Romantic Irish wedding with the most thoughtful gift from the groom

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From the beginning, Kiera and Christian were adamant about keeping the vision and "big picture" at the forefront. Kiera was incredibly fearful of slipping into the bridal blackhole--pining over napkin colors and small details that ultimately wouldn't be the most important part of the day. The goal was to curate an atmosphere rather than focus on the small tangible things. The couple wanted the lighting, the music and the ambiance to be all enveloping--creating the utmost intimacy, even with a 92 guest turnout. Thanks to this thoughtful planning with the help of To Have and To Hold, guests walked away with a feeling of family and plenty of memories, all captured by Gabe McMullen Photography!

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Hand-curated getting-ready outfits

For the bridesmaids' getting ready outfits, Kiera hand-curated different sets for each of them with underlying tones that would coordinate well together. It was a perfect complement to the bridal suite adorned with antiques and Persian rugs.

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The journey from long sleeve to strapless

Kiera set out for a long-sleeve, full lace dress with a high neck and low back - boy was she wrong! After trying on so many dresses that just weren't "the one," a lovely stylist at the boutique pulled a Saint Bridal Couture that would ultimately become her dress. Kiera loved the asymmetrical skirt, and she knew the look would complement their venue perfectly.

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Buttercream bridesmaids

Kiera took the more traditional approach for the bridal party attire and asked all of her girls to wear the same dress from Revolve. It was a stunning buttercream color with a gorgeous silhouette, and the high-neck detail provided the perfect contrast to her strapless gown. To finish the look, Kiera found linen wraps that she asked them to wear "backwards" during the ceremony as to way to stray from a conventional shawl. It turned out so chic, especially with the single stem calla lily as the girls walked down the aisle.

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Generational wedding bands

The bride's wedding band belonged to her great grandmother, born in Cork. This was especially meaningful because Kiera was named after her. For her right hand, the mother of the bride lent the bride-to-be her other great grandmother's ring of rubies to wear as her "something borrowed."

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One of our favorite gifts from the groom

On the morning of the wedding, Christian had his best man deliver a gift to Kiera--a custom made diamond necklace that was a replica of her engagement ring. He was very intentional about the cut, the setting, and the finishes to ensure it was an exact match, and when she asked him why he chose this gift, he told her: "It was the best decision of my life to give you that ring, so I wanted to do it twice."

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Gift idea: sentimental handkerchiefs

The bride's soon-to-be sister-in-law surprised the couple with hand-embroidered handkerchiefs with their wedding date on them. She knew that Christian is a crier, so this was definitely a handy gift! The day of, the bride also carried her "something blue" in the form of a handkerchief that had been stitched with delicate blue flowers by each woman at the bridal shower.

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Must-have eye contact moment

Both the bride and groom attested to the fact that the most special part of the day was locking eyes down the aisle during the ceremony.

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Photo op idea: impromptu candids

The couple's absolute favorite moment was in the middle of the sit-down dinner when the photographer, Gabe McMullen, called the wedding party over for candid photos. Kiera and Christian were adamant about focusing on capturing the people and raw moments throughout the wedding, so as a trade-off, they opted to forego staged group shots. However, Gabe saw an opportunity during the dinner to pull the group outside for the most intimate moments in the sprinkling Irish rain.

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Unique (optional) guest favors: tattoos!

The quirkiest part of the wedding day? When the couple flew out Christian's tattoo artist from New Jersey to do a live tattooing on the day after the wedding at the pig roast. The couple created a flash sheet with the artist of nine specific images in two different sizes that guests could choose from. So many people ultimately wanted to get one that the artist literally ran out of daylight!

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After-the-fact advice from the bride

"Don't get caught up in the little things. Truly, it was the best decision to have this approach because it keeps you grounded in what marriage is really about - you and your partner. We had a lot of fun with planning, and while there were stressful moments in the final months, we knew it would all be worthwhile because it was what we wanted from the start. It's hard to stay balanced and tune out the many opinions you'll hear along the way, and sometimes you'll have to appease a few people, but ultimately, this is your day."

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