Original Article: One Fab Day : One Fab Day in the Irish Independent – June 2013

Ciara filled us in on how she and Alan met, back when they were just teenagers! “We met ten years ago, right out of school at Alan’s Debs ball. Alan was sitting on the next table and we were introduced by a mutual friend and got chatting. I was won over by Alan’s charismatic moves on the dance floor! We met up again by chance and possibly a little meddling by our mutual friend a few weeks later. After two quite unsuccessful dates (long story), we became quite inseparable!” What a wonderful story of teenage love turning into a marriage!

How did Alan decide to pop the question? “We decided to take a little holiday in September 2011 as a well deserved break. We bought our first home in spring of that year, so after six months of wallpaper stripping and floor sanding we booked a cheap flight to Sardinia. At the end of a fun day learning to windsurf, or more accurately falling into the sea, we were sitting out on the balcony of the apartment. Out of the blue, Alan jumped down on one knee, asked me to marry him and immediately jumped back up again. I thought he was joking at first, it was certainly surprising, but then I quickly said yes of course! He had always said he would surprise me someday with a proposal, and he certainly did!” 

Ciara chose a Blue Bridal dress from Bridal Rogue Gallery in London, fitting the fifties’ theme of the wedding. “I suppose there was a strong 1950s influence on my dress, Al’s suit and my bridesmaid Caroline’s dress. I’ve always been interested in the fashion of the 1950s, and I certainly looked at lots of pictures of the greats like Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn when deciding on my hairstyle and accessories.”

The bride and her bridesmaid did their own makeup on the day, but had help from Sahaira with their perfectly coifed updos.

Your wedding day involved several locations across Dublin. How did you decide to stay in town for your big day? “From the beginning we decided that we wanted to have our wedding in Dublin city. We were both born and raised here and all our memories are here so it didn’t feel right to book a countryside venue.” 

How about Ciara’s sweet Betty Draper look for these photos? Stunning!

“We were delighted to be married in our beautiful local church, the ceremony was so relaxed and personal and it’s so great to have those memories in your own community. Alan even got some photos with his parents in the same spot where his communion and confirmation photos were taken, which was brilliant!”  And I bet just a little more facial hair than the last few photos, eh Alan?

The couple made sure to spend ample time planning their wedding ceremony, something that sometimes gets overlooked. “The ceremony was our main priority and we spent a lot of time selecting readings, music and reflections which really meant something special to us.”

Ciara’s brother sent their special ceremony over the top with his thoughtful wedding present. “My brother gave us a beautiful and unusual wedding present. He commissioned a special piece of music to be composed for us to celebrate our wedding day. It was played for the first time by the string quartet during the ceremony. It was a very touching part of the day for us. Also our friend Lisa sang beautifully during the ceremony which was such a treat.”

We love the idea of using colourful ribbons attached to streamers to welcome the couple out of the church.

The couple chose to have their photos taken in Dollymount and lucked out with some glorious sunshine! “We wanted to have our photos taken at the Clontarf seafront and Dollymount because that’s where we first lived together. We were determined to go there rain or shine which Mark Barton was great about. He said if you two are up for it so am I! Thankfully we had a beautiful windy, chilly but very sunny day!”

These photos from Mark Barton are timeless and really add to the fifties’ feel of the couple’s wedding photos.

The couple even brought Dublin into their wedding reception with a little guessing game for their guests! “We put together a little Dublin themed quiz for the guests to play at dinner. We took photos at nine locations in the city, some quite easy and some more obscure (these photos 1-9 also served as our table numbers!), and invited the guests to guess the locations. The winning table who got all nine locations correct won I ♥Dublin key rings! It got everyone chatting and brought out that competitive streak, the banter was flying!” What a great idea to get everyone chatting from the start!

How did you decide on the Thomas Prior Hall in Ballsbridge for your reception? “The location of Thomas Prior Hall was just perfect for us for starters, but we were just blown away when we saw the hall. It was so grand and beautiful but also intimate. The hall didn’t need lots of decorations and dressing to give it a sense of occasion, the original features of the building gave it lots of character and charm. When we met Barbara the wedding coordinator we were confident this was the venue for us. She really listened to our ideas about the day and encouraged us to add our own personal touches. The food was delicious and the staff were fantastic!”

