True Love Tuesday Kaysha and Matt Smith

New Adventures

Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it.
Nicholas Sparks, A Walk To Remember

Senior Finance Associate Kaysha Doran from Lurgan met Grimsby born Matt Smith in November 2016 through the Cool FM Metro Match Making event for the introduction of the new Metro service in Belfast which also happened to fall on Kaysha’s birthday. Matt and Kaysha soon found themselves chatting through mutual friends and sharing numbers which then lead to a blossoming friendship, getting to know each other and never running out of things to talk about. Matt then asked Kaysha on an actual date at the end of January, they have been a couple ever since, even with Matt having to move back to England and then Dublin due to his job in Animation. Spending their first 9 months as a couple in a long distance romance, finding it difficult but not impossible, it helped build a firm foundation with them going from strength to strength ever since, especially after moving in together just before the first lockdown.

A few days before Kaysha’s 30th birthday in November 2020, Kaysha and Matt had just been for a lovely autumnal walk around Titanic Quarter where the couple now live, arriving home Matt asked Kaysha to close her eyes before surprising her with the most perfect proposal. Matt had designed a book with all of the amazing adventures they had been on with a page titled “Now it’s time for a new adventure”, turning to the last page where there was a beautiful three stone trinity engagement ring from Ellison Jewellers in Belfast, Matt got down on one and asked “would you make me the happiest man and marry me” Off course Kaysha said yes through her tears.

Being a huge Disney fan Kaysha was delighted to learn that Allure Bridal had partnered with Disney to design wedding dresses and even better that Perfect Day in Lurgan were going to be stocking them. Trying on a Pocahontas dress, Kaysha instantly fell in love with the shape, showing of all the right curves and making her feel amazing. Before settling on her dress Kaysha tried on a Jasmine dress which was beautiful but the train was a bit too dramatic for her taste. Always comparing any others dresses to the Pocahontas dress, Kaysha knew she had found her perfect dress even trying it on again and bursting into tears, Kaysha said “I had that feeling that every bride talks about when they find their dress, I didn’t think I would get that feeling, never mind from the first dress” finding the perfect headpiece which not only suited the dress but also the venue and style that Kaysha was going for, matching it with a cathedral length veil with the most stunning lace detail around the edges. Thinking that the choice of dresses would overwhelm her, Kaysha had researched dresses through lockdown in magazines and by watching TV shows like Say Yes To The Dress, Kaysha then had an idea of what she wanted, it just took Sinead and Bernie from Perfect Day to make the experience amazing.
Kaysha wanting her bridesmaids to have the same experience as her found their dresses in Perfect Day as well. Best Friend Ella Taylor Campbell and family friend Jennifer O’Neill were over the moon with their dresses. Kaysha also went for something a bit different and had a Flower Dude in the shape of her work husband and best friend Andrew Hackett whom along with Matt and his groomsmen best friend and fiancé of Jennifer; Nathan Lautman, Kaysha’s brothers Stephen Doran & Shan Kelly, picked their suits in Freddie Hatchett’s Belfast.

Being the organiser and spreadsheet officiando, Kaysha had the whole day well under control, living her best life with completing spreadsheets and ticking items of her to do list. Matt loved all of the food tasting while trying not to get stressed ensuring that every guest was catered for and happy. The happy couple got married on 9th September 2022 at the Riverdale Barn in Aghagallon, making the most of the Indian Summer weather which did not disappoint. Having a rustic theme for their 44 guests to enjoy, they found that the barn was the best choice and needed very little extras added. Incorporating wooden materials and mismatched glassware on the tables it fully enveloped the two barns, gardens and pond perfectly.

After prepping the venue and all of the last minute bits and pieces Kaysha found she was very chilled on the morning of the wedding, she was just excited to be starting her next adventure with Matt.
Highlights from the day for the bride and groom were, from Matt “getting married and the food” while Kaysha said “walking down the aisle knowing I was going to make a commitment to Matt and also seeing him cry as I came down the aisle to Brent Morgan’s version of Kiss The Girl from the Little Mermaid, I truly felt like a Disney Princess”
The guests certainly had a lot to remember the day by from the traditional music being played after the ceremony while they enjoyed afternoon tea, the food on the day and also the hog roast BBQ the following day. They both agreed that they had a perfect day, with everything going to plan.

Kaysha and Matt enjoyed a minimoon at the North Coast before their honeymoon in Orlando in February 2023, before heading off they gave us some advice to pass on to other couples planning their big day “book things early, especially a seamstress, due to Covid all weddings were delayed which caused major backlogs. Seamstresses are like every other supplier, the best ones get booked up quickly. As soon as you have your date, get them booked, even if you don’t have your dress yet. Plan early and have payment schedules in place with suppliers, it’s easier to spread the cost rather than lump sums 6-8 weeks prior to the day. I found you can’t please everyone, you have to do what is right for you and your partner. At the end of the day it’s your wedding, have it the way you both want, the day is about you both”.

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