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Belfast Live

National

Nadia Breen

Inside My Wedding: Co Down couple's 'clean and crisp' day at Orange Tree House

Rebecca Co Down

A Co Down couple have told all on their classic wedding day at Orange Tree House in Greyabbey.

Rebecca (28) and Adam Blakely (27) who live in Dollingstown had their big day on August 12 after getting engaged in December 2020.

In Be 's weekly feature Inside My Wedding, couples are delving into their special day to give bride and grooms-to-be some top tips.

Rebecca has told us all about their big day!

Rebecca's beautiful dress (Emma Rock Photography)

Tell us all about your big day!

Our wedding day was on Friday 12th August at Orange Tree House in Greyabbey. It was the most beautiful day, the sun shone all day! It really was the best day of our lives, even better than I imagined it would be. Everything went so perfectly, I wouldn’t change one detail of our special day.

How did you begin planning?

It was such an exciting experience beginning to plan our wedding. We knew we wanted to get married during the summer and more specifically in August. My grandparents, Anne and Alex Leahy, were married on the 12th August, so this date in particular was a special one. We started planning our wedding by finding our dream venue.

How did you decide on the venue?

Both Adam and I immediately fell in love with Orange Tree House. It was exactly what we were looking for, the location was simply perfect beside the beach and the interior of Orange Tree House is absolutely stunning. It has such a lovely chilled atmosphere. We both knew as soon as we visited that it was where we wanted to get married as it perfectly fitted what we imagined. We decided to have both our ceremony and reception here. Our ceremony was conducted by Rev. Scott Woodburn from Edengrove Church which was a beautiful personal touch. After we decided on our venue, all of our other vendors fell into place. We thankfully managed to secure all of the vendors we hoped to have.

Rebecca and her bridesmaids (Emma Rock Photography)

Tell us all about your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses & suits!

I found my dream wedding dress in La Boda Bridal in Banbridge. I knew immediately when I tried on my wedding dress that it was ‘The One’. I knew exactly what I was looking for from the outset and had a dream criteria in my head. My dress from La Boda fulfilled this and more! My dress and veil were both from the designer Pronovias. I have always loved the style of Pronovias dresses and the one I found was just perfect for me. The girls in La Boda were absolutely fabulous, so helpful and good at their job.

I would certainly recommend them to anyone who is looking for their dream wedding dress. I got my bridesmaids dresses in Petticoat Lane, a Bridal Shop in Hillsborough. I knew the sort of style I wanted to go for and already had a colour in my head which was champagne. I immediately fell in love with ‘Dress Code Ltd', an Irish designer which Petticoat stock. I feel the bridesmaid dresses definitely complimented the neutral colour palette that I had envisaged. The girls in Petticoat Lane were so accommodating with bridesmaid fittings and couldn’t have been more helpful.

What was the best part in the build up?

The best part of the build up to our wedding day was making special memories with family and friends. It was a .really special and exciting time in the lead up to the wedding. My sister Emma, an artist whose business is ‘Emma Leahy Ceramics’, designed all of the place cards and wedding favours. It was really exciting to see all of these being made in the lead up to the wedding. I enjoyed the Saturday coffee trips and lunches with my girls along the way after dress fittings and meeting different vendors. My family and Adam’s were so supportive and helpful in the lead up to the wedding. Both Adam and I are so fortunate to have such wonderful parents in our lives, we count them as our rocks.

What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?

The best part of our wedding day for me was walking down the aisle with my dad. It was such a special moment for me as I walked down the aisle and seen all of my family and friends' faces smiling back at us and then finally seeing Adam’s face at the front. It was a moment that I will never forget, especially seeing my granda, Francis Fox, who is 100 years old. Him being there meant so much to me.

What would you tell other bride and grooms to plan first & what are your top tips?

My advice for any brides-to-be and grooms would be to find and secure your dream venue as soon as you can. After that, I would recommend securing your photographer and florist, particularly if you have your heart set on a particular vendor. My top tips for brides-to-be would be to enjoy every minute of your bridal journey. It all goes too quickly so try to make the most of your journey and make sure you have lots of fun with your girls along the way! On the morning of the wedding I would recommend having an early start, this helps to keep the morning lovely and chilled. The morning of our wedding day was so relaxed which was lovely. The guys also had an early start which meant they were able to get lots of photographs with Adam and his dad’s diggers, an absolutely priority to them on the wedding morning!

What were the hardest parts to plan?

We were fortunate enough not to encounter any difficulties along our wedding journey, thankfully all Covid restrictions had long been lifted in relation to weddings, so we were able to enjoy our day freely.

Did you have a theme?

The theme and vibe of our wedding was classic and neutral. I feel overall it was a very clean and crisp look which is what I was aiming for. Everything about the day reflected this theme, from the venue itself to the vendors we chose. The flowers played a big part in our colour scheme and Hollie from The Rosehip and Berry did an amazing job, she is really such a talented florist. My mum’s outfit which was from the designer Shauna Fay and her hat custom made by Bespoke By Roslyn also reflected the theme of our wedding beautifully.

Would you change anything?

In all honesty I wouldn’t change one thing about our wedding day, we were over the moon with how well everything went. We couldn’t have asked for a better day, it was such a special day shared with our lovely family and friends.

Vendors

Photographer: Emma Rock

Videographer: Hooked and Hitched

Florist: The Rosehip and Berry

Harprist: Ruth Corry

Pianist: Grace Coote, Reverie Music NI

Bridal Jewellery: Deborah K Design

Cars: Luxury Chauffeur NI .

Photograph Location: Mountstewart

Bridal Dress: La Boda Bridal

Bridesmaids Dresses: Petticoat Lane

Seamstress: Elizabeth Francis Bridal Design