Instante Fotografia is the photographic partnership of Elsa and her boyfriend Rui, based in the lovely city of Guimarães, Portugal (2012 European Capital of Culture, don’t ya know…).  In their own words “we embraced photography with great passion, because we believe you have to be passionate for what you do, if you want to succeed!” And this passion for what they do shines through as they captured Ricardo and Cristina’s moments together…

The place where the duo shot this engagement session couldn’t be any more magical: the Serra da Arrábida and the Portinho da Arrábida, at Setúbal’s Bay.

“Cristina and Ricardo have known each other since school and share a love for vintage and outdoorsy things. With this in mind, we envisaged a picnic concept from the beginning. As props we brought with us an amazing Hasselbad 500, an old Portuguese blanket from Reguengos de Monsaraz, a pair of mythical Ray Ban glasses and, of course, a few beautiful flowers! We chose these because Cristina and Ricardo love staying connected to the memories, the roots and the history of things. They love film photography and have their home filled with framed photographs with memories from other times!

After the picnic, we went to the Portinho da Arrábida, which is a-ma-zing! There they we photograph a little more with film and we think it turned out awesome! Film has that special something…

We couldn’t be more excited to their wedding. We know it’s going to be a day filled with true emotion and amazing details! And the guests were asked to attend the wedding with clothing from the 20s! It’s going to be great!

So all that’s left is to say a Muito Obrigado to Elsa and Rui of Instante Fotografia for sharing their beautiful work on Cristina and Ricardo’s romantic engagement session. If any of you are contemplating or organising a destination wedding in Portugal you know who to call for your wedding photography…

And to Cristina and Ricardo – we want to say Parabéns! and good luck for the wedding, we’re sure everything will go beautifully.

Original Article: One Fab Day : Love in the Sun – An Engagement in Portugal

Spotted on almost every catwalk this season floral print dresses are now dominating the racks of every shop and the great thing is the variety. 2012 Floral dresses feature everything from graphic florals, to busy 50′s style prints; and come in every conceivable shape and style, from strapless maxi to bateau neck shift dresses – in other words you’ve got no excuse not to be able to find the perfect floral wedding guest dress.

But as always, we’ve endeavoured to break the back of the work for you and have sought out some of our favourite floral wedding guest dresses from boutiques and high street shops to our trusty online favourites – there are some really fab finds here, dresses you would think cost €€€ but are actually closer to pennies…

First up in our floral wedding guest dresses line up is the floaty lil number on the left with pretty ruffle detail at the neckline, this little gúna is €155 and from Ted Baker. A statement heel and pretty clutch finish the look perfectly.

Next up is a bright and bold style from Zara. This punchy print features a beautiful mix of both tropical and wild flowers and comes in at €69.95.

The blue maxi in romantic floral print with front split and fold detail is from Karen Millen and is €299.00. This dress is perfect for incorporating both the pastel trend and floral trend, and would do as well for a garden party or black tie wedding.

An explosion of watercolour and abstract graphic blooms, this Etro dress from Net-A-Porter, is perfect for those who aren’t too keen on pretty, pretty florals. Keep the busy print center stage with minimal jewelry and a pared-back pastel clutch.

This peach slim-fit floral peplum dress from Warehouse is bang on trend for Spring Summer 2012. At only €55 this style will be your go-to piece at every event this season.

This next floral dress from ASOS SALON  features both hand drawn and digitally reworked floral illustrations. The sexy slim fit and longer length are super feminine. This dress comes in at €128.96.

For fun with a tropical twist rather than the traditional floral wedding guest dresses, this beautiful azure blue dress with pink floral detail is stunning. This striking number is from Oasis and is €56.

Attending a more formal affair? You can still work the trend with this watercolour floral strapless gown from Banana Republic. This stunner is $250.00 and the good news is Banana Republic now ship to Ireland!

Soft, delicate and simple, this carnation-pink, chiffon dress with fine floral details by Girl. by Band of Outsiders is perfect for all those summer soiree weddings you will be attending. Pair with a statement clutch and your ready to go. This dress is from Net A Porter and is €520.

