A Rue de Seine Gown for a Rugged and Intimate Wedding on the Irish Coast

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There is such a treat on our pages for you today to ease you into the new week. We’re heading to the rugged coast of County Clare, Ireland for the breathtakingly beautiful winter wedding between Meagan and Yates.

Get yourself a cup of tea, make yourself comfy and enjoy. Oh, and for all those who love to stay cosy, take inspiration from this bride’s uber-cool socks and boots combo. Just perfect.

Event coordinator Meagan wed fleet manager Yates on 11 November 2017 in an intimate marriage ceremony at Newtown Castle, Ballyvaughan, Co. Clare, Ireland followed by a warm, relaxed dinner and dancing reception at Vaughan’s Pub in Kilfenora. The couple, who live and work in America, wanted their wedding weekend to provide themselves and their guests a chance to refresh and restore. Escaping to Ireland with their most-loved friends and families offered this opportunity. The incredibly romantic teaser video is the work of wedding videographers Sam and Dani of Cinematic Tide.

“Sam and Dani were such a blast! Sweet, sweet people and the most talented ever. So happy to have met and worked with them.”

Video Cinematic Tide




Meagan found her gown – an unmistakable Rue de Seine creation – at Lovely Bride in Houston, America. It’s so dramatic with its open back, deep slit detail and beading.

“I went into dress shopping not having a set ‘this is what I want’ style. My style is practical yet edgy, comfy yet classic so I could have picked any dress and it would fit with my style. BUT, my dress spoke all my love languages at once.”

 

Photography Sean and Kate

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“Feminine without being too girly, intricate details in all the right places, a splash of sass and uniqueness with the beading and front slit, topped off with the perfectly traditional/classic train. I have followed Rue de Seine for quite some time and never dreamed I would be able to wear one of their dresses so I was ecstatic when I found mine (and, right on budget!).”

Meagan and Yates worked with wedding planner and stylist Waterlily Weddings to plan their day from America, and Sile Tracey helped them to create a day full of personal touches as well as aiding them in choosing suppliers.

“I have always loved every aspect of weddings. I work weddings as a side gig so I’m immersed in all things weddings the majority of the time. However my ‘dream wedding’ ideas morphed into different shapes and sizes over the years as a result of my experiences and, well, life. I no longer wanted the gigantic ‘fairytale’ wedding and simply wanted to go to a place that was stand-alone inspiration with the people dearest to me.”

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“I kept hearing ‘come away with me’ as our theme. We wanted it to be a time of refreshment and restoration, not just for us but for all who were in attendance. What better way than to escape to the Emerald Isle? I wanted moody, authentic, natural and intimate. I always hear people say ‘it’s more than I dreamed it would be’ but it truly was so, so special.”

 

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The couple first met in high school but didn’t start dating until years later.

“We reconnected in 2013 after our meddling sisters decided they were going to set us up. We both were sceptical but reached out to each other and have talked every day since. We dated for three and a half years before we got engaged.”

“We were unconventional in pretty much every aspect of our relationship, including beginning the planning stages of our wedding before we were engaged. We started planning in January 2017, were engaged in April and got married in November.”

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Her chunky heels were from Mix No. 6, swapped later in the day for practical and smart ankle boots and cosy socks. With this intricate gown, few accessories were needed so she added statement chandelier earrings from H&M and a sapphire and diamond necklace from Megan Thorne, a gift from Yates which matched her wedding ring. She also carried her grandpa’s cotton bow tie tack on her bouquet.

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The wedding flowers by Anthesis Floral really are the star of the venue’s decor – wild, natural and totally harmonious with the rugged coastal venue.

“I had a hard time finding a florist that fitted my vision. Because I am involved in so many weddings, it was hard for me to see something and not think, ‘Oh, I’ve seen this a million times’. I wanted unstructured and unique while also being intentional and specific.”

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“Juliana came through leaps and bounds above my expectations. She was such a pleasure to design and collaborate with. Our reception installations were absolutely brilliant.”

“My only regret is that we didn’t get to spend more time together while I was in Ireland! I continue to daydream over her work as I follow along with her social media posts. She is a true artist!”

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Meagan topped off her look with a floating cathedral-length veil in diamond white from BHLDN, and I love how it flows behind her in these beautiful coastal images by Sean and Kate.

“Sean and Kate were an absolute dream! The minute I saw their work I knew they were our people. Not only are they incredible photographers, they are amazing human beings with the kindest souls. I wanted a moody, romantic and natural feel for our photos. Sean and Kate embody all those things and more without even having to try (or so it seems, they make everything look so easy!).”

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“There was never a point when we felt awkward in front of their cameras, even Yates, who does not enjoy being photographed. It was such a breeze and joy to work with them and have them hang with us on our wedding day. It felt like they were part of our group from the start. We were sad to say goodbye! Yates and I feel like we have made friends for life in Sean and Kate and cannot wait to get back to Ireland to visit.”

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The groom’s style was classic and comfortable. His warm tweedy blue suit was a Jos A. Bank design, brightened with a light, floral tie and tie bar from Dazi.

