding coordinator because… We were told by many of our suppliers that we were in good hands with the Knighstbrook and they certainly didn’t disappoint. Mary is a lovely calming person who clearly loves her job and we both really enjoyed getting to know her throughout the whole process!
We chose our venue, The Knightsbrook Hotel, because… Nothing was too much trouble, everything we asked for was catered to. I had the option of staying with my bridesmaids the night before and it was one of the best decisions because it calmed my nerves completely. It was so lovely having a beautiful breakfast with my girls and mum the morning of the wedding and the wedding suite – oh WOW. It was recently refurbished and is a complete dream to stay in, with two floors of pure luxury it really was the icing on the Cake!
Our menu… Our motto at weddings is ‘give people what they want!’ We know weddings are long
days so instead of choosing options that guests may not like or are unsure of, we opted for a simple
menu where we felt you can’t go wrong! Vol au Vont, Soup, Beef, Salmon and Chocolate Tart and we were right, everyone loved the food!
Our honeymoon… Was in beautiful Mauritius. We stayed in two resorts; Paradise Cove, a
boutique hotel which was so romantic, relaxing and serene and the luxurious, and Westin Turtle Bay Resort. Both resorts were incredible and we really had the opportunity to relax, unwind and spend some quality time together.
My favourite part of the wedding day… Walking up the aisle and seeing Darren. I thought I would be an emotional wreck but I was so happy I practically bounced up the aisle. The second highlight was our first dance. We chose Billy Joel ‘Just the Way You Are’ which has a beautiful Sax solo which was played live by one of Darren’s friends who is an incredible saxophone player. It really was magical!
My piece of advice for other couples… Try not to stress about the little details. Enjoy the build up, every outing, every celebration no matter how tired you are. It’s such a special time in your life and the day itself is over in a heartbeat. I found staying the night before also helped calm my nerves and gave me some much needed chill time with my girls before the big day! Also, write a letter to your hubby-to-be to read on the day (before makeup!)
Suppliers
Venue: Knightsbrook Hotel | Celebrant: Emma Sides Humanist | Photographer: Paul Duane Photography | Cake: Amazing Cakes | Makeup: Emma Farrell Make Up | Hair: Sian Sharkey Hair Design | Decor: Gers Covers | Music: The Favours Wedding Band | Sweets: Carolyn’s Sweets | DJ: Pro DJ’s | Suit: Sean Freemans | Dress and veil: Frilly Frocks |
