Peggy + Michael | Mount Druid Wedding | Alternative Wedding Photography | Irish Wedding Photography

It’s hard for me to put into words the effort and sheer level of dedication both Peggy and Michael put into their wedding day but it was simply amazing a proper alternative wedding. I met these guys back in January of 2015 for a chat and felt instantly that they were our kind of couple, a good laugh and really easy to get on with and planning what sounded like and turned out to be a superb wedding.
We had a shoot planned for late summer as they both wanted to get a little more comfortable in front of camera which you can see here and it only made me more excited about their wedding day. I was going to write about everything I saw and how it all looked and all of that but I decided that I just wouldn’t be able to do it justice. So instead I asked Peggy who’s personality I hope she doesn’t mind me saying is more than equipped to describe the day perfectly! So here we go over to you Peggy and then some images…

 

“Seeing as both Michael and I work in the design industry, we really wanted to put our own creative stamp on our wedding. We have both been to a few weddings at this stage in our lives and while they have all been beautiful we knew we wanted something a little different. I happened to find that something a little bit different while searching for my sisters wedding Venue in 2014, needless to say I never mentioned Mount Druid as a possible venue destination. I knew the minute I saw the pictures of Mount Druid it was going to be the place where Michael and I would get married. Michael didn’t need much convincing once we got down to check the place out. Even on the wettest most miserable day in November 2014, the quirky potential shone through for us.  With everything on site and Mongolian yurts for accommodation there was no way we couldn’t get married there.We both wanted a relaxed wedding that wasn’t overly traditional yet still retained that essence of home grown, rustic country life we were looking for. We set to work pretty swiftly after nailing down the venue. I had a very distinct vision in my mind on how the overall look and feel of the day would go. Again my wonderful husband is very trusting in me so let me run with it.

We had our quirky venue…check.

Next on the list was to pencil in a celebrant. Luckily Joe Armstrong was available and steered us straight in all the ins and outs of a humanist ceremony…check.

The band was a big one, we knew we would be having a young wedding full of friends we have made throughout the years…So we opted for a band that was more in tune with that – Till Death Do Us Party – and they didn’t disappoint. We danced so hard I even forgot to throw my bouquet …check. 

Again coming from very visual backgrounds, capturing our day and our memories was utmost importance (dare I say, on par or at least close with THE DRESS) Michael being a dab hand at photography himself lorded over this ruling. The minute he discovered Moat Hill we were sold…check.

With the holy trinity of wedding suppliers nailed down we waded into the wedding planning abyss hoping to come out the other end alive!! We wanted our invites to play a big part in kicking off the look of our wedding so we designed and printed them onto tea towels. Each was wrapped (rather messily) in brown paper, twine and stamped with a little custom illustration of us and the date of our wedding.  Our design followed through the rest of the wedding stationary. We also had a wedding site up and running full of all the vital wedding day information our guests might need. It also had beautiful pictures from our engagement shoot that Paul captured a few weeks earlier…we knew we were onto a winner.

When it came to the DRESS, I had my most trusted advisor, my mam with me for all my dress escapades. Fast forward to a Myrtle Ivory visit and there was only one in the running…the gardenia by Claire Pettibone. A boho brides dream! Topped with a floral crown from appassionata I think it was as good a match as any for Michael’s tweed Magee suit.

To give our venue that lovely rustic, country wildflower feel we turned to Tina from The Wild Bunch. After a lovely chat over coffee she knew exactly what we were looking for. A few emails passed between us and we had a perfect plan for plants! She seriously knows her stuff and was able to turn the chapel and main reception area into a colourful floral backdrop.

With so many other ideas streaming through our heads and not a lot of time to get them completed we roped in the help of our lovely friend Lorraine Kennan. Luckily for us she is starting her own event styling company and needed a guinea pig tester. We were glad to oblige, so it wasn’t long before our ideas became reality! “Yay” flags to wave at the end of the ceremony, a giant lighting wooden love sign, huge white balloons, massive hanging lanterns, custom made signs, reflected mirror hidden messages, personalised smore favors, popcorn stands and much more.  A big shout out to her dad Joe, the handiest of handy men!

On the morning of the big day, it was cold but sunny. My bridesmaids and I were busy getting pampered on site by the wonderful Emma and Michelle, while poor Michael and his groomsmen were busy running around making sure all the loose ends were nicely tied off.   Nerves and excitement were high but surrounded by my amazing family; I managed to hold it together.  Once all our guests were safely snuggled up in the red tin chapel with Michael waiting anxiously, I made my appearance. My Dad and I arrived in vintage style…pulling up to the chapel in an old Morris Minor.

We wanted our ceremony to be very personal and include as many friends and family as possible. Our guests were kept entertained with some lovely readings, songs by my lovely bridesmaid Kate and Michael’s cousin Alan, and ribbon hand fastening. After the ceremony our guests headed for the warmth of the boathouse and enjoyed artisan popcorn and delicious doughnuts (we had to get a signature doughnut in- rich tea and nutella YUM) while being drawn by the super talented illustrator Conor Merriman. The bridal party remained back to capture some of our beautiful images. It was so cold out but we pulled it off.

The barn was so inviting when dinnertime came around. Everything was perfect. We were all pleasantly stuffed from our locally sourced dinner but of course had room for some of the delicious treats from the Brown Hound Bakery dessert table.  The love and laughter from our families’ speeches had the room full of emotions. Besides Paul capturing moments of the wedding, we had two of the best helpers: Paddy (11) and Lilyann (9), rounding up all our friends for polaroids and personal messages to be jotted and stuck down in our wedding book for keepsakes. Then came the band. After a little dancing even more room was made for some smores, toasted over the lovely open fire at the back of the reception room.

Our family, friends and memories captured in Paul’s photos made our wedding.  Everything about the day was exactly what we had hoped it would be. We laughed, danced in a brief snowfall and waved sparkles well into the night. All we can say now is, thank you. X”

Venue: Mount Druid – http://alternativeweddings.ie/

Grooms Suit: Magee – http://www.magee1866.com/