Celia by Pronovias for an Elegant Country House Wedding

Hello everyone, how are you all today? It’s such a pleasure to introduce you to today’s couple Laura and Ronan, and their beautiful Irish seaside wedding. I fell in love with this wedding at first glance, drawn in by the powder blue hue of Laura’s shoes and the dramatic Irish coastline. The couple chose to tie the knot at Ballintaggart House which allowed them to create an informal and relaxed house-party atmosphere for their guests. Making sure that the day was focused around family and friends, that everyone had fun and the day was relaxed and welcoming, was key.

Laura and Ronan married on 24th June 2016 on the West coast of Ireland in St Brendan’s church, Curraheen, Co. Kerry with a reception at nearby Ballintaggart House. The same church where Laura was baptised, it has beautiful views over Tralee Bay. The couple met through a mutual friend during their final year at university. After a few years of a long-distance relationship, the couple settled in Dublin, and were engaged on New Year’s Day 2015.

Images by SOSAC Photography

Laura looks immaculate in her structured, boat-neck Pronovias Atelier gown, which she found at Adare Bridal Shop, Co. Limerick. The beauty of it is that the jacket could be removed to reveal a fitted bandeau bodice, perfect for the evening celebrations with the addition of a crystal and pearl embellished belt and jewellery from Newbridge Silverware.

“I had seen this beautiful ‘Ceila’ dress on Aibhéil’s website and loved the simplicity and elegance, the classic shape and the full skirt. As soon as I tried it on I knew it was for me – it made me smile instantly. It was so comfortable to wear and when I discovered that it had pockets I was sold! I loved having the option to remove the bolero in the evening to create a different look.”These photos are by SOSAC Photography, who have managed to capture the atmosphere and drama of the Dingle peninsula. The team couldn’t be any more highly recommended by this bride and groom.

“Shane and his wife Adele were highly recommended to us by friends and we are so happy that we booked them. Not only are they two really lovely and warm people, but they are also such gifted photographers. They strike a perfect balance between being relaxed and good fun while also maintaining a professionalism and attention to detail that is second-to-none.”

 

“They had thought through every aspect of the day and nothing was left to chance – they were such a pleasure to work with. Our album is a lovely mix of un-posed images that capture the atmosphere of the day, combined with some stunning portraits with the most beautiful natural background of Dingle’s coastline.”

“We are so grateful to them to have captured a beautiful collection of images that will make us smile forever.”

We’ve featured a number of Love My Dress brides who have added a shot of colour to their outfit with their shoes, and this pair of powder blue Manolo Blahnik pumps are divine.

“It is no exaggeration to say that I spent longer searching for my shoes than my dress! I have an unhealthy obsession with shoes and was determined to find the perfect pair for the wedding. After hours of looking online I eventually tracked down the shoes of my dreams in Barneys, New York… my something blue, a pair of powder blue Manolo Blahnik pumps. After a few moments of panic when I discovered that Barneys don’t deliver to Ireland, my US-based cousin Emlyn arranged to bring them home with him on a family holiday and calm was restored.”

Flowers were inspired by the wild beauty of the Dingle peninsula, and the couple chose Danielle from Tie The Knot Weddings to put together the bouquets, button-holes and flowers for the church alter. The pinks are just so stand-out, especially against the ivory of Laura’s gown and the blue of the bridesmaids’ dresses.

“She was so super to work with and completely understood what we were going for – a wild, unstructured, colourful look that would complement the simplicity of the wedding dress. The colourful wildflowers reflected the rural setting and rugged landscape of the Dingle peninsula.”

The bridesmaids 50’s-style gowns mirror the bride’s gown in shape, and I love the modern twist of the high-low hem. They look fabulous against the stony grey of the sea.

“We got engaged on New Year’s Day 2015 in Dingle. We were in Dingle celebrating Daire’s 30th birthday – coincidentally, the mutual friend who had introduced us in 2007 – and the morning after the party we headed out for a walk in the rain. Ronan completely surprised me by going down on one knee with the lovely backdrop of Dingle Bay behind us. We were engaged for just under eighteen months before we got married which was just enough time to plan the wedding without feeling under pressure.”