The couple mixed a few different themes in their reception decor, including a nod to Alan’s favorite pastime. “Bicycles appeared on lots of things because Alan loves cycling. Everyone knows how much he loves his bike! He even managed to fit in a little cycle on the day, when he took the bike (which we used to hold the seating plan) for an impromptu spin around the dance floor to Queen’s song Bicycle Race!”

Ciara and Alan have pretty practical advice to share for brides and grooms in the throes of wedding planning:”When you begin your wedding preparations write down the most important aspects of the day, this will help you both focus on what’s important throughout your planning- there is so much choice out there it’s easy to get distracted and end up with the wedding you think you should have, not the wedding you both really want. Also, don’t be tempted to ask everyone you meet their opinion when making choices about your day – it will only add to the confusion! Go with what’s right for you both!” And it seems like that system worked well for these two – that looks like one happy couple!

“We had lots of help from our families with the preparations but Auntie Deirdre deserves a special mention for creating 6 flavours of delicious cupcakes for the cake table, all beautifully decorated!” They look delish!

Where to for the honeymoon? “We planned our honeymoon before we started planning the wedding! We took a three week Californian road trip. We flew to San Francisco before hiring a car and driving to Yosemite National Park, the Sierra Nevada, Death Valley National Park and on into Las Vegas. We stopped off in New York for a few days on the way home. The perfect trip for indecisive people like us! Snow and desert heat, city and countryside, sea and mountains all in one trip!”

Thanks Ciara and Alan, for sharing your big Dublin day with us! Looks like it was such fun for everyone, we’re only sorry we missed it! And special thanks to Mark Barton for sharing these wonderful images of the happy couple’s special day!

All the Wedding Details

Original Article: One Fab Day : From Teen Love to Happily Married – Alan and Ciara’s Dublin Wedding by Mark Barton

Multi-coloured Geometric via Cake Design Square 2 tier with Checkerboard Colour Patches via Sweet and Saucy | Fox Multi-cloured Cake Lee Bird Photography via Hostess with the Mostess | Heart Topper with Gold,Peach and Black  via Faye Cahill Designs

Pretty pastel colour palettes get a little bit of zing with the use of geometric patterns like squares, triangles and chevrons.

Pink V-Shape detail with Flowers via I (heart) Cake Decorating / Blue Pink and Navy Geometric Cake Clean Plate Photography via Lael Cakes / Pink and Silver Cake via Wedding Chicks /Orange Flower Cake Gabriel Ryan via Loverly /Triangular Trim Cake Jen Huang Photography via Paper Crave / Blue Print Cake Christine Meintjes  via The Pretty Blog

Black, white and gold has been the defining colour palette over the past 6 months or so, and with the current love affair with all things deco and Gatsby-inspired, there have been some amazing geometric wedding cakes appearing in those tones at vintage inspired glam affairs.

Yellow square with Flower Cake via Wedding Bee;  Black White & Gold Sweet and Saucy via Style Unveiled Turquoise Black and White Cake Scott Michael Photography via Ruffled / Small Black Geometric Cake Katie Pritchard via Green Wedding Shoes /Gold Leaf Cake with Black Details Jen Huang Photography via Lael Cakes / Peach & Black with Gold DetailsKT Crabb Photography via La Magnifique / Black Cake with Geometric Gold and White Detail via Beau and Arrow Events

The great thing about geometric patterns on wedding cakes is that they can take any shape, form or colour palette, from the super bright and daring to the soft and subtle. Let your imagination and that of your cake designer (your poor mum!) run wild…

White Cake with Pink and Orange Decor Martha Stewert Weddings via 100 Layer Cake | Turquoise, Pink and Blue with heart Cake Topper via Ruffled | Blue Cake with Yellow Triangular Decor via Style Unveiled | Green and Gold Cake via / Checkboard Colour Cake Studio EMP via 100 Layer Cake | Gold and Orange Triangular Decor Natalie Bray via Sweet Marie Designs | Triangular Painted Detail  Cory Ryan Photography via The Knot  | Yellow and Peach Decor via Revel.com

Inspiring or what? Hope you liked all the colourful creations. And if you’re looking for a great cake creative then check out our list of the best wedding cake specialists in Ireland…

