Real Weddings
Real Weddings West Midlands: Chloe and Liam’s picturesque Irish wedding
The beautiful Mourne Mountains were the perfect backdrop for this picture-perfect Irish wedding. Our WED2B Real Weddings feature reveals more…
Chloe and Liam met in secondary school and have been together since they were just 14. “We have been best friends since we met, which I think has always made our relationship so fun,” says Chloe.
A romantic Florida proposal
Liam whisked Chloe away to Florida for her 21st Birthday. “We had booked a dolphin swim at Discovery Cove, something I'd always wanted to do,” she says. “We arrived at around 7am to watch the sun rising as we checked in. Then we walked down to the quiet beach area surrounded by nothing but stunning tropical scenery. Liam pulled out his camera and began taking shots of the beach and the scenery. He then put the camera down on the sand, as though to snap a picture of us in this beautiful setting, but instead, he opened up his sunglasses case and pulled out a ring box. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was in complete shock, and certainly didn’t expect to be coming home with a ring on my finger! It was truly the most magical day.”
Dream dress shopping
Chloe bought her Sawyer dress from WED2B’s Wednesbury store. “It was just an amazing experience as soon as I walked in the door,” she says. “The staff were all super friendly and extremely helpful, especially as this was only my second time trying on dresses! I wasn't sure what shape suited me but the girls in the store were just amazing. They really knew their stuff and suggested dresses that I wouldn't have necessarily chosen myself. I added the Solstice belt to my dress, which I felt just completed the whole look, and accompanied it all with the Angel veil. I was ecstatic walking out of the store, knowing I had truly found my dream dress.”
A picturesque Irish wedding
The couple's Irish wedding was held on the 15th June 2019 in Newcastle, Northern Ireland. “We had a church ceremony and had our wedding reception at the stunning Slieve Donard Resort & Spa,” says Chloe. “I have a lot of family living in the Newcastle area and the Slieve Donard Resort has always been somewhere we would visit, or even just pass to admire the beauty of it. Since I was a little girl I would always say that Slieve Donard was where I wanted to have an Irish wedding. It’s surreal to think that my dream came true! The wow factor has to be the stunning scenery. The Mourne Mountains just have a certain magical feel about them. Our guests absolutely loved the entire resort, and looking out over the sea and towards the mountains is just beautiful.”
Friends, family and fun
“We had lots of family involvement in our day, doing readings, bringing the offertory and even my wonderful cousin singing for us during the ceremony with her magnificent choir,” says Chloe. “My dad walked me down the aisle. I had expected to cry the entire walk to Liam but I was surprised to just simply be smiling. I was just filled with so much happiness that it was all really happening.”
Beautiful blush, pink and navy
“We didn’t follow any specific themes/trends as such, we just wanted a classic, modern look, using blush, pink and navy,” says Chloe. “My bridesmaids wore beautiful, flowing blush pink dresses, and the groom and groomsmen wore navy suits to keep in with the blush and navy theme. Our wedding cake just looked too good to eat. It was simply stunning and exactly what we’d imagined. I am so grateful to our wonderful cake maker, who was able to capture everything we had asked for and make us such a stunning and super tasty wedding cake!”
A first dance to remember
“A personal highlight for me has to be our first dance moment,” says Chloe. “Just after our first dance, and my dance with my dad, our incredible DJ got the party started! During our first dance and the dance with my dad, our DJ got everyone standing around the edges of the dance floor. This was just so special, as we were able to really share this moment with them all. Then, as soon as those two dances were over, he jumped right in with ‘We Like to Party!’ by The Vengaboys. This got everyone jumping and set the party vibe for the rest of the night. This whole experience was something so different, and certainly nothing either of us had seen before at a wedding. We just loved every second of it!”
My top tips…
“Trust the amazing staff in the WED2B stores,” says Chloe. “They really know the dresses and can help you find the perfect one! Other than that, just enjoy and appreciate every single second of the planning and of the wedding itself. Then, after the wedding, enjoy your marriage! It is such a special time in your life, don't regret a single second of it. It will all come together in the end.”
Chloe’s Dream Team:
Photographer: Andrew McKenna Photography (amckphotography.com)
Irish Wedding Venue: The Slieve Donard Resort & Spa (hastingshotels.com/slieve-donard-resort-and-spa)
Cake: Red Robin Bakery (facebook.com/redrobinbakeryni)
Flowers: Groovy Ruby (groovyruby.co.uk)
Entertainment: DJ Dave Ralston (djdaveralston.com) and Mr Photobooth NI (mrphotoboothni.co.uk)
Make up: The Studio (facebook.com/pages/category/Makeup-Artist/The-Studio-Makeup-Beauty)
Hair Stylist: Jolene Ritchie Hair Studio (jolene-ritchie-hair-studio)
Videographer: CD Media Productions (cdmediaproductions.co.uk)
If you would like your big day to be one of our real weddings please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch.
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