“My wedding dress needed its own suitcase!”
The couple: Renate Justad and Gavin Hogan
Length of engagement: 11 months | Wedding date: 14th June 2014
Wedding location: Thomas Prior Hall at Bewley’s Hotel Ballsbridge
Photographer: Couple Photography – Roslyn Byrne
We met… in an Irish bar in Sydney when we were both backpacking around Australia.
Our proposal… was in Mljet, Croatia on a deserted beach. It was very romantic! We were on top of the world as we drove away in our rented convertible beeping the horn all the way.
My dress… was an ivory, strapless tulle gown that needed its own suitcase when we brought it over from Norway!
His suit… was a three piece navy slim-fit suit with ivory tie and handkerchief from Suits You.
My favourite part of the wedding day… walking down the aisle and seeing Gavin.
Our ceremony… was conducted by Gavin’s younger brother as we decided not to have a church wedding. It had the same format as a traditional one but was a lot shorter!
We chose our venue because… our wedding planner (Gavin’s mum) suggested Thomas Prior Hall at Bewley’s Hotel Ballsbridge. It is in the local area where he grew up so he knew it very well. The building and grounds there are beautiful and it was very convenient for guests arriving from abroad.
We chose our photographer because… Couple Photography provided two photographers to capture the day. We were impressed with the quality of photos on their website.
Our honeymoon… was a week in Portugal. We spent the first four nights on a peninsula south of Lisbon called Troia. Here we enjoyed champagne, sunsets, dolphin watching and walks on the beach. We spent the last two nights in Lisbon enjoying some sightseeing and fine dining.
My piece of advice for other brides… relax and enjoy the day!