Incredible ceremony backdrop? Check.  Lots of personalized thoughtful details? Check.  A relaxed wedding day where everyone had fun and experienced some incredible adventures like horse-drawn carriage rides through the parkland to get ferried over in a boat to a remote, hidden island to have a ceremony in 1000 year old ruins, then eat a gourmet meal and celebrate in town? Check! Check! Check!

By far, one of the most romantic first dances we’ve ever seen has to be Laura and Reid’s.  They were post-dinner with their friends in the heart of town when they started walking down one of the side streets. A street musician was playing some romantic Irish songs on the guitar, and they spontaneously started to dance.  The locals stopped their cars and cleared the way, inviting them to move into the middle of the street.  That special moment, where time stopped and they looked into each other’s eyes dancing as husband and wife under the Irish night sky and sting lights and local revelry for the first time was beautifully captured by Awake and Dreaming Photography. And the generosity and thoughtfulness of the locals to give them that gift is just one of the reasons whey Ireland is truly a unique, perfect destination for your intimate wedding.

We are so excited to share with you Laura and Reid’s incredible springtime intimate wedding in Killarney!  So many details we love and can’t wait to share with you, so make sure to scroll down and take in the slideshow as well!

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A Little Help To Pop The Question

We love Laura and Reid’s story of how they got engaged.  “I planned a beach trip to Mexico and the plan was to ask Laura to marry me then,” begins Reid, “but the ring wasn’t ready.”  When the ring was finally ready, Reid enlisted the help of a trusted accomplice to carry out his plan — his adorable 3 year old son — and popped the question in the cutest way. “My son plays a huge part of our lives so I wanted to involve him in the proposal,” says Reid.  “I ended up putting the ring in a purple monster truck and as we were all playing on the floor one day, my son rolled it across the room to Laura.  She didn’t notice at first, and then all of a sudden she saw a sparkling ring standing up in the bed of the truck.  She was shocked when she looked up and saw me down on one knee.”  Of course she said yes!

An Adventure In Ireland

Laura and her mother had been to Ireland a few times and loved the country;  the scenery, the people… the whole experience was one she knew everyone would really love for a wedding day.  Reid is also of Scottish/Irish decent, so she approached the topic of hosting a destination wedding in Ireland! “We considered other destination spots but really felt like our family and guests would appreciate the beauty of the Irish countryside and the ability to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland.  We wanted to make it an adventure!” says Reid. Last year they traveled to visit and vet venues and Killarney quickly rose to the top of the list.  “It’s so quaint and lovely, has a charming small town feel which we knew would make all of our guests just feel at home, even though it’s a long way from Texas,” says Reid.

The Details

The romantic Irish ruins on a remote, hidden island served as incredible natural and unique backdrop for their ceremony.  Guests were brought from the hotel via horse carriage, traveling through parkland down to the coast where local boats waited to ferry the guests across.  A gorgeous floral arbor under a beautiful tree in the heart of early spring served as focal point for the spiritual ceremony.  Some Irish traditions made an appearance including the ring warming tradition, handfasting, traditional Irish harp to set the mood, and inviting the guests to bless the couple. They kept the purple theme going throughout the day, including the gorgeous bridesmaids dresses, getting ready morning of, and flowers that included blue moon roses, lavender, lisianthus, and other purple hued flowers.

While the couple explored the island and took pictures, the guests were treated to a private tour of the castle once back on land.  Then a cozy reception was held back at the hotel including a five-course gourmet meal of traditional Irish fare included beef wellington, salmon, mushroom soup, sorbet, and an outstanding chocolate souffle.  The wedding cake was a bright two-tiered lemon and red velvet with buttercream frosting. The groom’s cake was chocolate with raspberry.

Some late night revelry after dinner included going into town and taking in a bit of the local nightlife.  Rounds of Guinness shots, dancing, music, and stolen kisses in the night brought this Irish countryside wedding in the west to a close.

The Thoughtful Details

We love when couples take the time to add in thoughtful, personal details to their wedding day.  Laura and Reid had lots sprinkled throughout theirs.  We love how the purple tied it back to how it all began with the purple monster truck.  We are obsessed with Reid’s tie, the groomsmen pocket squares, and Laura’s cloak which were all made using Reid’s family dress tartan from Scottish wool shipped from Scotland!  Reid and his grooomsmen’s suits were all custom made locally in Ireland, and had their names embroidered in the lining.  Laura had “Mrs. Donaldson” embroidered in purple inside the lining of her dress.  Laura’s incredible cushion cut 5 carat ring had a dash of purple diamonds and was custom designed along with the wedding bands by Frisco Gold and Silver.

Favorite Moments

“The beauty of the island, the wooden boat ride, and the horse drawn carriage ride” really stood out for for them.  “Seeing Reid at the end of the aisle when I got out of the boat and started to walk up to join him was one of my favorite parts of the day,” recalls Laura. “First dance, me dipping Laura over the water with the castle in background, the rides on the boat and the carriage really stand out for me as my favorites,” recalls Reid.

A Piece of Advice

“Hire a local wedding planner that’s engaged, takes in all the  moments, can be spontaneous if the occasion or weather requires it just like Sile of Waterlily Weddings was for us! She helped tremendously! Be patient with each other, even when stress is high and remember what the ultimate  goal is and who it should mean the most to. And be ready to take chances and risks and make sure your guests can also — this way you can all have that once in a lifetime experience!”

Laura and Reid, congratulations and well done on an exquisite wedding day!  You are one of the first to successfully pull off an intimate wedding on this island and everything was just beautiful.  We love your spirit, we are inspired by your love for each other, and wish you more adventures together and a lifetime of happiness.

For more information on the details and talented vendors of this and more gorgeous weddings and elopements in Ireland, contact us today!