This wedding has an elegant yet generous dose of sparkle. Emily's Esme gown exudes a subtle twinkle and her bridesmaids glimmer from head to toe in full-on floor length sequins. I ruddy LOVE it.

Combine this red carpet worthy sheen with groomsmen in tweed, the prettiest peachy-hued bouquets and one of the grandest venues I have ever seen and what do you get? An absolutely stunning big day.

Also I must mention the ribbon photo-booth backdrop, so simple yet so so effective.

Emily The Bride: Ross and I met at Queens University, spent 3 years of our relationship studying and going out on dates around the Uni and got engaged in the gardens beside the building, so it was an easy decision when choosing the venue for our wedding. Not only does it hold some sentimental value for us as a couple but it is such an impressive majestic building. After viewing The 'Great Hall' with its walls covered in portraits of well known graduates, the grand fireplace at one end of the room and high ceilings with chandeliers, we instantly fell in love with the venue. In addition the use of the quad outside the hall along with garden furniture was an extra bonus.

The Dress

Having picked such an impressive venue I knew I needed a dress to match. I wanted something different for my wedding dress, something that reflected my style yet was elegant and timeless. I had looked at Jenny Packham dresses online and knew that Blush Boutique stocked her dresses.

After trying on the 'Esme' dress I knew nothing else would compare. I loved my dress, I was completely comfortable yet the most elegant I have ever been. I knew it was the dress for me when my bridesmaid Lynsey said "that dress just reflects you in a dress". I also loved the 'surprise' aspect of my dress. Family & friends expected me to be in lace and I loved knowing that when I walked into the church everyone would be surprised, I wanted that "wow" moment and in Jenny Packham, that is what you get.

The Accessories

Being a highly embellished dress, I didn't want to over do the accessories so I wore my Mums Tiffany bangle, simple but beautiful. To add to the borrowed aspect of the day I also wore my friend Joanna's veil, making it just that bit more special.

The Bridesmaids

I was never the type of girl who always knew what she wanted her bridesmaids to wear, all I knew was that I didn't want the traditional bridesmaids dress. On one of my many blog and google searching I came across the sparkling sequin maxi dresses from Phase Eight and instantly fell in love and so did my maids. Their hair, shoes and accessories they picked themselves as they are both so different.

The very talented Alison Slaney (from Ballinderry, NI) designed and created my junior bridesmaids dresses to compliment both my dress and the older bridesmaids - the girls loved them!

The Groom

Ross, being the Groom, did not want to be outdone in the style stakes so off we went in search of the perfect suit. After a few hours of suit shopping we stumbled across the Red Herring, Donegal Tweed suit. It was a perfect fit, the super slim style trouser with waistcoat combination suited Ross to a T and luckily enough it suited the boys too.

The Photography

When we were planning our wedding we knew that we wanted it to reflect us as a couple and luckily we had the support to do just that. Our day was filled with things and people that we love, which made it all the more special. We wanted the wedding day to be in a venue that was just a little different, a day that was filled with music, good food and our friends and most importantly on that was as relaxed and fun as possible.

We were lucky to have such a lot of talented people involved in our wedding, both professionals and friends. Our photographers, Gather & Tides, were amazing and captured our day so beautifully. We instantly clicked with both Tim & Gillian on our engagement shoot so we knew the wedding day photos would be good fun! We love our photos because they capture the atmosphere of the day so well, relaxed and great fun.

Amazing Friends

Our talented friends sang at the church service with the choir I am a member of, Belfast Community and Gospel Choir, entertained our guests before, during and after the ceremony, bringing some joy and lots of energy to the service. Our friends designed our stationary, played acoustic music at the drinks reception, created our amazing chalk board welcome signs and seating chart and were our amazing evening entertainment.

The Advice

Get as many of the talented people you know to add something to your wedding, it makes the day really personal and so special. And the day is about you as a couple - our day was very 'us' from the music to the food and style, don't worry about other people as its a day to celebrate your relationship. Most importantly enjoy the whole wedding experience both the planning and the day, it goes by in a flash and when its over you'll wish you could do it all again!