A Magnificent Ballymagarvey Village Wedding by Emma Russell Photography

Real Weddings

“I had always joked I would see it coming but Jason really surprised me!”

The couple: Niamh Fairley and Jason Gaffney
Length of engagement: 15 Months | Wedding date: October 1st 2016
Wedding venue: Ballymagarvey Village
Photographer: Emma Russell Photography

We met… We first met in 1997 in our local youth tenpin bowling club. Fast forward to 2007 when we were introduced again by chance by one of our mutual friends Aodhan!

Our proposal… was just perfect. It was in our first apartment together and I didn’t see it coming at all. Jason decorated the apartment completely and following the proposal had our favourite restaurant in town booked. I had always joked I would see it coming but Jason really surprised me!

His suit… Was a dark navy Ted Baker suit.

My hair and make-up… My make-up was done by the wonderful Nikki Kavanagh. The talented Sandra Maher looked after hair.

My dress… After trying on 30 dresses, I finally found the one in The White Room in Mullingar. It was a Jesus Peiro dress that I loved from the moment I tried it on. It had a lace overlay which meant I had two separate looks which was nice!

What our bridal party wore… Having a large bridal party can be a challenge but luckily we found the perfect dresses on ASOS! The girls looked stunning! The groomsmen suits were Ted Baker.

Our ceremony… took place in the beautiful Church of Annunciation in Rathfarnham.

We chose our venue… because it is just stunning. We fell in love with the whole setting of Ballymagarvey Village. From the first moment we viewed it, we knew we had to have it. From the staff to the venue to the food, everything was perfect. They made the whole planning process easy too which helps!

Our menu… was delicious. We opted for a chicken salad to start, then smoked bacon and potato soup followed by a choice of lamb or seabass and we finished with a crumble served with peanut butter ice-cream. The tasting event in Ballymagarvey was a highlight of the planning process for us.

We chose our photographer because… we loved Emma’s (Emma Russell Photography) style. We looked at lots of photographers and we kept coming back to Emma. She was a pleasure to work with on the day too which is key!

Our honeymoon… We went for a minimoon straight after the wedding to Portugal for 10 days and the big honeymoon is in May to Cuba.

My piece of advice for other brides… is to enjoy every moment. From the second you wake up on the day, enjoy every minute. The build up with your bridesmaids is so special in the morning. Also be sure to take five minutes with your groom to soak it all up and watch everyone enjoying themselves. Lastly, the more organised you are the more relaxed you will be in the days up to it. Be sure to take a few days before the wedding for pampering and taking some time for you!

Suppliers

Venue: Ballymagarvey Village | Photographer: Emma Russell Photography | Wedding dress: Jesus Peiro at The White Room, Mullingar | Bridesmaids’ dresses: ASOS | Groom’s & groomsmen’s suits: Ted Baker | Make-up: Nikki Kavanagh | Hair: Sandra Maher | Band: Pink Champagne  | Church Music: Bohemian String Quartet | Invitations: As you Wish Stationery | Car: Heffernan Wedding Cars | Florist: Edwina Duggan