“We were really just going for a rustic look, so we tried to keep the colours more on the pastel side of things.”
Length of engagement: 1 year and 1 month
Wedding Date: 2019-09-01
Wedding location: The Three Towers at Slieve Aughty Centre
Photographer: Art Wedding Photography
How did you meet and get engaged?
We met at East Carolina University while pursuing our Master’s degrees. We were friends for two years before graduating in 2016. After graduation, we continued to talk and ended up falling in love while hiking in the North Carolina mountains. In 2017, we hiked the Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) together and then moved to Colorado. While in Colorado Nick took Donnie up to an isolated trail at 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountain National Park where he proposed to her.
Describe your wedding:
We were really just going for a rustic look, so we tried to keep the colours more on the pastel side of things. However, we weren’t really worried about the details since it was going to be such a small wedding. The bridesmaid wore melon, the mother of the bride wore navy blue, the mother of the groom wore tan, and the groomsmen wore suspenders with gray pants, white shirts, and dark silver bow ties.
Tell us about your bridal look:
I chose an updo and I had Baby’s breath put throughout a loose braid.
What did your bridesmaids wear?
Melon colored dress from Davids Bridal.
What was your ceremony like?
We did a traditional handfasting ceremony with ribbons representing promises to one another. We also had a harp player playing soft music in the background. All of the guests were sitting in a semi-circle around us. The father of the groom read two poems, while the mother of the bride draped our hands with the ribbons. We stood in the middle of the gazebo. It was a beautiful day.
Tell us about your wedding venue:
The Slieve Aughty Centre is an eco-friendly resort in the Irish countryside about an hour east of Galway, Ireland. The venue features remarkably gorgeous landscapes and houses a fantastic organic garden, spiritual walking paths through wooded areas, and an abundance of beautiful horses and other farm animals. The venue and staff are incredibly friendly, helpful, and laid back. We felt at home the minute we arrived. The rooms were also beautiful and were built based on sustainable practices. The dining hall featured long dining tables perfect for our small group to share meals together. Speaking of which, the food was incredibly good and featured a very extensive list of options for our wedding day. The ceremony was held out back under a stone gazebo that was located atop a small grassy hill. The path up to the gazebo featured stepping stones lined with lavender under wooden arches.
What is your favourite memory from your wedding day?
Donnie: It was pouring rain minutes before walking down the aisle. Once Nick started walking, the rain ended and the sun came out. It was very beautiful and felt like a good sign.
Nick: By far, seeing Donnie walk up the path to the ceremonial pillar with all my friends and family standing behind me. It was the culmination of years of falling in love and planning finally arriving. By far the best moment of my life.
Have you got any advice for other couples?
Donnie: Don’t sweat the small stuff. We planned this wedding in a different county and there was just inevitably going to be some miscommunications. For example, when I picked up my flowers they were not at all the colours that I had picked initially. I loved it more than what I had picked out though. Leave the professionals alone to do what they do. They know what looks good and what works, so trusting that will save you some stress over having to plan everything out to the smallest detail.
Nick: Just realize that everything will work out in the end. Every single individual who we hired (e.g. wedding official, harp player, DJ, etc.) showed up on time and delivered their service in a professional manner. Try not to stress over every little thing and just enjoy the day! It goes by in a blink of an eye, so just take some time to step back and live in the moment. Nothing matters except you and your partner!
Suppliers
Wedding venue: The Three Towers at Slieve Aughty Centre | Photographer: Art Wedding Photography | Planner/coordinator: Tracie Burroughs | Musician: Claire Heffernan – Harpist/Singer | DJ: Keith Healey | Hair and Makeup: Cathleen and Wendy from Cat’s Mobile Hairdressing | Dress: David’s Bridal | Suits: Men’s Warehouse | Bridesmaids dresses: David’s Bridal | Celebrant: Louie Quirke | Jewellery: Helzberg Diamonds | Flowers: Shirley Treston
