Today, on our blog, we are sharing the wonderful wedding story of Celia & Billy. A lovely couple who came all the way from the USA to share this meaningful day with their family & friends in gorgeous Ireland. Keep on reading, because we are going to tell you all about their Laid-Back Wedding in Beautiful Galway City.
Why Ireland?
The bride & groom had visited Ireland for a holiday a year earlier and it was their only choice when deciding on a wedding location!
They loved the culture, heritage, fun & informality of Ireland and wanted to share it on their vey special day with their nearest & dearest and thus settled on an intimate destination wedding in fabulous Galway city.
The Couple’s Vision
“We envisioned a stress-free day absent of traditional formalities, spent with out closest friends & families. One objective of the day is that our guests were able to share in some of our favourite passion points (Ireland, travel, food, drinks & dancing) and that the series of the events felt like ‘us’. We spent the morning getting ready with our wedding parties, followed by our First Look.
[We wanted the day to have an] obvious structure and it was seamlessly executed by our wonderful wedding planner Michelle, Dream Irish Wedding. It felt laid back but thoughtful, and very fun.
The Wedding Party
They each had 5 attendees made up of their long-time best friends & siblings.
The girls wore different stylish on-trend velvet jewel-coloured dresses of blue, red & Kelly burgundy.
The Guests
Celia & Billy and all of their guests including close friends & family travelled from all over the USA for the wedding, with most guests making the wedding part of a holiday in Ireland.
The Day Before
A Welcome Party was hosted by Billy’s family in fabulous John Keogh’s Gastro Pub in the heart of the Claddagh, Galway city. It gave all the guests a chance to meet & mingle before the big day.
The Format of the Day
The Bride & Groom decided on a very romantic First Look in a Galway pub. Then, the ceremony took place in the majestic Cathedral of Our Lady assumed into Heaven & St Nicholas in the historic Galway city. After the ceremony, the bride & groom were led down the aisle by a bagpiper and did a fun photoshoot with their photographer throughout Galway city. The rest of the day went as tradition: Cocktail reception, First Dances, Dinner followed by speeches and then, the post-dinner party continued in King’s Head pub.
The Reception
Celia & Billy, being two foodies, decided to host their reception in one of Galway’s Michelin star restaurants: the almost perfect Loam, where fresh local ingredients are King & the style of restaurant and food very unique.
The Cocktail Reception took place in the wine bar, followed by dinner in the main restaurant area at Loam: an ideal space for their intimate wedding.
Keep with the Irish theme of the wedding, a traditional Irish band performed during the reception & played for the bride & groom first dance.
After dinner, the group continued the party in the King’s Head pub where they danced the night away into the early hours.
The Menu
Their 5-course tasting menu included an appetizer of smoked eel, second course of sirloin bone marrow & main of melt in your mouth pork loin, even for a non-pork eater!
The Maitre d’ paired the delicious menu with complimentary wines including a beautiful montepulciano d’Abruzzo with the main course & a Riesling Auslese with dessert.
We wish Celia & Billy a wonderful marriage, full of happiness and laughter.
Our Dream Team of Vendors
Planners – Dream Irish Wedding
Photographer – Bruno Rosso
Videographer – D.art Wedding Stories
Hair/Make-up – The Hair Fairy
Ceremony Music – Serenade Duo
Reception Music – High Reels
Transport – Claddagh Coach Hire
Check Out even more amazing Real Wedding stories here.