The Blog for Irish Brides (and Grooms!)

Corr, that looks good!

Irish brides have been flocking to Brown Thomas in the past week to get their enquiries in for the Vera Wang dress that Andrea Corr wore at her wedding to her stockbroker boyfriend Brett Desmond earlier in the month.  The fact that the gown costs close to €11,000 is proof that the dreaded “Recession” has yet been factored into many Irish Brides wedding-budget plans.

Photo Credit: Steve Humphreys

Photo Credit: Steve Humphreys

The current collection from Ms Wang, is described as “dresses tinged with colour, all lightness and froth provide a fresh new vision of artful femininity with tiny embellishments of twinkling stars, sparkling leaves, giant delicate cut-blossoms, blankets of frilly petticoats and sashes of pastel hues, or tightly cinched black stretch obis.”  The particular dress Andrea wore is called the Fairytale Princess and features a full skirt and strapless bodice.

Vera Wang gowns are considered the creme-de-la-creme of wedding gowns and are favoured by celebrities tying the knot.

Quirky, not Tacky

This was originally posted over on the CuriousWines blog as part of their brilliant wedding series.  Here I talk about why is OK to put a little (or a lot!) of your personality into your wedding….

Weddings are traditional affairs.  The walking down the aisle, giving away the bride and exchanging of vows has been around for decades/centuries/time immemorial.  (Delete whichever ones you think are incorrect – I write this blog in my spare time dudes!)

Anyway, being such a traditional event doesn’t mean weddings have to be boring, or staid, or downright dull.  Now I admit that I haven’t been to THAT MANY weddings, but it has been said on the street that some weddings can have a bit of a déjà vu effect.  Especially if it’s a siblings wedding or someone from the same group of friends.  Especially if it is held in the same venue or has the same band.  My tupence worth is that you should put your own stamp on your own wedding. It should have a flavour of the couple and include their interests and passions.  Why not after all?  Nobody but you is going to think that your wedding day is the most special day of their lives, so why make them sit through something beige?  Give them something to talk about, something to laugh about and something to remember!

Put some personality into your wedding decor.  Particularly with wedding favours or centrepieces, there is great opportunity to be creative!  What is exciting about tables numbered 1 to 10?  Nothing, that’s what.  How about photos of you and the groom in various holiday locations, or with various friends or family members who are sitting at that table.  How about themed centre pieces?  How about Fortune Cookie favours or little plant pots with seeds?  The choices are as limitless as your imagination.

Entertain your guests. Between the ceremony and the meal and between the meal and the band there will be a lull in proceedings.  People have taken time off work, bought a new frock and possibly travelled to be with you on your big day.  You’d better make damn sure you feed, water and entertain them!! There is nothing worse than people being so hungry before the meal they get cranky, or worse yet – hit the bar too hard!  Provide your guests with some finger food or canapés if there is a long gap before they are eating again.  A cheese buffet is a nice idea here aswell, especially if you can serve it with some nice wine.  [Hint: Curious Wines offer fantastic quality at a great price!]  There should also be something more for the guests to do than just drink – I had a magician at my launch party and he worked really well, mingling between the guests, not intrusive at all but the perfect way to liven up peoples afternoon.  Other ideas I have heard bandied about are Big Games (ie, inflatable twister, giant boxing ring, Sumo suits etc) sounds a bit mental, but you can be damn sure that people would let their hair down and have a good ol laugh – and isn’t that what you want for people at your wedding?

Please yourself. While you have to consider the needs and wants of your guests (as above) you also can’t please everybody.  And if Granny is coming and can’t stand loud music but you have your heard set on a kickin’ band, then I’d be finding Granny a quiet spot where she could hang out.  As soon as you start to try to satisfy everyone, you will most certainly end up not satisfying anyone, most particularly yourself.  So make the tough choices and make it a day to remember for you guys and filled with fun and personality.  Even if you are into Death Metal.

Waking up in Vegas? Fun Casino Wedding Entertainment!

Loving Katy Pery’s song at the moment Waking Up in Vegas, there’s a great video to boot!  Anyway, if you can’t afford to jet off to Vegas to get married in the presence of Elvis himself, then the next best thing is surely to have some Casino Tables as part of your wedding entertainment!

Fun Casino Ireland are now offering their casino night package specifically designed for weddings!  They will advise on how many tables you should have based on the number of guests, but it will set you back between €800 and €1500 for about an hours entertainment for your guests.  This would be ideal between the meal and as the band is setting up.  They have also partnered with another favourite supplier of ours Ireland’s DJ Network to provide you with a complete offering where you can have a full casino night and DJ (about 5 hours of entertainment) for €1695!  This is less than most bands are charging and a real viable alternative if you aren’t really into live music or are looking at managing your costs.

I personally think a night like this would be great for a couple who maybe got married abroad and just want to have a big party when they return home.  What a great way to liven up your wedding party!  Or, if you are doing the second-day-BBQ, add an extra bit of fun with a few casino tables, lively dealers and give your guests something to really talk about after the wedding is all over.

