October kicked off with my biggest event to date… my little sister Dannielle’s wedding. As their venue stylist and celebrant this was a huge undertaking. But she is my little sister so of course I was going to help out every way I could.
Dannielle & Tom’s wedding took place on October 5th in Ballybeg House, Co. Wicklow. From the time they got engaged I was involved in the planning process although they were fairly involved themselves and they sourced the venue, photographer and videographer. They had a strong idea of how they wanted the day to go. It seemed like ages ago they first announced their engagement then all of a sudden it was upon us.
The Early Stages
We sat down earlier in the year to discuss the look and feel of the day. The venue is an exclusive hire venue which is rented out for 3 days at a time. Beautiful grounds, a fixed marquee on-site, the house itself and a ceremony room that really needs to be seen to be appreciated all combine to make this a real gem of a venue. It is pretty much a blank canvas, and while they do have an on-site coordinator available, you can bring in your own stylist and team. Finer details such as beautiful chandeliers and wrought iron chairs in the marquee really make this venue something special. We started set up on the Thursday afternoon, setting up the tables in the marquee and trying to get the bulk of the work done.
The Marquee
The couple decided they wanted a relaxed mix of boho and vintage. For their tables they wanted to use wine bottles for candles and to incorporate antlers into the top table decor. I used green wine bottles and rather than just leave them bare I wrapped some in pages from old books, some were dripped with coloured wax and some had quotes from the Love Is….. collection written on them. I mixed these in with plenty of tea-lights to create romantic lighting. Antlers were included in the top tables decor.
Mason jars wrapped in lace and hessian were filled with a mix of asparagus fern, eucalyptus, freesia’s and gypsophilia. Old books, china tea-cups and strings of pearls completed the table decor and they really looked amazing. The centerpieces suited the tables perfectly, they were not over-powering or hampered your view of people or the room.
I had bought a french window style vintage mirror from Vintage Fox Wedding Props and I used this for their table plan. Twine was tied to the shutters, and the table plan was printed onto tea stained, distressed paper. It suited the theme perfectly.
The Grounds
Plenty of lanterns are scattered around the venue and these were all filled with tea-lights which were lit as the sun was setting. Fairy lights are draped through the trees and once these were turned on, along with the tea-lights, gave a real magical feel to the place which was just beautiful.
They had their drinks reception over by the main house and luckily the weather stayed with us. We added a small garden gazebo, decorated with paper lanterns and lace, for the bar. The bar itself was made using two beer barrels with a wooden table top. Prosecco and beer was served during the drinks reception, and it was a great chance for the guests to mingle and have a wander around the grounds.
A custom made tipi made a quirky feature on the day. We added antlers to the wooden frame which was draped with lace and eucalyptus. Dream catchers were hung in trees throughout the venue, again fitting the boho vibe.
The Ceremony Room
The ceremony room itself was absolutely stunning. Huge wrought iron chandeliers, an open stone fire, wooden pews and lots of little nooks and crannies for candles and tea-lights made this one of the most beautiful ceremony rooms I have ever seen. We tied bunches of eucalyptus and gypsophilia to the wrought iron stands along the aisles and the venue themselves provide church style candles for the steps leading up to the aisle. A floral arch of orange and purple flowers tied in with the autumnal colours and the bridesmaids dresses. It is a gorgeous room and I really recommend it for any couples who really want to make an impact with their ceremony.
The Party
The couple opted for a Selfie Mirror which was provided by Carolyns Sweets and again it fitted in with the venue perfectly. A photobooth would have been too big, the mirror slotted in nicely, and Ian and his team made sure to capture some great pictures of the guests throughout the night. Some dodgy ones too, especially of me!! But it was a huge hit with the guests and I think it is so much better than favours. If you are undecided on whether to do favours or get a selfie mirror, my advice is go for the mirror.
Beat Street provided the entertainment for the night and were excellent as always. The dance floor was hopping for the night and everyone had a great time.
Every moment of the day was captured by Terry Redmond, Photographer and Gary Kavanagh, Videographer. I’ve seen the pictures which are amazing and are featured in this blog, and cannot wait to see the highlights from Gary. Contact details are below for all the suppliers who helped make the day amazing.
We accomplished the boho/vintage feel the couple wanted, with plenty of quirky features. The venue is naturally beautiful and we simply enhanced that beauty. Definitely worth checking it out and if you want to discuss the look and feel of your wedding day and how we can make it come alive, then please contact me to arrange a consultation.
Check out just some of the pictures from the day. Photo credit Terry Redmond Photographer
Photographer: Terry Redmond https://www.facebook.com/terryredmondphotography/
Videographer: Gary Kavanagh Photography www.garykavanaghphotography.com
Band/DJ: Beat Street, contact Frankie Hayes – 086 0884346
Selfie Mirror: Carolyn’s Sweets www.CarolynsSweets.ie
Venue: Ballybeg House http://www.ballybeg.ie/
Styling & Design: Yvonne Cassidy Weddings