“After we got engaged, we sat down and thought about all the weddings we had been to and what made us enjoy them so much, and we kept coming back to the same things – good company, good food and a great band. That really helped us to prioritise what was important to us.”

Walking down the aisle on the arm of her dad to ‘Moon River’, performed by Here Comes the Trio, was an especially poignant moment for Laura.

“The day was full of high points and special moments for us both but the moment my Dad walked me down the aisle is a particular high point. Dad unfortunately has an acquired brain injury as a result of two devastating strokes caused by a brain aneurysm in 2009 and he set himself a goal to learn to walk the distance down the aisle in time for our wedding – no mean feat as he has quite severe physical limitations and difficulties initiating movement. Dad is an incredibly motivated and determined person and he continues to defy the odds as he lives with his brain injury.”

“With some assistance he managed the walk and it was an enormously moving moment for all his family and friends – I just adore the images from that part of the ceremony as for a long time there was little prospect of him being around for my wedding, never mind walking me down the aisle. We were all so proud of him and it was a really overwhelming and special moment.”

“I was actually fortunate to have two people walk me down the aisle as my brother Robbie helped my Dad with the walk and I was honoured to have him by my side as well. We are a really close family and after a very difficult few years, it was really special to celebrate how far Dad has come since his illness.”

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During the ceremony, Robbie also performed a saxophone version of Edith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose. The engagement and wedding rings were from Matthew Stephens Jewellers, Limerick, picked out with the help of Laura’s aunt and godmother Anne.

Ballintaggert House looks like such a quirky, homely venue for a wedding, and the couple found that they didn’t want to add much but let its personality shine through. The favours really caught my eye – absolutely gorgeous hand-painted illustrations by Laura’s mum on natural stone which also doubled as place-names.

“Ballintaggart House is full of nooks and crannies with quirky décor so we really didn’t have to add anything – just a few props for the photo booth, a dictionary guest book and jars of wildflowers scattered around. Ballintaggart House has so much charm and atmosphere by itself that we didn’t need to stress about adding extra décor – that was another reason why we knew it was the place for us!”

“As soon as we visited Ballintaggart House we loved it; it is a quirky and charming country house with a gorgeous view of Dingle Bay. John Cluskey and his sister Clodagh are the perfect hosts and the venue was ideal to create the relaxed party atmosphere that we were looking for. We loved how there were so many venues within the one space: the beautiful marquee, two receptions rooms (one with comfy couches and the other as a dancing space), the atmospheric courtyard where we had our first dance and (most importantly!) the snug bar where the party continued until the late hours.”

Laura and Ronan have some very talented family members; the vibrant florals for the rest of the church were put together the day before by Laura’s mum, and were transferred to Ballintaggart House for the reception.

As well as a feast provided by Ballintaggart House, and ale brewed and labelled specially by Ronan – ‘Ronan and Laura’s Wed Ale’ –  guests were free to help themselves from the wedding cake table. Having them displayed and available from the drinks reception through to the evening party meant that guests could choose something to nibble whenever they felt peckish.

The couple kicked off the evening reception with David Bowies’ ‘Let’s Dance’, choosing it for its fun, upbeat feel. Laura’s brother’s band, Trees Fall Down, played at the reception and kept the dance floor full all night. After the band, DJ Ed Smith took over. Dancing in the fairy-light lit courtyard looks so magical!

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“It’s really important to mark all the little things along the way. I think we had a glass of Prosecco (or a pint, in Ronan’s case) whenever we ticked all the big things off the list: buying the dress/suit, ordering our invites, buying the bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen suits. Life has so many ups and downs that it’s really important to celebrate the happy times and embrace any opportunity for celebration!”

There are so many lovely moments in this wedding, and the story of Laura’s dad being able to walk her down the aisle is just wonderful. I hope that you’ve picked up some ideas from Laura and Ronan. I’ve put Ireland on my list of ‘to visit’ places now having seen these beautiful images by Sosac. Thank you so much for sharing them, and congratulations Laura and Ronan.

Ele xx