“The ceremony was one of my favourite parts of the day. We put a lot of thought into the ceremony and it was really special for us. We involved as many of our friends and family as we could it was beautiful.”
The couple: Anna Flood & David Lawlor
Length of engagement: 15 months | Wedding date: 26th July 2013
Wedding venue: Castle Leslie Estate, Co. Monaghan
Photographer: Shane O’Neill – Aspect Photography
We met… in a nightclub in Dublin, over a suspicious looking shirt, that secretly (un known to the groom) made it all the way from his wardrobe in Dubai to feature in the wedding speeches. The famous shirt is also known as the “super split”… enough said!
Our proposal… After five wonderful years of adventures it was a big surprise, Dave proposed on the first night of our holiday, on a very romantic night in Vienna, just at the beginning of a two week trip to Montenegro-we celebrated just the two of us for two weeks! Fab holiday.
My dress and make-up… My dress was a David Fielden gown from Myrtle Ivory in Dublin. It was very simple… very me! When I chose it I was a little worried that it was too plain, that the look may not work….looking back I absolutely adore it. Joanne Kelly did my hair, I have very long thick hair and I never wear my hair up so I was quite nervous about how it would look… Joanne was fabulous. She did an amazing job I am so glad that I found her. Yvonne Ward did my make-up, Yvonne is a family friend, again she did an excellent job on our make-up and was great fun on the morning of the wedding.
His suit… Dave looked very handsome in his traditional tails (I would say that!). The suits were hired from Protocol menswear in Dublin.
Our ceremony… took place in a cute little church, five minutes away from the Castle. (St. Patrick’s Corracrin). The ceremony was one of my favourite parts of the day. We put a lot of thought into the ceremony and it was really special for us. We involved as many of our friends and family as we could, it was beautiful. Siobhan Maguire provided the church music –she was amazing. I could listen to her all day.
What our bridal party wore… The groomsmen all wore traditional tails suits. My bridesmaids (my two sisters) wore short lace dresses that I had the dresses made for them. I bought the lace in Dubai. With me being based in Dubai with one pregnant bridesmaid living in Ireland and the other living in Sydney getting the dresses made could have been a disaster but it worked! They both looked beautiful.
Our wedding car… Our wedding car was from Heffernan Wedding Cars.
We chose our photographer because… his work is so unique. I loved his style and his artistic shots are amazing. Most importantly I didn’t want too many posed photos and Shane’s work/style seemed to suit that idea. I did quite a bit of research into photographers, we decided not to have a videographer, so I really wanted to have good photos to remember the day. Shane (Aspect Photography) did a brilliant job we are thrilled with our photos. He captured the mood of the day perfectly, he was fabulous to work with, blended in with our guests and a very cool character… and also a perfect third bridesmaid!
We chose our venue because… we fell in love with Castle Leslie Estate the moment we visited. It is such a beautiful place. It was the perfect venue for us, we loved the old style charm and the quirkiness of the rooms. The layout of the venue and grounds allowed guests to wander around which made for a very relaxed atmosphere on the day. The staff at Castle Leslie Estate also helped to make our decision very easy, their attention to detail, organisation and professionalism was second to none in our experience. We had a very positive experience. On our first visit to the Castle it poured out of the heavens so if a place looks fabulous in the rain it’s a good sign!
We chose our wedding coordinator because… we were lucky enough to have Denise Larmar show us around on our first visit to Castle Leslie Estate so we continued to work with her throughout the planning. Denise could not have been more accommodating, professional and personable from our first visit to the Castle. The whole team at Castle Leslie have everything coordinated perfectly-they certainly know what they are doing when it comes to hosting a wedding. We knew we were in very safe hands.
Our wedding theme/colours… The general theme of the wedding was romantic country chic, there was lots of Kraft paper (cardboard as our parents called it) and lots and lots of twine! I am also a big lace fan, so I had to make sure it featured also! The colour theme was soft with cream nudes, peach and pinks.
Our honeymoon… For part one of our honeymoon we travelled to the Amalfi Coast in Italy, it was a fabulous such a beautiful part of Italy. We are currently planning part two trying to decide between Africa or the Seychelles!?
My favourite part of the wedding day… I don’t know if I can pick a favourite bit… the walk down the aisle with my dad, seeing Dave in the church, the ceremony, getting ready with my mum and sisters, my dad’s speech, Dave’s speech, having all of our closest friends and family in one room… Actually marrying my best friend…
My piece of advice for other brides… Make sure to put your personal stamp on your wedding, it takes a lot more effort but it’s certainly worth when it comes together. Take it all in, have fun planning, enjoy it and don’t forget you’re marrying the love of your life and your best friend… That’s what matters most!
