Karen and Ed’s Sweet and Rustic Wedding

With the help of her talented sister, Karen and Ed’s wedding took on a rustic charm which worked perfectly with their beautiful reception at Clonabreany House, Crossakeil, Co. Meath.

We have a double treat in store for you today, as we have both the images from Darren Purcell of Visionary Photography and the highlights video clip by Keith Malone Wedding Films to share with you, so sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy…

During her Christmas staff party in Bodega, Cork, Karen spotted a tall, dark and handsome man across the bar, with a feeling he was Italian or Spanish, she beckoned him over for a bit of craic and was shocked when Ed spoke with a Cork accent! Being a perfect gentleman he bought Karen and her friends a drink and the rest as they say is history!
Ed proposed to me while we were on safari in Botswana. I love sunsets so Ed chose that time of day to pop the question! It was a real surprise and it made the trip so special. We were still with our safari group so we spent our first night engaged celebrating around the campfire!  When we arrived back in South Africa, Ed had organised for us to stay in an amazing hotel in Durban. It was a holiday to remember!

We love these great healthy treats to keep the guests to munch on their way to the reception…

When it came to planning their wedding Karen and Ed took the sensible approach of choosing and booking the main things first, which included their reception venue. We looked at a few venues and fell in love with Clonabreany House.

The staff were so helpful and did everything they could to help us plan for our big day. 

With the help of the internet and some friendly recommendations they were able to book the wedding professionals they wanted for their big day. Both families helped out with the planning, especially Karen’s sister Elaine, who designed the wedding invitations, which helped Karen develop the sweet and rustic wedding theme.

The couple were married in St. Colmcilles Church, Skryne. Karen wore a stunning fitted ivory gown, which was in fact the very first wedding dress she ever tried on, now that’s a girl who knows her style!

We really loved the church ceremony. Our florist, Joan, did an amazing job decorating the church. It was an incredible feeling walking down the aisle. I gave Ed a big hug when I met him at the altar! We picked music that was special to us and our friends – Joan-Marie, George and Ray did a great job playing some wonderful music. I have known our priest, Father Joe, all my life and he really made the ceremony very personal. He also cracked a few jokes that went down very well! There was such a relaxed and special atmosphere in the church.

Following the ceremony Karen and Ed made the most of the weather and were able to get some fun photos taken outside their local pub, Mrs. O’s, and on the hill of Skryne.

Walking into Clonabreany House was like walking into a dream! The house looked amazing; all our family and friends were there having great fun; the staff were incredible; Manila Strings were playing brilliant music… the atmosphere was electric! The rest of the day went so well; the food was fantastic; the speeches were hilarious and the band kept the dance floor packed for the night. It was really brilliant to see everyone having such a great time… it exceeded our expectations.

Advice for other couples

It is important to have all the big things booked early. There is so much available online that you can get carried away when planning your wedding- try to stick to just a few special details – too much is overkill!! And remember that the people you have booked are professionals so trust them to do a good job on the day, then you can relax and enjoy every minute, which is by far the most important thing!

What about these beautiful jams as favours? Each guest would remember your day for weeks or months after your wedding each time they opened the cupboard and spotted the jar!

We’re thrilled to also be able to share a short highlights clip from Karen and Ed’s wedding video. Watch out for the cute little flower girl and page boy…

Karen and Ed chose Darren Purcell of Visionary Photography and Keith Malone Wedding Films to record their day.

From the moment Darren arrived at my house on the morning of the wedding, he created a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. His easy-going nature and sense of humour meant that everyone was at ease as he snapped away. A lot of couples had warned us that the photos would take “forever” on the day of the wedding. We certainly did not have this experience as Darren’s expertise and professional approach to the photo shoot meant that we were back sipping champagne with our guests in no time! We are thrilled with the photos he took for us.

The best way that I can think of to describe Keith is that he was like a “ghost” on our wedding day. We never knew he was there at any stage! We really appreciated this as the thoughts of being filmed were nerve-wrecking! However, that is not to say that Keith didn’t capture the moments, in fact he caught every detail on film. We were delighted with Keith and he worked so well with the photographer Darren. His pleasant personality helped put us at ease. Our DVD is something we will treasure forever… it’s simply fab.

Karen & Ed’s Wedding Details