Frances + David

How did you meet?

We met through friends at a bar in Belfast! David was supposed to be going on a date that evening… he cancelled it, we went on a daytrip to Dublin the next morning as almost strangers and the rest is history!

When did you know they were the one?

I don’t think there was a ‘moment’ but my mum always said when it is easy, it is right. After some time I realised things were just so easy, so i knew this was it.

What are your three favourite attributes of your partner?

He has achieved so much by himself, gone back to school, got his qualifications and gone to college to be an electrician and become a firefighter. He is very motivated and hard working.
He is also a very kind person, will help others and not expect anything in return.
He is also very handsome!

Who proposed and how?

David proposed on holiday during lockdown in Co Kerry. We had looked at rings but he threw me off by pretending he couldn’t remember which one I liked. I believed him and we nearly fell out! So when he produced the ring it was a huge surprise.

Where did you fall in love with your dress and why?

I saw MWL dresses online and booked an appt in Ivy and White in Lisburn just to try them on. I picked about 6 MWL dresses to try as they’re all so beautiful! It was the 5th shop I’d been to. I had seen lovely dresses but they didn’t feel like ‘me’. When I tried on Ryder, I felt like the best version of myself. She was perfect!

What was the best moment for you at your wedding?

I was so surprised by how relaxed and excited I was all morning, I had no nerves and enjoyed every minute of getting ready. Noone had seen my dress except my mum so coming out to my dad, bridesmaids and David’s mum was really special. Walking up the isle was amazing, seeing all our friends and family amd David at the top was such a happy moment. My brother played the fiddle for me walking down the Isle which was so personal and beautiful.
Our priest, Fr Ray Kelly surprised our guests by singing a special version of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, it was such a talking point of the weekend, everyone loved it!
Our party was also amazing, we couldn’t stop smiling and dancing all night!

What were your favourite details?

Our tables were beautiful and exactly what I wanted. We had centrepieces made of places along the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland which are meaningful to us which were so unique. I also had tablecloths made by my mum and aunts as I didn’t want white, they were blue which looked fab and our flowers were perfect, it looked incredible.
We only wanted essential photos and did everything in one place so we could enjoy the drinks reception and talk to our guests which we loved.
My bridesmaids wore white suits and they looked unreal!

What advice would you tell other brides?

Don’t stress about minor details, you won’t even notice them on the day! I put so much work into things like our table plan and church flowers and didn’t even see them! Delegate things to other people, like moving decorations etc.
Be selective about photos and don’t spend your whole day taking photos- spend as much time talking to people as you can.
Invest in good live music, this really gets the party going!
Try to find small things which make your wedding individual, this can be really difficult but make a big difference. Our bridesmaids suits, our singing priest and our music really stood out.

Any standout vendors?

Our band, The Mixtape were amazing and so high energy, we danced all night. We were really lucky to have lots of our guests who are irish musicians so we had top quality church and ceili music too which was great and so personal.
My great friend Nicole @bohoandsass did the hair for the bridal party, I had 2 trials for the perfect ponytail! She also got me ready and into my dress. Good talented friends make a wedding so much better!
Our venue, Clonabreany House in Co Meath, Ireland was beautiful, we had it to ourselves all weekend which I highly recommend if you can as it is so much more private and personal.
Our florist, VP Flowers was fab and so organised.
Our photographer and videographer were also fab – Chris copeland and Adam White. They did exactly what we asked, and we barely noticed they were there.