A Bubbly Kind Of Love
You are my dearest friend
My deepest love
You are the best of me
Katie and Des both from Glengormley met while working in Belfast as Nightclub promoters/ event organisers in 2013, hitting it off immediately. Growing closer as friends over the years and then realising they had fallen in love with each other they started dating in 2016 and moved in together in 2017. As time went on the next step was buying a house together when things changed and Des thought it was time to make their love official.
Christmas is a very special time for the couple, with both of them being huge Christmas fans it was the most perfect time to make it even more memorable. Katie and Des have a tradition of putting their tree and decorations up on 1st December and in 2019 it was no different until Des produced a new ornament, a bauble with 2019 emblazoned on it and the most stunning bespoke handmade platinum and diamond solitaire ring from Murray & Co which Des had designed himself with a little bit of help from the team at Murray & Co. “It was the most intimate and personal proposal and honestly it was just perfect” Katie told us. Both sets of parents came round to their house afterwards to help them celebrate with their favourite champagne. Moët & Chandon.
Lots of little girls have thought about and dreamed about the wedding they would have when they grew up and Katie was no different, she would even save ideas on her phone along with watching ‘Say Yes To The Dress’ every day, so when it came time to plan her wedding Katie was definitely one step ahead, it also helps that Des is also quite good at organising and they work very well as a team with the same laidback outlook. Having a background in event planning certainly helped keep them both calm and stress free, enjoying every minute of it, especially the private menu tasting in their wedding room at The Galgorm, also bringing their parents so they could enjoy it too. Having everything under control and booked in super early and staying up to date on her “wedmin” the only thing Katie found stressful was waiting for the RSVPs to come back, running to check the post box everyday after work.
Knowing the style of dress Katie wanted but had never seen anywhere as the only picture of it was in Katie’s head proved slightly tricky until she went with her mum Valerie and mother in law Donna to the second of three bridal shops booked which was Forever Bridal. Speaking to the girls there they pulled out a Riki Dalal dress, with a fitted silhouette, sweetheart neckline, soft lace and stunning mermaid train, Katie fell in love with the dress saying “the moment I stepped into the gown it transformed me into the bride I knew I would one day become, it was my dream dress” working with Forever Bridal and the designer they were able to alter the gown by adding sleeves and making it bespoke to Katie, a cathedral length veil and heels from Dune London with earrings from The Dress House, Newry completed the ensemble.
Dresses for the 3 bridesmaids; Katie’s best friend from school Alice along with niece Liana and Joy who is Katie’s nephew Kane’s girlfriend and also like another niece to Katie all came from Pretty Lavish, an online store. The dresses were champagne coloured full length satin, simple and elegant, completing the feminine look were barely there heels from Boohoo along with gold and pearl drop earrings.
The grooms suit came from Red Groomswear along with suits for the groomsmen including; Johnny and Ryan, Des’s younger brothers and Kane who is Katie’s nephew. Des had always wanted to wear Christian Louboutin shoes so Katie treated him to a pair for their wedding to complete his sophisticated and classic attire. The men all wore classic black tuxedos and matching personalised cufflinks with the groomsmen wearing black patent shoes.
The champagne and gold themed invites went out far and wide, even going as far as America and Australia giving their 140+ guests a small insight into what would await them on 30th July 2022. A 5 course menu was attached for the guests to choose from and so they would know that a decadent meal and flowing drinks would be ready for them. Getting married at Des’s family chapel of St Bernards in Glengormley which will filled with beautiful and elegant flowers and then moving to the Great Hall at The Galgorm which is where their champagne and gold theme really came to life against the back drop of the scenic views and sprawling grounds of the hotel. The theme flowed through everything from the stationary, décor, food and drinks options and entertainment keeping everything classic and timeless and making their day perfect.
Designing a personal crest to use on their invites meant they could incorporate it on their wedding cake, table plan and table numbers along with personalised menu cards for each guest.
Katie and Des said “our wedding day felt like pure magic, it was right out of a storybook, we can’t thank our suppliers enough for making our fairy tale wedding everything we had envisioned and more. We loved every second of it, the décor blew us away, the food was beautiful, music was amazing and the staff at The Galgorm couldn’t have done enough for us! Dreams really do come true” Katie went on to say “dancing our way into the reception to celebrate with our friends and family was a great moment for me” Des said “seeing Katie walking down the aisle was the highlight of my day”
With all of the early planning and organisation Katie and Des managed to stick to their budget and have an absolutely amazing day, “researching prices and suppliers really pays off” is some advice that Katie would give other couples along with “be organised! Plan, make lists, research and get recommendations, book suppliers early to ensure you get the ones you want. Most importantly – enjoy every second of it, the day goes by so quickly, take time to yourselves, dance together and just enjoy every second”
Some special moments that stood out for the couple were the string quartet Arco playing for the guests as photos were being taken, the bespoke cocktails including a classic bramble and passionfruit martini served alongside their favourite tipple of Moët & Chandon. Ensuring guests were given a day to remember from start to finish and were well fed with drinks flowing while the entertainment kept them partying into the wee small hours, Katie and Des certainly had a day for everyone to remember, even the good old Northern Irish weather played ball and made sure the rain stayed away.
Two honeymoons have been planned, one to Ibiza and then one to New York in December, “it has been a dream of ours to experience New York at Christmas as it is such a special time for us” Katie and Des told us before saying “we are both loving married life, we both feel so incredibly lucky to have one another. We can’t wait for what else the future holds for us. I truly married my best friend”
WEDDING SUPPLIERS INFO
Reception location: The Galgorm
Wedding Dress from: Forever Bridal
Groomswear from: Red Groomswear
Make-up by: Studio A
Hair by: The Hair Chair
Flowers by: House of Elliot Flowers
Room Décor by: Fairytale Events
Rings from: Murray and Co
Cake by: NI Cake Design
Stationery by: Darling Stationary
Transport from: Glendale Limousines
Photography by: Lewis Mcclay@clay-creative.uk
Entertainment by: Arco String Quartet
Starling Entertainment
