A Dublin bride had a very special surprise as she walked up the aisle at their wedding.
Aisling Larkin and Nick Thomas married in Wicklow on September 9, 2021. Aisling from Killiney in Dublin and Nick from Maldon Essex live in London.
Nick works in the music industry. He plays guitar, sings and writes his own music for his band Small Victories. So as a tribute to her husband, Aisling decided to take his passion and surprise him on their big day by singing at the altar.
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Let’s find out more about the couple's special day, which was in collaboration with SaveMyDay.ie.
Tell us about the engagement.
Nick proposed in Burgau a tiny fishing village in Portugal, on the beach at sunset.
My family has a home there and we have been going to Burgau for over 20 years so it is a very thoughtful place to propose.
Nick proposed in August 2020, in the Covid pandemic, we were so lucky to celebrate with our friends and family through the year, both in London and Ireland. We really wanted to get married within a year of getting engaged.
Where did you get married?
We got married in Tinakilly house, Co. Wicklow. My parents were incredibly supportive. They viewed a lot of venues for us as we could not fly to Ireland due to numerous lockdowns. They fell in love with Tinakilly and so did we.
Tell us about your wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses.
I always thought I’d get my wedding dress from Ireland but no flying meant I needed to choose it in London.
I found the most incredible bridal boutique in Marylebone, the first dress I tried on was the dress I chose. I loved it, it was designed by a Spanish designer.
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
Finally viewing the Tinakilly house in person and doing our food and wine tasting, my dress fittings and of course our hen and stag party. We also had a fabulous engagement party with our friends.
What were the best moments?
Aisling:
Walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing Nick at the altar. Getting married in St. Alphonsus Church by our family friend Father Rogers was incredibly special. Seeing all of our friends and family in the church, especially considering nobody could travel up to that point.
All the speeches were fantastic, especially my Dads and Nicks.
Our first dance was under the trees outside surrounded by our loved ones. We chose an Elvis song, The Wonder Of You. Everyone had glow sticks and sparklers to enhance the mood.
Roisin and the team at Tinakilly made our day incredibly special, they took care of everything and we didn’t have a worry in the world.
Pawel Bebenca, our photographer, really captured every moment seamlessly. We were thrilled with our wedding photos, and David at DC media created a spectacular video, which we will cherish forever.
Nick:
The best moment was seeing Aisling for the first time walking down the aisle. Aisling surprised me by singing 'As She Moved Through The Fair' acapella on the altar of the church.
We had an incredible dinner, and great fun from start to finish. We were so lucky as the week we got married the government eased restrictions which meant we could all dance and have actual live music.
Do you have any wedding tips?
Ask a friend who has been married to reuse a template they set up for their marriage. I asked my bridesmaid Jen for hers and it was a godsend. You can never be too organised.
The week before you get married can be especially manic, try not to leave much until then as even the little jobs can take up time. Delegate, that’s what your bridesmaids and groomsmen are for.
You want to enjoy the run up. This is your day so try not to feel pressure from others. Finally, everyone says it, but enjoy every second. It was the best day of my life.
What were the hardest parts?
Seating plans can be a bit tricky to organise but remember everyone will have a great time. Organising a wedding in a pandemic was pretty challenging but we didn’t let it spoil the fun.
It was a bit of an adventure, the unknown was a bit scary but it made us realise this day is truly about us getting married and making that commitment to each other. The rest will always work out.
Did you have a theme?
We didn’t really have a theme, Tinakilly is stunning so we really picked up on the colours of the landscape and I incorporated green as the colour for my bridesmaids dresses, satin forest green.
Would you do anything different or wish there was anything you didn't worry about?
Don’t worry about the small details, enjoy the day!
This wedding feature is in collaboration with Irish wedding website SaveMyDay.ie. It was launched by Dublin couple Ian Menzies and Shell Holden and showcases unique, amazing and alternative Irish venues available to hire for weddings.
The online platform connects couples with ceremony and party venues that are the right fit for them - whatever their style, their guest size and their budget.
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