Original Article: One Fab Day : Stand Out from the Crowd – Geometric Wedding Cakes

Bang on Geometric trend this Emerald Green and Triangle Cotton Bow Tie from atelier412newyork on Etsy is €21.77

If you’re going to wear a bow tie, you have to have a pocket square to match, or in this case complement – Emerald Green Madras Tartan Plaid Pocket Square from  atelier412newyork on Etsy €11.66

It’s June, the sun is shining, so a beautiful “Man from Del Monte” style Panama hat can be worn with aplomb! Borsalino Large-Brim Straw Panama Hat from Mr. Porter €295.20

Dapper ain’t the word – these are too cool for school – Limited Edition Neon Pink Braces from Topman £10.

Pretty pastel stripes…Annarc Herringbone tie by Ted Baker was £50 now £35

Classic style in rose gold (our very favourite type of gold) Thompson Knot Cufflinks from ASOS €66.28

Cool kids go classic – Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer Sunglasses from Mr.Porter €165

For heaven’s sake don’t wear crappy black leather shoes with your gorgeous coloured ensemble, opt instead for footwear that makes a statement like these Dr Marten Carrington Shoes £140

And finally, for the Lord Be With You style of a certain Mr Scott Disick, this Walking Stick With Ornate Duck Handle from Next £15 will make every lady smile!

Original Article: One Fab Day : Gorgeous Groom Style: June Menswear Picks

So… what ya thinking? Loving or loathing the shapes? Is geometric wedding decor on the list for you?

Even if you’re not feeling the overall geometric theme, subtle elements like bonbon balloons or confetti system bunting bring old party staples bang up to date and will certainly get your guests talking.

Geometric Wedding Inspiration image credits:

Geometric Wedding Glitter Menu – Break the Mold Photography via The Every Last Detail | Hanging Shapes – DIY from Field Guide 35 | Confetti Balloon -  Catherine Mead via In The Tree House |Geometric Wedding Cake - Nicole Berrett Photography via Green Wedding Shoes | Succulents Table Decor – Pepper Design | Plates – Confetti Pop | Couple and Backdrop –  Izzy Hudgins Photography via Ruffled | Paper Bunting - Happy Confetti Photography

Original Article: One Fab Day : It’s Hip to be Square or Triangular: Geometric Wedding Inspiration

Belladonna Bridal is a beautiful bridal boutique based in Galway which stocks leading dress designs such as  Novia D ‘Art, Fara Sposa, Amanda Wyatt, Charlotte Balbier, Pronovias , Franc Sarabia, Manu Alvarez,Forget Me Not & Venus.

Let Sue, Tina, Theresa and Rebecca offer their expertise in showing you the stunning collections available at Belladonna. Relax in their luxurious bridal fitting suites where you and your girls will be afforded privacy and professional service. To find out more check out www.belladonnagalway.com.

Shane O Neill of Aspect Photography is an award winning photographer based in Waterford City. A graduate of the Dun Laoghaire College of Art and Design, Shane covers both national and international weddings.

Shane shoots mainly documentary style with one or two strong editorial style images with an artistic, edgy, funky and fashionable outcome. His images reflect an emotional and atmospheric visualization of what actually happened on your wedding day resulting in high impact photos that have a wow factor and are captured in a very timely manner. To see more of Shane portfolio pop on over to www.aspectphotography.net

DJ 4 Me is a professional wedding and event DJ hire company with over 10 years’ experience in the industry. As the entertainers at your party or wedding, DJ 4 Me we will ensure that you and your guests will remember your event for a lifetime.

DJ 4 Me can provide everything from ceremony, reception and dinner music so you can fully relax and enjoy your special day. With a comprehensive music collection DJ 4 Me can cater for all music tastes, from classic hits and 80’s retro, to the best of today’s music. To find out more check out www.dj4me.ie.

Borris House is a beautiful wedding venue steeped in Irish history. In the house, the reception rooms are spacious and stunningly enhanced with decorative plasterwork dating back from 1812. Smaller, more intimate receptions of 70 or less can be held in the Dining Room while larger parties can be held in the Ballroom Wing of the House or weddings over 200 can be accommodated in a marquee in the beautiful gardens.

