I am so excited to share this wedding with you today. Ciara and I had a ball designing her look for her day and while we did most of the fitting and designing in the mist of lockdowns and restrictions it turned out to be an absolute dream dress – and who doesn’t love a sparkling bomber jacket
What is your best memory of your wedding day?
We had the most incredible day. To pick a single best memory is just not possible. The magic was in the little moments, the small details.
I remember everything from the morning with my mum, sister, and the girls, to finally putting on my dress and showing my dad for the first time, waiting to walk up the aisle and hearing my friend Karen singing my bridesmaids entrance song and thinking I love this song, forgetting I planned the music, that this was my day and that this would happen again and again. Looking over to see my friend Sinead played me up the aisle on the harp. Seeing my husband-to-be at the top of the aisle and chatting amongst ourselves during the ceremony. Our priest Fr Brian kept us all laughing and made our ceremony one we remember fondly. Elaine and all the staff at Kilkea Castle were incredible and we couldn’t have been happier to share our day with our twenty-five guests. It felt even more special that everyone had a role, whether it was playing the harp, reading or singing. The whole day from start to end, was just magic.
What is your advice to a bride to be?
My advice to future Brides would be:
Make your plans freely, ( forget about the guest numbers until you know for certain what you’re dealing with). Get carried away, plan your dream day. If you must make changes throughout, you’ll quickly find your non-negotiables.
Find suppliers that understand your vision. Most of my planning happened in level 5 lockdown and somehow, they still managed to pull it off, finding creative ways to go above and beyond surpassing all my expectations. It seemed like nothing was too much to ask.
If the numbers are disappointing, it might be an idea to consider marking the day on your One Year Anniversary. There were so many we would have loved to share our day with. We plan to do it all again.
What was your biggest worry about getting your dress made?
I have never had a dress made before. I suppose that was a worry. I had considered having a dress made but always thought that it would be riskier than going into a bridal shop. I had heard of friends having mixed experiences in bridal boutiques and I had thought that this would be the same with having a dress made.
I was clear about what I wanted in a dress but wasn’t sure if it would be possible but decided to give it a go.
I contacted Sarah via email. She set up a call. I shared my pinterest and Instagram folders of dresses, or details on dresses that I liked. I described my dream dress. Within a week I had the most beautiful sketches of dresses posted to my door. She just got it! This starting point gave me great confidence that Sarah understood what I had dreamed up in my head.
I paid my deposit and started the process. Sarah made a mock up that gave me an idea of the silhouette and fit. I had regular fittings and Sarah always looked for my feedback. I really felt like I could bounce my ideas off her and that her expertise guided me with fabrics and details as to what would work best. She always stayed true to my vision and if something didn’t look as I imagined it would on my shape, it was changed without a fuss.
What part of the process of having your dress made was most fun for you?
I absolutely loved the dress design process but the fun for me, was creating my fabulous sparkly veil and matching sheer bomber jacket. I wanted to feel like myself. I love short light jackets. They are a staple in my wardrobe. I chanced asking Sarah if she could design one based on one of my favourites that I own and she did just that.
She made it all happen. It was such a relaxing, fun experience and I could not recommend her highly enough. If you’re in any way nervous about ‘THE DRESS’ give Sarah a call. You will be glad you did.
What a dress ! what a day! and what a lady! I love creating pieces for brides that make them feel like themselves. Pieces that they will wear again and piece they can hand down to friends and family and I can see that with this jacket and dress. They are something special . What part of your wardrobe or style would you love to add to your wedding look?
A big thank you to Ciara for sharing her experience with us today
Ciara’s Dream Team
Hair: claregallagherhairstylist
