A rockabilly theme unintentionally came full circle for Aoife and Derek when they tied the knot in Cabra Castle in July this year. From a first date in diner-tastic Eddie Rockets in summer 2008, to some seriously flirty 50s style on their big day itself, a fun theme evolved for the couple and was captured beautifully by the uber talented Fionn McCann of Studio33 Weddings. The tone was set by custom-made Pretty as a Picture invites and was carried through with Aoife’s gorgeous tea length Beverly Lister gown and cute Rachel Simpson t-bar shoes from Frilly Frocks (also worn by Sarah in her intimate Dublin city wedding!) and Derek’s sharp navy three piece (complete with pocket watch!) from Aston Formal Wear.
The Couple: Aoife Kirwan & Derek Ryan
Wedding Date: 19th July 2012
Ceremony: Church of the Assumption, Garristown
Reception Venue: Cabra Castle, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan
Photographer: Fionn McCann, Studio33 Weddings
Edited by Karen Birney
We met… Myself and Derek met at a friend’s wedding. I’d been to school with the bride Fiona and had met her and her future husband Bryan by chance in Sydney. We ended up living beside each other and travelling together. I was going through ‘friends’ weddings’ stage of life, getting an awful slagging from my family, especially from my brother who would say ‘Can you no find someone to bring to these weddings Aoife?’ Anyway, Fiona and Bryan’s wedding came around in July 2008. Derek sat in beside me and another older couple at the church. He thought the older couple were myMam and Dad so he was being really nice to them, doing a bit of groundwork. I didn’t know them at all!
We met (continued)… When we got to the hotel, it was the especially awkward part of the wedding for someone on their own and I didn’t know loads of people either. Derek’s sister who was bridesmaid and who I gone to school with said to him ‘I need to find AoifeKirwan, she’s on her own’. Derek said ‘I don’t care about Aoife Kirwan, I need to find the girl in the blue dress!’ It turns out I was the girl in the blue dress and Derek and Suzanne were both looking for me. We were at the same table, chatted and danced loads. The oldest cliché in the book but; and the rest is history.
When Derek phoned first, he thought I was giving him the brush off when I said I couldn’t meet up because I was babysitting. I actually was babysitting. Our first date was to Beauty and the Beast in the Olympia and Eddie Rockets!
My favourite moment of the day (part 1!)… I’d been reading wedding magazines and different blogs for a solid year and a half before our wedding. I think I was addicted. This was a question I remember reading and wondering how do brides pick just one moment! There was something really special about each part of the day. Our make-up artist and hairdresser were fantastic and really made the whole ‘getting ready’ part of the day really relaxing. My sister started a sing song with ‘I wish I was a pretty fair maid’ and that was great craic. She’ll be cringing when we see the DVD!
My dress… Was a tea length, ivory, a-line gown called ‘Hope’ which I wore with by English designer Beverly Lister which I got in Petticoat Lane, Hillsborough, Co. Down.
My shoes… My shoes were vintage-style gold and white t-bar heels by Rachel Simpson from Frilly Frocks in Drogheda.
Our wedding theme/colours… We didn’t decide on a theme as such but I suppose it evolved into modern-but-vintage if we had to classify it! Derek loved the idea of a navy suit and I saw beautiful bridesmaid’s dresses in a pale blue colour, so our colour scheme developed from there and the ivory colour of my dress. Our invites were based on a picture I sent to our supplier, Pretty as a Picture– I fell in love with letterpress. Ailbhe did a fantastic job with the sketches. You get to keep an original copy. My Mam had this framed for us and it’s a lovely keepsake. Pretty as a Picture also did our mass booklets with a picture of a church on the front.
My favourite moment of the day (2)… I always thought me and my Dad would have a long chat in the car on the way up to the church but I think we were both too nervous and excited! It was so nice because we were both holding and squeezing each others’ hands and reassuring each other.
Our ‘first look’… Seeing Derek at the top of the church was one of the moments I was most looking forward to and it was even better than I’d ever imagined. The relief that comes over you when the church part of the day goes well and you can semi relax is also a lovely feeling.
Our ceremony… I’m from Garristown , I teach in Garristown and I got married there! Father Tom did a fantastic job at keeping us relaxed and his sense of humour was brilliant. Two boys from my class served at the wedding which was lovely. Something funny that happened when we were about to walk down the aisle as husband and wife – My Mam had surprised me with lovely fresh petals in little white boxes for guests to throw over us as we walked down. I hadn’t cleared it with our priest and only asked him just before we started to walk. The music had started and most people were mid petal throwing, some guests were even on box number two!
The emotions… The smile, pure excitement, happiness and sense of pride on my Mam’s face will stay with me forever. I love looking back at the pictures that capture the emotions so well.
My advice for other brides… Delegate, delegate, delegate is all I can say here. Try to do a little bit and often, that way you won’t have loads to do at the end. There are always things that have to be left until the last few weeks in the run up to your wedding. It can be overwhelming with ideas from magazines, wedding blogs, your friends and families, so write ideas down and then decide which ones will suit your wedding and budget.
Our honeymoon… We went on a ‘minimoon’ as Derek is a farmer and was too busy to take more time off when we got married. We had a fab few days in The Cliff House, Ardmore, Co. Waterford and Castlemartyr, Co. Cork. We are hoping to go away for a few weeks at Christmas when Derek’s busy season is over and I’m off school again.
Other Vendors
Photographer: Fionn McCann, Studio33 Weddings
Ceremony: Church of the Assumption Garristown
Reception Venue: Cabra Castle, Kingscourt, Co. Cavan
Dress: Beverly Lister, Petticoat Lane, Hillsborough, Co. Down
Shoes: Rachel Simpson, Frilly Frocks, Drogheda
Make-up: Nikki @ Mac
Hair: Joyce Henry-Clarke
Flowers: Freda’s Flowers Ashbourne, Co. Meath
Groomsman’s suits: Aston suit hire
Accessories: Bridesmaids: Oasis, Bride: Hyland Jewellery Ashbourne
Bridesmaid dresses: Kate and Ava @ Chic Unique, Ratoath, Co. Meath
Wedding Invites: Pretty as a Picture
Wedding Band: Afterdark
Church music: keyboard and singing – Jackie Mc Nally, singing – Suzanne Heavey, flute – Maryanne Ryan
Videographer: Sure Shot Productions
Cake: made by bride, iced by Cacaliscious, Drogheda. Cupcakes by Cacaliscious- customised to Derek’s football team colours!
Aoife & Derek’s Stationery
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