We couldn’t do a post on floral wedding guest dresses and not include designer du jour Mary Katrantzou, whose iconic prints are causing quite a stir in the fashion world. Katrantzou’s designs are a bold mix of colour and digital print but on ultra femme silhouettes. You can find a selection of Mary Kantrantzou’s prints on Far Fetch. The above dress is quite the investment buy at €1425.

Vintage inspired florals are also still going strong this season; feel fashionable and floaty at the same time with this dress by Louche for £59 from Joy The Store.

Last but not least is this pretty English rose style print from Coast. Feminine, with a subtly sexy hourglass shape this dress is €175.00.

So what’s the verdict? Will you be rocking  florals at weddings this summer?

Runway Images via Elle.com

Original Article: One Fab Day : Feminine or Funky – Summer Floral Wedding Guest Dresses

Iain is from Cumbria in the North of England, his family is Scottish and English and Anne Marie is from Castlerea, Co. Roscommon. Though living in London, they wanted to celebrate near Anne Marie’s family home in Roscommon, so they set about combining their respective artistic skills as an Architect and Interior Designer, and roping in friends and family to create a uniquely beautiful and intimate wedding that reflected them both perfectly.

So how did the love story start? “We met through mutual friends in a pub in London Bridge about 8 years ago. We are both designers so would bump into each other over the years at work events but were a bit too shy to talk to each other. Eventually our mutual friends got married and we met again in the hotel lift – both running very late for the wedding ceremony! Seeking refuge after the dinner from an amorous cousin of the bride, I struck up a conversation with a now quite tipsy Iain. That was over 4 years ago and we have been together since then…

For me a great car is a real star at a wedding, and this Morris Minor is an undoubted star of Anne Marie and Iain’s day.  Anne Marie’s dad’s friend John Murphy drove us to the church in his gorgous Morris Minor. His wife Lily even packed a hamper with champagne for after the ceremony! What a lovely touch…

But forget about the car for a second, let’s get back to the story – what about the proposal? “Iain planned to propose in Edinburgh when we were there for the Fringe Festival. I managed to thwart a whole weekend’s worth of effort on his part to find a romantic locations to propose (refusing to climb up to Arthur’s Seat because I wasnt wearing the right shoes; turning my nose up at visiting the castle because you had to pay in; taking him to a play about marriage break up… etc, etc!) Eventually he seized the oppertunity on our last day there, while we were having lunch in a little French cafe on Grassmarket. I was so shocked I couldn’t finish my mussels and chips! It was a really sweet place and somewhere we can always go back to, so I’m delighted that was where he finally proposed. I took a photo of the the creme brulee we shared afterwards (the shock didn’t stop me missing dessert!!) and used it as part of the wedding invite.”

The ceremony took place in St Bride’s Church, Ballintubber just up the road from Anne Marie’s family home. And here’s a new piece of advice from Anne Marie I hadn’t heard before, “We would also highly recomend asking guests not to take photos in the church. It can be really distracting and it’s easy to share your profesional photos with people after if you want to. We were really glad we did this.” Not sure how guests will feel about it, but think I might try it might myself.

The local choir leader Joe Healy and his daughter Aoife did an amazing job on the music in the church for the ceremony. They both have really distinctive voices and played songs that meant a lots to us rather that the more traditional wedding songs, including Iains favourite ‘if i was a carpenter’. We were so lucky to have such local talent available for the day.

A special bualadh bos (Iain, Anne Marie will translate for you) has to go to this groom – we’ve been on about groom style for a long time now, but this lad Iain, he is in a league of his own. Iain – we OneFabDay ladies salute you!

This has to be one of my favourite wedding pictures in a long time, and one you would only get in Ireland…

Driving to the venue after the ceremony in the Morris Minor – a mixture of relief, anticipation and happiness…. plus it was warm and we had champaigne!!

