A splash of colour, when you Elope to Ireland

Sandra and Jean are so busy with work throughout the year, that this was not only a trip for them to Elope to Ireland, but it was equally quality time for them to spend with loved ones, and each other. During my first chat with them, they were very much looking forward to bringing their closest friends and family to Ireland for a true Irish experience, and that was what it was about for them – experiencing Ireland and spending quality time together.

Planning to Elope to Ireland from Canada

With their demanding jobs, the thought of putting together 3 days of festivities was of course a little overwhelming to Sandra & Jean. We immediately connected after bring introduced by April Drew of Drew Media, and rather quickly the planning commenced.

Sandra & Jean wanted the best for their guests from start to finish. They had chosen No. 25 Fitzwilliam as their Wedding Venue, to host the intimate group of 30 people. We were looking for comfortable, close by accommodation for guests, and so we booked rooms at Boutique Townhouse, The Wilder. It is super classy, central, a short walk to their wedding venue, and to Stephens Green.

The Wedding Events Commence

The wedding kicked off with a fine dining rehearsal dinner in Dublin’s City Center. After dinner, guests moved over to one of Ireland’s oldest pubs for some Guinness. The following morning, the guys went to play Golf at one of Ireland’s lush green golf courses close to the city, as the ceremony was a later start at 5:00PM. Guests got to relax, and enjoy the sunny morning and the day around Dublin before the festivities began.

Before The Ceremony

I arrived at The Wilder to pick up the guests and walk them over to No. 25 Fitzwilliam for the ceremony. The place was buzzing with a sense of excitement as they waited for the day ahead. Being September, the sun was out, and the jackets were off. Dublin itself was vibrant on this Thursday afternoon. Without delay, guests strolled over to the venue, and were guided to the elegant ceremony room. The room was filled with fresh blooms, bursting with colour. These fabulous blooms by Finesse Flowers really added a whole new dimension to the room. Sandra & Jean walked hand in hand down the aisle together to the sound of the Irish Harp (Sinead Walshe). Sandra simply wowed in her Marchesa Notte off the shoulder shimmering purple gown.

After The Ceremony

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails, whiskey tasting and fine champagne, serenaded by Sinead on the harp. As soon as the Cocktail Hour ended, everyone headed upstairs for the Wedding Meal. It is always so wonderful to hear the sounds of guests thoroughly enjoying themselves. To hear the speeches, you really come to understand how important everyone in that room is to Sandra & Jean. Above all, it was so special that Jean’s mother was able to join them on this trip. Our fabulous photographer, Elaine Barker went unnoticed as she captured the special moments. Importantly, this resulted in an album that brings a tear to my eye every time I see it! Once the meal had finished, guests danced the night away with a lively band and eclectic mix of Irish instruments.

The evening ended, but the experience did not. To continue the festivities, the newly married couple and guests were picked up by luxury coach the morning after the Wedding. They set off for one of Ireland’s grandest castles just outside Dublin for some time to relax. After their time at the castle, they were whisked away to experience some local seafood at a waterside restaurant. Lots of memories of a wonderful trip, and a wonderful collection of memories for their guests to depart with.

I feel lucky that Sandra & Jean chose to Elope to Ireland. It was such a pleasure to work with them both. It was a delight to witness them experiencing their dream Wedding Day, and to see their guests enjoy the experience.

A few words from Sandra & Jean…

Finding MartinaO

It was a year ago today when my now husband Jean and I started planning our wedding. We had always discussed getting married in our favourite country, Ireland, and we decided to go for it. Fate got me connected to the publisher of Weddings In Ireland magazine and after a few conversations with her, she knew that I needed Martina O’Riordan of MartinaO Weddings and Events to help me with my wedding. More right she could not be.

The Process

From our first conversation with Martina we just knew that she was the right choice. Planning a wedding from afar can be daunting but we knew that she just “got us” and that we were in excellent hands. Martina grasped our likes, our style, our wishes for our guests. She was so organized and everything just flowed as it should have. We always knew where we stood in the process. She selected the most amazing vendors who she knew would be a perfect fit.

The Wedding

Fast forward to September 2019 and we finally met Martina in person the week before the wedding! I think its safe to say that a lot of brides are stressed right before their wedding. I was not at all stressed and it was one hundred percent due to the fact that Martina had every single detail under control.

Martina is not only an excellent wedding planner but she is also an amazing human being. She is such a professional, she listens to her clients and she is just such an overall nice person. Even our guests were raving about her.

There are not enough words to describe how happy I am that we chose to have Martina take care of our wedding. Its been 4 months now since our wedding, we are back home in Canada but I do miss our regular conversations with Martina, However, thanks to social media, I can still follow her amazing work and exchange the occasional email with my new Irish friend.

Jean and Sandra, Thank You for choosing me as your Wedding Planner. And, thank you for choosing to Elope to Ireland.

If you would like some assistance with your Wedding Day or Elopement plans, click here to view my Full Wedding Planning package.