Claire and Paul's idyllic spring wedding took place at Great Southern in Killarney, Ireland. This stunning historic hotel is surrounded by beautiful grounds and incredible scenery, offering a beautiful backdrop for Claire and Paul's day.
Claire wore Jesus Peiro 158; a chic, simple wedding dress made from fine bombay crepe, featuring delicate sheer full length sleeves. The skirt is a simple column with split to the front which Claire took full advantage of to showcase her fabulous glittering block heels from Charlotte Mills. Claire also opted for the removable tulle overskirt, which she wore during the ceremony and portraits, removing it later to update her look for the evening reception.
Read on to find out all about Claire's dress and Irish wedding to Paul, in the brides own words.
Jesus Peiro 158 wedding dress
As soon as I put it on I knew I couldn't leave without it - It felt like it was designed specifically for me (of course I know it wasn't!). But everything about it spoke to me and reflected me. It's such a timeless dress, structured, yet with the added overskirt for the ceremony, it's also soft and feminine.
I loved the dress, but as soon as Lucy put the overskirt on with it, I audibly gasped. It was all the extra "drama" I was looking for. It was just PERFECT.
I brought my Mum dress shopping with me. Being an Irish Mammy she is one of the most brutally honest people so of course she was the best candidate to help me choose. After we went through a couple of dresses that she was obviously not bothered by, we were just about ready to go home before we tried this one last dress. She cried - obviously. She cried at every fitting too. Even the stylings appointment. A dress that can carry on shocking someone every time to this level is obviously the one.
Dress Shopping
When we found this dress, we actually found it at one of Miss Bush's sample Sales - we hadn't even gone to our actual appointment with Miss Bush by that time, so we knew we were just going to have some "no pressure fun" in trying some dresses on and it was exactly that. It was all just fun - until we tried my dress on (the last one) and I wasn't leaving without it.
Side note - the Miss Bush sample sale was soooo not what I imagined. I pictured the episode from friends where Monica gives Rachel and Pheobe whistles and pictures of the dress they needed to track down. However when I arrived, I realised it was still a private viewing - there were no 100s of women to bat past - it was still a 1-1 appointment (with the gorgeous Lucy), very calm, very organised. "No pressure fun".
Styling
I went with the Miss Clemmie pins which were just simply GORGEOUS. My friends gifted me some pearl drop earings and my parents bought me the matching necklace.
As there was a slit in the dress, there was every opportunity to see some shoe, so I had to go for something sparkly - I went for a pair of Charlotte Mills shoes (as I adore the little details in these shoes). I didn't take these off all day they were so comfortable (and key because no one wants to be tripping over their dress!).
About the Day
We got married back in Kerry, Ireland - which is a very special part of the world for me as it's where my family are from. As Kerry has some of the most beautiful scenery and surroundings the world can offer - I was letting the venue do the talking. The grounds of the Great southern were just beautiful, all in bloom from the Spring/summer flowers.
The colour theme for the bridesmaids matched the natural surroundings, and then I wanted to inject the summery colours with the flowers. Of course I had to make the most of the time of year to incorporate my favourite flowers - Peonies! Bright, coral, pinks and peaches. The flowers actually took my breath away.
The best bits
My highlights were;
- Walking down the aisle and seeing Paul for the first time. It was a genuine "Oh My Gooooddddd this is happening" moment.
- After the ceremony we hid from our guests in the bar and had a glass of champagne together to squeal with excitement and talk about the ceremony, our mornings etc. This was while our guests were making their way to get lined up for the confetti shot, so it was nice just to catch our breath after the ceremony together.
- Our couples shot by Ross castle, at Killarney Lake. My Opa (grandfather) passed away very suddenly a week before my wedding, and he had a boat on that lake we got some photos next to. When we went down, the clouds parted partially and the sun shone down on his boat. It was just like getting a hug from him.
- First dance - and then all the other dances! the dancefloor was full ALL NIGHT until 3am. Our band did such an amazing job of getting everyone up and dancing and we just had so much fun.
Claire's Advice
Do not get disheartened if your idea of you dream dress doesn't make you giddy. It's probably not the one, so don't force it to be.
I went in with some dress ideas in mind/ a specific designer in mind and i came away with the complete opposite style of dress. Let the dress chose you instead of you choosing the dress. You will feel so happy and comfortable in something that speaks you, which can sometimes be something completely different to what you initially thought!
Also - the team at Miss Bush will give you ALL the amazing advice. They will know what suits you, they'll listen to what you like, what your usual style is and then work their bridal magic. Welcome the advice, even if you think that on the hanger the dress isn't for you - try it on!
Have fun with it - it's not something that should be stressful, and if it is, you've been shopping at the wrong places!
Suppliers
Photographer: Awake and Dreaming
Videographer: Best Day Productions
Venue: Great Southern, Killarney
Hair: Tara Boughen
Bridesmaids Makeup: Sharon O'Sullivan
Brides Makeup: Done by Bride
Florist: Shades of Bloom
Bridesmaid Dresses: Oasis
Cake: O'Carrolls Cakes
Band: Ian Hendrick Band