“We really wanted somewhere private & relaxed, that we could have to ourselves for the whole weekend. We found exactly what we wanted right on our doorstep! Clonalis is a beautiful country estate on the edge of the Castlerea town. The owner Marguerite has renovated the old stables and steward’s houses into lovely self catering cottages. They had never held a non-family wedding on the grounds but were really excited about our idea of having a marquee in the walled garden. Marguerite and her family were so helpful and friendly in the run up to the wedding and were there to make sure everything went smoothly on the day.”

If we love Iain’s groom style, we adore Anne Marie’s bridal style – eschewing the usual white ballgown and choosing a chic shift dress, she looks comfortable, elegant, and herself! Who says short wedding dresses are just for city weddings?

While the bride and groom were off working the camera, the guests were content to wander the grounds of Clonalis House enjoying their drinks and sausage rolls (more about those later…) and listening to the strains of the local trad youth band that Anne Marie had organised as entertainment.

Quite the dapper guests at this wedding, including this little chapeen…

The marquee was hired from Carnival Marquees, for whom Anne Marie has lots of praise “Excellent service and very tolerant of our non standard requests!” with the caterhire Now the voice of experience, Anne Marie has some advice for those contemplating the marquee wedding option… “A marquee wedding can be a lot more work than going to a hotel as you have to plan everthing your self. Its worth it though if you want to do something quite personal. My advice would be to write tons of lists and to make sure you have pleanty of helpers lined up!!”

The cafe where Iain proposed had red and blue gingham table cloths with thistles in old Pernot Ricard bottles on the tables. We kind of took that as a starting point for how we wanted the wedding to look. Relaxed and colourful with a country feel that suited the location. We wanted tons of flowers  everywhere and combined a mix of scottish thistles for Iain’s family and Roscommon coloured blue and yellow spring flowers!

The flowers were really important to us – we wanted to have a real mix of spring flowers on all the tables so spent the months before the wedding collecting random bottles and jars from charity shops, pubs and recycling bins. It was quite a nice collection by the end so we decided to use paper luggage tags for name place settings and asked people to put their tag on the bottle they wanted to take home. Everyone got something different and we see familliar bottles popping up all over the place when we go over to friends houses now!

We both love making things so spent a lot of time in the months leading up to the wedding in arts and crafts mode! We made the invites, mass booklets, table cloths, wooden logs for table numbers, cake toppers, a shawl for my bridesmaid (sister Mairead) and black boards for the bar menu and place settings list. Iain spent the whole day before the wedding writing the black boards up neatly and having to paint over all the spelling mistakes and do it again (he is a terrible speller and from England, so the Irish names totally threw him!)

My dad Benny has a restaurant and bakery called Benny’s Deli in Castlerea, so he very kindly offered to cater the wedding. The shop was shut early that day and all of the Benny’s staff came and worked at the wedding. The food was fantastic and the staff did such an amazing job and were all out on the dance floor when the food was finished. My only regret was that I didn’t get any of the sausage rolls that were served at the drinks reception – apparently they were so delicious they have now taken on some sort of legendary status among our friends and family!

After the food Aiden Kavanagh DJ’ed at the reception and played an amazing set. I couldnt recomend him highly enough. He spent time with us before the wedding going through the type of music we liked and on the night played a total mix of fantastic music – reading the crowd, so the dance floor was packed all night! Requests from the guests were pretty diverse, from Neil Diamond to House of Pain, but what ever he played it totally worked!

To be honest, organising the wedding we had from London would have been a nightmare with out all the help and support of our family and the local people in the area. All of the suppliers we used were fantastic and I would highly recomend any of them! We had so much help from our family too – My mum made the delicious cake and my sister was the worlds best bridesmaid spending two days in freezing cold weather and rain setting up the marquee. As did Iain’s family who had come from Scotland and Cumbria – they thought they were coming to Ireland for a nice holiday when actually they were set to work for the first 3 days! As my dad said in his speech, the support we recieved over those few days was testament to the innateness of human kindness.”