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Newtown Castle, a 16th century cylindrical tower house, provides the loveliest intimate venue for small ceremonies – just look how cosy and natural it is in these photographs. Meagan walked in on the arm of her father, as Kathleen Loughnane played harp. Pat Mangan from Spiritual Ceremonies led the ceremony, and the couple had chatted to him over the internet, meaning they knew he was right for them.

“This was a tough find for us but the first time we Skyped with Pat we knew he was our guy. He was such a pleasure to work with and crafted our ceremony so personally and sweetly. I will always treasure the words he spoke and the ceremony elements he included. Forever thankful for him!”

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Choosing personal vows was a really important part for the couple, and Meagan has shared them below.

“We chose a few sets of vows we liked and combined them to make our own. It was important to us to speak specific, intentional words during our ceremony as we believe there is so much power in the spoken word.”

‘Extract: I promise to encourage and inspire you, to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple and when it is an effort. I promise to respect and cherish your uniqueness, and to always hold you in the highest regard. I promise to build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect and honour for others and each other, so that our home may forever be filled with peace, happiness and love. I promise to share hopes, thoughts and dreams as we build our lives together.’

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The ceremony was made even more personal with their choice of readings – ‘The Song of Solomon Chapter 2:10 -13’The Lord’s Prayer and another reading, an extract of which is below.

“May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance and understanding. May you always need one another; not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another, but not to encircle one another.”

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“May you succeed in all important ways with one another, but not fail in the little graces. May you look for the things to praise, often say ‘I love you’, and take no notice of small faults. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.”

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The couple, their family and friends also remembered their loved ones.

“During our ceremony we had a time to remember our loved ones who have passed on. We knew we were going to acknowledge them but didn’t know how this part would play out. Pat read their names aloud and we had the sweetest moment of silence following. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. I will never forget this moment.”

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The couple exchanged rings from Blue Nile (Yates) and Megan Thorne (Meagan’s).

“Where to even begin with my love of all things Megan Thorne? She is another one I have followed for years. Every single thing she creates makes me googly-eyed. I have never owned a diamond anything (I’m 31 years old) and was convinced diamonds aren’t really my thing until I walked into Megan Thorne Atelier. I love antiques for their character and stories and was immediately drawn to Megan Thorne as she specialises in creating ‘Future Heirlooms’.”

“I love that her pieces are antique with a modern twist, delicate and feminine while still being showstoppers. I’m so proud of my rings and necklace and can’t wait to continue to add to my collection. Megan Thorne is one of a kind.”

“Yates has never been a ring guy so we opted to choose a ring for him based on price point, quality and practicality. We found Blue Nile and were impressed with their offerings.”

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After the ceremony, the wedding party travelled to Vaughan’s Pub.

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With food provided by the pub, the celebrations got underway with traditional wedding speeches, including one from Meagan’s father. They also took part in the American tradition of a bride and father dance, and mother and son dance – really special moments for the newly-weds.

“Reception speeches were so special. My dad used to be a pastor and has always been a businessman so I have heard him speak, present and lead countless time. But, I have never heard him speak sweeter words than he did on this day. Once again, not a dry eye to be seen.”

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This modern couple chose an exquisite semi-naked cake, so tall and picture-perfect.

“I am a huge cake lover so this was nerve-racking for me to choose from afar without tasting first. Joanna from The Chic Cake Boutique came through big time on our cake design and flavour. It was so wonderful there was not one bite left. Kudos!”

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“Growing up, Dad always sang ‘Happiest Girl in the Whole USA’ by Donna Fargo to my sister and I to get us up and out of bed in the morning. We hated it so much! He would throw pillows at us and turn on all the lights while singing at the top of his lungs. Looking back now, this is one of my fondest memories. I didn’t tell him what song we were dancing to so there were tears as soon as it began to play. Happy tears!”

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The bride and groom took to the floor together for their first dance to ‘Fire of Time’ by David Ramirez. More dancing followed, this time to traditional Irish band Tommy Keane & Co.

“This song speaks for itself. If you don’t know David’s music, you should; an incredible musician and Dallas-local.”

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Words of Wedded Wisdom

“‘Go your own way’ was the first thing that popped into my head. And believe it or not, doing you to the fullest is difficult. Really difficult. It’s difficult because it is SO important. You’ll face a lot of opposition in this but stay on the path. To me, there are few things in life more important than being your true self, wholly and unashamedly. Sure, research to get ideas and inspiration.”

“Glean from what others have done. But please, for the love of everything, do what you want to do, how you want to do it, WHERE you want to and with who you want to. I promise you, you will never regret it.”

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Thank you so much for your beautiful words and memories of your day with us, Meagan. Wishing you and Yates so many congratulations on your marriage, and I do hope that you are able to return to Ireland to spend more time on that beautiful coastline. Thank you so much Sean and Kate for your images too – what a treat it has been to share them today.

Ele xx

Credits & Thanks

Eleanor Crossland

Eleanor Crossland View all Eleanor's articles

Ele lives in the Lincolnshire countryside, close to the beautiful coast. A qualified Pilates teacher, she loves fitness, yoga, Pilates and has a healthy addiction to baking, writing and travel.

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