Why not check out the packages available for weddings or call Paul directly to chat about what he can offer.  Fun Casinos Ireland service the whole country.

And to get you in the mood….Watch Katy do her thing! Waking Up in Vegas

Nothing overlooked but the Lake: Pontoon Bridge Hotel

A family-run hotel in Mayo in a spectacular setting, overlooking Lough Conn Pontoon Bridge Hotel has a great reputation for delivering fantastic weddings to couples over the years.  We are delighted to have them on board weddingdates.ie and you can now view their video here:

Check availability for the Pontoon Bridge Hotel, Foxford for your perfect Wedding Venue in Mayo

40 Licks My Arse!

Probably one of the most memorable aspects of anyones big day is the music and the band plays an all important part (pardon the pun!) in making everyones day a success.  I have written before about wedding bands and how important choosing the right one is.

News broke yesterday that you can hire the Rolling Stones for your wedding for the hefty price tag of €5.7 million, coming in more expensive than the likes of Elton John, Paul McCartney or Kylie Minogue.  But as we all know, there is a recession on, so for those of you out there that are looking to save a bit on the wedding entertainment why not consider 80’s crooner, Rick Astley?!  Compared to The Stones, he is a snip at only £25,000 and at least you know he’s going to be reliable on the night…..

What the heck – take a break from your day to have an ol bop to this….

Labour of Love – make your own rings?!

What a fabulous idea to get creative and really have something special and memorable at the end of it!  The Irish Design House is launching its program whereby you can “make your own wedding rings”.  All details are outlined on the below flier.  They are limiting the numbers to one couple per weekend and will lay on lunch both days, take photos of the couples progress and celebrate the completion of their wedding rings over a glass of champagne!

You can watch Clare from the Irish Design Shop talking about the course and showing some of the rings on TV3’s Ireland AM

Wedding Showcase: Ambassador Hotel in Cork City

Ambassador Hotel Wedding Showcase – Sunday 13th of September 2009

2 -4 pm Military Hill, St. Luke’s, Cork City

If you are looking for the perfect wedding venue make sure to join us on the 13th of September at the four star Ambassador Hotel where we will be showcasing our hotel and all that it has to offer.  We pride ourselves on tailor making all our weddings to fit each and every couple.  We work with you to make certain your day is everything you have dreamed and more.  We are committed to making sure you maximize your budget regardless of your budget.  If you are looking for an intimate venue with a dedicated team of professionals make certain to join us on the 13th of September.

Enjoy Complimentary admission, light refreshments, entertainment  €10,000 worth of prizes to be won on the day.

All couples attending on the day will receive €2500 worth of vouchers complimentary from Theweddingteam.net – A day not to be missed!

Contact our Wedding Coordinator at 021 453 9000 or email us at events@ambassadorhotel.ie – We would be honoured to be a part of your Wedding Day!

Why not Check Availability for the Ambassador – a fantastic City Centre Wedding Venue in Cork!

All inclusive wedding in Killarney – Dromhall Hotel

The Dromhall Hotel in Killarney are offering a great deal for all inclusive wedding for €10,000 and you can now watch our video walkthrough of it:

If you want a 4 star venue in picture-perfect Killarney within a manageable budget then why not consider the Dromhall Hotel for your Wedding Venue in Kerry.

Kinsale Wedding by the Water: Actons Hotel

Actons Hotel has a great reputation in Cork for quality and service and its enviable location right on the pier road in Kinsale makes it a great spot for weddings.

If you are considering a Cork or Kinsale wedding, you can checkavailability for Actons in Kinsale – one of Cork’s top Wedding Venues

How To Hen Party

This week I was invited to the launch of Kate Hyde’s new book “How To Hen Party“.  Kate is the woman behind the hugely successful site henparty.ie which you might have seen on last years Dragons Den series on RTE.  henparty.ie features loads of advice and ideas for hen nights as well as featured hotels and suppliers who will help make the hen night a success.  With ideas ranging from Poll Dancing to helicopter rides – there surely is something for everyone!  The site also includes an online shop where you can conveniently (and at a very affordable price) pick up all the necessary hen paraphernalia.

In the book “How To Hen Party“, Kate advises chief bridesmaids on the “Rules” of the Hen Party and how to make it a night that no one will forget – especially the Hen herself!

The book covers all the essentials including:

  • Where to go, what to do and how to do it
  • Games, themes, nice ideas and more
  • Handling ‘Hen-zilla’
  • Managing the money side of things
  • Bringing back The Trousseau and the Kitchen Party
It is recommended for any bride-to-be to give to her chief bridesmaid to ensure she has all the tools at her disposal to organise a great hen night!  And with a price tag of only €9.99 it is sure to be snapped off the shelves!!  Available in all good bookshops or from the online shop on henparty.ie.
Older Posts »