True Love Tuesday.......Mr & Mrs Giles - Getting Married in Northern Ireland Magazine

London born Kelly-Marie Madden met Kent born Adam Giles while working in a prestigious school in 2014. Kelly-Marie is an HR Officer while Adam is an Electrical Engineer after previously working as a tree surgeon. They met when Adam came to the same London based school for an interview as the Schools Arborist where Kelly-Marie works in the HR Department. They didn’t actually get talking to each other until the Christmas party two years later in 2016, since then they haven’t gone a full day without speaking to each other.

After surviving lockdown together the couple completed on their first property purchase, they bought a beautiful bungalow and moved to West Wycombe.

The connection to Northern Ireland comes from Kelly-Marie’s family, her father was born in Cushendall and where Kelly-Marie was brought back to spend her childhood summers with her grandparents and cousins until she was old enough to travel on her own and would then come over and spend weeks on end causing havoc on the beach and attending local festivals. Kelly-Marie calls Cushendall her second home and comes back to visit every year so when it came time to get married she knew there was no other place she wanted to get married in than Cushendall. Kelly-Marie and Adam travelled to Northern Ireland in May 2019 so he could meet the extended family and get to see the beauty of our ‘wee country’. Doing all the touristy things, going to the Giants Causeway, Carrick-A-Rede Bridge, Vanishing Lake and their new favourite spot of all time; the top of Lurig, when they made it to the top Adam’s love of Northern Ireland was confirmed.

On a trip to Santorini in August 2021 Adam proposed after a seven mile hike from Fira to Oia, they found a gorgeous restaurant called Amoudi Fish Restaurant which overlooks the port of Oia which of course provided the perfect backdrop for a proposal with an engagement ring designed by Adam. Kelly-Marie was completely blown away by the surprise proposal and of course said “Yes”. Adam, ever the gentleman asked Kelly-Marie’s parents for her hand in marriage on a weekend when Kelly-Marie was on a girls trip, she told us “he visited my mum and dad with a bunch of flowers for my mother and a bottle of Jameson for my dad. He knew this would persuade my dad. We had two days left in Santorini and I had already booked two wedding venues to view on our return home. Anyone that knows me well, this wouldn’t come as a surprise”

After viewing a few local venues and trying to decide what they really wanted Adam decided it was time to look further afield and come to the place that now means so much to the couple; Northern Ireland. Kelly-Marie and Adam flew into Belfast for one day so they could find the perfect venue, they viewed four venues, met the priest and fitted in dinner with family and were home again in London by 11:30pm. Kelly-Marie said “it was on this day that we realised, there was no other place we wanted to get married”

A date was set and plans were made; the most perfect wedding was in sight. On 17^th September 2022 at St Marys Church, Cushendall followed by a reception at Hillmount House, Drains Bay 85 guests travelled from London, Manchester, Australia and of course Northern Ireland to attend a themed wedding which was obviously ‘Everything About Ireland’ with Irish passport designed wedding invites with boarding passes, Guinness flowing all day long, Baby Guinness shots (if you know, you know) Irish dancers, place setting names were engraved shamrocks, a welcome sign done in Gaelic writing, the guests enjoyed a scenic drive along the Antrim coast and the couple had some photographs taken in Cushendall. Wanting their guests to understand how beautiful Northern Ireland is and what it has to offer and why it means so much to the couple was their thought process behind their theme. They definitely pulled it off.

Kelly-Marie went to WED2B for her gown, she told us “I had tried on so many dresses and was starting to think I was being too picky. I met my chief bridesmaid in London as I was on a course and she was supposed to be In Malta on holiday but the trip got cancelled, so she said she would meet me to go bridesmaid shopping. There was a queue so the staff suggested I look at some wedding dresses, I had already made my mind up that this wasn’t the store I was going to buy my dress from as I didn’t believe they had my style of dress. I reluctantly said yes and followed the staff member down the stairs, I spotted the first one and took interest. They encouraged me to try 4 on, so my chief bridesmaid and I trailed the rails keeping this particular one in our hands. We kept it to last to try on and would you be believe it, it was the one! It was like it was meant to be”

Finding the experience fantastic Kelly-Marie went on to tell us “My mum had been to all the dress shops with me apart from this one so I was disappointed that she hadn’t got to see me in it. So, a week later we went off to a WED2B nearer to home and they allowed me to reveal it all again, they even styled my hair to see if it suited the dress up or down. It was an enjoyable experience and would definitely recommend even if you don’t think they may have your style. I haven’t seen a similar style of dress with them again”

Dresses for Bridesmaids; friends Sabina and Emma along with sister-in-law Caroline were from Hebos Online, Kelly-Marie said “the quality was great, we did have to have them altered which we did locally but we were happy with the dresses”

Suits for Groom Adam and Groomsmen and brother Craig along with Kelly-Marie’s brother Mikey, Godson Charlie and nephews Mason and Jason came from Dapper Groomsmen in Randalstown. Adam chose a velvet jacket at the last minute when renting the tuxes, keeping it a secret until the couple met at the altar.

Planning their day was made stressful as the couple were based in London and having to do a lot remotely or on flying visits to Northern Ireland, all their hard work paid off, having a fantastic weekend with their guests, I’m sure it will be spoken about for years to come.

Deciding to go for a weekend package meant the couple moved in on the Friday and had the venue all weekend. Travelling over on the Wednesday evening they hired an Airbnb local to the venue. Saturday was the big day which seen a coach load of guests travel along the coast road to Cushendall to attend the church where Kelly-Marie’s grandparents are buried and where she was christened 32 years to the month. Kelly-Marie told us “Adam and I were so overwhelmed with the amount of friends and family who travelled over to Northern Ireland for the wedding, it made the weekend even more special to allow friends to see the place that we constantly talk about. The day was filled with love and laughter and couldn’t have gone more to plan if we had tried. Hillmount House were brilliant and welcomed us into their home for the weekend and the staff couldn’t have done enough. Our Videographer and Photographers made us feel so relaxed and got along with all our guests so well. Both were originally from England but living in Northern Ireland, it was a coincidence that we booked them but our guests thought they were friends of ours who we had brought with us to film and take the photos. They were generally the nicest people”

Highlights of the day for the newly married couple were “knowing that we are loved by so many people who took the time to travel to Northern Ireland to spend the weekend with us, guests commented that the day showed that it was visibly about us with our unique touches”

Although there was almost a disaster with late guests and a coach leaving without them then having to return to collect them, Adam did then confess during his speech that he told the coach driver to go, thankfully everyone saw the funny side and laughed.

Adam and Kelly-Marie told us they wouldn’t do anything differently and gave this advice to newly engaged couples “It really does go as fast as they say, soak up every minute. Stop considering getting a videographer, it goes so fast that it is the best feeling being able to watch it back”

They haven’t been able to decide where to go on honeymoon yet but I am sure it will also be fabulous, they are however finding married no different from before saying “he still snores and I still think I am right”