A Riverside Wedding by the Banks of Lough Erne

When planning the wedding, I wanted it to be elegant but simple at the same time, at least as simple as an Irish wedding can be! My wedding look was based on Grace Kelly’s Hollywood glamour and I wore a satin Paloma Blanca dress. Inspired by the size of Kate Middleton’s wedding bouquet, I carried a small posey of ivory flowers with a hint of purple. The bridesmaids wore purple and carried pale pinks roses. As it was a summer wedding, the boys wore light grey suits and the flowers were a mix of purples, pinks and ivory.

John and I were married at St. Aidans in Butlersbridge, Co. Cavan, a small church not far from where I grew up. We both agree that the actual wedding ceremony was our favourite part of the day. I expected to feel nervous and self-conscious with a church full of people all focused on me, but when it was time to exchange our vows all the nerves melted away and we really enjoyed it.

The Watermill Restaurant is located on Lough Erne so we were able to arrive at the reception by boat – which was organised by my mother without my knowledge, so it was a lovely surprise on the day. Unfortunately, it started to rain just as we arrived at the Kilmore Quay jetty. Not to worry though, there are some really nice photos featuring umbrellas and a giggling bride and groom. We were on such a high nothing was going to get us down. The reception was a great success – the meal was amazing, the speeches were hilarious and everyone really enjoyed the live music.