As someone who got married recently with only five guests I can vouch for the intimate and heartwarming small weddings out there! Our couple today, Lauren and Stephen decided on Ireland as their venue (they’re from USA) and planned a picture perfect traditional Irish wedding with their closest family in attendance. We adore everything about their day, from the stylish tartan to Lauren’s laid-back approach! Thanks to Yvonne Vaughan Photography for sharing this very special celebration with us.
Lauren and Stephen who are both from Virginia in America first met over three years ago through a mutual friend.
“We met in a small town where Stephen was a volunteer firefighter. We met one night at a mutual friend’s house and struck up a conversation almost immediately—mostly about Fredericksburg, VA where he had grown up and where I had gone to college. Within two weeks of meeting, we started dating,” explained Lauren.
Stephen planned a beautiful proposal in October last year after seeking the permission of her parents a few months prior.
“We had gone down to my parents’ beach house for a long weekend with the family. We went out to sit on the beach one evening before dinner to relax and read. He asked if I wanted to go take a walk so I got up and started to lead the way when he grabbed my hand. I turned around and he went down on one knee. He said, “Lauren Michelle O’Neil, I’ve loved you since the day I met you. I want you to be my wife and the mother of my children. Will you marry me?” Of course, I cried and said yes. We hugged and kissed and I turned around to see my mom capturing everything with her camera,” added Lauren.
Lauren had lived in Dublin briefly in 2011 and fell in love with the country so when it came to planning her day, Ireland was the only place she wanted to share her special day.
“I’ve never been interested in throwing a huge wedding in my local town or going the traditional route. I wanted something memorable, magical, and something our closest family would enjoy. I worked with Anne Lanier Weddings out of NY and she helped me nail down the location. She knew I wanted “off the beaten path” traditional Ireland so she suggested Doolin. She also helped with the legalities of getting married overseas. Other than that, I planned everything myself. I contacted a variety of vendors through email and skype and was able to put everything together pretty miraculously,” said Lauren.
Lauren and Stephens wedding oozed style with Lauren wearing a stunning strapless gown which she accessorised with a chunky knit shawl and peep toes that were covered in O’Neill tartan, just like her Men of Honour (she had chosen her brothers for this special job) and her fathers’ waistcoats.
“I guess our overall theme was to make it as Irish as it possibly could be. I’ve traveled the world and there’s no place quite like Ireland. My brothers and Dad were decked out in the O’Neill Tartan, my shoes were made in the same tartan, the ceremony was held in a 16th century tower, my bouquet and his boutonniere were made of wild Irish heather, we had Irish uilleann pipes played during the ceremony, and overall the ceremony was conducted in a very traditional Irish way. And of course after the ceremony, we celebrated with a few pints at the pubs in Doolin!” added Lauren.
“The day actually went surprisingly well! I was prepared for something to go wrong or for someone not to show up but everyone did and everything went smoothly. The night before the wedding, I prayed that we would just have a couple hours of sunshine, but of course the Irish weather didn’t allow for that. I was sort of bummed in the morning about it because it was chilly, windy, and rainy. But, it worked out in the end because the pictures were gorgeous. The weather gave a sort of mysterious and magical feel.
After the ceremony, we went to have our blessing with our officiant Louie at the cliffs. Everyone ended up getting lost except us, the photographer, and the videographer. So we skipped the blessing, but got some amazing shots by the ocean. We met up with Louie later at the pub and was so apologetic about missing us. It was all good though—we met up with him a day later in a park in Limerick to do the blessing,” explained Lauren.
Favourite moment
Lauren: “There were so many great moments that day! I loved how everyone in our family was involved one way or another in the ceremony. But overall, I would have to say my highlight was my little brother’s toast. The whole day was a whirlwind, but when he gave his toast, everything stood still and hit me all at the same time–It was his own way of giving me away.”
Stephen: “I loved how random people congratulated and toasted us. We felt very welcomed in Doolin. After dinner as we headed out to another pub, we got a round of applause from the patrons in the pub. I’ll never forget that.”
Wedding Suppliers
Ceremony: Newtown Castle, Ballyvaughan.
Reception: O’Connors Pub, Doolin, County Clare.
Wedding dress: Ava Laurenne, Fredericksburg, VA.
Groomswear: J Crew.
Photographer: Yvonne Vaughan Photography, Co Clare.
Flowers: West Clare Flowers, Ennistymon.
Videographer: Ger Griffin Videography, Limerick.
Entertainment: Michael “Blackie” O’Connell.
