This modern love story began on the app ‘Plenty of Fish’, continued with an unexpected proposal at home, followed by a gorgeous wedding celebration! They knew they wanted the festivities to be relaxed and informal, and that’s what they got.
Couple: Nicola & Philip
Engagement length: 14 months
Wedding date: 2023-04-01
Wedding location: Segrave Barns
Photographer: Susan Jefferies Photography
Nicola and Philip’s modern love story began on the app ‘Plenty of Fish’. Philip liked the look of Nicola and sent her a message. Nicola only replied as she thought he was local. As it turns out, he was from a place of the same name over 2 hours away. But they fell hook, line and sinker and spent the next 2 years driving up and down the country to see each other before finally moving in together.
Nicola sensed that a proposal was on the way and spent approximately three months carefully selecting outfits and making sure her hair, makeup and nails were done anytime they left the house. But Philip proposed when she least expected it, when Nicola was dripping wet, just out of the shower. He got down on one knee in their kitchen and proposed with a Haribo ring. Needless to say, those engagement photos did not make it to social media.
When they got engaged, Nicola and Philip knew they wanted a relaxed and informal vibe for their wedding. That’s exactly why they chose Segrave Barns as it fit the bill perfectly!
“We chose sage green for our Bridesmaids and white and greenery for our florals to complement our rustic venue. We were lucky to work with wedding stylist and coordinator, Aoife Caffrey from Blue Blossom Creative and she advised us on stationary and decor to complement our theme.”
As Philip has always wanted a Hugo Boss suit, it was a no-brainer when choosing his wedding attire! He chose navy blue with a sage green tie to match the bridesmaids and flowers.
Nicola wore a slim-fitting Pronovias gown with long sleeves and a flowing cape, which she got from Love Ellie Bridal.
The groomsmen wore navy suits from Ludlow’s of Belfast. The bridesmaids wore sage green gowns from Folkster.
Nicola and Philip had very strong feelings about their ceremony – they wanted it to be very relaxed, informal and fun. Their celebrant, Dave Russell really delivered!
Nicola says: “He told the story of how we met. Our wedding band, Electric Circus also did our ceremony music and included a few up-tempo songs. I entered to ‘You Make my Dreams Come True’ by Hall and Oates and all our guests were on their feet and clapping along as the wedding party entered the ceremony space at Seagrave and this really set the tone. Dave Russell delivered a very personal ceremony which was funny and light-hearted at the time, but then very sweet and poignant at others. This was our favourite part of our wedding day.”
“Within 5 minutes of viewing Segrave Barns, we knew that we couldn’t get married anywhere else. It was exactly what we were looking for – rustic and informal but also unique and beautiful. We loved having a venue all to ourselves for a few days. Segrave is a hidden gem. It is located well off the beaten track, by the sea in Dunany, Co. Louth. We chose to have our ceremony on-site and also got ready at the venue which meant we had a lovely stress-free morning and everything ran on time. There were surprises around every corner – from the field full of Alpacas as you enter the venue to the hidden pub with a live Ceili band and not forgetting the owner who is also a very talented Opera singer.”
Nicola was very familiar with Susan’s photography and knew from the start that this is who she wanted to shoot their wedding.
“Susan’s style is classic and timeless. She took a beautiful mix of both posed and candid shots and even though we knew the photos would be great, they still exceeded all our expectations. We chose to have 2 photographers on the day which was amazing because as Susan captured the bridal party in the morning, John got some amazing shots of the men getting ready.”
Nicola describes them as “unobtrusive” – they were able to capture amazing candid shots, where nobody knew they were being photographed.
“In lieu of wedding favours, we made a donation to The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoghaire where a good friend of Nicola’s was a patient at the time of their wedding.”
Nicola’s favourite memory of their day was walking down the aisle.
“It was so special for so many reasons. It was such a special moment to share with my Dad. Seeing all the happy faces of our family and friends was just incredible and knowing that everyone was there to celebrate us was really overwhelming. I kind of forgot about Phil until I got to the top of the aisle and then I saw him and everyone else just faded away!”
Philip says, “It’s hard to pick just one. Our First Dance was very special. I’m really happy that Susan & John managed to capture this moment with a couple of amazing photographs. Another moment I will never forget is that first glimpse of Nicki as she walked up the aisle.”
We love asking newlyweds for their wedding planning advice. This is what Nicola and Philip had to say:
“If you’re stressed out about wedding planning, consider hiring a wedding coordinator. Aoife from Blue Blossom Creative helped us with so many decisions along the way and her help in that last couple of months was just priceless.”
Recommended suppliers
Photographer: Susan Jefferies Photography
Venue: Segrave Barns
Other suppliers
Planner/coordinator: Blue Blossom Creative | Musician/Band: Electric Circus | Hair: Sarah Keogh | Makeup: Grainne Kaneswaran | Dress: Love Ellie Bridal | Suits: Ludlows | Bridesmaids: Folkster | Caterer: Michael Devine | Celebrant/solemniser: Dave Russell | Jewellery/rings: Elegant Gems | Flowers: Fleuriste
