This week’s post has us crushing on a sweet elopement romantic in its simplicity.  Lisa and David eloped to Galway. They hosted a simple, traditional ceremony with some light Catholic notes.  A romantic dinner followed and most of the fun was had exploring the area together with their photographers, Awake and Dreaming Photography.

We love her Justin Alexander Dress and the bouquet of her favorite flowers: white peonies, blue veronicas, and blue hyacinths.  “Hyacinths are my favorite and the florist made sure ot include them in my bouquet, which we kept for the rest of our trip in our hotel room. Every evening when we got back from adventuring the room smelled like hyacinths!” Love this! Dave had his suit custom created (down to the button hole color!) and the adorable pageboy hat was a happy accident — “He brought it for the trip and put it on while I was getting my hair done…. I saw it and it matched perfectly so I told him to keep it on!”

Although the Irish drizzle came to settle on their day, I think it ended up adding to the romance of the setting and made it feel cozy and a mysterious.  And I love the shots with the umbrella — don’t fret if it ends up raining on your day …. take the opportunity to have fun with it and use it as a prop and just embrace it like Lisa and Dave did!

From stolen kisses in the garden to waterfall backdrops, please enjoy Lisa and Dave’s romantic Galway elopement.

[pp_gallery id=”28710″]

Waterfalls and Rain Puddles

Dave and Lisa met at a mutual friend’s tattoo shop.  They became friends and as the time went on, grew to be closer.  To celebrate Lisa’s 30th birthday (and a surprise proposal!), they went on a hike in Whiteoak Canyon — one of Lisa’s favorite places and things to do.  They walked the path, Dave helping Lisa over the rain puddles — a true gentleman to help Lisa avoid the wet socks situation no one loves — and made their way to a spot overlooking a waterfall.  As they took in the beautiful setting, a few more hikers with their dogs came into the area, dampening the romantic mood.  Lisa suggested they make their way down to the base of the falls, so off they went. They settled themselves on a boulder overlooking the scenery and just took it in for a while.  Dave called Lisa’s name and she turned to find him down on one knee, holding out a gorgeous vintage diamond ring.  Lisa was so excited and surprised she said “yes” before Dave could even get a word out!! She energetically hiked back, completely beaming from the proposal, Dave laughing joyously and they told everyone their exciting news!

An Intimate, Romantic Elopement

“When I first got engaged, I was excited to plan a wedding but not knowing where to start, I turned to a friend of mine who was in the middle of planning her own,” recalls Lisa.  Lisa found herself completely overwhelmed with the details of planning a big wedding at home, and it just didn’t feel like it was going to be the right choice for them. “I said, ‘Hone —  let’s elope and have a reception BBQ later” and he readily agreed!”

Choosing Ireland was a much easier choice for them.  They had visited three years prior with Dave’s family and they both fell in love with the landscape and culture.  “It held a special place in our hearts but we felt like we didn’t get to explore it the way we wanted to the first time with nine other people,” says Lisa.  “So this time we decided to take our time and do what we wanted to do.”

They envisioned a simple, traditional ceremony in a gorgeous location where they could explore and really take in the natural scenery.  They came to Waterlily Weddings for help and after some discussions, settled on Galway.  Known for it’s incredible natural beauty, it was easy to find a location that would serve as romantic backdrop.  And the added Irish culture in full glory helped to really submerge Lisa and David in order to really experience Ireland on full level.

The Details

Lisa and David wanted a really simple, traditional ceremony that honored Dave’s Catholic faith without making it a full religious event.  They honored their parents and family in the ceremony even though they could not be there and a violin provided the simple, poignant ambiance. After the ceremony they spent some time with their photographers exploring the area.  Although Ireland enjoyed two weeks of sunshine leading up to their day, their wedding day itself ended up being a bit drizzly and overcast but it ended up setting a really romantic, cozy atmosphere that worked.  Even though they got wet, it made for fantastic in-the-moment pictures! “The most romantic part of the day was the photography session out in the rain,” says Lisa. “I remember Dave holding the umbrella uselessly as we got soaked and just laughed and laughed!”

The fondest memories include some of that authentic Irish hospitality. “When we went into the pub for a drink, another couple walked in and came to congratulate us,” says Lisa.  “They were there on their wedding anniversary (same day, 20 years ago!).  And then on the side of the road taking pictures, we’d have random cars drive by honking and yelling ‘GOOD LUCK!’ out their windows — it just made us laugh and so happy!”

Looking Back

“I loved our wedding and it was exactly how we wanted it, but I do wish we had the time, money, and wherewithal to have had the big wedding,” says Lisa. “It would have been nice to have that moment of my bridesmaids helping me get dressed and have at least our parents present.”  Well Lisa — you guys can always come back and renew your vows!

A Piece of Advice

“HIRE A WEDDING PLANNER AND DON’T BE A BRIDEZILLA!” says Lisa. “A good wedding planner like Stephanie is ready to make you  happy, be communicative, and kind.”

Congratulations David and Lisa!! Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness and maybe a vow renewal in the future!