True Love Tuesday Caroline and Sean McBride... - Getting Married in Northern Ireland Magazine

Elegant Perfection

With a beautiful couple, a marquee reception fit for an A-Lister and flowers to die for, the

wedding of Caroline and Sean was simply perfect from beginning to end…

Amsterdam proved to be the city of love for Caroline Hart as Sean McBride knelt on one knee in spectacular fashion right in the centre of Dam Square and asked her to be his bride. The gorgeous couple grew up beside each other in Dungannon and tied the knot on July 23, 2016 after ten happy years together; however, their love story was only beginning.

Beautiful bride Caroline found her gown online and flew over to London to meet it in a boutique called Serendipity Bridal. She describes the whole process as ‘a fairy tale’. The bride put her London wedding shopping excursion to good use and was also able to source dresses for her two bridesmaids and her flower girl dress while she was there. Bridesmaids Kathryn Hart, who is the bride’s sister, and best friend Michelle McGrath ensured Caroline, 33, remained calm on the big day, not that she needed any help. “In all honesty there was no stress,” she said. Teacher Caroline’s nuptial experience was enriched with the help of wedding planning aficionado David McConkey who made all her big day dreams come true. “Highlights for me were definitely walking down the aisle, and finding my amazing wedding planner David, who was my rock. He was a great support and really put us both at ease and made the day perfect from beginning to end.” Ever the professional, wedding planner David actually managed to avoid a crisis when one of the bridesmaid’s dresses ripped getting out of the car before the ceremony. “David sorted it and I knew nothing about it until after the wedding!” laughed Caroline.

Groom Sean, 29, had his tuxedo designed by Hugo Thomas on Belfast’s Lisburn Road, while his brother Neal McBride and best friend Joe McCaughey looked dashing in tuxedos from Tom Morrow in Dungannon. The pair married in St Patrick’s Church in Dungannon, witnessed by 200 of their nearest and dearest before enjoying a lavish marquee reception on the Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan. With black and gold themes concurrent throughout everything, from the breathtaking marquee decor to the stationery, elegant glamour was the order of the day. The couple, who didn’t have a budget, described their day as, ‘perfect from beginning to end.’ There was no shortage of treats for the wedding guests either Cameoflage put on a surprise performance and a bespoke first dance stirred the crowd up into a frenzy. Later in the evening, firstclass entertainment came from Tropical Storm and The Bentley Boys, and the bride, groom, bridal party and guests danced into the wee hours. Caroline and Sean strongly advise other couples out there to hire a wedding planner.

The newlyweds honeymooned on safari in Tanzania in Africa for five days before spending the remainder of their time on Africa’s idyllic coast. “Married life is different in many ways,” mused Caroline, “but every day is exciting.”