A co-down woman shared a glimpse of her lovely wedding day after her original plans in Spain were canceled due to Covid.
28-year-old Helen Hamill from Downpatrick and her husband Daragh Burke (32) from Galway tied the knot on August 8th at St. Patrick’s Chapel Saul before their reception at Finnebrogue Woods.
In Be ‘s weekly feature,’ Inside My Wedding ‘, Northern Irish couples share an inside look at their wedding to share tips and ideas for your big day.
The student midwife and financial clerk who currently lives in Newcastle Upon Tyne originally planned to get married on May 24th in Calp on the Spanish Mediterranean coast.
Here is everything about their beautiful wedding day.
The bridal couple with their beloved puppy
(Image: Michael Williams @ Williamstudio)
How did you start planning your wedding?
I called my mother Fiona and told her she had a wedding planned! But my mom really helped me a lot. After we decided on the venue, mom took the reins.
It was a nightmare at first because all of our guests had to know that the wedding in Spain was canceled, then we had to re-send all the invitations with the new destination and date.
Making sure our family and friends could do it was our priority, and that was very important to Daragh and me.
How did you choose your venue?
The evening event took place in the Finnebrogue forests. This venue was very close to my heart as it is less than 2 miles from my mother and father’s house and on the Quoile River, which I grew up next to.
We found this venue perfect as it is surrounded by trees and always had a quiet oasis. From the moment Daragh and I visited Finnebrogue, we loved it!
Helen out and about with her father
(Image: Michael Williams @ Williamstudio)
The staff were down to earth and always looked after me to see if I needed anything and most importantly, they never had enough of my tireless emailing and last minute change of mind.
The photos of the location speak for themselves.
Tell us all about your wedding dress, bridesmaid dresses and the shopping experience.
To be honest, I’m a real tomboy so I was never really excited about shopping for bridesmaids or wedding dresses – but it had to be done.
All I knew was that I wanted a long train and a two-tier veil. I found exactly what I was looking for at La Boda Bridal in Banbridge. The dress blew my mind and the girls in the store were so great too, helping me get appointments at short notice as I was having a hard time getting home due to Covid.
Helen goes up the island
(Image: Michael Williams @ Williamstudio)
As for bridesmaid dresses, I left that to my sister Judith, who was my main bridesmaid. Glad I did because she picked the most beautiful off-the-shoulder dark blue dresses that all bridesmaids loved. I also had a “bride husband” named Tony. He wore a suit to which the groomsmen were attached.
What was the nicest thing in the run-up to your day?
Seeing all of my friends and family get together the day before the wedding. It was the first time many of our families and friends met, so it was very nice to watch their interactions.
(Image: Michael Williams @ Williamstudio)
My sister Judith also made me and the bridesmaids feel very special. She owns a beauty salon in Downpatrick, No10 Beauty and Skin. Two nights before the wedding, she invited me and all of the bridesmaids out while the salon was closed to do our nails and tans. We had a small private salon date with lots of champagne.
What was the best moment of your day and your favorite parts?
It has to be violinist Adam. With my mother playing such an important role in planning the wedding, I wanted to surprise her with something that she and her father had no idea about.
Fiddler Adam came on stage and blew us away. He really got the party going and nobody knew we booked him. He was a pure opponent.
A big highlight for me, my husband and the guests was that we had our dog Bosie with us. He’s a tiny little chihuahua. He was suitable and in boots for the occasion. He wore a smart white shirt with a bow tie, black trousers and matching suspenders. People probably think we’re crazy, but we knew he had to be there.
The couple had vintage wedding cars
(Image: Michael Williams @ Williamstudio)
My ‘bride’ Tony was our MC for the day. I’m so glad we picked him for the job because he was so funny on the microphone all day – not only to give all the times of dinner and the like, but he was great introducing the speeches and everyone, the got up to curse us while using the toilet.
What would you advise other brides to plan first?
I would just say step by step. Make a to-do list in a logical order and don’t take in too many things too quickly.
Beautiful landscape
(Image: Michael Williams @ Williamstudio)
What was the hardest thing to plan?
Navigating everything through Covid-19 was a struggle. We had to plan, but also make sure we followed government guidelines and kept abreast of changes.
Tell us about your topic and your conversation.
We wanted a rustic, woody wildflower theme. We didn’t have a specific color, I just told my florist Patricia’s Petals that I want all the colors and bright flowers everywhere. Blue moon events decorated the tipis with beautiful foliage that goes with our woody theme.
For entertainment, I had a Sara Kelly, a local harpist, who played during the canapés for the arrival. This was the very last minute because two days before the wedding I saw her busking on Market Street in Downpatrick and knew I had to have her at the wedding.
(Image: Michael Williams @ Williamstudio)
Between the main course and dessert, I let Fiddler Adam play. It was the best warm up I could ever ask for.
My sister-in-law and her husband are in a band called the Clean Cut Kid so we asked them if they would play one of their songs as our first dance, it was very intimate and meant a lot to both of us. Finally for the band we had Just Adam followed by a DJ who were both great.
Would you do something differently or wish there was something you weren’t worried about?
Nothing at all, I had the best day and I wouldn’t change anything.
Would you like to tell us all about your wedding day? Email be@belfastlive.co.uk to be featured!