Borris House also has it’s own working Chapel in the grounds where they can hold blessings or Church of Ireland weddings, Borris House is also licensed to hold civil ceremonies. To find out more or to arrange a booking visit www.borrishouse.com.

Original Article: One Fab Day : Sunday Sponsor Spotlight – From Gorgeous Gowns to Pretty Photos

Alex firstly makes every single piece by hand in sterling silver, which gives his work its distinctive signature of such exquisite detail. He uses his skills to craft jewellery that is slightly quirky and cute, but always very feminine.

Alex Monroe also offer a bespoke commission service allowing you to come up with your dream piece of jewellery. Existing Alex Monroe designs can form the starting point for a bespoke commission or you can come up with your own unique design that the highly skilled workshop team can work in 18ct Yellow or White Gold or Platinum.

Alex’s highly skilled team will design the piece and source stones around your budget, whether precious, or semi-precious, they will help you find the perfect colour and cut of stones for you. Perfect if you are looking for a unique and personal engagement or wedding ring.

The delicate and dainty designs are perfect for a bride looking for a simple yet beautiful piece to wear on her big day as well as making fantastic bridesmaids gifts. All of Alex Monroe’s pieces from his ready to wear collections are available to buy online as well as at his beautiful boutique in London. To find out more pop on over to www.alexmonroe.com.

Original Article: One Fab Day : Stuff We Love: Alex Monroe

Kelly creates memorable, unique and stylish designs at an affordable price and to suit every taste.  From custom designed wedding stationery sets including all the elements from invitations to save the date cards, table numbers and much more. Each item of wedding stationery is designed and personalised to perfection for your big day.

Constantly inspired by pretty sources, everything from vintage wallpapers to hand-lettered chalkboards to glossy magazines and much more, Kelly takes this inspiration and it applies it to her designs to create beautiful stationery collections and bespoke designs. Dear Evie only uses the highest quality digital printing presses and environmentally friendly papers.

If you’re loving this little lot pop over to find out more about Kelly’s beautiful designs pop on over to www.dearevie.co.uk.

Original Article: One Fab Day : Stuff We Love: Dear Evie Wedding Stationery

The sun may not have been shining the way it is today, but that didn’t stop this truly hands-on couple making a day that will shine forever in their guests’s memories, a day filled with love and laughter and more than a dash of that magic sauce that makes their relationship so special.

The morning of the wedding by the shores of the sea in Cork, the couple found themselves back where it all began… “It all started in a little cottage by the sea… A mutual friend brought Conor along to a session at my house when we were sixteen, I opened the front door, our eyes met and we had instant chemistry. For years we remained close friends, sharing flirty conversations, exchanging stolen glances and cheeky texts until one night at a college party I leant in for a kiss and the rest is history!”

“Across the river from our home sits a beautiful abandoned Manor House that we both love called Coolmore House. One evening when I came home from work Conor suggested I take his car for a drive (a rare treat considering how precious he was about his car). While I was driving Conor managed to ‘incept’ the idea of Coolmore into my head so I found myself pulling up to this haunting structure in the dark. As I walked the overgrown gardens, torch in hand, I heard his trembling voice say my name and I turned to see him shaking like a leaf. He pulled my ukulele from under his jacket, got down on one knee and sang a little song he’d written asking me to marry him. I was such an emotional mess, crying and laughing and shaking so I asked him to drive home. I was flatly denied, as it turned out he had needed a bit of Dutch courage!”  And so yet again, history repeats itself the morning of the wedding…

One word: Legend.

While the boys downed pints, the ladies sipped some bubbly and took a trip down memory lane… “When I was a little girl I was absolutely obsessed with ‘My Little Pony’ dolls, and begged for months for the ‘My Little Pony Bride’. It became a family joke for years that the moment I unwrapped the Pony Bride I was rendered speechless (which was a little out of character for gobby me!). On the morning of the wedding my sister told me she’d bought something vintage for my ‘something old’ and handed me an original ‘My Little Pony Bride’. The two of us burst into tears and sat hugging, crying and laughing for ages, it was such a special moment.”

