Bride Name: Laura O'Driscoll
Groom Name:Shane O'Driscoll
Wedding Date: 12/09/2022
Wedding Photographer: JJMT Photography
Wedding Venue Casa Do lago Portugal
Firstly- tell us about your dress?
From the day I got engaged and even before I knew it, I wanted a backless full lace dress as I was getting married abroad and I wanted some breathing space in the heat. I know what I like and don't like. So to keep things simple I went to three shops on my own before I went to pearls and lace with my mum as I knew they had my favourite designers. I had narrowed my choice down to three styles and dresses I knew I felt amazing in. I loved doing this as I had no doubts that I had picked the dress I loved and didn't get overwhelmed by other people's opinions. I ended up picking exactly what I wanted full lace fit and flare Martina Liana dress with a dramatic train. However when I saw photos of me in the dress initially I was critical of my figure. So I asked the girls in the shop if they thought I could alter the back to be more flattering to my shape. They helped pin some additional lace to help me create a V shape back rather than a scoop which was far more flattering to my figure.
"It wasn't initially a burst into tears moment for me, it wasn't until they added the extra lace and the veil that I felt all the emotion and the excitement and I was so happy to be able to experience that with my mum."
The rooms are also soo intimate and private at pearls and lace that I felt super special.
The Details
As the dress was quite dramatic with full lace and a cathedral length train I wanted to keep the accessories minimal and romantic. I purchased stunning gold earrings from maison sabben and I wore Loeffler & randall white bow shoes. I have now purchased those shoes in black also as they are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn.
My husband bought me a tennis bracelet as a present for the morning, which was perfect for the day.
As I had 3D flowers throughout the lace on my dress I want to ensure flowers were a big part of the day. We went for mainly white and greenery for our flowers with a hint of blue to compliment our wedding theme and to add a pop of colour. We went all out on flowers we had a floral arch, flowers in our hair and over the top table.
"I love flowers so I put them high up on the priority list on our budget."
The Bridal Party
As I only had one bridesmaid I let her pick her dress. I told her I wanted a full length blue dress. From there she picked a blue dress from dessy. The groom and best men went and got tailor made suits in massimo dutti. It was such a good way to get the perfect suit and the lads had a great day out. Yes it was more expensive than off the rack but a well fitted suit is worth it for me. Also I spent enough on my dress so it was only fair that he got spoiled too.
Advice for other Brides
Start by writing a list at the start about the most important things to you in order of priority as this will help with allocating the budget. It is really easy to get carried away and book everything. Also do not underestimate how expensive it is the month before the wedding like I did. I would recommend getting vouchers for your nail salon, hairdresser, tanning salon, facial place in advance so you are not paying it off the month before the wedding when you have maxed your budget out. Also buy things like perfume and jewellery as far in advance as possible and spread the cost.
"On the other hand do not stress the small stuff as no matter what happens it will literally be the best day of your life."
However, do plan as much as you can so you have as little to do on the run up to the wedding and you can enjoy it all and take it all in. After that go with the flow and enjoy it all.
We went to Portugal for the sun and it still rained. We planned an outdoor reception and a beach wedding and had to last minute organise a marquee for the beach and plan an indoor wedding and it was still the best day ever. I do put that down to I had everything being so planned out and nothing was left to the last minute that I actually had the capacity to deal with the drama of changing everything so last minute.
What was your most memorable moment of your special day?
"The best part of the day was the ceremony, it was so special walking down the aisle to your future husband and seeing all your closest friends and family."
Also I am so glad we wrote our own vows it made the ceremony super special and romantic. Making the ceremony personal and spending time researching the right readings and music is really worth it as it really makes for the best day.
We also extended the day as on day two we did a trash the dress and we got some of our favourite photos in the sea. It was so much fun and we were much more relaxed in front of the camera, My husband thought I was mad making him do it.
However it was his favorite thing and we are both so happy we did it. The pictures speak for themselves.
