Bride & Groom: Karen Gaffney & William Miller
Length of engagement: 1½ years | Wedding date: May 26th, 2012
Wedding ceremony: Chapel of Ease: Nativity of Our Lady, Naul | Wedding reception: Thomas Prior Hall at Bewley’s Hotel, Ballsbridge.
Wedding photographer: David Maury Photography – he was a dream to work with! He captured so many moments we didn’t even realise he was there for! The images never stop making us smile!
We met… Unexpectedly on a cold night in January in 2005.
First impressions of William… Tall, dark and handsome with a warm smile and a kind heart.
William’s first impressions of you… Beautiful, tall, blue eyed blonde, full of life and laughs.
Our proposal… It was just as I would have wanted, in our own home, Christmas morning under the tree. It had all been planned by Will months before when he bought the engagement ring on our holiday in Orlando in July! I have no idea how he kept the secret so well!
Our wedding theme/ colours… We kept it soft, classic, elegant and timeless. The bridesmaids wore one-shouldered nude coloured dresses, the best man and groomsman wore grey suits with nude ties and we added a splash of rose pink with our flowers! Will chose a navy Wilvorst suit, he wanted something different, and why not? It was his day too!
Our ceremony… It was very personal. Fr Keegan knows Will’s family for years and baptised most of his siblings and so we were delighted that he agreed to do the ceremony. We involved as many family members as possible by giving them prayers and readings. We really wanted it to be a family occasion! Some very close friends of mine made up the choir from the variety group that I am involved in. The entire ceremony will always be a fond memory for us.
My dress… It was a strapless, beaded, tulle and lace floor length gown detailed by Pronovias. I fell in love with it on my first trip to Frilly Frocks in Drogheda! Dara was so helpful as I really had no idea what I wanted.
Our first dance song… We chose ‘Feels Like Home’, performed by the talented Gemma Murphy.
My advice for other brides… Everything falls into place on the day and even if something small does goes wrong, you don’t really mind as nothing can take away from the joy of that special day!
We chose our venue because… The moment we entered Thomas Prior Hall we knew it was the place for us! From the high ceilings to the panelled walls and beautiful chandeliers, the room was elegant, yet intimate with plenty of character! The venue also has a fabulous water feature and gardens! Barbara, Elaine and the banqueting team there were so helpful and made our day run so smoothly.
Vendors
Dress: Frilly Frocks, Drogheda
Shoes: Macys
Bridal Accessories: Debenhams and online stores
Suit: Groom Formal Hire, Banbridge
Bridesmaid Dresses: Frilly Frocks, Drogheda
Flowers: The Flower Factory, Swords
Music: Our own personal Church Choir for the ceremony and Entourage Wedding Band
Cake: Cake-a-licious, Mornington
Make-up: Make-up by Anne Marie – Anne Marie Doherty
Hair: My wonderful cousin, Terri
Photographer: David Maury Photography
Stationery and Booklets: Designed by myself and my good friend Angela and my sister-in-law, Jayne handmade them.
Wedding car: Our brother-in-law got a fabulous white Range Rover, which really complimented our small village ceremony!
