What was your first date with your fiancé?

We were meant to meet for a drink but ended up doing a bar crawl as we had so much to talk about! Including our love of travel, which shaped our wedding in so many ways.

How did he propose?

On a rowing boat in Central Park in New York. We had gone to New York for my 30th birthday, and he couldn’t hold out until the big day to propose, so it was 3 days before! He didn’t get down on one knee for fear of capsizing the boat… which I don’t let him away with lightly. We went for champagne brunch at Loeb Boat House after – it was pretty idyllic.

Were you wedding plans impacted by Covid-19?

It would be a miracle if we escaped any Covid impact, but at times we were so optimistic that we would! Luckily we had booked our wedding pre-Covid and probably never would have took the leap of faith of booking an abroad wedding in Portugal if not. Our original date was 11th July 2021 (our 7 year anniversary) but the travel rules just weren’t right by then. We only had to postpone by a month, but this meant that 30 of our nearest and dearest could make the big day, and this meant the world to us. I’d be lying if I said I got more than 4 hours sleep per night in the final countdown to leaving for Portugal due to the ever changing travel rules… but if anything, Covid made the Band, the DJ, and the group holiday so much sweeter because we had all been deprived of such fun for 1.5 years. The dance floor was rarely cleared!

What brought you to Jade Alexandra Bridal?

I went to Jade Alexandra specifically for the Luna Willow Bridal ‘Bali’ dress! I love Australian wedding dresses and found Luna Willow and the Bali dress down an Instagram rabbit hole! I was so grateful to find a supplier in NI. In hindsight I was so lucky to find Jade Alexandra, as Jade and the whole experience she creates at her boutique is a dream and I always recommend it to other Brides. I tried on lots of gorgeous dresses and there were many I could have gone home with, but Bali was the one!

How did you know your dress was the one?

My gut! From being to a few boutiques before I realised that I didn’t suit plain white dresses (plus my mum had me convinced I would spill something on one!) and Bali’s lace was a dream. I had to take into consideration that I was getting married in Portugal, so the dress had to be light(-ish) and able to travel well. Bali ticked all the boxes, and on top of that just made me smile and feel like the best version of me!

Do you have any dress shopping top tips for future brides?

Go with your instinct! It’s likely that lots of dresses will suit you, but something in your gut will call out to you. Don’t be worried about going for something a bit different. Bring people with you that will be critical – I knew my mum would tell me if she thought a dress wasn’t right. If you think you’ve found the one, go to another shop and try on more dresses and If you can’t get it out of your head then you will know! This is what I did with Bali and any dress I tried on after just didn’t compare.

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

What wasn’t! I became pretty obsessed with wedding planning… mainly Instagram (following different venues, florists, photographers for ideas), Pinterest, and I listened to lots of wedding podcasts in the shower! (One Fab day, Rock my wedding etc.)

What was the highlight of your wedding day?

There are so many to pick from! I loved our ceremony. As our guests numbers were small nearly everyone had a part to play and this made it feel really personal. Our music was performed by close friends and Barry’s sister, and some prayers of the faithful were spoken in Irish and Portuguese (my brother in law is Portuguese) to reflect the strong connection we feel to these cultures. Our reception was also amazing as the sun was shining, the sangria flowing, the food incredible and it was so fulfilling to see all my styling ideas brought from the Pinterest board to life! I also loved 5 minutes that Barry and I snuck outside for a walk around the venue ground on our own, because it had been such a crazy day and it was lovely to get a few moments breather together!

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

We mainly stuck to traditions but we tried to bring some of our personalities to our wedding day. We had a VW campervan as a wedding car, a Pastel de Nata cake and a BBQ for dinner… although it was a pretty 5* BBQ! Some of our favourite times are our casual summer BBQ’s so we really wanted that to be the atmosphere created at our reception in Portugal.

One tradition I was unsure about keeping up was staying apart the night before, as we were abroad and staying in a hotel. We did end up staying in separate hotel rooms for that night and I couldn’t recommend it more. It made me so excited to get to the Church just so I could see Barry and talk to him that I didn’t feel anywhere near as nervous as I thought I would. After 1.5 years of working from home together we have rarely spent that much time apart!

Did you have something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?

No. I like the idea of this but I couldn’t see where blue would fit into my wedding, and it has never been a big tradition in my family. I did borrow a bracelet from my mum as I loved the idea of getting married in a piece of her jewellery and hope this is a tradition I can pass on.