Rachel and Dermot’s Big Day is the stuff of boho wedding dreams! We love the rose gold and blush colour scheme, their beautiful wedding venue and the big smiles on everybody’s face all day long.
Couple: Rachel & Dermot
Engagement length: 1 year 10 months
Wedding date: 2022-07-21
Wedding location: Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort
Photographer: JMF Wedding Photography
Rachel and Dermot met at a mutual friend’s birthday party in New York. Their intimate proposal is best told from Rachel’s perspective:
“In September 2020, we were due to finally get out of Dublin following the Covid 19 lockdowns, but Dublin was entered into another lockdown the day we were due to leave. He told me he had to go into his office for a few hours but he was really going to pick up the engagement ring he was planning to propose to me with on our trip. Instead, he came home and got down on one knee in our living room. It was perfect!”
They really wanted a boho wedding that was very casual. They didn’t have much of a theme, other than a rose gold and blush colour scheme which you can see in the bridesmaids’ dresses, signage and jewellery.
Rachel wore an ivory/champane off the shoulder Justin Alexander A-Line dress with ivory block heels with rose gold weave pattern on the heel.
As his mum is Scottish, Dermot wore a “Pride of Ireland” kilt with a black jacket and grey cravat.
Rachel’s bridesmaids wore a Folkster wrap over blush pink dresses with silver heels. Dermot’s groomsmen wore the same “Pride of Ireland” kilts but with grey jackets and blush pink ties.
The page boys wore grey chinos, white short sleeved shirts with a Stewart tartan dickie-bow and white converse runners. The flower-girls wore a mid length blush pink dress from Next with converse and blush ribbon laces.
“Our ceremony was a simple and fun humanist ceremony. Our Celebrant was the wonderful Bernie from Spiritual Ceremonies. I walked up the aisle to INXS – Never Tear Us Apart and she started with a beautiful piece about love. We chose a few things we liked and asked our family to read them for us.”
The readings we chose were:
“The Priests Speech” from Fleabag
“I Wanna Grow Old With You” from The Wedding Singer
“He’s Not Perfect” by Bob Marley
They also chose a couple of songs to be played throughout, including The Beatles’ “And I Love Her” and Depeche Mode’s “Somebody”. They finished the ceremony by completing a handfasting ceremony, assisted by their parents.
“It was beautiful and very much about us and our relationship. It was perfect.”
“Our wedding venue was the beautiful Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort in Blessington, Co. Wicklow. What we fell in love with was the stand alone space with a beautiful ceremony room overlooking the Blessington Lakes. The ballroom was stunning also and it had a a courtyard beautifully decorated with fairy lights and candles.”
They also chose Tulfarris as they were able to accommodate their requirements, such as the buffet style meal to keep in line with the relaxed theme for the wedding. Tulfarris also hosted their Day 2 BBQ.
“All the food was delicious… and devoured by all our guests! The wedding coordinators Honora and Kate, were outstanding. Could not recommend them more, they made the whole process so enjoyable and easy! All the staff we encountered during our stay were phenomenal and an absolute joy to be around.”
Their wedding was beautifully captured by Justin from JMF Photography. They really wanted their wedding to be captured in a candid way and he blew them away with the photos.
“He was absolutely brilliant to have around, very relaxed and worked a lot in the background. A complete and utter professional and he had the photos back to us in the time frame promised but with a personalised usb stick and box, which was such a nice surprise! We constantly look at our photos and relive the magic of our special day.”
To entertain their guests, they chose a 3 piece saxophone band for the drinks reception and a DJ for the rest of the evening. They loved how he kept everyone on the dance floor all night!
This is what Rachel says is her favourite memory from the Big Day:
We love asking newlyweds for their wedding planning advice. This is what they had to say:
“Enjoy the build-up and celebrate all the milestones as your big day draws close. On the day itself, make sure you tell your coordinator that you want to have a couple of minutes on your own straight after the ceremony… just to take it all in!”
Recommended suppliers
Ceremony and reception venue: Tulfarris Hotel and Golf Resort
Photographer: JMF Wedding Photography
Planner/coordinator: Honora Carbery, Kate Hannigan from Tulfarris Hotel
Hair: Cara Cameron
Ring: Martin Gear Jewellers
Other suppliers
Musician: Suitable Saxes | DJ: Joe Donelly | Makeup: Juliet Morrow Makeup | Dress: The Bridal Outlet | Suits: AB Formal Wear | Bridesmaids: Folkster | Cake: Magui Gomez | Celebrant/solemniser: Bernadette Dolan | Jewellery: Rosie & Dott | Flowers: Twig & Berries