An Irish bride has shared details about her beautiful nuptials that took place last winter.
Orla and Caoimhe tied the knot in The Village Barn after getting engaged at Christmas 2020. The couple live and work in Canada, having met there eight years ago while playing for rival GAA teams.
The big day, which was captured by photographer Aidan Beatty, was made complete with lots of personal touches. They even created their own canvas backdrop, designed with a personalised quote, behind the alter for their ceremony.
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Orla explained they wanted to forgo some conventions in order to have a relaxed and enjoyable wedding day. Their bridesmaids were allowed to choose their own gowns, of any colour or style, for the ceremony.
Orla said: "When it came to choosing our own dresses, we decided to steer away from the traditional white wedding dress. We knew it would be a tough task to find two perfect dresses that complimented each other, and the vibe we had envisioned. We came across a gorgeous boutique in Toronto that had exactly what we were searching for."
Here is Orla's testimony about the couple's big day in full.
Who is your partner and how did you meet?
My partner is Caoimhe. We met over 8 years ago in Toronto. We both played with rival GAA teams in the city so it was not exactly love at first sight, but after a few drinks the walls came down and the rest is history.
Tell us about the proposal.
From early in our relationship we knew marriage was on the cards whenever we felt like the time was right. So in December 2020, even though the world was pretty much shutdown, we were able to sneak off to Montreal for a weekend. We climbed to the top of Mount Royal and sat overlooking the city where we exchanged letters and both asked each other the big question.
Tell us about your wedding.
We knew from the start we wanted a setting with a relaxed vibe, somewhere a little quirky where we could have both the ceremony and reception in the one venue. When we viewed The Village Barn, we knew instantly, we had found exactly what we were looking for. The day itself was amazing and exactly as we had pictured in our mind.
The morning was hectic but a lot of fun getting ready all together with our combined bridal party of eleven. We had to start at 6am to be sure everyone was ready on time. We got our photos taken before the ceremony, which in hindsight was the best idea as we were first to the bar for the reception drinks.
The ceremony was our favorite part of the day. Our celebrant Romy just got it so perfect, she made us feel so comfortable and had us, and all our guests laughing and crying throughout.
We made sure to have lively music early on so the party atmosphere kicked in right after the ceremony. This set the tone, and throughout dinner and the speeches, it was all about having fun.
During dinner, we sat at our own table, just the two of us, so we had some time together to reflect on everything from the day so far. From the first dance, the dance floor was packed and it stayed like that for the rest of the night and we honestly had the best time.
What was the best thing about the build up to the big day?
Enjoying a drink in the airport knowing the time was finally here. We flew from Toronto the week before Christmas so the buzz and excitement was everywhere. It is also so nice reaching that stage when everything is done and all the little bits and pieces have finally come together.
I was in my element working on our DIY projects leading up to the day. We created a canvas backdrop and frame for the alter that including a personalised quote.
We also put together our table plan and frame, which was based on all of our favourite places in Toronto. And, we had so much fun designing a personalised set of GAA jerseys with O’Neills to present to our bridal party and family.
We also really enjoyed the night before the wedding when our closet family and friends joined us for dinner and drinks at our venue so they could all have time to catch up before the day itself.
What was your outfit/ the bridesmaids dresses like?
When it came to choosing our dresses, we decided to steer away from the traditional white wedding dress. We knew it would be a tough task to find two perfect dresses that complimented each other, and the vibe we had envisioned.
We came across a gorgeous boutique in Toronto that had exactly what we were searching for. The subtle tones of colour and the flower detailing really complimented the whimsical atmosphere of the venue.
Again, steering from tradition, we decided to eliminate the stress of finding matching dresses for our bridal party. We wanted our Bridesmaids to wear whatever they wanted, any color or style, once they were comfortable.
What advice would you give to other brides?
Definitely have a wedding journal or planner to keep organised. Aim to do a few small things each week so you do not become overwhelmed.
A lot of advice we received was to remember it’s your day so put yourself and what you want first and of course that’s the view you should have.
However, to contradict that slightly, you can’t control every little thing, so do not fret if something isn’t working out. There is so much to the day and what you may see as a big deal will likely not affect the fun you will have or the memories you will make.
Also, if time allows get your pictures done before your ceremony so you have more time to relax and catch up with your guests after.
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