We are so delighted to share today’s real Irish wedding with you – the wedding story of Irish physio, Orla to New Zealand photographer, Geoff. The couple tied the knot last September in an intimate and relaxed ceremony at Inish Beg Estate that was captured by photographer, Dave Sweeney.
“Orla and I met when she was travelling around New Zealand supporting the Irish rugby team. We met through mutual friends at the Rugby World Cup opening night games celebration and our relationship developed from there. After our first holiday together, summer camping around the east cape of NZ we both knew it was for life and I proposed during an intermission at the cinema! We went to a gorgeous cinema in Wanaka, ‘Cinema Paradiso’ to watch a kiwi movie, Hunt for the Wilderpeople. The cinema runs an intermission, and I had made a short video which started to air on screen as the intermission was starting. The video led to met to get down on one knee with a beautiful Emerald ring to pop the question. Orla was in shock and in tears and forgot to say yes, until I asked a second time! The rest of the movie was a blur!” explained Geoff.
The couple decided to hold a cosy, DIY wedding in Ireland with their friends and family and soon found Inish Beg close to Baltimore. “We planned the weekend with a lot of help from family and friends. My family visited and helped with finding local suppliers, and we had a lot of ideas to make it special for us,” said Orla. “Food, photography and music were important to us to help us have a wonderful day and ensure it was captured well to give us lots of treasured memories to look back on. The catering was incredible sourced with local ingredients; the music went well into the night and Dave Sweeney did an amazing job of capturing our special day.”
Orla wanted a New Zealand outfit and was set on bridal separates that could be worn after the wedding was over. She found a New Zealand designer in Auckland, Natalie Chan, and Natalie and the staff were so helpful and made it so easy. It’s the only shop Orla went to and she tried on three styles, but knew from the start which one was for her.
“Our day went amazingly well! Considering the distance travelled and a number of things that we couldn’t finalise until we arrived in Ireland everything fell into place and we had the best day ever. It was a wonderful weekend spent with close friends and family. My highlight was walking into the room for the ceremony, seeing Geoff waiting for me, and feeling the love in the room filled with friends and family,” added Orla.
For Geoff the entire day was a personal highlight; “Having everyone travel from afar to share the day with us was amazing and also including some Gaelic traditions into the ceremony, we chose to have a hand binding ceremony with my late Nana’s lace.”
Orla’s Advice
Relax and enjoy it. Remember that the day is a celebration of you as a couple and all about sharing that with friends and family. Also, let friends and family be involved where they can, enjoy the planning and preparations together as it’s all over very quickly.
Wedding Suppliers
Venue: Inish Beg Estate, West Cork
Photographer: Dave Sweeney Photography
Dress: Natalie Chan, Auckland, New Zealand
Bridesmaids dress: Folkster, Temple Bar
Grooms wear: Crane Brothers, Auckland, New Zealand
Food: Chris Hedges, local caterer
Event supplies: TS Events
Cake: Cheese cake & homemade cake by Orla’s aunt
Flowers: Hand sowed and picked from Orla’s dad’s garden, arranged by Orla and friends.
Entertainment: Blue Fusion, Cork
Hair & Makeup: Honeybee Hair and Beauty, Skibereen
