Friday, March 11, 2011

Bridget & Michael

You'll have to forgive me for letting Bridget and Michael's wedding day jump the blog post queue but I just can't help it. Bridget and Michael's day was just pure magic from start to finish and they most definitely had the luck of the irish on their side. For starters the weather was amazing. And for the weather to be sunny and warm at the start of March, in Ireland, is darn near impossible. Secondly, Bridget and Michael had planned all of their wedding from Philadelphia as they are both American. Well, I say American but definitely with Irish roots, as you'll find out...

Not only was Roundwood House the place they and their immediate family were staying but it was also their reception venue and it was filled with Irish charm. In fact it was also where I met Bridget and Michael for the first time on the eve of their wedding. When it is lit up at night with the peat burning on the fire, it is just beautiful.

I actually gasped loudly when Bridget lifted out her wedding jewellery. All vintage.

Bridget's dress was a timeless classic from J-Crew and shoes were Kate Spade.

You can get a feel for someone on how they type their emails and I just had a feeling that Bridget and I would get along, but it was most definitely confirmed when I met her. Bridget hugs and thanks everyone she meets. She is absolutely 100% genuine. When we first met she greeted me like an old friend. In fact when Bridget's flowers arrived the hug she gave the florist was a whole hearted one. She was so happy with what he had done for her that she even asked me to take a photo of her and him together, despite wearing no make up and her hair all over the place. The moment of thanks was bigger than she was. And that is Bridget :)

P.S Bridget's flowers were lily of the valley and they were stunning. I've never seen anything like it.

Hair and makeup was done beautifully by the lovely sisters Julie and Deidre Fitzpatrick, based in Portlaoise.

Bridget's sister Colleen, was her Maid of Honor, and she is getting married herself in the next few months. Watching their connection all day reminded me so much of me and my sisters. Colleen's dress was also Kate Spade. Such a gorgeous shade of green.

Bridget got ready in the aptly named 'Green Room'. The room was constantly filled with the ladies of her friends and family, all wanting to witness bits and pieces of her morning and it was so lovely to be amongst it.

Stunning Bridget, who between you and me, reminded me so much of a brunette version of Amy Adams.

Can you guess what Mike's room was called?

Now I'm not going to lie, after I shot these I arrived back in Bridget's room across the hall and told her quite frankly that not only was her husband-to-be gorgeous, but he also looked like George Clooney. A young George Clooney at least ;)

Now, you could be forgiven for thinking that Bridget was the Irish link and the reason they all flew to Ireland from Philadelphia to be married. Whilst Bridget has ancestory from Galway, it's actually Michael who has the closer link... Michael's mum is Irish and his dad is Italian.

It takes a lot for me to be moved by a ceremony as I've witnessed quite a lot, but there are some that just blow me away. Bridget and Michael's just blew me away.

It is an Irish tradition that when the bride and groom leave the church, the wedding guests all honk their car horns like crazy. For such a small village wedding the noise was tremendous! So were their surprised reactions!

The noise of all the horns brought local school kids over to the church and they all only had eyes for Bridget, plus when they heard their accents, well, they must have thought they were in the company of movie stars!

The lovely wedding party
Apologies to Michael's brother Nick, who I called Todd all day!! Plus a special thank you for his skill with a shawl ;)

All my love go to you both and all your lovely family for a safe trip back to Philadelphia. It was such a pleasure to have been a part of your amazing day, and I will never forget it. A special thank you also goes to Khara Plicanic for recommending me all the way from the US. What a small world! xox


1 comments:

Khara Plicanic said...

Oh my goodness! How am I ***just now*** seeing this????? I've been anxiously awaiting, and somehow I'm 4 months late! Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! I'm so happy to know that my friends were so well taken care of. You're sensational Carly!