Keith and I met whilst I was on holiday in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. We met at the Blarney Stone Pub in Gastown. We are both Irish, I am from County Down in the North and he is from County Wexford in the Republic. My friends and I were on holiday to scout out some film sets and consider Vancouver as an option for us to move to. We met Keith and his friends in the bar and were thankful to hear some familiar accents! My friend Hayley told me to get Keith’s number so he could help us with the visas. We kept in touch, got our visas and moved to Vancouver eight months later. Keith met us at the airport with a little sign and cupcakes and we’ve been together ever since – over 6 years ago!
We went to Blarney Castle and Gardens in May 2019 as part of a little Irish road trip. Keith had planned to propose at the bottom of the ‘Wishing Steps’ but they were aflood with American tourists. He then found a secluded cave and got down on the bended knee! He was suffering from a knee injury at the time so his dedication to the cause was admirable.
We got engaged pre-pandemic and booked most of our suppliers straight away which in hindsight was very lucky for a wedding two years away. The pandemic provided some uncertainty but we kept our heads down, stuck to our original date and succeeded. The last few months were quite stressful, but I was lucky to have my wonderful sisters Roseanna & Eloise, bridesmaid Aoife and maid of honour Helen who worked tirelessly to keep my mental health afloat so a big shout out to them. Our family was fantastic and very supportive which contributed to a magical day.
I visited one wedding dress shop, Pronuptia Bridal in Belfast. I knew the Celestina (style 69426) was in there and went specifically to try it on. I knew from the get-go that I wanted something that wasn’t traditional, and something coloured. I really hit the jackpot with the Celestina! I tried on two dresses, the Celestina first, then a high necked, more traditional champagne coloured gown for comparison. Within a few seconds I realized it wasn’t for me and put the Celestina back on!
I love everything about the gown, mainly the colour and the hundreds of little flowers. It was detailed, beautiful and unique. When I put it on I just knew, and even though I was a little nervous of what everyone would think on the day, it went down incredibly well, everyone loved it.
The experience in store was seamless, Pronuptia are experts in their field and it was all made very, very easy! All staff in store were exceptionally helpful, complimentary and kind. A fantastic service.
We wanted a modern wedding, with a humanist celebrant that focused on us as a couple. Our celebrant was @jbqhumanistweddings, Jean, and she was amazing in making sure the focus of the day was on us and our relationship. She spoke fantastically and received an abundance of positive feedback.
Tullyglass is an amazing venue which has recently gone under massive renovation and it was the perfect backdrop for our day and the opportunity to focus on the beautiful quirky Celestina dress
The day ran incredibly smoothly! We dodged some showers, but our suppliers and the staff at the Tullyglass were amazing from start to finish.
I think my favourite bit of the wedding was the evening, everyone was so relaxed and it was nice to get around and chat to people. Keith and I are quite reserved and don’t do well under the spotlight so the relaxed moments were definitely appreciated.
Honestly we had no real expectations for the day, so it was all lovely. I guess with having a wedding during a pandemic, it could go either way, so what turned out best was the fact we were able to have a mostly normal wedding in the middle of the chaos of the last year.
My top tips for brides-to-be would be Buy a dress you feel comfortable in, don’t be swayed by tradition and enjoy every minute.
Photographer: Ria & Paul Elliott of Creative Flux Photography @creativefluxphotography
Written by Emily Cook