Huge thanks to Anne Marie and Iain for allowing us insight into their fabulous day, ladies and gentlemen, this is how doing it yourself is really done – with thought, care, vision, attention to detail and a lot of help from family and friends…

And of course huge Thanks to Paul Kelly the man behind the lens, for sharing these heartwarming images with us…

And leaving the last word to the bride Anne Marie about a certain Monsieur Paul Kelly who captured their fun and frolics… “Paul Kelly is a fantastic photographer. We were over the moon with the photos as they really capture the day. He is so nice to work with keeping things moving quickly, putting people at ease and capturing all the reactions and interactions while being really unobtrusive. I love the pictures of our guests during the wedding ceremony and during the speeches the best.”

All the Wedding Details

Original Article: One Fab Day : The Dream DIY Wedding – Anne Marie and Iain’s Perfect Personal Celebration

From 5 star exclusivity on the shores of Kenmare Bay to a barn dance in Westmeath, moonlit garden picnic in Laois, to a palladian party mansion in Wicklow, these new wedding venues Ireland offer fabulous spaces and services for every kind of wedding…

Trudder Lodge

Trudder Lodge is a magnificent Georgian Palladian mansion in the rolling hills of Co. Wicklow, just over one hour from Dublin. Offering exclusive use for the house is ideal for smaller celebrations of 30 – 60 guests, with dinner in the main rooms and after party in the vaulted cellar bar. The grounds at Trudder are extensive and have sweeping lawns, ancient trees and a number of secluded spots to relax and laze. There is a labyrinth of hidden walkways and trails to explore and even a secluded private lake. Perfect locations for all your wedding portraits.

As they are not a traditional wedding venue, Trudder Lodge work with you to create a unique celebration that matches your style and tastes – from a hogroast picnic to a 7 course tasting menu, you can do as you wish… www.trudder-lodge.com

Dromquinna Manor

The newly restored victorian Dromquinna Manor dating from the 1890s is the latest venture for the intrepid Brennan Brothers of the Park Hotel Kenmare. Offering the same excellent service and fabulous food as its more famous sister establishment, Dromquinna has been restored exclusively for private events and weddings, catering for parties from 60-160 guests. The estate was planted in the late 1800s with a collection of specimen trees and plants from around the world that today provide you with a magical backdrop. The Manor with its oak panelled Great Room opens into a series of elegant reception rooms with French doors to the lawns and spectacular views over the waters of Kenmare Bay.

Or for a more intimate party, how about the Nantucket style Boathouse on the shores of Kenmare Bay?  The Boathouse can cater for 40-70 guests. And for guest accomodation with style Dromquinna offers luxury glamping in the grounds – what more could you want? www.dromquinnamanor.com

Boutique Camping at Mount Druid

For those of you itching for a true alternative to the traditional wedding venue, then how about a wedding at the new Boutique Camping site at Mount Druid in Co. Westmeath should get you very excited. A converted barn, a walled garden, unconsecrated chapel and luxurious yurts make this the perfect rustic or festival style destination wedding venue.

The newly converted ‘Barn’ is the perfect embodiment of rustic chic with its mix of  antique and restored furniture the perfect spot for dining and dancing  an ideal combination of shabby chic with a mixture of antique and restored furniture, and the Barn has a fully equipped kitchen and pizza oven! An outdoor BBQ area and fireplace is located at the rear within the walled garden, while civil ceremonies, the ‘Village Chapel’ is a pretty spot nestled among the trees.  www.boutiquecamping.ie

Ballintubbert House and Garden

Nestled in a beautiful valley between the village of Stradbally, Co. Laois and the town of Athy, Co. Kildare, is the treasure that is Ballintubbert House and Garden. This is one for those of you who yearn for a country house of your own –  Ballintubbert offers you the exclusive private venue, usually for the entire weekend and they have it all planned out for you. From a civil ceremony in the Lutyens garden, to celebrating in style in the Big Top on the Theatre Lawn and partying in the two adjacent Himalayan Yurts (bar and smoking areas) – could this be any more idyllic? It’s the perfect ideal of a modern day country house party.

