When Londoner John met Dubliner Karen while working in Switzerland, neither of them knew that her extreme filing and his constant question-asking would bring them together.
After two successful proposals, one with a dud ring and the other on a romantic balcony setting, Karen and John decided to get married in Ireland but were unsure of an exact location. When their eyes feasted on Adare Village they knew it would be the perfect location for their celebrations and for their guests to unwind and enjoy themselves!
They both agreed that Karen’s walk up the aisle was one of their most cherished moments of the day, which Michelle Prunty captured in all its elegance.
Our wedding theme/ colours… No particular theme, just simple yet colourful. Getting married in November, there was a strong chance it would be grey or wet so we wanted something bright and cheerful. The sample bridesmaid dresses happened to be in red, we loved the colour straight away and it was as simple as that.
We met… 3.5 years ago in Switzerland. I had already been living there for six years at the time. John had just moved to Basel on a four month contract and our desks were beside each other in the office. Next thing we knew was that John’s four months turned into three years – and a marriage proposal!
First impressions…
John: Having moved to Switzerland, I was expecting to sit next to someone from Basel, France maybe even Germany so it took me a little by surprise to sit opposite a girl from Dublin! First impression was that she was a bit of a control freak judging by her filing system, but very pretty with great legs.
Karen: I thought he was a London bloke who asked lots of questions and teased me about my sweet tooth!
Our proposal… During Christmas 2010 we decided to move to London where John is from. John took me out to our favourite restaurant for dinner to celebrate and proposed to me with a Claire’s Accessories ring. We chose the actual ring together! When John picked the ring up a few weeks later, he got back down on one knee in the street outside our third floor apartment, called me to the balcony and asked me to marry him again!
My dress… I first tried on my dress in Basel soon after getting engaged but I had lace in mind and so didn’t think it was ‘the one’. I found it again in a shop in Dublin and tried it on again! I just fell in love with the style, the details and the covered shoulders were perfect for a nippy November.
Our wedding… We got engaged in January and decided to get married by the end of the year in Ireland but had no idea where. We did some online searching, shortlisted a few venues to visit and came across Adare, Co. Limerick. When we visited it, it was just perfect.
The highlight of our wedding day…
Karen: We woke up to sunshine so that was a huge bonus but the best moments for me were walking to the church with my Dad, then seeing John turn around at the top of the church. I just floated up the aisle!
John: It’s very difficult to choose just one because from the moment I woke up I was a little over-excited. As Karen said, the weather was a huge bonus, having had two days of grey cloud and rain, when we woke up to brilliant sunshine it was just amazing. The moment though that really sticks in my mind was when I turned around in the church to see the doors open and Karen appear, there was a sharp intake of breath and almost a tear shed.
Our photographer… We chose Michelle Prunty Photography to capture our day. We met Michelle at a wedding fair in Limerick and found her relaxed and easy to talk to. We liked her style of photos, her own style and could easily imagine her being part of the day. Michelle offered something a little different and a more modern twist to some of the other photographers we saw and she turned out even better than we could have hoped.
Our venue… We were really impressed with the Dunraven Arms Hotel it was professional, welcoming and great value. Then as soon as we walked into the Church we thought this was it! As many of our guests would be travelling to the wedding we wanted somewhere they could enjoy a couple of days away and make a weekend of it and Adare ticked all the boxes!
My advice to other brides… Remember that everyone is there for you both, to be happy for you and to celebrate with you. Even if things don’t go exactly as you plan during the day, you are the only person who will notice – so just let it go!
Vendors
Wedding Venue Coordinator: Hugh Murphy – The Dunraven Arms Hotel
Wedding Dress: White Orchid, Swords
Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Jane Jordan, London
Suit: Jo McLaren, London
Hair: Linda Gannon Foster
Make-up: Claire Noonan – Make-up by Claire
Flowers: Abbeyfeale Flowers
Cake: Confetti Cakes
Hair Accessories: Veil from White Orchid, Hairpiece from Rene Walrus, Edinburgh
Jewellery: All gifts
Music Church: Lorraine Galvin
Music Band: Holly and the Go-Lights
