Christina and Brent met through an online dating site in the summer of 2009, and, after an all-too-short meeting in Starbucks later that year it became clear to both that they were on to something special, “they say when you know, you know,” says Christina, “and I Knew.” The couple married in the U.S earlier this year, but decided to take a trip to Ireland with 10 of their closest friends and family for an intimate wedding blessing, which they held in Coolcarrigan, Co. Kildare. They had very specific ideas of how they wanted their whole day to look and feel; they wanted a private venue that exudeded personality and charm, and that had fabulous surroundings to provide a stunning backdrop for photos. Coolcarrigan was the ideal spot. “We had very specific ideas about personalising our wedding,” said Christina, “we were able to incorporate them into a blessing at this luxurious private estate, where lush botanical garden surroundings provided the perfect serene environment.” Coolcarrigan is described by those in the know as a ‘hidden oasis’, and it is so hidden in fact that its traditional church is surrounded by a dry moat and is only accessible by walking through a Lynch gate! For the couple it was “like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow”.
When it came to documenting their special day, Christina and Brent choose the immensely talented Lisa O’Dwyer, who in turn was shadowed by the wonderful Inspired by Love (read Inspired by Love’s Sona’s account of the day here). Lisa shot the wedding almost entirely on film, as she does most of her weddings now (a method favoured by some of our favourite photographers over in the U.S, namely Jose Villa and Elizabeth Messina) and we must say we were simply awestruck by the results.
By Karen Birney
The couple: Christina & Brent
The location: Coolcarrigan, Co. Kildare
Photography: Lisa O’Dwyer Photography Second shoot: Inspired by Love
We met… On an online dating website. Our first date was 11/13/2009 at a Starbucks coffee shop in Anaheim Ca.
My first impressions of Brent… My very first thought was wow his eyes are as blue as the ocean! He had longer, curly, cool surfer hair and the warmest most contagious smile. He was well spoken and polite and kind. The conversation flowed and his sense of humour was amazing. He made me nervous (I was so nervous I accepted a sample peppermint mocha offered to us by the barista and I don’t even like peppermint!)
Standing next to him, arm to arm at the cashier, I was sure he’d feel my heart racing through my arm and I knew then he was invoking something in me no one else could. We agreed to meet for a coffee date because a dinner was committing too much time…what if we didn’t like each other in person?! So I met him an hour and a half before I started work that morning so I had an excuse to leave just in case things didn’t go as well as I’d hoped… but they went better. So well in fact that I wished we could’ve had an afternoon tea and a hot chocolate night in that Starbucks. I wanted to hear and know and see more of him…it was hard to leave and go to work. I didn’t know him yet to miss him, but I did?!
Brent’s first impressions of Christina… When I first started talking to Christina through email and text it was hard for me to believe that this was really happening. She seemed like the perfect person in the world for me. I assumed that when we would meet in person that one way or another the glass slipper wouldn’t fit and my dream would be reduced to a harsh reality. However, my scepticism couldn’t have been more incorrect.
Christina was everything that I had imagined and more. She was stunningly beautiful, joyous, exotic, smart, independent and with such a great sense of humour. We immediately fit together like a puzzle piece and I wished that our coffee date was rather a weekend together. I felt like asking her how much money she made in a day and then paying her that amount if she’d stay with me and call in “sick” to work. Although it sounds like the makings of a cheesy romanitc comedy, it would have added clichéd movie like first date we were already having.
In conclusion, it was the typical love at first sight that I had always heard about but didn’t believe in. They say when you know you know, and I Knew.
Our proposal… Brent took me on a West Caribbean cruise that departed out of New Orleans so we went a few days early to spend some time in the city. We were sitting on a park bench in Jackson Square, directly in front of the St. Louis Cathedral when he got down on one knee and to my complete surprise asked me to marry him… In the ring box was a ring containing his Grandmother Rebecca’s diamond stone from her wedding ring accompanied by two stones that made up the diamond earrings she used to wear. He had it specially made by a family friend (a jeweller) and the sentiment behind it touched my heart. There was a wedding underway in that same park that day and immediately following my ‘YES!’ their band started playing… I pretended that the band was for us. Haha.
Our ceremony… was a unique and romantic setting for our wedding blessing day. The church at Coolcarrigan in County Kildare is set in an idyllic woodland area and surrounded by a dry moat and a plantation of various trees and shrubs. The church was a perfect venue to host our special day. It made for a quaint and intimate wedding blessing. The church architecture is picturesque inside and out, making it perfect for our wedding photos. There are statues in the gardens and a lake with swans – it is something out of a fairy tale and just magically storybook-like, it was a dream.
My dress… was given to me by my best friend Maria. Maria brought it to my house on a girls wine night and had it in her car because she knew I was looking to buy a dress. When she brought the dress in, she said she’d be honoured if I was to walk down the aisle in her wedding dress. We cried and hugged and I tried it on and we cried some more. That was my “something borrowed” and it’s true a bride knows instantly when it feels right to say “yes to the dress”… I was honoured to wear her dress.
We chose our venue because… After looking at potential castle venues and church venues, we did a Google search for ireland gardens and found Coolcarrigan. Instantly I was in awe it was everything I had imagined all in one location – the beauty of ireland, breath taking gardens, and, on site, a Gaelic style church. It truly is a hidden oasis on the edge of the Bog of Allen, with a fantastic 15 acre garden full of rare and unusual trees at the end of a long tree lined avenue. The venue was romantic and enchanting.
Our wedding theme/colours… We wanted Ivory and Cream and sage green we thought this would keep it incredibly elegant for an autumn wedding in Ireland – subtle hues that accented the venue. We mixed it with earthy greens and bold colours of the Coolcarrigan gardens for a rustic enchanted outdoor wedding.
Our favourite part of the wedding day… Our favourite part of the wedding day was when we first arrived, driving up the tree lined road to what we will forever remember was like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was hard to plan a blessing not having been able to see the venue first and, planning from over seas, a bride and groom usually like to know what to expect! To our amazement, Coolcarrigan far exceeded our expectations and it was more breathtaking than what we had in mind. It is impossible to dream of a place more magical than Coolcarrigan. The estate is beautiful. The Wright family warmly invited us into their home and we were able to get dressed for our ceremony while they spoiled us with teas, fruit and salmon sandwiches. The Wrights made our family feel like we were their family which made us feel totally at ease for the whole day.
Our honeymoon… We forfeited having a “big white wedding” from the very start of wedding planning in an effort to be able to travel and have a European honeymoon for five weeks , including honouring both of our Irish heritages and having an Irish Wedding Blessing. Our honeymoon included the following countries; Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France!
My piece of advice for other brides… If you’re looking for a quaint, intimate venue with beautiful gardens and a church, whether for your wedding, wedding blessing or renewal of vows, Coolcarrigan Gardens is perfect. At its core, a wedding is about personal preferences, dreams, and family and for us a small wedding was not only suitable, but preferable. We had very specific ideas about personalising our wedding and still were able to incorporate them into a blessing at this luxurious private estate, where lush botanical garden surroundings provided the perfect serene environment. Remember that small and intimate can be translated and defined in any way which extends the joy and festivities of your special day.
