“The look we went for was soft and romantic with beautiful flowers and cherry blossom trees. It was breathtaking.”
The couple: Paul Mc Guinness & Janet Byrne
Length of engagement: 2 years | Wedding Date: 9th August 2017
Venue: Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort, Wicklow
Photographers: Reflections Photography
We met… we went on a blind date which was set up by mutual friends, 8 years ago.
Our proposal… Paul surprised me on a holiday away with our 1 year old son in Turkey, the place where we went on our first holiday together. I didn’t have any idea. We went down for dinner that evening and afterwards Paul seemed to be delaying and suggested that we have a drink in our favourite spot. He kept going backwards and forwards to the bar which was strange, (later he told me that he was trying to organise some champagne but we found out that it couldn’t be gotten anywhere in Turkey). The three of us were standing on the veranda watching the most beautiful romantic sunset when Paul popped the all important question. I was absolutely stunned but of course I said yes straight away.
My dress… Having never looked at wedding dresses before I didn’t know where to start. After looking online, I found a beautiful dress that I fell in love with and tracked it down to a lovely bridal shop in Gorey – Embrace Bridal.
Our ceremony… the civil ceremony took place at Tulfarris and our celebrant was Vincent Whelan from Spiritual Ceremonies. Vincent Whelan was our guy, we had an initial sit down with him where he covered off all the basics and then tailored the ceremony to what we wanted. On the day he led it with precision but also threw in a few laughs to lighten everyone up. In the background, the ceremony music was played on the harp by Ann Tuite which brought a whole different feel to the day. We finished off then with a rose ceremony as our first gift to each other. We also tried to have as many family members involved from blessings to rings etc.
His suit… Paul chose to purchase his suits instead of rental and made contact with Collar & Cuff in Glasnevin. Declan provided some good inspiration and after the initial consultation and first fitting all were collected just before the wedding and fitted perfectly.
We chose our venue because… we were looking for that unique location. Something that was true to us as a couple. We took a trip to Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort without an appointment and met some wonderful staff who took the time out to show us around and we both fell in love straight away. The setting is absolutely stunning. Having the house and courtyard and beautiful building onsite but completely separate to the main hotel was an extra selling point for us as we didn’t want a regular ‘hotel wedding’. From initially booking the venue to the wedding, the hotel had undergone refurbishment and so the room when our big day arrived had been given a very positive and bright lift. This was commented on by our guests. Another big draw was the scenery from all angles, everywhere you looked you just had spectacular views of mountains, lakes and greenery.
Our theme/colours… We went with emerald green as it is the colour of Luke’s birth stone. We wanted our wedding to be relaxed and informal for our family and friends. The location at Tulfarris gave us that in spades as it was so tranquil and beautiful away from the hustle and bustle of Dublin where we live. The look we went for was soft and romantic with beautiful flowers and cherry blossom trees. It was breathtaking.
We chose our photographer because… we did some research and spoke with a number of photographers. But when we met with Barry (Reflections Photography) we knew he was just perfect for us. The service he offered and his style and personality was exactly what we were hoping to find. Out of all the many suppliers you will have dealings with surrounding your wedding, it’s your photographer with whom you spend most of your actual wedding day with so for me it was important that it didn’t just feel uptight and structured. Barry was always available and never intrusive. I don’t like having my photo taken and Barry simply blended into the background. He was absolutely fantastic. And we have such a stunning album to cherish.
My piece of advice for other couples… absolutely don’t stress!! Trust and go with your first instinct. Chose your photographer wisely. Enjoy every aspect of your planning, meeting suppliers, lunch dates with the girls etc, it’ll be over before you realise so slow down and take every moment in.
Suppliers
Venue: Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort, Wicklow | Photographer: Reflections Photography | Dress: Mori Lee from Embrace Bridal, Gorey | Shoes: Jimmy Choo | Bridal Accessories: wish.com | Flowers: Flowers by Enda, Blessington | Suits: Collar & Cuff, Glasnevin | Rings: Fields Jewellers | Ceremony Music: Ann Tuite – Wedding Singer & Harpist | Solemniser: Vincent Whelan from Spiritual Ceremonies | Cake: Baked Delights by Sandra, Kilkenny | Wedding Band: Smash Hits | Reception Entertainment: Shane Black Magician
