True Love Tuesday Rachel and Paul... - Getting Married in Northern Ireland Magazine

With 170 guests Rachel and Paul’s April wedding at Powerscourt Hotel and Spa oozed relaxed elegance and a stunning stylish look.

After meeting on the bus to Monaghan aged just 18, Rachel and Paul married 11years later after he popped the question on Christmas Eve 2014. “The proposal was perfect! My solitaire diamond ring was hidden under the tree with my presents and whilst I was opening them Paul dropped to one knee. My parents knew so we had a huge party straight after I said yes!” explained Rachel.

The couple decided their top wedding priorities, and soon set about planning their day, holding the ceremony at St Mary’s Church, Enniskerry, and their reception at the opulent Powerscourt Hotel and Spa. “I loved planning every element of the day! The best part was going back to collect my wedding dress when it arrived in store. As we were married in the South of Ireland we had extra paperwork to gather and lodge on time which was the only stressful part of planning,” added Rachel.

Paul, who owns Print Business Supplies in Lurgan, designed their stationery suite and as an extra special personal touch, the couple asked their guests to leave a Polaroid photo along with their messages in the guestbook. “The photos are brilliant, it turned out really well and is great to look back on,” said Rachel.

After choosing her delicate Jenny Packham gown from Castle Couture, Rachel opted for unusual long sleeved Self Portrait dresses for her maids in a neutral ivory shade. Together with Paul’s blue-grey suit, the romantic and elegant look for the day evolved, and was complemented by the seasonal cherry blossom and pink toned hand-tied bouquets. “When planning the day we focused on getting a great photographer and band. We felt it was really important to have excellent entertainment and the dance floor was not empty once – the band was fantastic! As for the photos, I love them – I love being able to look back on the day and Ciaran did a fantastic job!” said Rachel.

Looking back on their wedding day, Rachel explained, “The day was brilliant. It was honestly the best day ever, from having breakfast with all the girls in our room, to having our first dance together and going
to bed the next morning! It is unbelievable how quickly it goes, I am so glad we have photos and a video to capture the moments you sometimes forget! If we had to pick one highlight it would be walking down the aisle together to our favourite song and seeing the chapel packed with all our friends and family to help us celebrate! That was really special!” Before settling into married life back home in Lurgan, Rachel and Paul headed on a two-stop honeymoon in Dubai and the Maldives. “I would advise all engaged couples not to panic about planning thehe perfect day. Relax, everything will fall into place on the day and anything that doesn’t really doesn’t matter!” concluded Rachel.