A NI couple have shared a look inside their 'simple, intimate and classic' wedding day at the Culloden Estate and Spa.
Hannah Wright and husband Tommy, 25, from Belfast, tied the knot on December 30, 2022, after getting engaged on December 31, 2021.
In our weekly feature Inside My Wedding, couples are delving into their special day to give bride and grooms-to-be some top tips.
Read more: Inside My Wedding: Couple's outdoor wedding followed by roof garden reception
Hannah, 27, has told all about their big day.
Tell us all about your wedding day!
We had an incredible day! From every meltdown prior, shed tear and belly laugh! Our planning didn’t always run smoothly and we didn’t take the most traditional route but we done it exactly how we wanted, which is special in itself.
From having awful viewings of venues to stumbling into the Culloden for a love at first sight. To ordering your dream dress to be told it might not arrive from Ukraine.
Booking the most incredible pastor just three weeks before our big day.
From the family fall outs to the best reconnections.
The laughs, the tears and precarious conversations with vendors.
We still wouldn’t do a single thing any differently.
How did you begin planning?
Picked our date. Rough numbers and shortlisted what was important to us. Having our whole day at one place was a must. We wanted somewhere we could stay the night before and the night of.
We booked Sam McDermott as our videographer who then took all stress off us by booking Mark Barnes for photography and Pastor James Clarke to officiate. (All three of these guys were absolute legends and are more like friends!)
Dresses and suits were sorted pretty quickly. We didn’t have an official bridal party so it was just Tommy, our two boys and me.
I’m quite a basic person so didn’t overwhelm myself with too many options with different vendors. We knew what we liked and stuck with it, anything we booked was generally a recommendation [from] another vendor we had booked.
How did you decide on your venue?
We called into the Culloden... on the off chance we could have a look...
Ainsleigh was an absolute treasure and showed us round and could not have possibly done anything more to make us feel SO welcome.
We fell in love with the Lady Jane Tower as we knew we wanted a small intimate ceremony room which was already so beautiful. We wanted to get married in an already beautiful venue with a timeless look. We wanted our wedding to be intimate, romantic and very classic. We wanted to avoid ‘trends’. The Culloden provided the scenery for all of this and we are very grateful.
Tell us all about your wedding dress and suits.
Dress was from La Boda in Banbridge. The girls' attention to detail is unmatched. My dress was by a Ukrainian designer so it was very touch and go as to whether it would even arrive...
My weight dropped quite a lot and the girls absolutely smashed it by ordering my dress in a few sizes and allowed me to change the size very last minute. Tommy, Christian and Kobi got their suits from Freddie Hatchett.
[My mum] decided a month before our wedding that she didn’t love the dress she had picked! Thankfully a trip to Rosie's Closet sorted us out and she got the most gorgeous dress that was the complete opposite to the one she had settled for previously.
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
We really loved all our chats with our vendors. Most of them turned into friends which was so special! We thoroughly enjoyed all the cake and food testing and just the absolute buzz of the idea of becoming husband and wife.
What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?
‘You may now kiss your bride’ - that one kiss will forever be the most special moment of both of our lives. It consolidates all the planning, all the prep and most importantly that love that you will never have for anyone else but them. We laughed and smiled so hard, in fact both our faces hurt the next day!
What would you tell other bride and grooms to plan first & what are your top tips?
Your date and venue. Prioritise what you want to spend on. For us, Sam, Mark and James made our wedding and we are so glad this is what we prioritised. The person officiating we needed to be special. Your photos and videos are what you have left once it's all over, we needed them to be great.
What were the hardest parts to plan? Did you come across any difficulties?
People will always have something to say. Do what you feel is right and what is important to you as a couple. We decided on no children bar our own as the room we wanted to get married in was small. We had a rule of thumb of only inviting friends and family that we see regularly and are a part of both our lives. We knew everyone well at our wedding which was lovely. Plus ones were only for people who were married or in long-term relationships. You cant please everyone, nor should you, it's about the two of you!
Stay united and stick by your decisions. Don’t accept opinions of people you wouldn’t take advice from. Better still, don’t involve too many people. It's your day.
Tell us about your theme.
We kept ours simple, intimate and classic. We didn’t want to look back in 20 years time and regret following a trend. Staying very true to who we [are] as a couple allowed our wedding to flow how we wanted and for it to be captured in an authentic way.
We wanted our wedding to be intimate, romantic and very classic. We wanted to avoid ‘trends’. Our wedding was about us and we wanted it to reflect our love and laughter.
We opted for no bridesmaids or groomsmen and our boys gave me away. This was really special.
[My] mum and dad walked down the aisle together and our two best friends and witnesses walked down together.
Would you do anything different or wish there was anything you didn't worry about?
You're going to worry regardless of what people say! I think it's just part of it. We stuck together the entire day (even going to the bathroom). If you get split up, you have no chance of getting back together with all the guests. Your day will be absolutely perfect as long as you're doing it with the person perfect for you.
We had the most incredible day from start to finish. Don’t sweat the small stuff, you're the only person losing sleep over it! Stick together and don’t allow other's opinions to dim your sparkle! Invite the people you want to be there, not the ones you feel pressured to.
GET THE SECOND DRESS AND HAVE FUN!
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Do you want to tell us all about your wedding day? Email be@belfastlive.co.uk for your chance to be featured.
