There’s something truly magical about watching a bride find her dream dress . With her loved ones by her side, Nicole tried on eight beautiful dresses — each one offering a glimpse of a different bridal style. But it was dress number two that captured her heart. Elegant, romantic, and perfectly “her,” it combined everything Nicole had hoped for in a wedding gown.
When she stepped back into that second dress, the atmosphere shifted — smiles grew wider, tears welled up, and everyone in the room could feel it. That was the moment. For Nicole, it wasn’t just about finding a dress; it was about finding the piece that completed her story with Shane, a love that had already stood the test of time.
Let's hear all about it...
Nicole, firstly tell us about your dress?
When I went in for my appointment at P&L, I knew I didn't want a ball gown, as I didn't want to be consumed by a lot of fabric given my small stature. I'm 5ft and quite petite. I told my beautiful stylist Emma from P&L and we quickly ruled those options out. I wanted something figure fitting and delicate, with a bit of sparkle. I didn't want bardot straps due to picking up my kids throughout the day, the straps would have been too restrictive.
I tried on 8 dresses at my appointment, the one I chose was the 2nd dress of the lot. When I tried it on, I actually gasped behind the curtain before stepping out to show my bridal party. Something just clicked when I saw my reflection, the way the dress hugged me in all the right places, the detailing on the bodice, the little bows on each strap. I could see my little girl wearing similar bows on the day to match me. I felt stunning in it, and when I stepped out to show my bridal party, my mom teared up straight away. I knew it was the one from that moment. The dress also wasn't white, which I thought complimented my skin tone so well.
The dress I chose was the Rubbi by designer Monreal Bridal. It was so light, despite the detailing and layers on it, perfect for our July wedding! Every dress I tried on after didn't compare. It's true when they say the dress picks you! And Emma just hit the mark with this one! I didn't want to take it off from the moment I tried it, and when Emma put the veil on I cried! It was perfect!!
How did you style your dress?
I went for a short ivory veil with the same bow detail on the comb from Pearls & Lace.
I wore the Sloan Drop earrings to add to the glitz and sparkle on the dress also from Pearls & Lace. I also wore a beautiful tennis bracelet gifted from my parents the day of the wedding, and a beautiful ring with my husband's and children's birthstones that hubby gave me the morning of the wedding.
My flowers were the "Poppy" collection from Hire & Admire Blooms, which complemented the venue decor and the bridesmaids dresses perfectly. I got my bouquet, the bridesmaids bouquets, the mom's corsages, the grooms and groomsmen button holes, father of the bride button hole and page boy's button hole all from Hire & Admire. The flowers gave ode to the subtle nude/pink in my dress too.
The look I was going for was modern romantic. I love a bit of glitz and glamour and feel like I captured that on my wedding day.
Tell us about your bridal party?
I wanted my bridesmaids to be comfortable and confident on the big day, so I only gave them a colour. I chose the colour "Cedar Rose" from Azazie bridal and the bridesmaids chose a style they felt beautiful in. They all had different body shapes and sizes so I really left them to choose a dress that would allow them to feel elegant all day long. One of my bridesmaids was also 8 months pregnant and I certainly wasn't going to let her be uncomfortable by choosing a particular style for all of them. They were truly stunning and looked amazing!
The groom (Shane) wore a 3 piece suit from Esquire Suits in Limerick. It was very light and a beautiful beige colour to stay in theme with a summer wedding. My husband didn't want the groomsmen in 3 piece suits, so instead we went for the matching waistcoat and navy pants to complement Shane's suit. Shane and our son Noah wore matching dickybow's, while the groomsmen wore matching colour ties from Azazie to match the bridesmaids colour.
I also got my daughter's flowergirl dress from Azazie, with an ivory/nude underskirt to match me, and detailing on the top to match my dress. She looked like a princess.
What would your advice be for other brides to be?
My one piece of advice would be to lean on your partner for support throughout the planning process! It can be so overwhelming planning such a big day. I found that I got very overwhelmed with the tiny details, that it took away the joy of planning sometimes. I would get lost in silly things, and my husband would remind me that the bigger picture is about us, our children and being surrounded by our loved ones, not the colour of the font for the ladies toiletries sign in the bathroom!!!
But in all honesty, try to keep the bigger picture in your head, and do what makes you and your fiance happy, not what suits the majority. It's your wedding after all, not your best friend from college or your moms cousin from the back of beyond!
What was your most memorable moment of your special day?
My most memorable moment from our wedding was our private vows.
Taking the time out from all the excitement and formalities of the day, and just having that special moment just the two of us, to tell our vows to each other. It was like time stood still. That was my favourite part of the day, especially when we have two small children who got overwhelmed at points during the wedding.
Myself and Shane have been together for 10 years, so saying our vows to each other was very personal and contained a lot of memories and some hardships over the last 10 years.
Being there in that moment, officially husband and wife, made everything worthwhile and all the more special.
I wish I could relive it all again!
The best day.
We just love a happy ever after here at Pearls and Lace, thank you to Nicole and Shane for sharing their story with us.
The Pearls & Lace Girls xx
