“Sparks flew at a Tina Turner Tribute Christmas party night.”
The couple: Laura and Stuart Fay
Length of engagement: 13 months | Wedding date: 20th of August 2015
Wedding location: Bellinter House, Navan, Co. Meath
Photographer: Insight Photography
We met… We met while we were working in the local Londis as college students. Sparks flew at a Tina Turner Tribute Christmas party night.
Our proposal… The proposal happened on the 1st of July 2014, I had just finished a gruelling week of seven nights in work as a midwife in Holles Street. I had the following week off so Stuart took some time off work to spend time with me, obviously he had other plans though! On that morning he told me he had booked us a few days away down the country for some R&R but I had absolutely no intention of going and said we should stay at home, Stuart had told me it was just some random hotel so I wasn’t too pushed on dragging myself away. He eventually won me round and I decided to pack my bags, but not before I tried to invite my friend and her husband along but Stuart kept his cool and my friend couldn’t make it, luckily! It was a beautiful sunny day and on the way Stuart decided we should stop in to his aunt’s house which is in Rath just outside of Tullow, but before that he wanted to show me The Ring (not that one!), The Ring of the Rath or The Ring as it’s known locally. It’s an ancient ringfort and it sits atop a hill that has 360 degree views and on that sunny day the countryside looked stunning and it was here that Stuart asked me to marry him, I was gobsmacked and it took me by complete surprise. He picked the area because his family have lived in the area for generations and the area is very special to him. After that he told me that he’d booked us four days away in The Monart Spa in Wexford. We were in our own little bubble for the few days away and it was just perfect.
Our wedding theme/colours… Our theme was vintage & shabby chic. We chose peach for the girls – a soft girly summer colour and navy blue for the men.
My hair and make-up… Our hair was done by the amazing Joanne Kelly. She is such a lovely talented lady and from the first email she made me feel so happy and excited. We all loved our hairs on the day. Our make-up was done by the girls in our local salon La Prima Rosa. Julie and Jane are well known to us and we had a really enjoyable morning with them. Our make-up was flawless all day long.
My dress… My dress was Sophia Tolli, an Australian designer. I had tried on a few different styles and when I tried on this dress I knew it was the one I wanted. I purchased it in The Bridal Boutique Fairview, Dublin. The girls there were brilliant, so attentive and their alterations were unbelievable – they made sure it was an absolutely perfect fit on me. I was so grateful.
Our ceremony… Our ceremony was held in St Brigid’s Church in Straffan, Co. Kildare. Stuart’s parents were married there and they’ve since passed away so it held special memories for him. The ceremony was conducted by Fr. Paddy Hennessy whom Stuart knew from Salesian College where Stuart had been a pupil. So it was a very special ceremony for us.
What our bridal party wore… It was the first bridesmaid dress that was tried on and they all agreed on it so it made it a painless job. They loved that it was so comfortable, making it easy to move around and dance the night away. We purchased the dresses in Cari’s Closet in Malahide.
Our menu… The food in Bellinter House is unbelievable. For starters we chose a Goats Cheese Salad or Serrano Ham and Fig salad. We had Carrot and Coriander soup. For mains we chose Fillet of Beef and Seabass. Dessert was an assortment of summer desserts. Everyone praised the food. The midnight snack of fish and chip cones and slider burgers went down a treat too.
My favourite part of the wedding day… We both agree that our favourite part of the wedding day was the wedding ceremony and the anticipation of seeing each other. I felt so happy, relaxed and special walking up the aisle with my Dad. It was so lovely to be able to see Stuart standing at the top waiting for me and to have all our family and friends there to celebrate the day with us. Our close friend and Stuart’s Groomsman Damien had received a heart transplant 4 weeks prior to the wedding and he was allowed out of hospital for a few hours to attend the wedding ceremony so having him there after being in hospital for nine months was so special and emotional for everybody involved. It is a memory we will cherish forever.
My piece of advice for other brides… I was quite organised which meant I had very little
to do in the week of the wedding. Take help and work on mass booklets etc. in plenty of time to avoid last minute stresses. Myself and my lovely bridesmaids really enjoyed all the pampering and prosecco in the few days running up to the wedding. It really is the best time of your life and it is important to enjoy every aspect of it. Don’t worry if you forget anything, nobody will notice on the day!
Suppliers
Venue: Bellinter House, Navan, Co. Meath | Photographer: Insight Photograpphy | Wedding dress: The Bridal Boutique Fairview | Groom’s suit: Louis Copeland, Wicklow Street | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Cari’s Closet, Malahide | Groomsmens Suits: Dublin Formal Wear, Lucan | Flowers: Absolutely Fabulous Flowers, Celbridge | Cake: Cakes by Mel, Melanie Byrne, Celbridge | Band: Pink Champagne | Church Music: Astral String Quartet | Hair: Joanne Kelly | Make-up: La Prima Rosa, Celbridge | Videography: Little Birds | Wedding Car: Gold Cars, Leixlip.
