Maz and Andy met when they were both at university in Northern Ireland. “I’m originally from London, whilst Andy is from Kilkeel in Northern Ireland,” says Maz.

“Our paths crossed many times through mutual friends, including on Halloween in 2012, when Andy was dressed as a Tetris block. Throughout our university years he was then affectionately known as 'Tetris' from that point on.”

“It wasn’t until our final year in 2015, when I bumped into ‘Tetris’ on a night out,” says Maz. “We didn’t stop talking, and it was then that he became just Andy. He slid into my Facebook DMs the day after and the rest is history. Our first date was a few weeks later on Good Friday (a very Good Friday in my eyes!). We went to a local bar for some drinks. We were both nervous but the conversation and laughs didn’t stop all night.”

A surprise seaside proposal

“It was the last day of our holiday, and Andy suggested going to the Strand for a coffee. I become suspicious when he was very intent on finding a very specific dune and also went extremely quiet once we sat down. He just kept smiling and laughing to himself, but I didn’t think he was going to propose. He then got down on one knee, laughing. Then I started laughing and forgot to say yes! So I said yes and then I cried. Afterwards, we sat there for a while and I grilled him on how he had got the ring, when he got it, if he’d asked my parents etc, etc.”

Wedding dresses Belfast

“My friend got married last year in a WED2B dress and couldn’t recommend it enough,” says Maz. “As I live in NI and my family live in London, I had to be organised when we were looking for wedding dresses Belfast, so we weren’t flying back and forth.

"WED2B was the second place we went and we loved it. We were Rachel's first customers and she was great. The whole process was amazing. I'm not the most body confident person, so trying on dresses was my worst nightmare. I was feeling nervous about it, but the whole team put us at ease. As soon as she put the veil on, I cried. I liked the four dress policy too, as any more would have totally fried me!”

Maz chose Annette. “The detailing on the back is gorgeous and the cut is so flattering,” says Maz. “The material is also lovely and looks a lot more expensive than it was. I wanted something simple, classic and timeless.” For similar styles take a closer look at; Gisella, Frankie and Domenica.

A venue by the sea

The couple married at Orange Tree House in Greyabbey on 8th July 2022. “It’s a venue I saw years ago and followed them on social media,” says Maz. “I loved the rustic feel and the fact it’s by the sea, as that’s our happy place. I knew when we got married it was the place for us, and Andy took no convincing to get on board. As soon as we stepped in, we both got such an incredible feeling and the staff were so kind and helpful. We felt that we could trust them straightaway.”

The big day

“I got ready in Greyabbey in an AirBnB with my mum, sister and best friends and we had Buck’s Fizz, croissants, strawberries and a throwback playlist on Spotify,” says Maz. “It was so calm yet the best atmosphere ever, we were all buzzing. The weather was grey and overcast, but dry, which is never a given for an Irish summer!”

“My dad walked me down the aisle. We had a string quartet for the ceremony who played ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’ as I walked in. Andy’s sister did a reading from the Bible and my sister did a reading called ‘I Love You’ by Roy Croft. The most special moment was seeing Andy at the end of the aisle.”

The afterparty

“After the ceremony, we had drinks and canapés, had some time to chat to guests and then we went with the bridal party to have pictures in the abbey,” says Maz. “Our first dance was to ‘Beyond’ by Leon Bridges. The lyrics just really struck a note with us and we both loved the song.”

Pretty in pink

“We didn’t really have a theme as such, but I love pink so we had lots of pink on the day,” says Maz. “My friend Anna, who runs a wedding events company, did our flowers and I just let her run wild with my ‘pink’ brief. Our place names were personalised Love Hearts and our favours were scratch cards. We’d seen them at a wedding before and it’s a good icebreaker. We also had a DJ in the evening who was great, too.”

The best bits…

“The ceremony was amazing and having a string quartet added a lovely touch,” says Maz. “I loved the speeches, the beach in the evening, the abbey and the ceremony. They were all so special and also meant we had time with the bridal party, away from everyone, just to have the craic.”

My top tips…

“Definitely make time for just you two on the day. We had a sweetheart table for dinner, which I would definitely recommend. It meant we got to eat dinner together, so we were able to relax in the evening and didn't feel like we'd not seen each other all day.”

“Also, pack a bag the night before with all the essentials for the day – plasters, deodorant, blister plasters, hairbrush etc – and get one of your bridesmaids to look after it. Take a moment for yourself to take it all in, too. Each time you walk into a room, just take five to 10 seconds to soak it all in and remember how you felt in that moment.”

“Spend the money where it’s important to you and save where you can. A string quartet was something I’d always dreamed of, so I didn’t think twice about spending the money on it. Neither of us had our phones on us all day, so we also prioritised a photographer because they’re the only memories we have of the day. I did all the table decorations, invites, table plans, order of service and table decorations myself. I used templates I found online and just took them to a local printers. It was really enjoyable being able to be creative with it.”

Maz and Andy’s Dream Team

Photographer: Treasure & Heart Photography

Venue and catering: Orange Tree House

Wedding dresses Belfast: WED2B

Florist: Blooming Events NI

MUA: Anna McConnell Make Up 

Hair: Bespoke Bridal Hair

Cake: Sugar Lane Artisan Cakes 

DJ: DJ Ryan A

If you would like us to feature your big day, like this fun wedding, then please click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. Your nearest WED2B is closer than you think, click here for your nearest wedding dresses Belfast and here for what to expect when you visit.