“You shouldn’t be put off by planning from a faraway distance – our day was full of wonderful surprises.”
The couple: Louise McNamara and Stephen Clarke
Length of engagement: 1 year 4 months | Wedding date: 4th July 2014
Wedding location: Rome | Photographer: Daniele Torella
Wedding planner: Infinity Weddings & Events
We met… when we were teenagers and eventually got together five years ago after “Gig at the Brig” in our local pub.
Our proposal… Stephen proposed on the cliff edge above the Giant’s Causeway in County Antrim on a snowy day in February 2013.
My dress, hair and make-up… My dress was “Bronwyn” by designer Maggie Sottero and was perfect for a hot summer day in Rome as it was very light and easy to wear. I always loved lace dresses and the keyhole back was very eye-catching. I had my dress-maker adjust the ribbon sash by attaching it to the back of the dress and adding a bow at the front to which I pinned a sparkly brooch. My hair and make-up were done by Louise Faulkner, who is also from Ireland but lives and works in Rome. I loved my hair and Louise really understood the look I was going for. Despite the hot weather, my make-up was impeccable and stayed in place all day. We also had great ‘craic’ and fun during the preparations as Louise really helped us relax and made us laugh.
What our bridal party wore… My two sisters were my bridesmaids and they wore Tiffany blue full-length chiffon dresses by designer Alexia. They wore embellished ribbon head bands and pearl and crystal jewellery. We also added pearly brooches to contrast with the blue chiffon. Stephen’s two brothers were best men and they wore matching trousers and waistcoats to Stephen’s suit with blue striped ties and blush pink boutonnières to tie in with the colour scheme.
Our ceremony… Our ceremony took place in St. Patrick’s Church in the city of Rome where Father Tony Finn said a lovely wedding mass. The church is bright and beautiful and Father Tony looked after us so well from our first meeting with him in July 2013 until the week we arrived in Rome before our wedding. He was very generous with his time, walking us around the neighbourhood and sharing his hurling stories.
We chose our photographer because… We chose our photographer because of the reportage style Daniele uses. From his website, we saw that he focused on capturing moments and telling the story of the wedding day. We are delighted with our wedding photos which are natural and remind us of all the special moments throughout the day. Our walk around the area of the Spanish steps was lots of fun and this was reflected in our photos.
We chose our wedding coordinator because… We chose our wedding coordinator Infinity Weddings & Events after much online research. After reading reviews and testimonials we felt they were a well-informed and highly professional company. We found Sara and Valentina to be well-informed regarding paperwork, venues and suppliers. They responded to our enquiries promptly and although being highly professional, they treated us like friends and were very warm and reassuring. This really helped take the stress out of much of the wedding planning. Sara and Valentina had great suggestions and provided us with plenty of options and variety when choosing our venue and suppliers. Valentina looked after us in Rome and in the last few weeks building up to the wedding, she kept telling us to trust her. We did and we were not disappointed! Everything went perfectly and Stephen and I could properly enjoy our day without worrying about suppliers and timings etc.
Our honeymoon… Our honeymoon was in Sorrento where we completely relaxed and spoiled ourselves. The scenery was fantastic and we had plenty to see and do when we felt like it, for example, day trips to Pompeii, Positano and Capri.
We chose our venue because… We chose our wedding venue very easily after a visit in July 2013 with our wedding planner – Infinity Weddings & Events. Parco delle Nazioni has beautiful rustic gardens and buildings. The setting is very romantic and gave our guests an experience of the Roman countryside. The candles and lanterns in the garden made it look so magical in the evening. Having so much space all to ourselves made the evening feel very relaxing. With such unpredictable weather in Ireland (often rainy!), it was important for us to have our reception outside and to give our guests a really unique and different wedding experience from the traditional Irish wedding. We wanted to thank them for travelling so far to celebrate our wedding, therefore, we really wanted to make it a truly special day.
Our menu… Our menu was traditional Italian food and this was also something new and exciting for many of our guests. Our guests were greeted by the aperitif buffet. The first course was ravioli pasta with tomato, green onions and zucchini flowers. We then had potato gnocchi with saffron and black truffle. Our main course was guinea-fowl stuffed with spinach, ham, apple and calvados. Finally, we had a traditional Italian millefoglie wedding cake filled with Chantilly cream and fresh fruits which was delicious and looked fabulous. There was also a dessert buffet with lots of different fruits and treats. Our guests had lots of fun trying out new food during the aperitif and dessert buffets.
My favourite part of the wedding day… There are so many parts of our wedding day that were special, but two moments that really stand out were meeting Stephen at the top of the aisle and our arrival at the reception when we were blown away by how beautiful the setting was.
My piece of advice for other brides… My advice for couples getting married abroad is to invest in a wedding planner. It’s really worth the extra cost and makes the planning less stressful. We would never have found such an amazing venue and professional suppliers without the help of Infinity Weddings & Events. We have no regrets about getting married abroad and you shouldn’t be put off by planning from a faraway distance. Our day was full of wonderful surprises.