A Co Down couple have shared a look inside their stunning wedding day on New Year's Eve.
Michelle Morgan, 27, and husband Ryan Addis, 32, from outside Castlewellan, had their big day at Clonvaraghan Chapel before a reception at Hinch Distillery, Temple.
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 MRI Radiographer and joinery contractor met ten years ago when they both participated in a Strictly Come Dancing competition at their local Gaelic club, with Ryan "fixing" the pairing so that he'd be matched with Michelle.
The Co Down woman told us all about their big day..
How did you begin planning your wedding and h ow did you decide on your venue?
We set the date first, my husband Ryan is a Christmas fanatic and always wanted to get married around that time, which I hadn't really considered. However I said I would only get married on NYE, therefore we had to wait an extra year to get a venue that was available on that date.
We had originally booked the Ballymascanlon Hotel in Co Louth for our venue in 2019 as we had been to previous weddings in it and it's a lovely setting. However, due to the increased Covid restrictions in the South, we changed venue in early 2021 to the North.
Our new venue Hinch Distillery had only opened and was new to weddings. We chose this venue as it was in a convenient location and was something different and unique.
We then booked the wedding band The Untouchables, followed by videographer Ryan Ward and photographer McVeigh Photography.
Tell us all about your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses and suits.
My dress is called the 'Brown' dress by the designer Pronovias and was purchased from La Boda Bridal in Banbridge. I tried on a few dresses before this one, and had always planned to go for a fitted-style dress. I tried this one on and my mother and sisters absolutely loved it, as it was princess-like. It was a hard decision to make and as I'm an indecisive person, it didn't make it easy. I ordered it in September 2020, and it arrived in store in August 2021. The girls at La Boda went above and beyond for for me. They were so amazing and I would recommend them highly for any brides looking for the best bridal experience along with absolutely stunning dresses!
A special mention to my bridesmaid and best friend Roisin from SoRo Studios who made my bridal headpiece and veil. She knew exactly the vision I had, and made these bespoke pieces perfectly to match my dress. They completed the entire look and it made it extra special that she was part of my bridal party on the day.
I bought my bridesmaid dresses from Reiss. I saw them online in January 2020 and absolutely loved them, I thought the velvet was fitting for a winter wedding and the bronze/champagne colour suited our NYE theme.
The suits were hired from Freddie Hatchet in Belfast. We went with black tux suits as we were doing a black tie dress code. They were great to deal with and we had a great experience anytime we were down in the shop. Their suits look very sharp and I would highly recommend.
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
The Covid pandemic really impacted the build up to the wedding due to restrictions and increased cases, so we had to be careful to avoid the virus prior to the wedding. We didn't go out much or meet up with many people which affected our build up - as it should be a very exciting time. We managed to get away on the hen and stag in October.
My hen was in Manchester and was kept a surprise by my fab bridesmaids who had everything planned to a T to ensure I had the best weekend celebrating with my family and friends. The stag was in Liverpool and was organised by my brother who is also my husband's best friend and was best man.
What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?
The best moment of the day for us was when we both got to see each other at the top of aisle. Also, the sense of relief that the day actually materialised with all the Covid-related stress in the run up to it. We also loved bringing in the New Year with all our family and friends.
What would you tell other bride and grooms to plan first?
We would tell other bride and grooms to book the ceremony and venue first to ensure you get the date you want secured and the venue you want. Getting the music organised is another important part if you want a specific band/musician to play. Then popular photographers and videographers book up quick, so they need booked well in advance.
A mention to our florist Rebecca who owns The Floralicious Designs. She was amazing from the start, as she knew exactly the vision we were going, was easy to deal with and is a perfectionist in her work. She dressed the chapel and venue beautifully and everyone at the wedding commented on the stunning flower designs. We would highly recommend her for future brides.
What were the hardest parts to plan? Did you come across any difficulties?
We had difficulties throughout the wedding planning once Covid emerged. We had to change wedding venue, also had to cut our guest numbers to 100 and some suppliers needed re-booked. However, everything came together on the day.
What was your theme?
We went for black tie as it was fitting for NYE and wanted to portray a classic and elegant theme to the wedding, going for a gold and neutral palette colour scheme. We had originally fireworks booked for Ballymascanlon, although when we moved venues we were unable to have them due to the safety risk in a distillery setting. Therefore, unfortunately we had to cancel them and had sparklers for us and the guests instead to mark the night.
Would you do anything different or wish there was anything you didn't worry about?
Looking back I don't think we would do anything different, it wasn't the wedding we had originally planned but it turned out to be a fantastic day and everything came together at the end. A mention to our venue Hinch Distillery - the facilities manager Rory was brilliant from the start, easy to deal with and nothing was a problem. He made sure everything was perfect on the day.
We would recommend this new venue to future bride and grooms if you're looking for a quirky new wedding venue with character and charm. The pictures are very unique as the bride and groom are allowed into the distillery itself for a photoshoot.
Did Covid affect any other plans?
Covid changed our venue, changed suppliers, and close friends were unable to attend the wedding due to contracting it the day prior - this all had an impact. However, we were just glad to get our day with as many family and friends that could be there.
We also weren't able to get on our planned honeymoon to Miami and a Caribbean Cruise as Ryan contracted Covid a few days after the wedding. We will re-book something for later on in the year and have just had a mini-moon around the South of Ireland in the interim.
Do you want to tell us all about your wedding day? Email be@belfastlive.co.uk to be featured!
