Cupcakes, dinky doughnuts and a beautiful silver and green colour scheme made this lovely Northern Ireland wedding the ideal day for this happy couple…

Jennifer and Aaron first met when they started working together in the Culloden Hotel in 2018. “Our first date was in the Dirty Onion bar in Belfast in March 2019,” says Jennifer. “How romantic!”

Aaron proposed on 7th March 2022 at Rossharbour Resort, a lakeside hotel in Co Fermanagh. “It just happens to be our favourite place on earth,” says Jennifer. “He did it right away, as soon as we checked in. Aaron said his nerves were too bad to wait any longer. He downed two beers before he did it, too! It was very romantic and he got down on one knee. It took me completely by surprise.”

A stylish halterneck

Jennifer chose Anna Sorrano’s Giana dress, an elegant  halter-neck sheath in satin-back crepe. “I fell in love with my dress the minute I put it on,” she says. “It was the third one I tried on, and I loved it so much I didn't even need to try on the fourth! I always knew I wanted a halterneck dress. I have had photos of that style of dress saved in my phone for years. When I put my dress on I felt so comfortable and straight away I just knew it was for me. My mum and sister were at the appointment with me and said I was beaming from ear to ear. My dress made me feel so elegant and sophisticated. I still felt like myself, just a better version!”

“I also bought my pearl veil, which I adored, along with my veil topper,” says Jennifer. “The whole look came together so perfectly.”

A modern Northern Ireland wedding venue

“We were quite indecisive when it came to our Northern Ireland wedding venue, but choosing Rosspark Hotel in Ballymena felt right,” says Jennifer. “The wedding pavilion was the decider for us, as you get the luxury of a stand-alone ceremony area, whilst still being in the grounds of the hotel, so guests don't have to travel. The staff, service and food at the hotel are always second to none, and the room decoration and dressing included in the wedding package was a no brainer for us. The hotel has a modern yet classic feel, which is what we were looking for. So, we booked it for the 24th September.”

The big day

“I decided to stay in the hotel with my family and bridal party the night before the wedding and get ready there,” says Jennifer. “I found this much more relaxing and convenient, as the venue was an hour away from my house and I didn’t want to travel in my wedding dress.”

“The weather was drizzly all morning, which made me panic,” says Jennifer. “However, thankfully, the sun came out about half an hour before the ceremony, and we were lucky enough to have sunny spells all day. It really felt like we got married on the last day of summer. My Dad walked me down the aisle, which was such a special moment. He’s my rock, so this meant a lot to both of us. It was emotional that's for sure. We had the Ulster String Quartet perform during our ceremony and drinks reception and they were incredible. They brought such a great atmosphere to the day. I walked down the aisle to ‘Turning Page’ by Sleeping at Last. Aaron didn't feel emotional until he heard that song! My auntie also read Wedding Poem by Whitney Hanson during the ceremony.”

The afterparty

“After the ceremony, we headed over to the garden lounge in the hotel to grab a drink and something to eat,” says Jennifer. “Then we mingled with our guests before photos. Later, a dinky doughnut van arrived, which was a big hit with our guests, and the groom! Our wedding meal consisted of potato and leek soup, then turkey, ham or beef, and lemon cheesecake for dessert. Everyone complimented the food, which we were delighted with."

Beautiful teal greens

"I based my whole colour scheme around my green bridesmaids' dresses,” says Jennifer. “My favourite colour has always been teal green, so when I saw them I mulled over buying them for a while, but found myself comparing every other dress I saw to them. A lot of the decoration included with the hotel was silver, so I used that to form the rest of my colour scheme. Aaron went for navy suits for the groomsmen too, which tied in quite well."

"We kept our decorations to a minimum and did pretty much everything ourselves. My mum and I spent the better part of a year crafting everything at home. For example, we made the flowers for the ceremony room, the centrepieces, the baskets of dog treats and memory candle and shortbread favours.” 

Dancing the night away

“Our three-tier wedding cake was made by a company called Little Cravingz and they did not disappoint,” says Jennifer. “We also had cupcakes, which worked as a nice treat for our guests after dinner. I kept our cake simple and classic with just some Baby’s Breath flowers and pearls as the decor. DJ Greener was our entertainment and I couldn't recommend him enough. He kept everyone entertained all night with party games, competitions, dance offs and a brilliant playlist. I now know why he’s won awards!”

“Our first dance was to ‘Your Song’ by Elton John,” says Jennifer. “We wanted something upbeat but still meaningful. Aaron didn't want much involvement in the planning and decorations, but this was one of the decisions he made!”

The best bits…

“The most memorable moment of the whole day was seeing Aaron and all our guests when I was walking down the aisle,” says Jennifer. “He shed a little tear, yippee! Also, the best man's very inappropriate wedding speech, which my poor Granny was not pleased with! And our ‘girls Vs boys’ dance-off in the evening, when everyone let their competitive side out.”

My top tips…

“Let go of what you can't control (the weather, how other people act, etc),” says Jennifer. “Plus, splash out on a content creator/ videographer/ good photographer. We booked our content creator last minute and will cherish our wedding video forever, so we’re so glad we did. You will never please everyone, so don't try. Do what makes you happy and enjoy having all your friends and family in the one place.”

Jennifer and Aaron’s Dream Team 

Photographer: Stuart Macrory Photography 

Venue: Rosspark Hotel Ballymena

Wedding dresses Belfast: wed2b

Florist: Bluebells

Content creator: Knot A Moment Missed

Cake: Little Cravingz 

Ceremony music: Ulster String Quartet

Cake Topper: Those Wee Doodles

Entertainment. DJ Greener

Makeup artist: Eve McClements Makeup and Brows

Hair stylist: Megan Donaldson

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