Raspberry Romance – Real Wedding at Harvey’s Point by Ghorm Photography

Real Weddings

“I could talk about Harvey’s Point all day and not tire. Every eventuality was accounted for. I really believe if I asked Samantha (the wedding coordinator) to have an elephant bring me to the hotel she would have said ‘sure, how many?’!”

Length of engagement: 16 Months | Wedding Date: 21st June 2012
Wedding location:  St Mura’s Church, Fahan, Co. Donegal and Harvey’s Point Lough Eske, Donegal

Photographer: Ghorm Studio Photography

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My dress and shoes!… My wedding gown was a one shoulder dress with a full skirt. I kept it quite simple with a little bit of bling on the shoulder and at the waist! It was a Tomorrow’s Formal own label and was made for me with some small amendments. Tomorrow’s Formal was brilliant – Clare (Tomorrow’s Formal owner) selected my dress and told me if I didn’t like her selection I could have a look myself. I had, no joke, tried on at least 40 dresses in various other shops at this stage and was feeling quite overwhelmed. Clare got it spot on! I loved it the minute I tried it on. Each time I came for a fitting Clare made it so special, all other dresses were covered so the focus was solely on me and my dress. I also bought my jewellery in Tomorrow’s but went all out on the shoes and bought Jimmy Choos in Brown Thomas. The Jimmy Choos were a birthday present from my family in the March before the wedding.

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We met…  In Swifts bar in Newbridge – we were set up by my sister’s boyfriend Peter (he likes to get the credit!). However, I remembered Trevor from school because he taught me PE when he was a student studying recreation and leisure management in Inchicore. But Trevor didn’t remember me, I was not the sporty type! We both had a number of alcoholic beverages but did manage to swop phone numbers. After that we met to go for a walk at Punchestown Racecourse but ended up sitting in the car chatting for three hours! That was our first date.

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Trevor’s first impressions of Caroline… When I saw Caroline for the first time, we were being set up by family and friends who knew we were both single and I thought “wow! That’s hardly the girl I am to meet?!” When I started talking to her I just thought to myself how lucky I was to be on a date with a gorgeous person both inside and out and hoped that night wouldn’t end. We both swopped phone numbers and the rest as they say is history.

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Caroline’s first impressions of Trevor… All I could see when I met Trevor first was this HUGE smile coming towards me and I felt like I’d been hit by a train! And then I couldn’t really speak which as anyone that knows me well knows, is highly unusual! Trevor wasn’t my usual type, but clearly my usual type wasn’t my type! After that we just connected and had fun in each other’s company. We met quite a lot of one another’s families that night as Peter’s sister had just gotten engaged and Trevor and I had mutual friends at the party.

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Our proposal… Our proposal was very romantic. Trevor cooked a lovely dinner for when I arrived home from work and proposed in our sitting room at home in front of the fire on a wet windy February evening. Trevor’s mother died nine years earlier and he proposed using her engagement ring which was a present from Trevor’s father Tommy. It was very emotional for both of us, but not a huge surprise for our families!

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Our wedding theme/colours…  We went with the colour Raspberry as the base with a nod to Grace Kelly and the 50s! It was largely built around my dress and developed organically- I didn’t go in with a hard and fast rule I just allowed everything to coordinate slowly. I also wanted to build in my mother’s outfit which was a strong teal colour and contrasted with my sister Jacqueline’s dress (my only bridesmaid).

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“Trevor proposed in our sitting room at home in front of the fire on a wet windy February evening. It was very emotional… he proposed using his mother’s engagement ring which was a present from his father Tommy.” 

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We chose our photographer because… We met Paul from Ghorm Studio Photography at the Harvey’s Point wedding fair and his images were really beautiful – some classic and some a little quirky. Mainly though, he was so personable and the kind of guy you could have a pint and a chat with. He was wonderful on the day, very professional and we were not disappointed with the images we received! He didn’t invade our space and allowed us to ask for certain shots and images and also went looking for ‘the children’s play room’ in order to picture the children on the day, he needed no direction from us but allowed us to request certain things.

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“Our wedding stationery was done by Aisling at Feather & Ink. She was very, very helpful and has so many designs to choose from – any brides out there will not be disappointed with the results!”