This fun-loving, free-spirited couple were very clear what their wedding was all about “Our main priorities for the day were good food, drink and entertainment for our guests. As a guest at other weddings I’ve never been too concerned with all the trappings that a lot of brides focus on: what the bridal party wore, the little wedding favours or the fancy wedding car have never even show up on my radar. Any wedding I’ve really enjoyed I’ve been well entertained and properly fed!” 

We searched high and low for a venue that would give us an exclusive, casual and intimate feel and were starting to get disheartened. When we drove past the gaggle of donkeys on our way into Barnabrow House we knew the place was special. We were instantly charmed by the rambling layout, the ivy strewn stables and the medieval style banqueting hall – it all felt a little bit ‘different’ which is what we hoped for.” So the choice was made, and they could go about making the day their own…

Our wedding was really personal, casual and fun; exactly what we wanted! We wrote our own ceremony and had friends conduct it, making it unique and personal. Once we decided on Barnabrow House the whole look and feel of the day fell into place. Barnabrow’s farmhouse charm lent itself to plenty of burlap and twine, candles and lace and a gave an overall lovely rustic feel.

Apart from looking after our guest’s needs I think the main objective was that our wedding would be quaint, simple and very ‘us’. We wrote our own ceremony and had our close friends as celebrants, we took our readings from our favourite books and movies and combined flavoured whisky into a cask as our unity ritual.

I’m delighted that we opted for a personalised secular ceremony. From the moment our eyes met as I walked down the aisle to our first kiss as man and wife every little detail of our ceremony had been personal and heartfelt.

Good man yourself Conor, get to work, it’s your wedding day, who else should sort out the kegs but the groom?!

Cliona’s dress was envisaged by herself but brought to reality by a dressmaker, the soft romantic feeling is perfectly complemented by the sweet camomile of her bouquet and hair wreath.

I like to think of our wedding as the ultimate DIY wedding! There wasn’t an element in our wedding that we didn’t have some creative control in, from designing my dress to arranging the bouquets, from creating centrepieces to constructing a cake we did it all. I’m thrilled we did so much DIY because now looking back at the photographs I can feel really proud of how the day turned out! We did all the little decorative elements that made the day so special, from the lace and burlap wrapped jars to the ‘knot board’ table plan, every tiny aesthetic element of the wedding was handmade by us. Our wedding invitations were sent out on postcards so to continue this theme I laid out Penguin Postcards and a personalised postal sack instead of having a guest book, after the wedding we had great fun reading everyone’s little messages. Conor is a merchant naval officer and created a beautiful knot board which we used as a table plan, it was a real talking point at the drinks reception! To be honest, all of the bits and pieces we designed and created ourselves (despite the initial heartache) from the rustic centerpieces to the funky photo booth proved to be a big hit with guests and made the whole day very ‘us’.

But as the ultimate DIY bride, Cliona has some really wise and honest advice for any others who are contemplating getting really hands on with their day. “While I loved the fact that almost every element of the wedding was planned, designed and made by myself and Conor I think the biggest lesson I learned from my wedding was to delegate jobs out to family and friends. At first it was fun sitting in front of the fire with a bottle of wine gluing lace and burlap to jars, but after the twentieth hour sitting in front of inDesign adjusting the font on the invitations my enthusiasm began to wane. In the run up to the wedding we had a huge amount of help from family and friends which really made all the difference, but if I could do it all over again I’d be seeking help much earlier!”

I think the best tip I can give to any bride and groom is to sit back and enjoy your day. I know you might have spent two years planning the perfect day but once the morning of the wedding comes you have to switch off for your own sanity, if something goes wrong just laugh about and leave it go otherwise you’ll never fully enjoy your day.

So where to next for our loved up pair? “Our impending trip isn’t so much a honeymoon as it is an adventure! We’ve chosen to spend the first year of married life as nomads. We’re off to Singapore for a luxury stay in the Marina Bay Sands hotel and then are going to backpack our way through Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. After we return from Asia we’re going to spend a few weeks travelling Ireland with our beloved dog Eleanor Rigby and then are jetting off to the US for the final leg of our tour. We’ll fly into New York and spend a few days there and then are flying to the deep south. Myself and Conor are big ‘music heads’ and are going to follow the ‘bluesgrass’ trail along the southern states, meeting a few friends along the way. It’s going to be the trip of a lifetime.”

