Say hello to Alison and David! They tied the knot in a gorgeous spring wedding, full of pink and grey, cherry blossoms and all their favourite things!
Couple: Alison & David
Engagement length: 21 months
Wedding date: 2024-03-22
Wedding location: Cabra Castle Hotel
Photo and video: The Fennells Photography & Film
Alison and David’s modern love story began on the dating app, Bumble, in June 2021. Alison was learning how to walk again, after a catastrophic leg break. Bored with lockdown and only just off crutches, she downloaded the app and David was one of the first people she spoke to. They had their first date at Toners in Dublin and the rest, as they say, is history.
“In June 2022 we went to Las Vegas for David’s cousin’s 40th and for Alison’s friend’s wedding. We hadn’t even been a year together. When we got there, David told me I had to be up at 4am the next day as he had booked a surprise. He had organised a private hot air balloon ride. Unfortunately the ride was cancelled due to wind, and I was secretly happy as I have a fear of heights. We got back to the hotel room and I was sitting out on the balcony after having breakfast delivered. David came out to me and started talking about how we had been through so much together in our first year. Next thing I knew, he was down on one knee, tears in his eyes and a ring in his hand. He popped the question and I was over the moon and said yes. We went on to celebrate with our family and friends who were with us in Vegas. David had bought a ‘promise ring’ 6 months earlier (we were only together about 5 months but he said he just knew). When we got back home, he took me in to pick out the real engagement ring.”
Since they got married in Spring time, they chose light pink and grey for their wedding colours. To go with the colours, they chose gorgeous cherry blossoms for the theme!
“The boys all wore grey suits which really complimented the rose pink of the bridesmaids dresses. Since we were getting married in an actual castle, we knew we wanted a fairytale… and we certainly got it. The greys and pinks really went so well with my ivory and nude dress. It all just looked so perfect. Even our cake had cherry blossoms, and the hotel had cherry blossom trees for the tables… it all just fit so perfectly.”
Alison wore an ivory lace dress with a nude underlay. It was called Annika and was by Etoile Elysee. She bought it in The Bridal Outlet in Baldoyle. As soon as she put the dress on during the dress shopping, she knew. The tears flowed and she felt absolutely beautiful. Even though Alison considers herself a very self conscious person when it comes to her looks, the dress made her feel incredible. She went with plain ivory shoes and a long veil. David got his suit custom made in Louis Copeland and it was just gorgeous. He went for a slightly darker grey than the groomsmen but had the same tie.
The bridesmaids wore Dessy dresses from Starla Boutique. Alison had given them all the option to choose their own styles of dresses as long as the colours matched. In the end they all went for the same dress. They were light and flowy and fitted them all perfectly. The flower girl also wore a Dessy dress. It was ivory with a pink bow and sash to match the bridesmaids.
The groomsmen, page boy and fathers wore gorgeous grey suits rented from Aston. They all had pink ties and handkerchiefs to match the bridesmaids.
“We had a Humanist ceremony in The Granary on the grounds of the hotel and it was so perfect… Emotional, personal and fun. Our celebrant created a beautiful script for us. We started off in a light hearted manner, with two of the groomsmen (David’s son and brother) playing the role of Flower Men. They had pink bum bags filled with rose petals and pink sunglasses. The guests loved it… I could hear the cheers and laughing from outside the room. Then our flower girl and page boy entered to David and my favourite song (Better Days by Dermot Kennedy). Following them were the bridesmaids. When it came time for me to enter, the doors opened and all I could see was David. There could have been nobody else there. I wish I could have run down the aisle to him.
During the ceremony, our mothers lit unity candles, we said our own personal vows to each other and we had a traditional handfasting ceremony. It was just perfect. Two of our friends did readings which were very special. When we were officially married, we walked out of the venue to music from one of our favourite movies (The Greatest Showman). We stopped halfway out to perform a dip kiss which we had so much fun practicing beforehand. As I said in my vows… shortly before I met David, I thought I may never walk again. Let alone walk down an aisle… In heels!”
