Blossoming Love And A Picture-Perfect Spring Wedding
Like the flowers in bloom, our love blossoms in the warmth of spring, creating a garden of memories that will last a lifetim
Victoria Potts a Nursery Assistant from Dungannon met Mechanic and Part Time Fire Fighter Kyle Arnold from Omagh on a night out in the Moy where love blossomed and their lives became intertwined.
A very romantic surprise proposal happened a few years later, Victoria told us “It was one Sunday morning, the 16th of January 2022. I was told to be at Kyle’s house for a certain time as we had a very strict schedule but he wouldn’t tell me where we were going to. So, me thinking nothing of it, I was there on time and we made our way to Mussenden Temple near Castlerock. When we got there it was quite cold and very breezy so it was just a quick walk around the temple and then back to the car again. From there Kyle decided to go to Binevenagh Mountain and once he started to drive again I had an idea of where we were going to. On our way walking towards the mountain Kyle started to talk about the future and how he didn’t realise this day three years ago it would change his life. On that particular day he was on Binevenagh, mountain biking on his own and I had messaged him about meeting up. As we started to walk on towards the side of the mountain where we were on our own and looking at the view ahead, I noticed that Kyle kept looking at his watch. Next thing you know he tripped over one of the rocks just before he was going to go down on one knee but I couldn’t help but laugh. You could tell that he was getting nervous but then I turned round and he was on one knee with the ring in his hand. Of course, I said ‘yes’ but managed to hold it together with just tearing up a little. He then said that he wanted to do the proposal at the exact time I had messaged him so that explained why he was looking at his watch. The engagement ring is white gold with diamonds in the middle of it from Goldmine Jewellers in Omagh. Kyle had the ring 6 months previously and had been hiding it, waiting for the perfect time to pop the question”
A spring wedding was booked for 24th March 2023 in Church of Ireland, Annaghmore followed by a reception in the Killyhevlin Hotel with 170 guests invited and a beautiful spring colour theme with soft blues, pinks and creams.
When it came time to choosing the perfect gown Victoria knew the best place to go to, The Bridal Barn in Loughgall, her aunt owns it so she knew she would be in great hands with her. Victoria told us “I always had in my head that I wanted a ‘princess’ sort of look and a dress with a long train. After trying on a few different styles, I soon knew what was the right one and it was the very first dress I tried on. I completely fell in love with the dress and also added on a few extra bits to make my own personal touch to it as it was exactly what I pictured. I had a great experience when picking my wedding dress and my family were so good at giving me their honest opinion. They all quickly said yes to this dress and knew that there was something very special about it. My auntie is so good at what she does and was completely honest when choosing the perfect wedding dress”.
Bridesmaid dresses also came from The Bridal Barn along with dresses for the flowergirls which Victoria’s aunt made herself, Victoria told us “They looked absolutely beautiful and the colour suited them all so well. She had given me the idea of going for a ‘powder blue’ which was very different to the colours that my other sisters went for on their wedding day and it was stunning”. Victoria had her sisters Allison, Rebekah and Ruth as bridesmaids along with nieces Elsie, Isabella and Skye as flowergirls.
Kyle got his suit from Nineteen83 in Omagh and then hired suits from SD Kells in Omagh for his groomsmen and page boy. Kyle had his brother Darren as best man along with best friend Dale and brother in law Aaron as groomsmen and nephew Oliver as page boy.
The best part of planning the day was “I say the best and most exciting part was choosing my wedding dress. It was the part which I was looking forward to the most and always dreamt of the day that I would be able to choose my own wedding dress” the bride told us. The stressful part was getting the suits for the men and then worrying about them needing alterations or maybe not being there on time especially little Oliver’s, but after a few wee changes were made they were perfect, they even had a kilt made for the piper from SD Kells as well.
The whole day ran smoothly and was better than either of them could have imagined, the guests all thoroughly enjoyed themselves and even commented about how beautiful the wedding was. They all danced and partied the night away making for a fantastic atmosphere for the first dance which was to Luke Combs “Beautiful Crazy”
A funny moment for the couple was “One of the funny incidents was during the service when we were doing our vows, quite a few times we were getting our rights and lefts mixed up. Of course all our friends and family had a good laugh, I ended up having to get the minister to repeat the vows as I was laughing along with everyone else. Looking back though it made that part of the service so personal to us and it just showed that everything might not go to plan. The service was so memorable and it was lovely to see again on the video which is why I would definitely recommend a videographer” the couple said.
There were a few special moments which will no doubt make ever lasting happy memories for the couple, Victoria told us “We had Kyle’s partner piping us out of the church and into the reception. It added a personal touch to the day and all the guests absolutely loved him playing. We also had sparklers outside just before our first dance, the wee ones especially enjoyed them. After the first dance I had a father of the bride dance, this was definitely another memorable moment. Kyle is also in the Fire Brigade so of course we had to stop in Enniskillen and get a photo with the fire engine as well”.
A highlight for the couple was seeing each other at the top of the aisle; Kyle said “it just felt so surreal that the day had come where we were going to be husband and wife. It hit my partner straight away, he couldn’t hold back the tears”
They both agreed that they wouldn’t do anything differently apart from maybe not to stress about the small things and enjoy the planning more.
Kyle and Victoria enjoyed a honeymoon on a cruise around the Mediterranean, which they would recommend as a honeymoon choice. They gave this advice for other couples planning their own day “Just take everything in your stride and enjoy every minute of your day because it goes so quick. Also make sure to take a few minutes away from the guests and enjoy a few moments on your own as husband and wife just to take everything in. It is such a magical day and there will be lots of memorable moments. If I could I would do it all over again”
They are enjoying married life, it hasn’t changed too much yet, it will do soon though when they are joined by their own bundle of joy this autumn. They said “It has been a very busy year but we can’t wait for the next chapter in our lives”
WEDDING SUPPLIERS INFO:
Reception location:Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel & Lodges
Wedding Dress from: The Bridal Barn NI
Bridesmaids dresses from: The Bridal Barn NI
Groomswear from: Nineteen83/ S.D Kells
Rings from: Hazel Allen Jewellers Omagh
Cake by: Christine’s Wedding Cakes
Stationery by: Epiphany Designs NI
Transport from: Glendale Limousines
Photography by: William Studio Photography
Videography by: Barry Porter Videography
Entertainment by: The Liberals
