Are You A July Bride? Are You Getting Married in July?

And so we are onto a new month! Welcome to each and every July bride (or any bride as this blog is full of wedding tips)! And you’ll be delighted to know that this month’s blog is no different as it features real brides who got married this month! As well as these brides allowing me to share their beautiful wedding photos with you they have also given me their top wedding tips so keep reading!

Here’s to all you July brides …

Niamh & Alan’s Wedding

Niamh and Alan’s wedding was my very first real wedding feature on the blog! Little did I know then that I would be doing monthly blogs featuring real weddings!

Niamh and Alan got married in Spain and it was the first wedding Niall and I went to abroad and we just LOVED it! What makes it even more special is that every year Niamh and Alan have their holidays in Spain at this time so they can celebrate their anniversary where they got married!

I am still in love with her wedding dress – she was an absolutely stunning bride! We had such fun at this wedding and have great memories of celebrating it with them (and all our friends). It was such a special wedding with very special friends.

Niamh’s Top Wedding Tips For A Wedding Abroad:

• Get your Save the Dates out well in advance of your wedding for your guests to organise their travel plans and avail of any flight sales.
• Keep a record of everyone’s flight details so you know when people are coming and going.
• Give fans to the guests as a gift! (I still have mine!).
• Niamh’s sister forgot to change the time on her phone and they woke up to the sound of the hairdresser at the door just as alarm on her phone went off as it was still on Irish time! It probably wouldn’t happen now as phones update themselves but very funny looking back on it now.

Anita & Gar’s Wedding

Other close friends of ours, Anita and Gar got married in Durrow Castle . Anita was the first in our gang to get married which will always make this wedding a special one … and a drunkard one!

Anita is a lover of all things lace (like myself) so it was a sure bet that I would adore her wedding dress! After the church, her new hubby, Gar, drove them in their classic car to their wedding venue which is something I will always remember! As we waved them off I was thinking how romantic this was and what a lovely way to spend some time together on their own (such a fab idea)

Anita’s wedding advice is:

• If you trust your various providers let them do their job! They’re the professionals after all.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff!
• Something will not go as planned …. but it might workout better and the chances are no one will notice!
• Enjoy your day!

Nicola & Gearoid’s Wedding

Nicola and Gearoid got married 6 months after us! It was one of those years when lots of your friends get married (we all have a year like this!). I just loved this bubble and would do anything to do it all again! Westport holds a very special place for these two lovebirds so it was no surprise that they chose Knockranny Hotel as their wedding venue! Here are three of Nicola’s favourite photos and you can see why as family is so important to her! Make sure you get the photos you want on the day! Make a list!

These newlyweds had lots of talented friends and family who got involved with music and poetry for the service. It felt so personal to them and really made the day extra special. (Nicola played the harp and sang at our wedding so believe me when I say they are certainly a talented family).

And they are famous as they got featured in the Galway Now Magazine!

Nicola’s wedding tips include:

• Prioritise the food and entertainment as they felt these were most important for their guests on the day (they even spent a little extra on these to ensure the very best).
• Trust the experts! Nicola had no pre-conceived ideas about flowers or decor so she left that to the professionals. She remembers the florist laughing at her when she said she hadn’t a clue what she wanted!
• Try to relax and not get too bogged down by little details in the run up to the big day. Save your energy so you can enjoy every moment of the experience.
• Try to use local suppliers for cakes, flowers etc. It makes things so much easier when you don’t have to transport things a long distance. Also, local businesses tend to know what works/looks best in local venues

Alannah & Eoin’s Wedding

And now onto one of the most beautiful settings for a wedding – Tinakilly House! Alannah and Eoin tied the knot here 5 years ago! I will never forget it as I was almost 9 months pregnant on Louis! Alannah was an absolute beaut! Her dress was from The Suite (whom I have previously done an interview with if you fancy a read!). 

Alannah’s top wedding tips are:

• Get a videographer – Alannah and Eoin had initially decided not to get a videographer until her Mum convinced them to book one and they are so glad she did because they love having the video of the day now!! So if you can stretch to include a videographer in your budget, then absolutely do!
• Don’t sweat the small stuff and enjoy the planning process and every moment of the day – it will all come together in the end and it will be over all too soon – you’ll be wishing you could do it all again!!

For their wedding stationary Alannah was a pro! They were just fabulous! She has now branched out and set up The Paper Tree! Be sure to check it out and give them a follow!

Jacqui and Mark’s Wedding Day

This was such an amazing day! Jacqui and Mark had their big day in Waterford Castle and it was so romantic! The weather was amazing which was particularly nice for their outdoor ceremony! Jacqui’s style was exquisite and her smile never left her face!

Jacqui’s tips on planning your big day!!

• Their main aim was to be able to enjoy as much time as possible with all their family and friends. They had a civil ceremony on the gorgeous grounds of Waterford Castle-  instead of greeting all our guests immediately after the ceremony- we went straight to take our photos. We gained at least 45 mins back to spend with our guests before the reception.

• They decided to give their photographer a list of all the shots they wanted with friends etc. My maid of honour played a blinder in ensuring all the pictures they requested were captured on the day.

• As a bride you will have a busy morning with hair, and makeup. For Jacqui it was so important to have some “me time”. The morning of her wedding she woke really early giving her the time and space to go for a walk, and really saviour every moment before the big day!

• They chose a first “non” look photo. Again they wanted to keep it as traditional as possible, whilst having some fun. “We both loved this and it was a magical start to our day! Basically, you and you finance pose for a few photos without seeing one another. For us it removed all our nervous energy, and replaced it with excitement, and a real connection to each other. I would highly recommend it”.

I hope you enjoy this month’s blog post that is packed with so many wedding tips from these fabulous brides – a big thanks to you all in being part of this month’s feature