Article by Celina Murphy
This treat-filled wedding day must have been an absolute joy to attend!
Some Irish couples wouldn't dream of hosting their wedding in mid-February, given that it's often when we're subjected to the coldest day of the year, but the lovebirds at the centre of today's real wedding prove that it can be done, and that the results can be drop-dead gorgeous to boot! Úna and Kevin's Dublin city winter wedding was all about ease - they arranged a church ceremony, drinks reception and evening reception in three different venues, all within walking distance of each other - but they also put lots of thought into food, drinks and styling. This means that, not only were their guests spoiled rotten on the day, but the photographs captured by Livia Figueiredo are outrageously cool! Ready to take a closer look? Let's go!
You know we love a green bridesmaids dress around here, and this rich shade of emerald green is just perfect for winter!
Úna and Kevin tell us that they met in college in UCD, just over ten years ago. "The timing didn't really work out for a long time," Úna says, "and over the following five years, we lived on different continents, down to different counties, and then in different cities in Ireland. We always had a spark and sporadically stayed in touch over the years. Over time, things just fell into place."
Kevin chose one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland as the backdrop to his proposal - the Sliabh Leigh cliffs in Donegal. "It was a genuine surprise," Úna remembers. "We had spent the weekend in the Gaelteacht in Donegal and Kevin insisted we stop off at Sliabh Leigh on the way home. It was a really lovely moment, and Sliabh Leigh will always be so special to us, we named the top table at our wedding after it."
For their Dublin city winter wedding, the couple made sure to pick venues within walking distance of each other, to minimise travel time for their guests. "We started the ceremony at 2.30pm to give everyone a chance to get there without being rushed, our drinks reception was in walking distance of the church and the reception venue was a two-minute walk from there. The city centre can be very busy on a Saturday afternoon, so we tried to make the whole day as easy and calm as possible."
Having a stress-free day was a top priority for these two. "The overall vibe of the day was fairly relaxed," Úna says. "We organised a drinks reception in Nolita after the ceremony, so everyone would have a focal point to gather together before the meal at Fallon and Byrne. The main focus was on tasty food and wine."
Úna and Kevin made sure to include some of their friends and family members in the wedding, which created a sense of intimacy on the day. "My good friends, Grainne, Lorcan and Niamh are really talented traditional musicians and they played music throughout our drinks reception. It created a lovely atmosphere and made the day a little more personal."
We are full-on obsessed with Úna's bridal look, which is just perfect for a cold-weather wedding! She sourced her beautiful, long-sleeved, lace-panel wedding dress from one of our favourite boutiques, Love Ellie Bridal in Co. Cavan, pairing it with gold Michael Kors heels, a relaxed half-up, half-down hairstyle, and minimal jewellery.
Úna explains how she used florals and décor to brighten things up on a grey February day. "As the wedding was in the city centre in the depths of winter, I wanted to add some colour and foliage," Úna says. "So the stationary and colour theme was quite natural, with lots of greens and whites."
I could not be a bigger fan of Kevin's groomswear look by Louis Copeland & Sons. He plumbed for a relaxed and wearable two-piece in a dark blue check fabric, which is a faultless option for almost any kind of wedding!
Úna's advice to engaged couples is to, "hire good people who you trust, and stick to what you want. I think it's inevitable that, at some stage, you start to question your choices about the size of the wedding, or the amount of flowers, etc., but just stick to your plan and try not to panic. It will all work out in the end."
For their honeymoon, Úna and Kevin went to Cancun in Mexico. "It was amazing, we would really recommend it," Úna says. "It was incredibly relaxing, and just what we needed after a hectic run up to the wedding."
Can you believe that Úna's sister made this dreamy three-tiered wedding cake!? "It's a biscuit cake that my grandmother used to make," Úna says, "and we have it at nearly every family event. It looked fantastic and tasted even better."
What a gorgeous day! At this point, we've got to say a huge thank you to Úna and Kevin for sharing their beautiful wedding with us, and to Livia Figueiredo for providing the incredible photographs. You'll find the full set of imagery in the gallery below.