Fun & Vibrant Wicklow Wedding by Emma May Photography

‘Remember that it is all about the two of you, and your families and friends. Don’t try to please anyone else as you can’t please everyone’

What a fun and vibrant start to the week we have for you! Helen and Steve married in July at Avon Rí Lakeshore Resort. Their day was not without a few slight issues but they had the best day ever! Thanks to Emma May Photography for sharing their special day with us.

Helen and Steve met in Temple Bar as teenagers in 2000 and had their first kiss two years later on the swings in Belgrave Square, Rathmines.

“The day before my 30th birthday Steve proposed. We had been to the cinema in Rathmines to see Legend and strolled around to Belgrave Square for a trip down memory lane before heading for food on Camden Street and meeting friends for pints on Thomas Street to celebrate my birthday. About 30 seconds after we entered Belgrave Square, Steve burst into tears, produced the ring from his inside jacket pocket and said “I didn’t just bring you here for a walk… will you marry me?” I had the ring halfway up my finger – still in its box! – before I remembered to say “YES!” I never saw it coming in a million years, as we were together almost 13 years at that point!” explained Helen.

A few days after getting engaged the couple began to see what wedding options were out there but quickly became overwhelmed and decided to wait a while and enjoy being engaged first. “We only lasted about three weeks before we decided to get really stuck into it, as we had been together so long that we felt there wasn’t much point in being engaged if we weren’t going to plan a wedding!” added Helen.

Having decided on one venue for both their ceremony and reception, Helen and Steve asked friends and family to help with their plans. “We really wanted to have some punk bands playing as soon as the ceremony ended. We got exactly that, as we had The Dubtones play during the drinks reception, featuring the groom on drums, and friends of ours, Dropping Bombs, reformed to play a set for us, too. We were very lucky to have so many friends supporting us in the planning; our friend Emma was our incredible photographer. Our friend Skuz organised all the amps needed for the afternoon, and both punk bands are great friends of ours. Our DJ Thomas, another friend, kept everyone dancing in the afternoon and evening. Our friend Kate made an amazing Hello Kitty cake topper, with a surprise backpatch on the groom’s jacket which was meaningful to us and many of our guests. Our friend Lisa made me beautiful charms for my bouquet. My parents surprised me with a card from Damien Dempsey. My sister sang in the ceremony, and my mam read a poem that she wrote about her own wedding night, exactly 42 years previously. A past pupil of mine, Martha, played the bodhrán for us in the ceremony. It was all very personal and wouldn’t have been what it was without our incredible friends and family,” Helen explained.

The couple didn’t set a budget but saved money every week and paid for their suppliers along the planning process.

“Aside from the venue, we wanted to make sure that our guests could get there and back without additional expense or feeling that they had to stay overnight. We hired a double decker from Express Bus which collected them from Dublin City Centre, and dropped them back there with a few stops en route. It wasn’t a major expense by any means, but it was one of the most important bookings for us. My dress was certainly a big expense… more than I expected to spend but worth every penny! Compared to other dresses out there it was very reasonably priced, in fairness!” said Helen.

Fifteen weeks before their July wedding, their original venue fell through, every couples worst nightmare! “We had to ring around in a panic and were so lucky to secure Avon Rí for the same date. The previous venue provided an all inclusive package, which meant that we had to arrange new suppliers for the flowers, cake, DJ and band, but luckily it all worked out for the best. The day beforehand I had lost (and subsequently found!) my bank card, had my car crashed into, and had my card rejected when I went to pay the wedding bill at the venue… after all that nothing could really dampen the Big Day itself! The day itself wasn’t without slight issues, but thankfully these were quickly resolved and the day was incredible. The ceremony was really personal as we wrote a lot of it ourselves with guidance of John Fitzgerald from Spiritual Ceremonies. We made our weddings rings together at The School of Jewellery on the North Circular Road and our families and friends made such an effort to travel to the venue from all corners of Ireland, London and Vancouver, and everyone looked amazing all dressed up,” Helen added.

Highlights

Dancing to Dropping Bombs covering Boys of Summer, with all our family and friends rocking out and having fun. This was all we dreamed of, and we couldn’t believe it was happening!