For our proposal, Gavin picked the perfect place. We were walking long the beach where we had our first date. He knelt on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes, and having been asked on the beach where is first began, made it even more special.

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We didn’t really have a theme for our wedding. We just wanted to have a simple, laid-back kind of wedding day. We had our venue in mind since we got engaged and the first time, we went to view Orange Tree House, we knew it was the venue for us!

We both loved it! The pandemic had made things very difficult at times as we didn’t know what we would be allowed/not allowed to do. A few things we had planned and paid for weren’t able to go ahead due to restrictions, however we stayed positive and just took it all in our stride. The most important thing was that we were able to get married. That was our version of a perfect day.

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When it came to buying my dress, I had some idea of what I wanted. I knew I didn’t want a tight fitted dress but one than complemented my shape and I would feel comfortable in all day. I found my dream dress Devota online and fell in love.

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I only went to the one bridal store which was Ivory Bridal in Portstewart. I was very lucky to win a competition for a voucher towards my wedding dress. I had been searching online for dresses I liked. The store I won the voucher for had Ronald Joyce, particularly the Devota dress which I had already fallen in love with online. So, it was fate.

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Devota was the first dress I tried on and only dress I wanted. The lace and beaded detailing were stunning. I loved the beaded belt and appliqués on the bodice. The detachable overskirt made the dress even more amazing having two looks in one. One for the ceremony and one for the after party. I complemented my figure perfectly and hugged me in all the right places. I loved the detailing on the low back. Everything about the dress was so beautiful and more than I could have imagined for my wedding dress.

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The day itself was perfect. I love everything about the day, we had decided that meet quickly before the ceremony to take in everything that was happening. It took away all my nerves and allowed us to have a few minutes together. It was a very special moment together before the wedding.

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One of the best moments of the wedding was the sunset. We couldn’t have asked for better weather on our wedding day, from morning to night it was perfect. Orange Tree House is right on the beach, so we were able to enjoy the sun all day, with stunning views, then finish off with an amazing sunset by the ocean. We couldn’t have asked for a better day.

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My little bit of advice for future brides would have to be to enjoy every minute! Even though it can be stressful, especially when things get in the way. Or if thing don’t fully go to plan, remember it is your wedding day and you’re about to marry your best friend and start the best adventure!

Special thanks to our wonderful photographer Grant Jones.