Nestled in a beautiful valley between the village of Stradbally, Co. Laois and the town of Athy, Co. Kildare, and just 50 minutes from Dublin by motorway via the M50 at the Red Cow. www.ballintubbert.com

Btw, if you know of any new developments on the wedding scene, a venue opening, a new business launching, or new services being offered, do drop me a line naoise@onefabday.com - we like to hear all the hot gossip and make sure all the One Fab Day readers are up to speed with all things new in wedding wonderland…

Original Article: One Fab Day : Fabulous New Wedding Venues – Glamping, Barns and Private Mansions

So I’m delighted today to introduce just such a group – a lovely bunch of wedding creatives from Kilkenny and Waterford, led by Tanya Colclough of Eden Photography, who have come together to create some glamour in the magnificent surroundings of the Lyrath Estate in Kilkenny for your delectation.

Tanya explained the idea behind the shoot…“The inspiration behind this shoot was Old Hollywood Glamour. Sarah Foy’s Designs have such a glamorous Oscar-like look and feel to them, that when matched with dramatic hair and make-up it all adds a real show-stopper look for any bride. This look was then given a vintage twist with Bonzie Designs head and neck pieces, which are so unique and individual, they give the adventurous bride a totally original and stunning look on her wedding day.”

But it’s not all old gold and tradition, the ladies mixed it up a bit adding colour and eclectic touches to their glam look with the colour theme behind the shoot coming from the wedding invitations by Jen Simpson Design. The plums, pinks and electric blue tones, then ran through the shoes, flowers and candy buffet.

Exotic colours require exotic flowers – this bouquet combines roses, orchids and calla lilies, making a colourful statement as you walk up the aisle…

For those of you who like a twist on a traditional glamour, maybe adding a little bit of gothic-rock sensibility – Bonzie’s long necklace paired with a slinky satin halterneck gown is a unique take on bridal and we’re all about the statement necklaces this year.

The shoot took place in the beautiful Lyrath Estate just outside Kilkenny – a venue that combines both olde worlde and the ultra contemporary in one 5 star venue. Perfect for those couples who like the best of both worlds…

Wedding details such as the Vera Wang champag ne flutes and Wedgewood tea set were supplied by Kilkenny Design Centre.

Huge thanks to Tanya of Eden Photography for letting us feature this lovely shoot – I hope all you glamour girls are suitably inspired…

Credit Where Credit is Due…

Original Article: One Fab Day : Luxe with a Twist in Lyrath – Real Irish Inspiration

If you’re not already familiar with Mollie Makes, then let us introduce you two – we’re sure you’re going to be good friends! Mollie Makes curates the best craft from around the world into a tactile, collectable and totally irresistible magazine.

The ethos of Mollie Makes in their own words: “We love to make – handmade is more than just a hobby for us, it’s in everything we do. We can’t resist hunting down treasures in thrift stores, then customising, re-covering and embellishing our finds with our endless stash of ribbons, buttons, fabrics and felt. We’re forever on the lookout for new inspiration. Whatever we do, we’re living and loving handmade.”

And this month Mollie Makes are celebrating their first birthday by giving away a 54 page DIY Wedding supplement sponsored by Etsy and by giving one of our One Fab Day readers a whole year of ideas and inspiration…

That’s right, the lovely ladies of Mollie Makes have given us a year’s digital subscription to Mollie Makes so you can enjoy all the issues of directly on your iPad or tablet directly without even having to leave the comfort of your sofa.

If you want a quick flick through before getting the real deal then check it out here - and you will want this prize!

How to Enter

As always, entry couldn’t be easier – just fill in your name and email address below and you’re in the draw. Make sure you’re subscribed to one of our mailing lists or your entry won’t count.

The Rules

You must be signed up to our mailing list (Daily or Weekly Treat) to be eligible for entry; one entry per person; no cash alternative is possible. Entries close at 10pm on Sunday 20th May. The winner will be chosen at random on Monday 21st May, contacted at that time, and later announced on the website. 

Original Article: One Fab Day : Mollie Makes Competition

So how to conquer the ingrained Irishness and get camera confident and photo fabulous? Well we thought we’d ask the professionals! So this is the first of a two part series by two of Ireland’s great wedding photographers, and being ladies they have some girl-to-girl advice for us brides on how to work the camera like Marilyn Monroe. This afternoon, we’re delighted to be joined by celebrated wedding photographer and OneFabDay fave Christina Brosnan to give her advice on how to look fabulous in your wedding photos. Over to Christina for her top tips…

Tip 1: Embrace the Pale!

