Meet Joyce and Robert! Married in October the couple chose a luxurious seasonal colour palette of burnt orange, burgundy and cream for their autumn wedding at Arklow Bay Hotel.
Couple: Joyce and Robert
Engagement length: 10 months
Wedding date: 2025-10-17
Wedding venue: Arklow Bay Hotel
Wedding photographer: Rob O Neill
Joyce and Robert first met on a school trip. Some years on Robert proposed during a surprise Christmas trip to New York outside Lotte Palace beside a beautiful Christmas tree.
The couple soon decided on an autumnal themed wedding and with 10 months to go they got planning!
‘I wanted an autumnal wedding with burnt orange, burgundy and creams tones. We accessorised the day with pumpkins and leaves, and low lighting from candles. Dahlias were a must and lovely burgundy calla lillies. I chose to do as much DIY as possible as I really enjoy that sort of thing.’
Joyce wore a strapless A-line gown which featured leaf detailing that she immediately fell in love with. The gown had a traditional lace up corset back detail and she added sleeves to give more impact. Robert wore a navy suit with tweed waistcoat to tie in with the autumn vibes and a burgundy tie to match the bridesmaids. Her maids wore cowl neck burgundy gowns to set off their deep orange bouquets.
The couple had a civil ceremony within the hotel.
‘I walked up the aisle with my dad to the Wedding March as I feel no one does that anymore and it’s fun. My brother played the music during our ceremony. We had Brent Morgan’s version of The Little Mermaid, Kiss The Girl as a nod to our 3 year old. We done a hand fasting ceremony and lit candles.’
Feedback on the venue:
We had been to a couple of weddings in the hotel that we really enjoyed so when we went to visit and met with Tee she had me sold, she is so lovely and helpful. The food is also out of this world!
‘For our entertainment we had Sway Social. They were amazing, the dance floor was full all night and that’s all I wanted for my wedding. One member of the band stayed as DJ and he was brilliant. The only bad thing was the night had to end! We had a photo booth from Carolyns Sweet and everyone had a good laugh. We loved looking back at the photos album that they included. We got pictures of our faces and stuck them on Connect 4 counters and put the game on every table.
Favourite memory
When Rob took us off to the pier for photos. The time before dinner with our bridal party. We got to chat to a small group of people laugh & have a drink.
Advice for other couples
Make a list and just tick things off to save to much stress. Definitely less is more.
Recommended Suppliers
Wedding venue: Arklow Bay Hotel
Suits: Dublin Formal Wear
Hair: Michelle O’Hare Hairstylist
Celebrant: I Do Times Two, Ceremonies by Sinead
Photo booth: Carolyn’s Sweets
Band: Sway Social
Other Suppliers: Makeup: Rachel Johnson | Rings: Fields | Flowers: Petals Flowers
