With strong connections in the bridal industry, Carmen and Mark’s wedding was a very stylish do!
Even though they shared mutual friends, it wasn’t until they met on the beach at the Fat Boy Slim party in Portrush in 2006 that Carmen and Mark got together. They shared a lift home the following day and the rest is history! Six years later, on Christmas Day, after a few joke fuelled proposals, Mark did it for real, shocking Carmen when he got down on one knee with a bunch of red roses, a sparkling solitaire and ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’, playing in the background! As Carmen is the manager of bridal boutique, La Boda Bridal in Banbridge, wedding planning came second nature to her. Along with her own ideas, her helpful bridesmaids, input from her mum all the way from Australia and a healthy dose of Pinterest, her wedding grew into an elegant and stylish day, filled with plenty of DIY elements and little touches of shabby chic.
Being at the front line of bridal fashion, Carmen decided on not one but two Pronovias bridal gowns from La Boda. For the ceremony she wore a floor length strapless lace gown with full skirt detail from the knee. For the evening reception Carmen slipped in to a high-neck, short lace dress, perfect for dancing in! Her stunning bridesmaids wore lace back dresses by JLM Couture in varying shades of pretty pink, whilst they carried full bouquets of lush pastel peonies. Not to be outdone in the style stakes, Mark wore a black Javier Arnaiz suit, whilst the rest of the groomÕs party wore coordinating black suits, from Groom Formal Hire. As Mark’s brother Gareth owns Groom, the party certainly cut a dash. Both the ceremony and reception were held at Riverdale Barn, Aghagallon, that proved the perfect backdrop for their beautifully crafted day. Carmen’s DIY touches were everywhere to be seen, including the personalised music CD favours each guest received and the quirky Polaroid guest book. Looking back on their day, Carmen’s highlight was waiting at the top of the aisle and seeing Mark smiling back at her. Mark can’t narrow the day down to one highlight; “From the moment I woke on the morning to kissing goodnight to my new wife Carmen was one whole highlight. The entire day was exceptionally brilliant and Carmen looked fabulous”, said Mark. Following their wedding day, Carmen and Mark traveled to Las Vegas for three nights and then on to ten days relaxing in Cancun, Mexico.
Emma Kenny Photography, Belfast, tel: 07851 982 286
