Ciara and Wes celebrated their big day on the 30th of October 2014 in The Village at Lyons, Co. Kildare wedding venue. We love how fun these guys look and just look at the beautiful proposal story! The amazing wedding photography was done by Roslyn of Couple Photography.
“We met in college through mutual groups of friends in our final year. We fancied each other straight away but it wasn’t until a college night out in Temple Bar that we first kissed. It became official at the college Halloween party. This fact was a consideration when deciding on our wedding date.”
“The proposal involved an elaborate plan which involved dinner, poetry, a walk along the pier and Wes down on one knee. The first step was asking Ciara’s father’s permission which proved quite difficult as he was ill that week and was almost admitted to hospital which nearly scuppered the plan. Thankfully the night before the proposal Wes managed to get his blessing.
Ciara always complained that were no pictures of us together so Wes found as many as he could and put them together in a photo album. He wrote a poem which narrated the album and presented this to Ciara after a romantic dinner in Aqua in Howth. (This book has since been christened “The Book Of Love” by family and friends).
Wes lured Ciara to dinner with the pretence of “Date Night” and had already acquired a proposal ring which he presented on one knee after an after-dinner walk along Howth Pier.”
“We were looking for something unique and a bit different and after viewing over a dozen venues in Ireland and Portugal we visited The Village at Lyons.
We loved the long driveway and the waterfall at the entrance to The Lions Den with the huge leather seats and log fire. We also loved La Serre as it was so bright and spacious while the Courtyard was picturesque and totally different to anything we’d seen.
The accommodation blew us away but the minute we walked into The Mill we just knew that there was nothing else like it with the staircase and the Waterfall.
In short the whole place was just so unique and had something that would appeal to everyone.
Each room (Lions Den, La Serre, The Mill) has a completely different ambience while keeping to the overall elegance of the venue which makes it totally unique.”
“To choose our wedding photographer, we spoke to a number of photographers which included viewing sample albums and visiting studios. We eventually decided on Couple Photography as we felt that we got on very well with Ros and really liked her work. She was fun and relaxed and made us feel really at ease. Trying to decide on our favourite photo was a really tough decision, but after much deliberation we have settled on the one of both of us standing on the bridge over the waterfall with the red leaves creeping over the doors of the Mill to the right of us.”
“We were planning the wedding for 18 months and loved every minute of it. We tried to be as organised as possible and had all the big things arranged months in advance. This left us with plenty of time to focus on the little touches that made the day our own. Although, no matter how prepared we thought we were there was still a lot to do in the weeks just before the wedding and we couldn’t have got it all done without the help of family and friends.”
“For our menu we enjoyed a beautiful tasting a couple of weeks before the big day where we sampled the food and wine. Making a decision on what to serve was one of the toughest jobs but we eventually decided on the Chicken and Mushroom Pillow which was a warm, but light starter on a chilly Autumn day. We followed this with a choice of mains – fillet of beef or cod…both were amazing and were enjoyed by all our guests. The dessert stole the show – it was as Assiette of Brownie, Roulade and Strawberry Rhubarb Trifle. Fro wines we went with a Pino Grigio and a Malbec which flowed endlessly throughout dinner. The food was a real talking point and we are still complimented by family and friends.”
“We incorporated some vintage touches into the wedding – we used an old suitcase that belonged to Ciara’s aunt for the Table Plan. We made our own rustic decorative bottles with fresh and dry lavender which we placed on the tables. We used lavender throughout the wedding – in the bouquets, church and dinner. We used our favourite albums for Table Names and used album covers instead of numbers to identify the tables.”
“For my dress, myself and all the ladies in the Wedding Party embarked on a 4 hour round-trip to the Bridal Shop, Eden Manor, in Wexford. Along with my sisters (Bridesmaids) I picked a few dresses to try on but was drawn to one in particular. This was the first one I tried on and it was “the one”. I spent two hours trying on every other style and shape but kept returning to that first dress. It was a beautiful lace San Patrick design with a high neck and full-length Mantilla Veil which I’d wanted since I was a little girl.”
“Our first dance song was Yesterday Threw Everything At Me by Athlete – this was probably the most difficult decision and one we didn’t settle on until a couple of weeks before the wedding. It’s a special song for us, but nobody else knew it although I think this made it even more special.”
If we had to give advice to other couples we would tell them to get organised as soon as possible so that you can enjoy the run-up to the wedding. On the day make sure to take a few moments to take it all in when it’s just the two of you. Get a videographer! The day passes so quickly it’s a great way to remember the experience. Enjoy every minute of the preparation too!”
The best part of the wedding day was:
Wes: Either seeing Ciara in her Wedding Dress for the first time or making my vows.
Ciara: Our vows. It was such a special experience in front of everyone we loved.
If we could relive just one part of the day, it would be:
Wes: The Ceremony (First dance is a close second.)
Ciara: The Ceremony
Thanks so much to Ciara & Wes for sharing this spectacular wedding with us, all the best to you both! Thanks to Roslyn of Couple Photography for recording and sharing these amazing images with us. Check out The Village at Lyons, Co. Kildare wedding venue for your perfect wedding day.
