“We knew we didn’t want a plain white wedding – it just wouldn’t reflect our personalities. Hence the colour splashes everywhere!”
The couple: Julie Harkin & Seán Dunne
Length of engagement: 22 months | Wedding date: Saturday 27th June 2015
Wedding venue: The Glenview Hotel, Co. Wicklow
We met… in first year at UCD. We’d known each other for a while and got talking at a house party. It took Seán a while to get around to asking me out but we’ve never looked back. We had to work around the long distance thing while Seán was in London, but made sure to make time for each other. If Ryanair did frequent flyer points we’d be rolling in them.
Our proposal… Even though we’d be going out for over 7 years Seán still managed to surprise me! He’d been living in London for four years and the day he moved back to Ireland we went for an evening stroll down Dun Laoghaire pier, an old favourite of ours in college. Just as I suggested we should head back to warmth he stunned me by popping down on one knee! After a bit of kerfuffle the ring made it onto the right – or should I say left – hand.
My hair and make-up… Adrienne of Beautiful Faces did my make-up and her friend Debbie did our hair – they were a lovely duo who frequently work together. Both were bubbly, chatty and relaxed which helped to create the fun morning that it was. The make-up was natural with a professional finish that lasted well throughout the day. Debbie was amazing on the hair styling and design, my hair can be quite a challenge but I couldn’t have been happier with the end result. She has a natural talent to develop styles that compliment both the hair type and person. I had a side plait brought back softly to a weave, perfect for my hair and the flower hairpiece. I’m delighted to say that both hair and make-up lasted well throughout the day and even on the dance floor.
My dress… oddly it was the first one I had my eye on but couldn’t find it in a dress shop. Once I tried it on in Ciara Rose Bridal I knew it was ‘The One’. The simple A-line and elegant lace was perfect for the girl who was scared of too much fuss.
Our wedding theme/colours… We went through a couple of different themes but they all centred around being fun, relaxed and colourful. We knew we didn’t want a plain white wedding – it just wouldn’t reflect our personalities. Hence the colour splashes everywhere! The teal bridesmaids dresses started us off followed by our fuchsia heels, once we had the ties we were sorted!
Our ceremony… we had a Catholic ceremony in the beautiful little church of Our Lady of the Wayside, Kilternan. The quaint church was perfect for our intimate wedding and we really felt it reflected the quirky atmosphere of the day.
What our bridal party wore… The bridesmaids dresses were from the Début range in Debenhams, gorgeous colour and lovely flow. The girls shoes were Rainbow Club and were all dyed to ‘Wild Fuchsia’.
His suit… The lads wore navy three piece suits from Protocol for Men. We tracked down the ties and socks separately to add some colour. Seán went on the hunt for the cufflinks and pocketwatches to add something a little different
We chose our photographer because… of her professional but relaxed style of photography. We really didn’t want to focus too much on staged photos and trusted Michelle Prunty to capture the beauty of the natural moments throughout the day.
We chose our venue because… of the pretty gardens with a cosy surround perfect for our drinks reception. We’d been to The Glenview Hotel a couple of times but when we were shown around the gardens, we were sold. Having music and games in the Garden set the relaxed mood for the day that we were looking for. Alina the coordinator there helped us along the way and we were able to relax safe in the knowledge that she had it all under control.
Our honeymoon… We took a couple of days in Wicklow to unwind after the wedding, and a few weeks later flew to Thailand. We usually go for more active holidays but for the first few days we were pretty happy lazing on the beach in Koh Samui. Afterwards we went to Chiang Mai where the highlight was visiting an Elephant Sanctuary.
My favourite part of the wedding day… was saying ‘I do’, I really enjoyed the emotion and significance of the ceremony. I was delighted that the day started off with a laugh as my brother and I tried to negotiate the pew ends walking up the aisle.
My piece of advice for other brides… Use suppliers you can trust so you don’t have to worry about what might go wrong. Pick the key things you want for your day, don’t go overboard and most importantly try to relax and enjoy the day!
Suppliers
Wedding venue: The Glenview Hotel, Wicklow | Ceremony: Our Lady of the Wayside, Kilternan | Wedding dress: Ciara Rose Bridal | Jewellery: Jules Bridal Jewellery | Make-up: Adrienne Taylor (Beautiful Faces) | Hair: Debbie O’Callaghan | Bridesmaids’ dresses: Debenhams | Bridesmaids’ shoes: Rainbow Club | Flowers: Mary O’Gara Wedding Florist | Men’s suits: Protocol for Men | Campervan: VW Weddings | Wedding photographer: Michelle Prunty Photography