Well have a super time guys, thank you so much for sharing your day with us, what an inspiration (and loved the honesty!). Thank you too to One Fab Sponsor Pawel Bebenca for sharing his pretty pictures with us – if you love these then you’ll adore it over one www.pawelbebenca.com

All the Wedding Details

Original Article: One Fab Day : Free Spirited Fun – Cliona and Conor’s Barnabrow House Wedding

So before it all kicks off, we must hear how it all began… ”Charles and I met in college. We were both in the same class studying Industrial Design in IT Carlow but it wasn’t until the end of third year that we took a shine to each other. I lived in Carlow and Charles lived in Cobh so for our first date we met halfway and we each got the bus to Waterford. It was a sunny June 1st when Charles greeted me with a yellow rose and it was only apt that 8 years later we would choose this as our wedding date.”

Over to Charles for the proposal story, which is only fair really, as he was the one who had to steel his nerve…“For a long time I knew I wanted to marry Ciara and I wanted to pick a day to pop the question that we’d always remember. Instead of picking New Year, or Christmas, I picked the day that Ciara ran her first marathon. I had planned to ask her as soon as she crossed the line but the busy streets meant that we didn’t get to meet up so I waited until we were home and then I asked her when she was too tired to put up a fight and say no!” I’m sure that was not the case Charles! If these pictures are anything to judge by, you made her the happiest lady in the world!

The couple were married in the grounds of Huntington Castle in the ruins of the 14th Century Abbey just on front of the main door. This was a choice the couple considered very carefully and planned to perfection… “We wanted a non-religous wedding ceremony, and to be legally married, we had a civil ceremony the week before-hand (just us and our witnesses). With all the legal stuff out of the way, this allowed us to have a truly personal and unique ceremony. We asked our close friend Frank to officiate over the ceremony and our friends Footzy, Emer, and Kingsley to play the music. We wanted it to be personal, so we sat facing our guests and passed the wedding rings around so all of our family and friends could bless or make a wish for our future together.”

Huntington is an unusual choice of venue, not many couples have been married there since we first featured the venue in our secret venues around Ireland post. So we were curious to find out how Ciara and Charles found it…” First we visited the hotels that we considered to be the best in our local area. We then realised that a hotel wedding was not for us as none of the hotels were willing to do things our way and always wanted us to fit into a pre-planned package. After some research we found a number of country houses and castles and visited each one and met with the owners to discuss how we envisaged for our day. In general we found the owners of these premises to be much more open-minded and creative. Once we visited Huntington Castle, we knew immediately it was the perfect venue for us. We found Alex, the owner, to be completely on our wave-length and just as enthusiastic as we were to make our day completely unique. As soon as he suggested dining al fresco, we were hooked!”

The moment we were shown the Yew Walk (a line of 120 yew trees which bend over to form an arch and thought to be the oldest Yew Walk in Europe at over 600 years old) we knew we had to use them! We dined under the Yew Walk, with platters of barbequed lamb and mackeral, breads, and summer salads. All finished off with lemon sponge wedding cake served on vintage china.

As the couple have a shared love of wine, and even worked together in O’Briens wine shop in Carlow for a time, they collected old wine boxes from our time there and made them into our centrepieces which held beautiful floral arrangements made by their Best Man’s mum (always great to rope in a few talented friends!)

We wanted to give our guests a wedding favour that would really remind them of the day. We screen-printed tea-towels from IKEA with a deers head (our running theme) and our wedding date and our guests used them as napkins. As our guests would be eating outside, we wanted to make sure they wouldn’t get cold. We bought blankets from IKEA and attached our own custom tag (again with our deer symbol and date).

What advice would you give to brides and grooms planning their day? Have your speeches before the meal, we did and we were so happy. It meant we could both really enjoy our wedding meal without being nervous throughout! A great tip I heard before I was married was to spend time on the day with your husband. All too often your friends will produce their photos from the day and you will be in it without your partner as you’ve been apart from each other for most of it. Make the effort to spend a lot of the day together, you’ll be pleased in the end.

All the Wedding Details

Original Article: One Fab Day : A Little Piece of History – Ciara and Charles’ Huntington Castle Wedding