Living in a nation with little sunshine it’s only natural we want to lather ourselves in fake tan. But for your wedding photos this is number one on the list of things to avoid. When my brides ask about using fake tan I will generally advise against it, or to at least be extremely cautious. I’ve seen disasters, the worst being fake tan rubbing off onto the wedding dress. Be especially careful around your underarms where you tend to sweat. It’s a danger zone!

The biggest reason behind avoiding fake tan is that you will generally have an orange tinge to your skin in your photos. It’s especially noticeable when you’re standing next to your new hubby who isn’t wearing fake tan and your skin tones are very different. If you are looking to be sun-kissed for your wedding day why not take a mini holiday somewhere warm and sunny? A slight natural tan, even freckles, is more appealing than anything you can lather on. Just be sure to use sun cream to avoid getting burned.

Tip 2: Relax and Enjoy It

Easier said than done? Not entirely. Most of us are not born with a natural ability to know how to work a camera. The gorgeous photos of brides and grooms on wedding blogs we spend hours gazing and drooling over are not models. They are real couples. So what makes them look good? They are relaxed and enjoying the moment. There are a few key things you can do to help you get relaxed while being photographed. First, take advantage of an engagement shoot. The more you get to know your photographer, the more comfortable you’ll be on your wedding day. Second, have your wedding portraits in a quite spot away from distractions. Couples tend to be more nervous or unable to let their guard down when they know they’re being watched. Be sure it’s just you and your new hubby. There’s no need for family or the bridal party to be around when you’re taking your wedding portraits. Lastly, be sure you’re giving yourself enough time for portraits. You won’t be able to relax if you’re worrying about getting to your reception before the dinner bell has rung.

Tip 3: Strike a Pose

Whether you opt for a traditional, natural or quirky wedding photography style there is going to be some element of posing for your portraits. But there are ways to make it an enjoyable experience. Start taking notice of portraits you like. Maybe even make an inspiration board on Pinterest.

The best positions are the ones you feel comfortable doing. Start to think of how you and your hubby-to-be touch each other, hold each other, or kiss each other. What’s your favourite way of leaning into him or hugging him? You want a pose that comes natural to you. It’s ok to interact during your portrait session, it’s usually encouraged. Listen to your photographer’s advice but if it feels uncomfortable let them know or change it up.

Tip 4: Sunset Session

This may seem like a strange one to you, but in the world of photos the time of day you take your portraits can play an important role in making you look good. If you opt to take some wedding portraits in the evening you’ll get a warmer and softer light than at midday. This means softer, dewy looking skin – a great tip if you’re worried about skin imperfections! And if you’re lucky to get a bit of evening sunshine you’re in for a real treat.

Tip 5: If the Suit Fits

A simple but effective rule – don’t forget your groom.  You want good wedding portraits, that means not just you, but also your groom. Whether you rent or buy, be sure his suit fits really well. It can make all the difference in a good portrait.

Original Article: One Fab Day : Looking Good in Your Wedding Photos – Top Tips from Fab Photog Christina Brosnan

Rather than a simple purple and white, here we’ve combined mauve, plum, and cherry tones with lighter pinks and splashes of greens and red to bring a summer wedding inspiration board together that will make your mouth water…

Image Credits

Mauve Purple Wedding Cake -  Anabella Charles via Grey Likes Weddings | Bouquet – BHLDN | Bridesmaid Dresses – Martha Stewart Weddings | Love Heart Dessert – Vivian Artists | Strawberry Farms Stationery - Joielala Photographie via Ruffled  | Plate with Pomegranate and Buttoniere -  Anabella Charles via Grey Likes Weddings | Purple Wedding Table Number Flowers – Martha Stewart Weddings | Window Pane Menu -  Lola Elise via A Vintage Affair | Bride with Pomegranate - Kismis Ink Photography

Original Article: One Fab Day : Pomegranate and Berries – Purple Wedding Colour Inspiration

