“We went out into the courtyard where Dave Brown from one of our favourite bands Picturehouse was sitting with a guitar. He serenaded us with Fear of Flying, our first dance song.”
The Couple: Nicola Delaney & Alan Morris
Length of engagement: 11 months | Wedding Date: 21st September 2013
Wedding location: St Mary’s Church, Lucan | Wedding venue: Leixlip Manor, Leixlip
Photographer: Emma Russell Photography
We met… At Danger Doyle’s in Dublin in June 1998. We were both out celebrating finishing our Leaving Cert exams and a friend of mine gave Alan my number.
Our proposal… Was at the Marina in Malahide. We went out for a nice meal for Alan’s birthday and after Alan suggested that we go down to the Marina for a walk. It was a beautiful day even though it was the middle of October and Alan decided to take advantage of the scenery. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!
My dress… My dress was from Bridal Corner, Hart’s Corner. It was an ivory lace gown with a basque waist silhouettte and a strapless sweetheart neckline. It had diamante detailing below the bustline.
Our wedding theme/colours… Our wedding was very personal and had different aspects of our personality as part of the theme. Alan sketched our wedding table names which were based on our favourite 80s cartoons. We had a berry colour palette, with each bridesmaid in a different shade of berry.
Our bridal party wore… The groomsmen wore grey suits from Debenhams, and the bridesmaids wore Dessy dresses.
Our ceremony… Our wedding ceremony was in the beautiful St Mary’s Church in Lucan with Deacon Joe Walsh as the officiator. Deacon Joe was just as nervous and myself and Alan as it was his first wedding! We got through it together and it all went wonderfully. It was a magical ceremony – very laid back and very personal.
We chose our photographer because… We chose Emma Russell Photography because we really liked her portfolio. She did our engagement shoot too and we were very happy with the photos. Her style was quite different, more personal and natural than most. She really took the time to capture the day as we wanted.
We chose our venue because… Leixlip Manor was the second venue we looked at, and we knew as soon as we entered the manor that this was where our special day would be. The manor is stunning and the grounds and gardens surrounding it are magnificent. Leixlip Manor has a wonderfully welcoming, magical feeling. The staff are fantastic and cannot do enough for you. The food was delicious too!
My favourite part of the day… My favourite part of the day was when the speeches had just ended, the best man asked us and all our guests to go out to the courtyard, where Dave Brown from one of our favourite bands Picturehouse was sitting with a guitar. He serenaded us with Fear of Flying, our first dance song. Alan had been planing it since our engagement and I had never been so surprised. It was such a precious moment and I still get teary eyed thinking about it.
Our honeymoon… We spent three nights in San Francisco, which is a beautiful city with lots to do. We then spent seven luxurious nights in Cabo, Mexico. We spent the time there enjoying the views, walking, playing water sports and sampling the fantastic dining options at the resort.
My advice to other brides… Other people tend to tell you what you should be doing, where you should be doing it and who you should be inviting – just remember that the only people who really matter are the bride and groom. It’s your day and enjoy every moment of the celebration of your love. It will be one of the best days of your life. It was the best day of our lives.