True Love Tuesday Grace and Garry... - Getting Married in Northern Ireland Magazine

Love and Grace

Garry certainly kept his bride in suspense with his proposal, but Grace admits her dream

wedding was truly worth the wait…

Five years after they met, Ballygawley farmer Garry Heslip wed his sweetheart Grace Elliot in a heartfelt ceremony in Sixmilecross Presbyterian Church. Grace recalls: “We had picked my ring together in Lunn’s and we went on holiday to Nice a few weeks later, so I was expecting Garry to propose then but he kept me in suspense and instead surprised me by proposing two weeks later when we were in Donegal.”

Grace, 29, a business banking adviser, originally from Gortaclare in Omagh, set about organising her big day and admits she found dress shopping a memorable experience for all the right reasons. She said: “I wanted a dress with lace sleeves and within ten minutes of visiting Serendipity Bridal Boutique in Fivemiletown, I was wearing my dream dress. Serendipity’s Linda offered her expert advice and proposed some changes to the back of my dress, like the addition of a lace back and pearl buttons. My bespoke dress was made to order by Suzanne Neville and I accompanied it with a matching Suzanne Neville cathedral length lace trimmed veil, minimal pearl earrings and a head piece by Ellie Annon from Couture Bridal NI. I also wore a vintage gold and pearl necklace, which belonged to my late granny who also wore this necklace on her own wedding day.” Sisters Susan Mellor, Emma Beatty and friend Beverley Crawford also looked stunning in gowns from Serendipity Bridal, and Grace incorporated lace into both her dress and the dresses of her maids.

The groomsmen – brothers of the groom Andrew and Stephen Heslip and friend Stephen McNeill – looked dapper in suits from Red Menswear in Cookstown. The bride was piped into the church by her dad’s cousin, Mervyn Elvin, who also played outside as 150 guests arrived to witness the union.

A reception was held in Corick House Hotel & Spa in Clogher and Grace kept a minimalistic theme that focused on autumnal flowers with rustic vintage undertones. Grace carried a striking autumnal bouquet filled with wild flowers designed by Alan Beatty from Clogher. Grace said: “I used rustic vintage bottles filled with wild flowers to decorate the church porch and had a stunning flower tree decorating the church door. Even my seating plan was a vintage wooden box filled with hydrangea, all designed by Alan Beatty.” Two vintage Ford Anglia cars transported the bridal party in style, although they nearly didn’t make it! Grace laughs: “I chose these cars as they are one of my dad’s favourite old time cars and was his first ever car, but the car which was transporting the bridesmaids wouldn’t start when we stopped for photos, so Garry had to help out by push starting it!”

Grace and Garry had the wedding they always longed for and Grace admits she relished every single part of it, especially walking up the aisle and seeing Garry for the first time. “The best part of planning was wedding dress shopping with my mum and two sisters, enjoying the company of all the wedding visitors calling at home in the run-up to the wedding and having all our family and friends together on the actual day. The day was excellent, everything went to plan, but it went by in a flash!” Grace has this advice for other brides-to-be: “Enjoy every minute of the run up to the wedding and the actual day itself, and don’t get caught up in minor details as on the day these little things are never noticed.” The newlyweds took to the dance floor and danced to Randy Travis’s “Forever and Ever” before enjoying the honeymoon of a lifetime on a road trip around the west coast of America. Grace remembers fondly: “We started in San Francisco and drove to Napa Valley, Monterey, Los Angeles and finished our 16-day trip in Las Vegas.”