This 3 piece band have exploded onto the Boutique wedding scene and are the wedding band of choice for the discerning bride and groom who desire real music, energy, passion and and a dance floor full and grooving all night. With their original blend of acoustic guitars, a Cajon (Latin box percussion) and 3 vocals, the Hitmen Trio create a sound like no other, taking great care in their song selection and arrangements. All genres are catered for from the 60′s right up to present day. You will find videos on their site and all the info that you need: www.thehitmentrio.com

Corrine Crennan is a Wicklow based wedding photographer available for wedding photography nationwide. Specialising in photojournalistic style of wedding photography, Corrine Crenan offers a contemporary, unobtrusive approach to capturing your wedding, allowing you to enjoy your day and providing you with beautiful images that last a lifetime. Corrine is one of the most in-demand up-and-coming wedding photographers in Wicklow. If you would like to find out more about Corrine’s work and to view her portfolio, check out www.corrinecrennanphotography.com

Rocks Jewellers believe the right piece of classic jewellery will carry you through your whole life, gathering meaning and memory as you go. Whether you need an heirloom piece repaired, are looking for the perfect engagement or weddding ring or need advice about anything from pearls to lost pieces of a favourite bracelet, Rocks Jewellers is a definite must visit. As well as five unique collections, crafted for you, by Rocks, you’ll also find brand names including Links of London, Thomas Sabo, Tresor Paris, Ti Sento, Hot Diamonds and Pandora as well as beautiful vintage pieces. For more info check out www.rocks.ie.

Based in South Tipperary but travelling throughout Ireland Elaine Laverty offers professional, affordable photography for your special day. Let Elaine capture all the wonderful moments of the day from getting ready right through to the first dance in an unobtrusive manner so you can concentrate on just enjoying the day. Elaine is offering free engagement shots with every enquiry from now until until September. For more information on Elaine’s work and to view her portfolio check out elainelavertyphotography.ie

Original Article: One Fab Day : One Fab Day Sunday Sponsor Spotlight

This is also an introduction for OneFabDay readers to the work of a new photographer who hasn’t contributed previously – Sara Dalzell, who is based in Northern Ireland but travels all over capturing beautiful weddings like this one…

Victoria chose a very soft palette of ivory, mauve and fern green for her wedding – whether this was on purpose or just a natural development of the choices of her shabby chic decor ideas, hydrangea and gypsophilia floral arrangements and handmade stationery – it combines to create a very feminine palette that complements her English rose colouring.

But before getting into the celebration, we need to get to know the happy couple a little better… “Scott and I met at Christmas 2000, I will never forget first seeing Scottie, and pretty much falling in love straight away. He was clearly rather dashing and nobody has ever made me laugh like him. I was a geeky Art Student studying photography and he was a fitness fanatic studying sport science, you couldn’t get more opposite but we couldn’t be separated.”

After 10 years together Scott finally popped the question while the couple were on holiday in Barcelona. The big moment took place on the balcony of the Grand Marina Hotel, and while Victoria keeps the details to herself, suffice to say “It was pretty special, and the ring was so perfect, he’s a clever boy” and that’s all we need to know really…

I fell across my bridesmaid dressed by fluke, these were in the Christmas 2010 sale at Karen Millen and I snapped 5 up! The little bridesmaid dress was from next, I altered the length to fit in with the others.

The wedding service was held in the nearby St Peter’s Church, Buxton, Derbyshire, a traditional Anglican chapel built in 1839, but the site has had a place of worship since the 13th century – how beautiful to think of all the generations who have been married on the same spot over the centuries…

“Saying I do! It’s funny really the service and vows were the part I was most nervous about but this was the moment we both truly forgot about all those people sat watching us and took in each and very word, Its pretty cheesy but It was truly a magical moment!”

The confetti tossed and the hugs and kisses distributed, the newly wed Scott and Victoria hopped into their good friend Nigel Wilkinson’s beloved vintage Jaguar (which he lent them as a wedding gift) and sped off to their reception venue  Thornbridge Hall.

