We had the honour of making the jewellery for the most fabulous wedding between Shane and Darren who got married in Cork and had not one, not two but eight bridesmaids!😍 The whole day was absolutely magical and we were delighted to be part of it all.
The gorgeous grooms agreed to feature on our blog and we were delighted that they were our first Gay Marriage couple to feature on the blog. We asked Shane and Darren the following:
1. Where did you get married and how many venues did you view before deciding on that particular one?
Maryborough was the first place we looked at! I (Darren) actually had to go to their wedding showcase without Shane as he was sick at the time. From the moment we went in, we were so impressed. From the gardens to the main function room to the food, everything was amazing. The real selling point though was the Orangery where we had our wedding ceremony. It is such a stunning room and I just thought “this is where I’m going to get married!” I booked it that day and paid a deposit. I knew Shane would love it and he did.
2. Where did you buy your suits and how long before the wedding?
We got our tuxedos at Tom Murphy menswear on Patrick Street in Cork. Alex and the team in there were amazing and they even gave a discount to wedding guests wishing to rent a suit from them. We left it until 2 months before the wedding to get fitted and had our final fittings and adjustments the week before.
3. How many bridesmaids did you have and where did you buy their dresses and shoes?
We had 8 bridesmaids. Everybody thought we were mad but we had 4 each that we wanted so we just had to have them all! We let the girls choose their own shoes so they wouldn’t all have to wear the same heel as we had tall and short so it was easier! We got the girls dresses at Folkster and we added the custom belt from Azure Jewellery for a bit of sparkle. They all looked amazing.
4. Who did your bridesmaids' makeup?
Jeanette Cronin and Nicole Lynch from Jeanette Cronin Makeup did the bridesmaids and our mothers.
5. Where did you buy your bridesmaids' jewellery and accessories?
All of our Jewellery and accessories for the bridesmaids were from Azure Jewellery in Cork. Audrey and her team could not have been more helpful and really helped us to pick the perfect pieces for the girls. They all wore a stunning silver crystal necklace and drop earrings, which Tríona personalised. It was a lovely moment when we presented them to the girls on the morning of the wedding. They also had a dainty little Vine in the back of the hairstyle that complimented everything beautifully.
6. Who did your bridesmaids hair?
Origin Hair Design did the bridesmaids and our mothers hair. Shane is a hairdresser himself and works at Origin and there is nobody else he would trust with our bridesmaids. We had an army of hairdressers on the morning who were all fab: Patrick, Susanne, Amy and Aoife, and of course Fergal and Vicky.
7. What did you find the most challenging aspect of organising your wedding?
Invites! I would definitely advise people to get organised well in advance as it can get very messy making sure that you’ve everyone you want on the list.
8. What kind of band/entertainment did you have on the day?
We began the day with a Prosecco reception and music from the very talented VelvinLamont. It was the ideal background to a beautiful afternoon. Evening music was by the fantastic The Good Hustle!! They were amazing and had everyone up dancing for the entire night! We also had a Drag Act come in while the band were on break and it really added something different to the night! Miss Letycha LeSyn and her lovely lady crew were fantastic and it was great to incorporate a bit of LGBT culture into the night! People are still talking about it!
9. Were there any individual touches that you added and that you particularly loved about your day?
I just loved the chains and earrings we got for the girls from Azure Jewellery. So beautiful and something they will have forever.
10. What piece of advice would you give to any upcoming grooms?
We had our friend Eimear perform the ceremony in the Orangery which was absolutely the most amazing experience. I would advise to get your friends and family involved in some way and definitely make the most of the day as it flies! Everone told us this so we decided to have a big barbeque in The Sextant the following day (after 4pm when everyone had slightly recovered!), so we could spend more time with our friends and family.
Florist: The Best Of Buds, Cork
Photographer: Ray Terry Photography
Rings: Tríona Ní Mhurchadha
Mother of the Groom outfits: Frances (Shane’s Mom) – Phoenix V, Cork , Tricia (Darren’s mom) – Harper, Galway
Special Mention: Ray and Irene of Ray Terry Photography and to the team at Azure for the beautiful jewellery!