How did you meet your fiancé?

We met through mutual friends, went on a few dates at the North Coast and here we are, 7 years later.

How did he propose?

Since the North coast has been a special part of our relationship, having our first date there.. he proposed at Mussenden Temple on New Year’s Eve - it was perfect!!

Were your wedding plans impacted by COVID-19?

We just got engaged just before the COVID-19 mayhem began so had all our vendors booked beforehand. This meant we didn’t struggle to get a date in our diary and got all the perfect vendors we wanted. Through 2020 lockdown, we really thought by summer 2021 everything would be back to normal with vaccines etc. As time went on, we were so thankful to see restrictions being eased, even live music was allowed two weeks before our wedding! 🤩 The only big impact that we had was having to cut our guest list from 150 to 100. But we are so thankful for the amazing day we had and how normal it was. We always knew, no matter what the circumstances were on 14th July 2021, we were getting married regardless🥰

What brought you to Jade Alexandra bridal?

Well I mean, I found it on Instagram and that’s when I fell in love! I love plain but classy dresses and that’s when I found SYDNEY by Alyssa Kristin. I had done my research before visiting JA bridal and my aim was to go and try that one dress on. I was open to other options but my eyes were set! Everything about Jade Alexandra bridal was fab. The boutique is just perfect, Jade is so so friendly and made dress shopping so fun… then I found my dream wedding dress!

How did you know your dress was the one?

I had been to two boutiques before visiting JA bridal and had loved a few dresses I tried on but there was just something missing, I loved them but they weren’t perfect. Until I found J/A Bridal on Instagram and found the SYDNEY dress. I arranged an appointment to specifically try on SYDNEY and knew when I tried it, I would fall in love even more. I loved the simplicity of it yet the elegant square neckline, V cut outs and AMAZING back, how could I not get it!

Do you have any dress shopping tips for future brides?

Do your research before you go!! That is how I found my dress but also how I realised what I didn’t want in a dress. Pinterest is also great to get ideas and figure out what kind of style you are looking for, not only in your dress but your entire wedding.

Where was your ‘go-to’ for wedding inspo?

Definitely Pinterest. I had so many boards saved and kept collecting lots of fab ideas… I also love Instagram for ideas from following florists, photographers, videographers etc.

What was the highlight of your wedding day?

My highlight was definitely our wedding ceremony. Our whole wedding day was at Drenagh Estate so we got married in their Moon Garden, it was so perfect. For both of us, getting married was so special and we couldn’t wait to do it with our nearest and dearest. We wanted God to be at the centre of our wedding day and we were able to praise him together with our family and friends - that was definitely my highlight!

Did you stick to traditions, or add anything new into your day?

One thing that was different for us on our wedding day was that we didn’t get married in our church, Cookstown Baptist. This was because of limited numbers due to COVID-19. This was a difficult decision as our church is such an important part of our lives. However, we knew that no matter where we got married, God would be present throughout our whole day. We didn’t focus on following traditions or adding anything new, instead focused on making our day special in any way possible to celebrate the beginning of marriage.