Our wonderful real wedding couple Jean and Donal tied the knot in an immensely intimate celebration that was absolutely massive on style. Their outdoor summer wedding at Mount Juliet in Co. Kilkenny in was refined, luxurious and positively oozed graceful glamour. Any bride or groom looking for awe-worthy outdoor ceremony styling inspiration needs to see the pictures from their nuptials lensed by Eden Photography. 15 of their nearest and dearest paid witness as they exchanged vows in a sunny ceremony in the serene Walled Garden which included a romantic floral arch that took our breath away. With an amorous colour theme, uber-pretty blooms, sweet personal touches, a lovely Chinese ritual that we know our Irish readers will appreciate and much more, their wedding was simply magical. Enjoy!
Donal and Jean are for completely different sides of the world but they speak the same language of love. Donal is from Ireland and Jean hails from Singapore and today they call Sheffield in the UK home. They met back in March 2017 at none other than a paediatric life support course.
It was clear they were destined to meet as they happened to be the only two taking the course at the time. They were staying in hospital accommodation and Donal took a chance at asking Jean if she wanted to go for dinner. While Jean had already sorted dining arrangements for the night, she wasn't going to miss the opportunity and her packed dinner went out the window! The rest is history, as they say.
Donal picked a jaw-dropping location to pop the question to his true love. At the end of their work trip in Zambia in Africa, he whisked Jean away to Malawi. They will never forget June 18, 2019, as he got down on bended knee at the top of proposed Mount Mulanje, which is over 3,000 metres above sea level. "We were literally on cloud nine!"
Jean envisioned her wedding day coming to life in shades of sophisticated navy and rich burgundy and red. "Donal loved the bride and so it was easy to settle on a colour scheme!" Jean was elegance personified in her French crepe wedding gown which featured a sculpted silhouette, a V-neckline, plunging back and a train. She accessorised with towering ivory heels, pearl earrings and a veil decorated with floral lace embroidery which married with the enchanting garden where they held their wedding ceremony.
They got married on the second anniversary of their engagement. It had been postponed from the original planned date in 2020 but we've no doubt the wait was worth it. They tied the knot in the picturesque Walled Garden and thankfully they were blessed with good weather (we wonder did they have the Child of Prague in the garden the night before?) Jean was a picture of pure happiness as she walked down the aisle with her proud and highly elegant mother.
There's no debating it, floral arches are a surefire way to add magic to your ceremony. Jean and Donal's ceremony included a wondrously romantic floral arch comprising of red and burgundy blooms. We think you'll agree, their ceremony was just wow!
Their ceremony included a very special reading, which was a passage from There’s No Such Place As Far Away by Richard Bach. Donal had sent the book to Jean in Singapore while he was in Namibia in South Africa. In fact, Donal made it a lovely tradition to send books to Jean while they lived apart for an entire year and he called every day despite their time differences. Their love really knows no boundaries.
They admit that when it came to wedding planning they were so wrapped up in the details, from the flowers to the décor, that they forgot a very important element: collecting their wedding certificate. "Thankfully, we had a determined celebrant and a kind HSE Registrar who waited for us to pick up our papers before the office closed so that we could be married on this special date with both our mums as witnesses. Everything that seemed a priority initially now seemed like a superfluous detail."
Before their reception, the couple journeyed around the magical grounds for their wedding photos. The five-star venue is replete with charming spaces from ancient woodlands to exquisitely planted gardens teeming with fragrant flowers.
For the couple, they knew that they had found their dream wedding venue when they set foot in the pretty walled garden. "We fell in love with it and took a chance with Irish weather to have an outdoor wedding ceremony!" The couple held their reception in the opulent and glamorous Georgian Manor House.
Rituals are such a huge part of what makes a wedding so special and memorable, there are so many ceremony rituals to choose from in fact. Jean and Donal held a tea ceremony which is a tradition in Chinese weddings. It sees the elders accept the bride and groom's offer of tea to welcome them into the family and Donal’s family sportingly took part. For the occasion, the couple stayed true to their wedding colour scheme as Jean changed into a resplendent red lace dress with a satin bow waistband and an airy floaty while Donal wore a maroon shirt which bore a Chinese dragon motif.
They held their reception in a light-filled drawing room dashed with demure accents from gilded gold mirrors to delicate floral wallpaper and blush velvet Chiavari chairs. The dining table was dressed with a white tablecloth which formed the ideal canvas for the red and pink flowers to flourish which were displayed on tall stands and in small glass vases. They wanted to keep the styling simple and thoughtful, Jean handwrote the table name cards and they had a “D&J” stamp and stickers on their chocolate truffle favour boxes.
They opted for a graceful multi-tiered wedding cake which was dotted with red and pale pink flowers with a gold personalised cake topper bearing their names and a love heart. Sweetly, they had two ceramic figurines with their initials and names on their pointed hats.
Jean took centre stage on her big day as she surprised the wedding party with a special performance. "I prepared a piano piece to thank both families for their love and support. There is a line in the piece about how we share the same moon even when we are miles apart." The couple advise those planning their wedding not to get bogged down in the small details. "This is a day for your family and loved ones to celebrate your love for each other so be present to enjoy it, and don’t forget the green folder!"
While they couldn't book a wedding band due to Covid restrictions, Jean and Donal created a Spotify playlist which had their guests racing to the dancefloor. For their first dance, they chose Ronan Keating's This I Promise You. The newlyweds went on an epic minimoon to Uganda in East Africa where they explored the Mgahinga Forest in search of mountain gorillas. "It was such a special trip and we loved every bit of it."
Congratulations Jean and Donal and thank you for sharing your exquisite wedding with One Fab Day and to Eden Photography for the sublime imagery. You can see even more in the gallery below.
Thank You OneFabDay!
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