A Co Down couple have shared a look inside their beautiful 'laid-back' wedding day.
Jennifer (30) and Luke Humphreys (35), from Bangor, got engaged on Christmas Day, 2021, and tied the knot on March 27, 2023.
In our weekly feature Inside My Wedding, couples are delving into their big day to give bride and grooms-to-be some top tips.
Read more: Inside My Wedding: Co Down couple's big day was 'a dream come true'
The pair had their ceremony at St Colmcille's Church in Holywood, with their reception afterwards at Titanic Hotel Belfast.
Jennifer and Luke have told all on their special day!
Tell us all about your wedding day!
We tied the knot on Monday, 27 th March 2023. Thankfully, the sun was splitting the trees after a whole week of rain! The weather was truly perfect. Luke is originally from England, so it was great that so many of our guests could experience Northern Ireland for the first time. Our ceremony was beautiful, and felt like it was over in a flash! After the ceremony, we bundled our guests onto a Metro bus to transport them to our reception venue, Titanic Hotel Belfast.
We had our photos taken (by our amazing photographer, Melissa) while our guests enjoyed canapés and a few tipples at our drinks reception. At 5pm, we were called in to cut the tastiest cake ever (not biased at all - big kudos to French Village), which was followed by the speeches and some more tasty grub. In time for the evening reception, our surprise casino was announced to our guests - they loved it! After everyone had 30 minutes to lose chips playing blackjack and roulette, we had our first dance to 'Suddenly' by Billy Ocean. After that, we danced the night away and lost even more chips! It was great craic.
How did you begin planning your wedding?
We initially listed our priorities for the big day. As Luke is from England, his family and friends had to travel. That helped us narrow down potential venues - we wanted somewhere pretty central and accessible! We also wanted a venue that our guests would remember! We then booked a week off work, budgeted, picked a date, and by the end of the week, 90% of the day was sorted and suppliers were booked! Easy-peasy.
How did you decide on your venue?
We got married in Jennifer's home parish in Holywood, before moving on to Titanic Hotel Belfast for our reception. Whilst we considered a few venues, not one could beat the Titanic Hotel. It is steeped in history, its decor is unique, and have you seen Drawing Room One? Incredible! As soon as we walked in, we knew it was for us, 100%. The staff also made us feel completely at ease. Plus, Luke has had a life-long obsession with all things Titanic...
Tell us all about your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses and suits!
Jen: I knew what style of wedding dress I was looking for; something simple yet timeless. And I certainly feel it was exactly that! It was made by a Canadian company, Mikaella, who make absolutely stunning dresses. I bought it from the wonderful (and most helpful) Jenny Lindop in Bangor. I actually spotted my bridesmaid's dress at a wedding fair at the Titanic Hotel, which was displayed so elegantly by the lovely Karen at Now and Forever Bridal in Newtownards. Thankfully, my bridesmaid loved it! So, no mishaps in the dress department, everything went pretty smoothly!
Luke: I found my (very dapper) suit from Suit Locker in Newtownards; they do awesome suits! My only advice is - no matter how much they dig their heels in, make sure your groomsmen try on the suits with plenty of time to spare!
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
As half of our guests were travelling from England and Wales, getting a text to say, "we've booked our flights," definitely made us more excited for the day. And knowing they were starting to arrive in Belfast in the days before was really exciting.
What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?
It sounds cliché, but the best part was honestly seeing each other at the altar. We stayed apart the night before, and made a pact not to message each other from 8pm onwards. The excitement and emotions were real! Other favourite parts - getting a wee photo with our Cockapoo (of course), and dancing to 'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues - that one was thrown by our DJ in as a song to remember, and everyone loved it!
What would you tell other couples to plan first & what are your top tips?
First, set your budget and work out what you can afford (and want) to spend.
Top tips:
- When picking a venue, try and narrow it down based on the type of venue you would prefer for your ceremony and/or reception. Think about your priorities for guests. Do they need accommodation, for example? Are guests travelling from afar? Is the venue accessible?
- Go to wedding fairs, they really do help with the planning. That's where we met our photographer, Melissa, from Gorgeous Photography. We clicked with her immediately, and knew she was the one!
- If guests are travelling to your wedding, send save the dates a little earlier than usual. It helps them plan ahead.
- Don't stress! Your suppliers know what they're doing. And if anything deviates from the plan, no-one will notice!
What were the hardest parts to plan?
Nothing was particularly difficult to plan per se, but for us personally, the hardest part was getting a small number of guests to RSVP. This is something we didn't really think about until it happened. During the RSVP process, it is likely you will experience a handful of no replies after the deadline, or even some 'maybes'. This was probably the most stressful aspect of wedding planning for us; knowing what to say to those who were on the fence or went silent was hard! Of course, everyone means well, but if it happens to you, don't be afraid to follow up. Text or call them. Be upfront and honest. It will put your mind at rest!
Did you have a theme?
We knew from the beginning that we wanted a laid-back wedding in a gorgeous venue so our guests would enjoy and remember the day. Jen had only one bridesmaid, which felt meaningful and personal. We organised a double-decker Metro bus to transport our guests from the hotel to the church, and back again after the ceremony - so everyone could relax and enjoy the day without worrying about how they would get between venues.
A big shout-out to Translink for a fabulous service on the day! A wonderful harpist played our ceremony music and created a more chilled-out vibe for our drinks reception. [Our] DJ provided the music for our evening entertainment, and of course, we hired a casino for the best craic!
We also had a budget, and we stuck to it, well, mostly. Here's a few things we did to add some extras without breaking the bank:
- Online invitations/website
- Non-floral centrepieces and going easy on the flowers
- Ordered our cake from a bakery
- No favours
- DIY post-box from Etsy
Would you do anything different or wish there was anything you didn't worry about?
Overall, we wouldn't do anything different. Yes, we had a few mishaps along the way, however, we tried to stay as chilled as possible throughout the build-up. And there was no need to worry - everything worked out well on the day! Even when the wedding car got stuck in traffic, Luke managed to jump on the bus with the guests and get to the ceremony on time. And in hindsight, he wouldn't have it any other way!
To everyone in the midst of wedding planning - enjoy it! The day will come and go in a flash, so make the most of the planning and most importantly, have an absolute ball on the day!
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our amazing suppliers for helping make our day so very special.
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Inside My Wedding: NI couple's special day at Jackson's Hotel in Donegal
Do you want to tell us all about your wedding day? Email be@belfastlive.co.uk for your chance to be featured.
