A Charlie Brear Bride and her Glamorous Black Tie Wedding at Virginia Park Lodge in Ireland

For as long as weddings cannot take place because of our lockdown, we will continue to share even more beautiful, inspirational weddings than ever before, to remind you why love, gatherings and celebration are important.

This is Project Manager Annabelle and Teacher Conor’s wedding which took place on 12th April 2019 at Virginia Park Lodge, Co. Cavan, Ireland. The couple tied the knot black-tie style and filled their day with effortless glamour.

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We are so thrilled that our Little Book member, the incredibly talented Tony of Photography 34, captured these images.

“We first met Tony of Photography 34 at our friends wedding in France. We were blown away by the shots he had taken. We are extremely impressed with our photos. He captured the fun and relaxed feel of the day brilliantly. We love the warm tones he created and clearly has a detailed eye.”

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“Tony is extremely professional, we had a number of Skype calls before the event. On the day he offered advise and support throughout the day which made us feel at ease. We would highly recommend him.”

“We would highly recommend film makers Soul and Rise. Relaxed, chilled highly creative and Ross created the perfect video.”

Anabelle wore a gorgeous top and skirt combo by Charlie Brear, which she discovered at Alexandra Anne – an intimate boutique bridal shop in Derbyshire, close to the parent’s.

“I would highly recommend Alexandra Anne – my sister and best friend both purchased their dresses their previously.”

“The dress had the perfect combination of simplicity, elegance and sophistication and it was unlike any other dress I have ever seen before, it was unique and it was perfect for me.”

Annabel chose to wear a pretty pair of high heels in  pink and gold with art deco accents, from high street fave Dune.

Annabelle borrowed a veil from a friend.

“We used the in-house florist. We wanted to keep the floral tones simple and elegant and to reflect our colour theme of green, pink and white.”

“We chose the venue as Conor is from Ireland. Conor now lives in England but Ireland will always be home. Having a religious ceremony was important to us so it felt right to get married back in Ireland.”

“We wanted to be married in a Catholic Church and the priest who married us was a family friend who knew Conor and his family well.”

Conor wore black tie from Suit Supply.

“Conor received a gift from his brothers on the day. Cufflinks which included the Daly family crest on them – a nice touch on the day that meant a lot to Conor.”

“Conor and I met whilst studying at University in Liverpool 11 years ago. We lived opposite each other and were introduced by mutual friends. After University, we moved to London to further pursue our careers.”

“Conor proposed at Kew Gardens, it was Christmas and we were there to enjoy the Christmas light trail.”

“Christmas has always been my favourite time of year – Conor had planned a festive day in the city before a walk through the gardens, finishing at the fountain, he got down on one knee and popped the question.”

“Our theme included sage green, gold and brush pink. An important aspect was the food for our guests which did not disappoint. Many of our guests told us it was the best wedding food they have had!

Anabelle’s bridesmaids wore the prettiest sage green dresses from Coast.

“Conor loves poems from the Irish poet, Seamus Heaney. During the ceremony, our priest read a beautiful poem ‘Scaffolding’ from the Irish poet Seamus Heaney. A poem which explains how relationships are built over time.”

“Over time there is trust, eventually leading to a relationship that can stand on its own.”

“I included a quote from AA Milne at the back of our wedding booklet; Promise me you’ll always remember: You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

“A jeweller located in Conor’s hometown, T.A. Mercers Enniskillen., supplied our rings. Conor had a number of consultations and received an extremely personal service to create the perfect ring.”

“Virginia Park Lodge  offers that home away from home feeling, with the best Ireland has to offer – beautiful surroundings, delicious food and fantastic hospitality.”

“We also chose Virginia Park Lodge as we have a passion and love for food so Richard Corrigan’s, Virginia Park Lodge, was the perfect choice that reflected us as a couple.”

“Virginia Park Lodge offered fine dining within a relaxed atmosphere or us and our guests and it didn’t disappoint! We loved the style and décor of the building and it suited our taste perfectly.”

“Our cake, by Lough Erne Cakes, reflected our theme of simple elegance and mirrored the stationary on the day. It was a three tier cake with a marble exterior which included our favourite flavours. The cake was decorated with our floral theme.”

“Lighting was an important decor element with a stunning hanging light installation over the main table and candles scattered throughout both the ceremony and reception venue creating an effortlessly romantic vibe.”

The couple say the treasured their time together for the photographs the most on the day.

“We also loved the speeches, Conor asked my sister Georgina to make a speech – it was a huge surprise. Conor chose his two brothers as best men. They are real show men who had the room in stitches.

“We have a shared love for music and we had a number of choices. We finally decided on ‘Beyond’ by the American soul singer Leon Bridges. We felt the lyrics were perfect and we are a huge fan of his. He manages to create an old soul sound in the modern era – perfect.” 

Words of Wedded Wisdom

“If you can, we recommend hosting a Rehearsal Dinner. We hosted a rehearsal dinner the night before at Virginia Park Lodge which meant the celebrations started early. People had flown in from all around the world. We will never forget the feeling on that night – seeing our closest friends and family together with all the excitement ahead of the next day was just fantastic!” A time to take stock and spend time with the ones you love.”

“Atmosphere is key. You can have the most expensive wedding in the world but you need good people and good vibes to make a perfect day.”