John and Emma’s wedding was mainly peacock themed with some colourful tattoos thrown in for good measure as John is a tattoo artist. They also paid tribute to the family who couldn’t be there, their beloved eight cats and a puppy, displaying portraits of each pet on the cake table and having a pet on the top of their cake.
Their photographer, Amy French said: “The weather wasn’t great but if you must be stuck indoors at a wedding then you can’t beat being in the stunning Seafield Hotel… it made for a great backdrop.”
Length of engagement: Almost two years. We got engaged on Christmas day 2009.
Wedding date: November 11th 2011 (11.11.11). 11 has always been a significant number for us so it just seemed to fit perfectly!
Wedding location: Seafield Golf & Spa Hotel
Wedding photographer: Amy French from Rubistyle Photography
We met… John was working as a tattoo artist in a Dublin studio that my aunt had recommended I go to. Little did she know that I’d get the artist too.
First impressions of each other…Unable to answer as we spent the morning together before our wedding so didn’t have that ‘reveal’ moment.
Our proposal… OMG there was meant to be a proposal!!???!?
Our wedding/ theme colours… Peacock feathers were a large part of our theme as we love the colours and texture. We kept the remaining colours largely black and white to complement the hotel setting but to also offset the peacock feathers.
It was most important to us to include our nine children in the day that couldn’t physically be there – our 8 cats and puggle puppy. We managed to do so with our choice of quirky cake and favours as certificates detailing our donation to Cats Aid.
My dress… My dress was very traditional, which nobody was expecting! It was only when I tried on this dress I realised that I did in fact want what I had thought I didn’t – white, sweetheart neckline, A-line and taffeta. I had always imagined getting married in a different dress – I was going for black originally!
Our venue… It was exactly what we were looking for. An important part of our day was to spend the morning together relaxing in the spa for a couple of hours before the chaos started. The decor and lighting reflected exactly what we wanted in a venue – something a little different. John was thrilled with the black polished walls. This place really comes alive on a dark evening, which added to the atmosphere of our late evening November wedding. Seafield were very flexible and willing to accommodate anything that we wished for, within reason.
Our ceremony… It was super relaxed and was actually quite fun. We didn’t want the big fuss everybody expects you to want on your wedding day and so the ceremony was kept short and simple. We were all nervous and even our registrar fumbled some words, which started a giggle fest ultimately relaxing the two of us. To bridge the silent gaps we had Steve, the pianist, from the Troubadours playing live music. We added a unity candle ritual, which was a nice touch as it involved our families also.
Our favourite part of the wedding… There are so many parts of the day that we cherish. It’s too difficult to choose just one. We adored how we spent the morning in the spa and got ready together, which caused a few raised eyebrows but as the day goes by so fast we felt it was important to spend as much of it together as we could.
Our advice for other brides… Doing what suits you as a couple is THE most important thing. Something I was unaware of until half way through the planning stage is that this day is equally important to your family – especially parents – so consider their dreams of your big day too. Enjoy the day and don’t stress over the small details – they really aren’t important. Have fun in the planning stage – it’s the longest part of your wedding. Cocktails and sushi is a recommended part of the planning process!
Vendors
Dress: Bridal Corner, Glasnevin
Suit: CT2, Blanchardstown
Groom Shoes: Robert Atkinson
Hairpiece & Button holes: SheronRoseDesigns on Etsy
Bridesmaid Dress: Altered Debenhams
Flowers: Lynne at Daisy’s Florist
Ceremony Music: Steve Vickers
Music: The Troubadours
Cake: The Cake Creator
Make-up & Hair: Leanne Nugent
Stationary: Inkwell Tattoo Ltd.