“I honestly don’t have enough words to describe the magic that surrounds Cabra Castle. It was the only venue we went to see and we both knew immediately it was where we wanted to say ‘I Do’. I cannot praise the staff enough. The wedding co-ordinators are incredible experts. They took all the stress out of the planning process, answering any questions I ever had. They took my vision and produced a wedding day that exceeded all my expectations. Every single detail was taken care of and we felt treated like royalty. It is the most special, fabulous, stunning place. Every single guest was amazed by it. And the food was outstanding.
The ceremony location was the most beautiful I have ever seen. And it is so versatile. We had a group breakfast in there the day after the wedding, and it transformed into a party venue for our Day 2 event.”
Their wedding was beautifully captured by Mark and Fiona of The Fennells!
“They are amazing at what they do. It was such a relaxed morning while we were getting ready. They arrived during hair & makeup and had given me such good advice before the day about what to prepare the night before, and timings on the morning. Mark and Fiona are the ultimate professionals and I cannot wait to see the end results. It was a windy day and we had the odd shower, but we got all the shots we wanted, and they were able to adapt the plan on the fly by reading the situation. At one stage I got a little overwhelmed by it all, and the wind was threatening to rip the veil off my head…. and they were brilliant about it. So patient with me. Fiona was able to fix my hair and Mark was able to judge the wind and grab the perfect shot as soon as it dropped for even a couple of seconds. I felt perfectly at ease with them and completely trusted their photograph schedule. They got us back to the drinks reception in good time so we could enjoy time with our guests.”
Instead of wedding favours, they chose to make a donation to the Marie Keating Foundation as Alison’s step mum and her close friend both passed away from breast cancer in the last few years. Such a special way to honour them!
“For entertainment we used Pop Rocks Band. They provided a piano player at the drinks reception which provided lovely background music as guests were gathering. They were brilliant to work with and took all of our requests. The lead singer, Allison has the most incredible voice and they blew us away with the fun vibe they brought. No word of a lie… the dancefloor was packed for the whole night. We even had a conga line going at one stage with their saxophone player leading us around the ballroom. They also provided the DJ and all the guests partied into the night.
We had a vintage photo booth in the ballroom, provided by Instaglam. It went down a treat and we ended up with a fabulous keepsake guest book with photos and messages from the guests. Everyone really enjoyed that and there are some very funny photos. They also provided the LED letters that spelled out LOVE.
Between dinner and dancing, we got everyone out on the hotel balcony for a surprise fireworks show. Despite the freezing cold, all the guests were mesmerised by it and I know it is going to make for some amazing photos. Rocket Pyro provided the spectacular display.”
They both found it hard to pick just one favourite memory! Here’s what Alison said:
“When the doors to the ceremony opened and I saw only David. When my sister put me into my dress and I walked out to my bridesmaids. When I was walking from the hotel room to the ceremony, escorted by David’s son and to relax us we were singing the rugby anthem Ireland’s Call. Our first dance (This by Megan McKenna).”
Newlyweds give brilliant wedding planning advice. Here’s what they had to say:
“While the guests are being called into the dinner room, take time just the two of you to have a chat as it will be your first alone time all day. And during the dancing, take two seats to the side of the room… sit there and just observe. All your guests are there for you! You are not the hosts… you are the guests of honour.
During the planning process it is easy to get overwhelmed. MAKE LISTS! Write everything down and make a ‘timeline’. Work back from the wedding date and set dates to have things done by. It really helped me.”
Recommended suppliers
Venue: Cabra Castle Hotel
Photo and video: The Fennells Photography & Film
Band and DJ: Pop Rocks Band
Groom’s suit: Louis Copeland and Sons
Photobooth & LED letters: Instaglam
Other suppliers
Hair and makeup: Keira Smyth | Bride’s dress: The Bridal Outlet | Bridesmaids: Starla Boutique | Groomsmen’s suits: Aston Formal Wear | Cake: Amazing Cakes | Celebrant/solemniser: Aine O’Connor | Stationery: Lantz | Jewellery/rings: Paul Sheeran Jewellers | Flowers: Frog Prince | Fireworks: Rocket Pyro | Other: Natalie Brady Designs
