“Michael surprised us by delivering a part of his speech in German. As most of my family do not speak English, this was a special moment.”
The couple: Katharina & Michael Carson
Length of engagement: 2 Years | Wedding date: 19th May 2016
Wedding location: Villa Arrigo, Naxxar, Malta
Photographer: Shane P. Watts
Wedding planners: Mark & Mariella from Your Wedding Planner in Malta – Dream Days Weddings
We met… during our Erasmus exchange programme in Malta in January 2010. We both studied at the University of Malta and stayed in the same apartment complex. All the Erasmus students in our accommodation would socialise with each other so eventually we got talking at a party one night. From then on, we were joined at the hip. Unfortunately, Michael’s Erasmus programme only lasted 3 months so he had to return to Ireland. As I am from Germany, we made the decision to continue our relationship long distance, which we managed for 5 years until I finally moved to Ireland in September 2015.
Our proposal… happened in April 2014 when we toured through beautiful County Kerry in the West of Ireland. I was just visiting for 2 weeks during the Easter holidays and Michael organised a secret trip for us. He told me that he had no accommodation booked and that we would find some B&Bs along the way. But instead he booked the amazing Europe Hotel in Killarney which was surrounded by breathtaking scenery overlooking the lakes. It was here that Michael asked me to marry him and of course I said yes.
My hair and makeup… my makeup was done by Kim from Kim Makeup Artist Malta. Through some research online I found her Facebook page and loved her dewy and natural makeup style. We had a trial a few days before the wedding and she was very professional and lovely and listened to everything I asked for. She also did my bridesmaids’ makeup as well as our mothers’ makeup.
His suit… was hired in Red Grooms in Belfast. It was a gorgeous navy Prince of Wales check slim fit wedding suit with a quirky floral tie that fitted well with the theme and colour scheme that came with our outdoor garden wedding.
My dress… was a beautiful embellished mermaid dress from Mori Lee. It was the second dress I tried on and I instantly knew that it was the one for me. I purchased it in Perfect Day in Lurgan, Co. Armagh.
Our ceremony… took place in the stunning garden of Villa Arrigo in Naxxar, Malta. We previously visited this venue with our wedding planner during a holiday and instantly fell in love with its beauty, intimacy and privacy. All our guests still to this day talk about how beautiful and unique the venue was.
We chose our wedding coordinators Mark and Mariella from Your Wedding Planner in Malta – Dream Days Weddings… because they came highly recommended from a colleague of Michael. We initially dealt with Mark who was full of energy and enthusiasm and helped us to choose the beautiful wedding venue, Villa Arrigo. Once we selected the venue, we worked more closely with the wonderful Mariella for the rest of the wedding planning process. She was amazing from start to finish and any difficulties that we encountered she was always at hand to provide a solution. She stayed with us for the whole day of our wedding which we really appreciated, making sure everything went well and that we and our guests enjoyed ourselves. Later in the evening, Mark and their two daughters also called in which we thought was a lovely personal touch.
What our bridal party wore… The groomsmen had the same suit as the groom with the only difference being the boutonnière on Michael’s jacket. The bridesmaids wore beautiful light blue dresses with an embellished neckline.
Our honeymoon… was in Thailand, a place we have both always wanted to travel to. We booked our honeymoon following one simple appointment with Trailfinders, Dawson street, Dublin. They pieced together the whole trip for us which was so easy and stress free. We spent 2 nights in Bangkok, 3 nights in Chiang Mai and relaxed for 1 week on the beautiful island of Koh Samui.
We chose our photographer… through a recommendation from a friend. After our own research we agreed and really loved Shane’s (Shane P. Watts) style. As Shane is from Ireland but resides in Malta, we felt comfortable with him and felt that we had a lot in common. Apart from Shane, we hired Malcolm from Malta Wedding Films to capture our day for a wedding video. His work was simply beautiful and is an amazing memory of our big day.
Our wedding theme/colours… was all about pastels, such as dusty pink, light blue, cream and mint. Pinterest was a huge help when looking for ideas for wedding decorations and flowers. I trusted Jackie from Gem Events Malta to make my decoration and flower ideas come true. Once I sent her photos and descriptions of my ideas, she knew exactly what I wanted and decorated our venue to perfection.
Our menu… was prepared by Osborne Caterers which were part of the Villa Arrigo package. We had delicious Au Gratin Chicken & Mushrooms served in a pastry case for our starters. For the main course we had a buffet table with a selection of various meals such as Roast Fillet of Beef served with a Béarnaise Sauce, Roulade of Chicken & Parma Ham enriched with Feta & Spinach and a Dentici & Salmon Fusion in a Wine Sauce. All these meals were accompanied with a variety of sides. For our dessert we chose a Peach & Lemon Sorbet which was followed by our delicious wedding cake and cupcakes.
My favourite part of the wedding day… was when Michael surprised us by delivering a part of his speech in German. As most of my family do not speak English, this was a special moment. I also really enjoyed the surprise game of Mr and Mrs that my sister organised. This was so much fun and had the whole room laughing.
My piece of advice for other couples… is not to worry. Everything is going to be okay and will work out. Enjoy every second of your wedding day. It is going to be magical.
Suppliers
Venue: Villa Arrigo, Naxxar, Malta | Wedding Planners: Mark & Mariella from Your Wedding Planner in Malta – Dream Days Weddings | Photographer: Shane P. Watts | Videographer: Malcolm Debono, Malta Wedding Films | Wedding dress & bridesmaids dresses: Perfect Day, Lurgan | Suits: Red Grooms, Belfast | Flowers & Decor: Jackie Magri, Gem Events Malta | Makeup: Kim Kiernan, Kim Makeup Artist Malta | Hair: Richline Testa, Malta
