26th September 2015. Ceremony at Whitehouse Presbyterian Church, Newtownabbey followed by reception at Orange Tree House, Greyabbey
Photography by Ten21
This couple went for a ‘polished shabby chic’ theme
The couple
Jenny and Matthew met in a Belfast nightclub and developed a friendship. “I used to call him my dancing partner,” Jenny says. “Matthew travelled to New Zealand for six months and we both quickly realised that our relationship was more than just friends!”
The proposal
Matthew took his other half by surprise when he popped the question at Howth Lighthouse. “We were so lucky that a local photographer was there on a walk with his camera and was able to take some candid shots of the proposal,” Jennys says. “Matthew then whisked me off to Dubai that evening to pick the engagement ring. The proposal couldn’t have been any more romantic or special.”
Venue
“Matthew is from Cloughy in the Ards Peninsula and through visiting family we got to see each stage of the development of Orange Tree House,” Jenny says. “As soon as we got engaged, we went to visit Jan and Simon at Orange Tree House. The venue didn’t even have doors when we went to visit it, but we loved it right away! We were very lucky to celebrate our wedding in a venue that was so special to us both.”
Theme
The couple opted for a ‘polished shabby chic’ theme with a relaxed, romantic feel.
Venue stylist
“Styling the wedding was definitely a team effort,” Jenny says. “I couldn’t have done it without my family their eagled eyed help picking up items for the wedding. One of my favourite memories in the lead up to the wedding was sitting with my family doing the favours for the table. My dad making boxes of chocolates, helping himself to one or two! My sister, mum and I tying little bows to mini bottles of Jägermeister… it was so much fun! Mood Event Decoration helped us with some finishing touches for our polished shabby chic theme such as chalk boards, fairy lights and hurricane containers for external candles.”
Wedding dress
The bride looked stunning in a Suzanne Neville gown from Castle Couture. “The wedding dress felt like a dream,” Jenny says. “I loved the layers of silk, the way it moved and the stunning sequins and pearl detail on the shoulders. The dree was everything I could have ever wanted for my wedding dress.”
Groomswear
The groom wore Remus Uomo Navy Tails Suit form Hire Class NI.
The bridesmaids
The bridesmaids wore beaded ivory tops and blush chiffon skirts with pockets from Coast.
Wedding flowers
The wedding flowers were by Marie Cafolla and featured a combination of large, blousy O’Hara roses, blush sweet avalanche roses, ivory lisianthus, silver Brunia berries, dusty miller foliage, gypsophila, euculyptus parvi and asparagus fern. The bouquets were bound with ivory organza ribbon and finished with pearl pins.
Stationery
The White Letter designed the wedding stationery. “Stationery was so important for me, being in marketing I know how important the invitations are as the first piece of your wedding that your guests get to see,” Jenny says. “It included a foil dotty theme which I felt was fun and timeless. The stationary was carried through from the invites, order or service, table plan, table numbers, favour tags and bathroom poems.”
Wedding cake
The wedding cake was from Marks and Spencer. It was a simple classic design made up of sponge, chocolate and fruit cake. Maria Cafolla provided flowers to finish off the design.
Favourite moment
Matthew: Walking down the aisle with my beautiful wife, having just signed the register, to the sound of a string quartet playing and seeing all our friends and family clapping and cheering!
Jenny: Walking up the aisle with my dad by my side. We were both very emotional; I am the baby of the family so very close to both my mum and dad. It felt so special walking up the aisle seeing all my family and friends there to celebrate our big day. Once I locked eyes with Matthew, it instantly made me calm and ready to make the vows.
Mother of the Bride
The Mother of the Bride wore an elegant John Charles blush pink dress with matching jacket from Blush, Belfast.
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