A NI couple have shared a look inside their 'perfect and traditional' wedding day in Portrush. Vickie (31) and Danny Eakin (33) got married on May 28, 2022 at a beautiful church service before heading to The Royal Court Hotel.
In Be 's weekly feature Inside My Wedding, couples are delving into their special day to give bride and grooms-to-be some top tips. The classroom assistant and electrician met at a wedding party back in 2013 and got engaged in December 2019.
Vickie told Be: "We were on a seven week holiday in Australia, travelling down the east coast in a campervan. Along the way Danny had booked us into Thala Beach Nature Reserve... I wasn’t expecting anything as amazing as this place!
Read more: Inside My Wedding: NI couple's special day at Leighinmohr House Hotel
"Dinner was a picnic on the beach. We followed the trail from our home for the night to the beach where the picnic was set up waiting for us. There was champagne and candles and I still had no idea what was coming next. I happened to turn around to find Danny on one knee with the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen."
Tell us all about your wedding!
Our wedding day was the most perfect day ever! Everyone says it goes so fast and they couldn’t be more right! It literally went in a blink. The nicest part of it being over is everyone commenting on how much they enjoyed it and many saying it was the best wedding they’ve been to. It went without any hitches, and it all turned out to be exactly how I had pictured it in my head. I was so pleased with how it all came together considering we done quite a bit ourselves.
How did you begin planning your wedding?
When it came to planning, the biggest thing for me was the photographers. I love photos and don’t think there could ever be enough photos taken. I came across Magills Film and Photography on Instagram and I knew they were the perfect pair for me! We paid extra for a second shooter and got the lovely Keri-Leigh Kearney - together the three of them were a dream.
Danny’s biggest concern was the music in the evening. He is a massive music fan. Our first concert together was Kodaline, we even named our dog Koda after the band. It will be no surprise that our first dance was Kodaline - 'The One'.
We searched lots of bands and singers but couldn’t find what we were after until came across Starling Entertainment. Here we found The Promise, they were exactly our style of music and they were absolutely brilliant on the night!
How did you decide on your venue?
Our venue was an easy choice, The Royal Court Hotel in Portrush. After getting engaged on the beach, we wanted the beach to be our theme. We had our tables named after beaches we visited in Australia. We had done our own centre pieces with sand and shells and we hired chairs from The Wedding Room to make it look more beach theme. The Royal Court has the most amazing view of Whiterocks Beach, so it was an easy choice for us.
Tell us all about your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses and suits!
My wedding dress was my absolute dream dress. I knew exactly what I wanted. It came from Pearls and Lace in Donegal. It wasn’t until I had said 'yes to the dress' that I was told the designer was Essence of Australia, which tied in perfect with our wedding theme. Pearls and Lace wasn’t the handiest place for me, but I had been for one visit and the girls were fab, I didn’t want to go anywhere else. Patricia in particular, she treated me like one of her own! It was on my second visit I found my dress, along with my mum and one of my best friends. We all shared happy tears to seal the deal.
I had four bridesmaids and I knew exactly what I wanted for them, I didn’t visit any bridal shops though. I found the perfect dresses off ASOS. I knew I wanted dusky pink, even though everyone thought they would be yellow, and I wanted a style that was the same dress but could be worn differently. And ASOS had just this! absolutely loved the girls’ dresses and they wore them so well. They were absolutely beautiful!
Danny and the boys had great fun doing the suit fittings. Freddie Hatchet in Belfast know how to treat their men. They make the experience a fun one were the boys get a day out and don’t actually mind being in the shops! Danny knew exactly what he wanted when it came to his suit and Freddie Hatchet was the best place for it. I was also delighted because he picked the suit himself and it had a little yellow in it. It also complemented the girls dresses so well.
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
The best part in the build up to our day was us both working together to finish the bits and pieces we wanted to do ourselves. We wanted personal touches on our big day. We worked together as a team on the centre pieces, the wedding favours, the table plan, the painting and sanding of pallets, even the cleaning inside and outside the house! It was lovely to have a project we were both equally invested in and getting to spend time together after working so much in the run up to the wedding.
What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?
I don’t have just one favourite part of the day, every single minute was perfect. I wouldn’t change anything, well only one, my big brother Trevor is in New Zealand and didn’t get home. I’d have loved for him to be with us, but we Facetimed in the morning and of course got a family photo too! The whole day went so smoothly for us both, we were very laid back in the run up and this stayed throughout the day. I think being calm allowed us to take everything in more. It was so lovely sitting at the top table and watching all our family and friends enjoying themselves, all together in one room.
What would you tell other bride and grooms to plan first and what are your top tips?
I would tell other brides and grooms to make sure they book their big things first, venues, photographer, videographer and music etc. Pick a venue that suits what you want from your day and you as a couple! And always remember - everyone will have an opinion, but the day is yours! I would also recommend a second photographer. It was lovely to have photos of me and my family and bridesmaids getting ready in the morning, but it was also so important for me that Danny had the same memories caught with the groomsmen and his mum and family!
What were the hardest parts to plan? Did you come across any difficulties?
I didn’t think planning the biggest day of our lives was going to be so easy, but it was! We knew what we wanted and this made life easier. We didn’t come across any difficulties as such. Our band's lead singer changed before our wedding, but they were still absolutely fantastic and I’m so glad we stayed with them! We didn’t have any trouble booking who or what we wanted.
The hardest part is knowing when to stop. There is so much available when it comes to planning a wedding and sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming. I found myself thinking often if we needed more entertainment or decoration. There is a wide variety of things for weddings, from stationary to entertainment to favours. It was hard not getting sucked in and booking or buying more than what we needed. We had booked Hannah Ferguson to sing and play guitar and that was the only entertainment we had before the band in the evening. We didn’t need anymore. It was perfect and she is fantastic!
Did you have a theme?
Our wedding was a fairly traditional wedding, I dreamed of my dad walking me down the aisle and it’s a walk I’ll remember for the rest of my life! We had a church wedding and had the most beautiful service. Our minister Mark Jones made it so personal and we couldn’t have asked for better! We then went to the Royal Court for a calm relaxed beach theme and I think everyone fell into the vibe easily.
We also had a beautiful sunny day, these are few and far between in this part of the world! Everyone got on so well, there were laughs and smiles all day long and it was just lovely to see!
All in all, the day was amazing! We shared it with the most important people and for them to enjoy it as much as we did, means the world to us! Our suppliers were all amazing and there is no one or anything I would change. I would do it all again in a heartbeat though! The most perfect day to marry my best friend!
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