“Our theme was romance. All the colours we chose were natural.”
Names: Sophie and Garry O’Donohue
Length of engagement: 7 months
Wedding Date: 31st May 2018
Wedding location: Cliff at Lyons, Kildare
Videographer: Keith Malone
Cliff At Lyons – A Wedding Video Highlights – Sophie & Garry from Keith Malone on Vimeo.
We met… on St Patrick’s Day 17th March 2014 in O’Neils pub in Brentwood, Essex, England. I had only been back from travelling in Australia for two weeks and wasn’t looking for love.
Garry had been in Essex for about a year. He was in the pub as a colleague of his was playing in the band. I first saw him singing his heart out at the bar.
I’d had a few drinks and asked him what he does for a living, he told me he was a teacher, a science teacher. I asked what school and very quickly realised he works with my cousin/best friend Louise. She was actually my Matron of honour.
Having found this common ground we immediately got on and danced the night away.
So yes I met my Irish man, in an Irish pub on St Patrick’s Day.
Our proposal… Garry is very good at organising us little days out. So on the 1st November 2017 we had a sky scraper drinks tour to Heron Tower, the Sky Garden Bar and finished in the Shard. I’d recently been promoted and Garry explained we had gone there as he’d been keeping a secret. He’s been promoted too. It all made perfect sense. In Aqua restaurant we had a fabulous meal. Before dessert Garry stood up (all 6’4 of him) and made his way into one knee. I couldn’t believe it. Obviously I said yes. On our way home we facetimed our parents to tell them the great news.
Our wedding theme/colours… Our theme was romance. All the colours we chose were natural. My bridesmaid wore Fino lavender which was picked up in my wedding bouquet with amnesia roses. We also had the men’s ties made to match.
Things we DIY’d/made ourselves… we had a ring warming stand for our guests to send us wishes before entering our ceremony.
My dress… my dress was a Sophia Tolli dress in the style Monte. Its colour was tea rose. I was in love. I really wanted a blush coloured dress. I also wanted sparkle without it looking garish. This dress had a full sequin underlay that glistened as I moved.
Sleeveless misty tulle and sequin full A-line gown features an illusion bateau neckline trimmed with hand-beading, lace appliqué sweetheart bodice over sequin tulle, crystal encrusted beaded waistline, appliqués trail down skirt, full chapel length train, with back zipper trimmed with diamante buttons and loops as Y11719ZB.
I also added a Richard Designs back necklace.
I bought my dress in Confetti and Lace in Essex where say yes to the dress is currently recorded.
My hair and make up…
My hair was done by Raina Hair. And my makeup by Charlotte Conliff. They were both fabulous and made my day so super special.
His suit…Garry’s suits were from Debenhams. A beautiful navy check from the Racing Green brand.
What our bridal party wore…
My bridesmaids were dressed in tea length dresses in Fino lavender. Their neckline was illusion similar to mine. As Ireland is known for its changeable weather I had them in short dresses so they could pick my dress up if it rained.
Our ceremony…
We had a humanist wedding held by the amazing Billy Hutchingson. Our ceremony was held in the orangery at Cliff at Lyons Kildare.
We chose our videographer because…
Keith had filmed our friends’ wedding and we were in awe of his videos. He captures the essence of the day and you have no idea he’s even there.
We chose our photographer because…
Kathy Silke was fabulous from the moment we met her. We had an informal engagement shoot to get used to being in front of the camera. She made everything so relaxed. We didn’t feel pushed at all. She made us feel like we were simply having a walk or a chat together. She’s one in a million.
We chose our wedding coordinator because…
Our wedding coordinator was done with Cliff at Lyons. We started with Majella and Kate took over once she’d left. They are an amazing team who hold the day together. One of the head staff members Gerrard was even more amazing. He was there through my whole journey and couldn’t do enough for us.
We chose our venue because…
It is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. I flew into Dublin with my best friend and bridesmaid Hayley and met Garry’s mum Lorraine. We had three venues to see before we flew back to Essex that night. Cliff at Lyons was our first viewing. As soon as you arrive there you feel so relaxed. It has this overwhelming ambiance. It’s pure romance.
Our menu…
We had a 4 course menu
Started was a chicken and mushroom velouté
Followed by a white onion and truffle soup.
Rack of lamb in a herb crust with potato dauphinoise and spinach.
Or grilled chicken with a potato fondant and mash, garden carrots and spinach puree
Followed by a dessert trio, which included a brownie, mini lemon tart and apple crumble.
Our honeymoon…
We spent three nights in Dubai in the Atlantis. Followed by 10 nights in Mauritius. We stayed in a boutique hotel called Paradise Cove. It was truly amazing. We couldn’t have asked for more. We saw humpback whales and were wined and dined all day long.
My favourite part of the wedding day…
We both agree it was our amazing wedding band Top of the Popz. They were seamless. They played and kept the dance floor full. They even took the time to learn our first dance, Jason Mraz I won’t give up.
My piece of advice for other couples…
Take the time to enjoy your day. But to prevent disappointment make a list of all the photos you want and who is in them so you know you have them all.
What is it that makes your wedding unique?
We chose a humanist wedding because we wanted it to be about family and loved ones. My mum was sick before we got engaged. To try and get her there we organised the day in 6 months. Unfortunately my mum passed away 3 weeks before we got married. Due to this we weren’t sure if the day would go ahead. A week before our wedding day my mum’s words made us go for it. My mum would always say no matter what our wedding must go ahead as we had planned. No changes, no compromises. And so we didn’t.
Suppliers
Wedding venue: Cliff at Lyons | Photographer: Kathy Silke | Videographer: Keith Malone | Ceremony musician: Molly Laforgue | Music and DJ: Top of the Popz | Hair: Hair by Raina | Makeup: Charlotte Conliffe | Dress: Sophia Tolli – Monte from Confetti and Lace | Suits: Racing Green | Bridesmaids dresses: Confetti and Couture in Fino lavender | Cake: Creative Cakes | Celebrant: Billy Hutchingson | Flowers: Vita Floral