While guests enjoyed clinkies in their honour, they spent time wandering the gardens and house with their photographer Sara Dalzell, who captured their joy in each other and the day. These two are total naturals on front of the camera, so combined with the picture postcard setting, the results are beautiful to behold…

The choice of venue was much easier for Scott and Victoria than for most couples, given that it’s actually where Victoria works! Most brides would want to escape their place of work for their wedding day, but even from just this brief glimpse of the beauty of Thornbridge Hall I can see why Victoria wanted to be wed there…

“I’d just graduated from Uni and I was doing part-time photography work then I saw job come up for Thornbridge Brewery, new business/new role so I jumped at it and fitted in the team well, From that moment I knew I wanted to get married there, It was the most amazing place I’d ever seen, the gardens are breathtaking and the layout of the carriage house, with its amazing underground bar, is perfect. As my boss owned the house he let us have some photos in the main house (Thornbridge is a private family home only open in part as a wedding venue),which was lovely of them , the music room was my favorite.  We used Larkspur St James catering of Sheffield and they really did put on a good show, we also renamed 2 beers – Torz’s Tipple and Lord Scottsworth and all proceeds went to Charity.  We were very lucky to have our reception at such an amazing venue.”

When it came to the look and feel for the decor, Victoria was pretty clear on what she wanted to created…“I have to admit I’m obsessed with things looking Old and Shabby so I wanted everything to look rather vintage, so I started by collecting a lot of old vases and jars from car boot sales, I tied quite a lot of glass into the day, the glass vases fitted in well. I used my granddad’s old type writing for all the place cards, there were 3 different types of tags, all of things I love – Paris, Hydrangeas and Hummingbirds.  The main flowers were always going to be Hydrangeas and Gypsophila, the Hydrangeas literally changed from Green to pastel pink four days before the wedding so I was over the moon at how it all came together.”

Roping in talented friend’s and family is one of my favourite DIY shortcuts, and Victoria’s stationery is a great example of this in action. Her sister designed all the invitations and friends Kerry and Dannilelle did all the illustration work for Save the Dates, Invitations, Table Plan, Order of service etc, for Victoria “this was a very personal touch and I still look at them and love them so much, I wouldn’t have done it any differently.”

For those of you scouring charity shops and fairs for decor for the day, here’s a lesson from Victoria – look much closer to home, or rather – at home… “The frame for the table plan was my parentsm and it used to have a picture of me and my sisters in that hung in our lounge for years so I’m glad I used that, I love how it was hung in thin air and looked as though it was floating.” 

But the personal touch didn’t just end at the reception decor! Well outdoing all the efforts of the best man and groomsmen, Victoria’s bridesmaid sprung a very special surprise for her bestie with a slideshow of the past 11 years of the couple’s lives, bringing on lots of tears – I am not surprised!

What advice would you give to brides and grooms planning their day? I would say to try and keep as much personal thought to it as you can, your bridesmaid and friends can’t wait to get involved, we had so many nights of making bits and bobs for the big day. Read lots of blogs for inspiration, and just enjoy planning your big day, I loved every bit of mine. The best bit of  advice I would give is get a good photographer, this is the only thing you have to look back on your special day, Sara Dalzell did such an amazing job, she went over all my ideas and the style of photographs I wanted, she captured moments I thought could never be caught – a super talented young lady who really did make my day. Also don’t get taken in by designer dressers, I went for a dress that didn’t really have a designer and it was a great price! Also hit the high street well in advance for bridesmaid dresses; I got over 50% discounts off mine just by shopping in advance. We splashed out a lot on catering/venue so this was my way of saving some cash and it worked a treat.

Huge congratulations to Victoria and Scott, and our heartfelt thanks for sharing their beautiful day with us.

And a final word must be reserved for Sara Dalzell, photographer behind the lens on this happy occasion but I think I’ll leave it to Victoria to give her verdict, as everyone knows – the bride knows best! ”Sara was amazing, and it was the best gift a friend could ever give, her images blew all my friends and family away”

All the Wedding Details

Original Article: One Fab Day : An English Rose and a True Gent – Victoria and Scott’s Country Manor Wedding