A NI couple have shared an insight into their wedding day at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel in Bangor.
33-year-olds Ian Elliott from Antrim and Sorcha McMackin from Co Tyrone tied the knot on December 29, 2022 with a humanist ceremony.
In our weekly feature Inside My Wedding, couples are delving into their special day to give bride and grooms-to-be some top tips.
Read more: Inside My Wedding: Co Tyrone couple's beautiful day at Manor House Hotel
They said: "We got engaged on the beach in Portugal in August 2021, on our first couples’ holiday with good friends Diana and Arzo who filmed it all from behind some sun loungers."
Ian and Sorcha have told all on their beautiful day.
Tell us all about your wedding day!
Our wedding was laugh after laugh, and a few tears too. It was full of emotion from start to finish. We opted for a humanist ceremony, so it was full of character and personality. We wanted people who knew us to feel part of our story, and those who didn’t know us as well, to get a real sense of who we are as individuals and together.
After the past few years, it was really special to have all our friends and family together in one place to celebrate. We were grateful to have people travel from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and England to join us.
It really was the best day!
How did you begin planning?
The first decision was 'when?' We actually decided this before we came home from Portugal as we knew it would be the first question people would ask.
Ian’s sister was getting married the following summer, so we decided on a winter wedding because we didn’t want a long engagement.
Next on the agenda was a venue.
How did you decide on your venue?
There were lots of amazing venues and ideas floating about, but for us some of them we just couldn’t justify for one day. So after lots of recommendations and making enquiries, we created a list of three to visit (although Ian said he was only going to visit one) so I made sure I booked my favourite first, the Clandeboye Lodge. The rest is history.
We were sold straight away for a number of reasons. It didn’t have a traditional hotel vibe which we loved! It was cosy, there were lots of room options so guests being there all day wouldn’t be stuck in one place, people raved about the food, and we loved the décor. It was moody and romantic like us.
The staff were also super friendly and made us feel like people rather than just another bride and groom. We had every faith we could trust them with our special day. We had our date and venue picked in a matter of weeks.
Tell us all about your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses and suits!
Sorcha said: "The shopping experience was very simple, after Covid, a lot of bridal shops introduced fees so this limited the desire to visit lots. Instead I spent time researching designers and only made appointments with the shops that stocked the designers I liked. The second shop I visited the dress was secured, not what I had in mind, but it was love at first sight.
"After being a bridesmaid for my sister we knew Blush Belfast would be the only place we would need to go, and rightly so as within an hour we walked out with a stunning dress from Kevan Jon.
"The boys got their suits from North End Hire, and the groom had his handmade by his good friend Seeb from Royalty Tailoring."
What was the best part in the build up to your day?
All the bubbles and brunches. We really enjoyed planning and catching up with friends and family leading up to the day. We also both went home for Christmas and agreed not to see each other before the big day.
Living together already in Belfast, this was hard for four days but it was so worth it because we were so excited to see each other on the day.
What was the best moment of your day and your other favourite parts?
There were so many.
Sorcha said: “I loved travelling in the car with my family, we left from Tyrone so had some time together before arriving at the venue. We had an unexpected bathroom trip on route, I had to stop myself from laughing so much, to not ruin my makeup."
"We enjoyed getting our photos taken with our absolutely fantastic photographer Emma. It gave us a chance to catch up with people, have a bit of fun as well as capture memories of the day. It goes so fast, parts are still a blur!"
Ian said: “After the speeches, once I could relax and enjoy myself.”
And having our dog Charlie part of our day.
What would you tell other bride and grooms to plan first & what are your top tips?
Ian said: “Leave the bride to it.”
Sorcha said: “Date, venue, celebrant, and music are important firsts, especially if you’re on a tight timeline. For the ladies, hair, and makeup as these also book up well in advance."
Top tips: Set a budget and stick to it, don’t be afraid to negotiate with vendors and shop around. Social media is great for ideas but don’t let it take over, comparison is the thief of joy so it’s important to do what you want rather than what you think you ‘should’ do for a wedding.
We put QR codes on our invites so when people RSVP'd with their food order, it came via a spreadsheet using MS Forms. It was so easy for us. Highly recommend.
Pick things based on what you want, we didn’t have a cake and in the run-up, people were shocked by this but honestly, on the day no one noticed.
What were the hardest parts to plan?
Fitting in appointments and replying to vendors, on top of running a house, working and general day-to-day life. We really underestimated how time consuming it would be and also forgot it wasn’t just about our time, we had to respect other people’s schedules too.
Sorcha said: "Using Canva to design all the stationary myself, this was a challenge. I blame TikTok, sounds good in theory but takes a lot of time in practice. McGowans printing was very patient and I would have been lost without them."
Picking the music was really hard too. It took us a whole year to agree on a first dance song. There were lots we loved individually but agreeing on one that meant something to both of us was hard. We opted for Tom Walker – 'Just you and I' about a week before.
Tell us about your theme.
Sorcha said: “The theme of our wedding was black and ivory so everything from stationary, flowers, table wear and the wedding party dress code was black and ivory– it was simple but timeless. Our vibe was very much to go with the flow."
We also didn’t opt for a florist. It was something given the quotes we couldn’t justify so we did some ourselves and instead chose Aromatherapy Associate essential oils – an absolute powerhouse as guests were welcomed through their senses. We picked rose which promotes happiness and a positive outlook. The smell was a vibe and guests are still talking about it.
Would you do anything different or wish there was anything you didn't worry about?
The little details - on the day all anyone wants is good food, good music and good company.
Sorcha said: “I feel so silly now thinking about the sleepless nights I had about envelope labels and table plans, when all that mattered on the day was being together.”
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Do you want to tell us all about your wedding day? Email be@belfastlive.co.uk for your chance to be featured.
