Our wedding was exactly what we wanted, a huge party with all our close family and friends.
We were very lucky with the weather and ended up having our wedding on one of the hottest days of the year which meant we could have an outdoor ceremony.
was an amazing photographer and we were so glad we had her as our wedding photographer.
From the first time we met her we knew we were in good hands and Olga helped us plan out our photos so that we had the most stunning pictures by the Cliffs of Moher.
She was a complete joy on the day and captured fantastic shots throughout the ceremony and reception. Would recommend her to anyone planning their wedding!!
We had a look at a few venues online but we found most wedding venues to be tailored towards brides and just didn’t seem to fit us. When we came across Hotel Doolin we both loved the look and feel of it and straightaway we got onto the hotel to arrange a viewing. In April 2019 we met with the lovely Niamh at Hotel Doolin and she showed us around the place, from the instant we arrived we knew it was the place we wanted our wedding. It had the relaxed feel we were looking for and we were blown away by the Garden and Barn in the venue.
Hotel Doolin and Riona from Ri Weddings & Events went above and beyond to decorate the place exactly to our taste. It was a very relaxed vibe, our number one goal was to have a relaxed day with everyone enjoying themselves and that is what we got.
Our first date was in The Exchequer bar in Dublin, not long after the marriage referendum in 2015. We met using the modern ‘blind date’ system using the Tinder app! From the first date we both knew this was going to be long term as we instantly clicked.
We had a humanist ceremony and our lovely celebrant Teresa worked with us to make it a really personal ceremony. We included a hand fasting piece and we used hand knitted rope, made by David’s mother and Niall’s aunt in our County colours. We chose 4 readings which were really personal to us and we had members of our family read them on the day during the ceremony.
The weather couldn’t have been better on the day and it really contributed to the vibe and meant that we had stunning photos throughout the day.
Our wedding cake was also special, as it was made by two of our close friends and was absolutely delicious!
What advice would you give to other couples planning their day?
Go with the flow, trust your venue and vendors and don’t plan every minute of the day, leave room for some spontaneity.
There will be times where things may not go as planned leading up to the wedding, which can be really stressful, but try not to stress, everything will work out and you will have an amazing day!
What advice would you give to other couples planning their day?
Go with the flow, trust your venue and vendors and don’t plan every minute of the day, leave room for some spontaneity. There will be times where things may not go as planned leading up to the wedding, which can be really stressful, but try not to stress, everything will work out and you will have an amazing day!
How did the proposal go, if there was one?
The proposal happened on Christmas Day 2018. We were a couple of weeks into our trip around the world and we were on Phi Phi Island in Thailand. We got up on Christmas morning and after a few minutes David nervously asked Niall to marry him while holding a token engagement ring, conveniently picked up the night before at a local market! It was an immediate yes, followed by a couple of hours waiting before we could ring home to tell the family, due to the time difference!
How did you meet originally and get together?
Our first date was in The Exchequer bar in Dublin, not long after the marriage referendum in 2015. We met using the modern ‘blind date’ system using the Tinder app! From the first date we both knew this was going to be long term as we instantly clicked.
Where did you go/are you planning on going on honeymoon?
It was difficult to plan a honeymoon during Covid times but we managed to sneak abroad to Naples, Italy not long after the wedding. We had lots of wine and pizza and had a few day trips to Pompeii and the island of Capri. Definitely recommend it!
Photographer: The fantastic Mrs RedHead
Venue : Hotel Doolin
Wedding Suits: Niall got his suit in Patrick Bourkes in Ennis whereas David got his in Diffneys on Henry St. in Dublin.
- Flowers: We were at a friend’s wedding where the bouquet, button holes etc. were made of paper. We really liked that idea so decided to copy it for our wedding. We ordered them from The Paper Bouquet in the UK – https://www.paperbouquets.co.uk/
- Cake: Our wedding cake was kindly made by our talented friends.
- Cars: We used Niall’s Fathers car.
- Stationery: We created our own stationery and style, using David’s skills on microsoft powerpoint etc.
- Wedding Rings: Deirdre O’Donnell, South Anne Street, Dublin
- Ceremony/Reception Music: Dave Harper & Friends – sourced by Hotel Doolin.
- Band/DJ: The Band was The Davies Brothers & DJ Dan McCarthy – both sourced by Hotel Doolin
- Rentals/Decor: Ri Weddings & Events
Awesome Same Sex Humanist Wedding at Meowll, Cliffs Of Moher.. The Sun, Epic Party in Doolin Barn – Niall & David by Mrsredhead