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Our ceremony… We were married in St. Mura’s Church in Fahan, Donegal. Fr Mcgoldrick from Fahan parish was our celebrant and he was very thorough on the boundaries of the ceremony but allowed us to put our personal stamp on it. He also told little stories he had heard about Trevor and I despite not really knowing us that well, and we really appreciated that. We live in Kildare and he is my mother’s parish priest from Fahan.

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“His images were really beautiful – some classic and some a little quirky. Mainly though, he was so personable and the kind of guy you could have a pint and a chat with. He was wonderful on the day, very professional and we weren’t disappointed with the images we received!”
– Caroline, on photographer Paul from Ghorm Studio Photography

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We chose our venue because… My mother is from Donegal and we spent a day after we got engaged with my parents travelling around Donegal looking for a venue. Food and environment were both very important to us, Harvey’s Point ballroom is so beautiful and not like the usual multi-purpose conference type room. It has gorgeous views of the lake and the food is exquisite. They also include really magical touches throughout dinner. The staff is super friendly when you arrive and the door man recognised us every time we arrived and had a big smile for us. I could talk about Harvey’s Point all day and not tire. Every eventuality was accounted for, if it’s a sunny day we will be here for drinks, if it’s not we will be here, both places equally beautiful and overlooking the lake. The top table could be wherever we wanted it… Trevor’s father Tommy was a GAA referee from Kildare and his mother was a huge Kildare fan so Lillies were supplied for the table centrepieces.

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“I could talk about Harvey’s Point all day and not tire. Every eventuality was accounted for, if it’s a sunny day we will be here for drinks, if it’s not we will be here, both places equally beautiful and overlooking the lake.”

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My favourite part of the wedding day… All of it! But if I had to pick a moment, dessert in Harvey’s Point took my breath away! I don’t want to spoil it for others but if you are having or attending a wedding there soon – prepare yourself, they really put on a show! Obviously I also loved our ceremony; it was very personal to us and involved friends and family. My friend Elaine O’Carroll sang during the mass and it was beautiful, she learned the song “Morning has Broken” especially for us this was sung at my parents wedding and all or our christenings, this was extra special for all of us. We also had Arco a string quartet play during the mass and at the drinks reception and they were exquisite.

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We chose our wedding coordinator because… Samantha from Harvey’s Point was just lovely, nothing was too small or too big to do and everything was possible with her – I really believe if I asked to have an elephant bring me to the hotel she would have said “sure, how many?”! On the day we weren’t rushed around by Jonathon and never felt we had to be in a certain place at a certain time, it just all flowed beautifully! Also, I didn’t even have to ask for some things! I left blow up instruments at reception and forgot all about them and just as the band sparked up one of the staff arrived in the ballroom with them all blown up – I didn’t have to give instructions or ask – they just know how it goes! I cannot speak highly enough of the staff and professionalism in Harvey’s Point.

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Our honeymoon… We did our honeymoon in two parts, we spent a week in Spain and then had a Mediterranean cruise on a Royal Caribbean Cruise line straight after the wedding, then in January we went to Orlando for a week and Jamaica (where myself and my family lived for four years) for a week for my Auntie Liz’s 60th.  We would highly recommend the cruise and Jamaica is always a favourite for me as I have strong ties to the island.

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“I really believe if I asked Samantha (Harvey’s Point Wedding Coordinator) to have an elephant bring me to the hotel she would have said “sure, how many?””

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My piece of advice for other brides… Don’t sweat the small stuff- we forgot so many little things on the day and you know what- they really don’t matter! Spend time together; get in another dance apart from your first dance, without everyone watching it is so much more intimate. Also – if you think you might want to make a speech (the bride) then do – on the day I wasn’t sure and I have really regretted it. Prepare something and just do it!

Vendors

Photographer: Ghorm Studio Photography
Wedding venue: Harvey’s Point Lough Eske, Donegal
Wedding dress: Tomorrow’s Formal – Own label
Ceremony & Reception music:
Arco String Quartet
Wedding singer: Elaine O’Carroll
Stationery: Feather & Ink
Suits:
Richie Whelan’s Menswear, Kildare
Bouquet & Flowers: Flower Frenzy, Monasterevin
Hair: Kate Leahy 086 0828430
Wedding car: Mc Girr Car Hire and Videography 074 9141534

 

By Karen Birney