The curse of ‘Strictly’ is real!

Remember, remember, the 5th of November! We dare say we’ll never forget this one! Today’s JustWedWednesday has THEE most romantic proposal involving a treasure hunt, a hunt for a lost engagement ring but ultimately leads to the most stylish and beautiful black tie wedding with gorgeous luxe vibes. Be still our beating hearts!!

Aaron and Mary worked in the same industry for a number of years. Mary tells us;

‘I am a Quality Manager in a Beer factory and Aaron is a Head Distiller. We met when we worked together, we done a Strictly Come Dancing fundraiser and the rest is history, the curse of Strictly is real! After being together for around 3 years Aaron proposed. He had planned a treasure hunt through all our favourite places, we started off in Portstewart Strand and finished up in Belfast. At each location a random person walked up to me, handed me a card which had a picture of us at the location and clue for the next stop. We went to our favourite bars, restaurants and ended up back at his house where he proposed under candlelight. After a significant amount of champagne, we decided to go out and celebrate with some friends. The next morning, I had lost the engagement ring. After two hours of searching roads and contacting bars we eventually found it on a chest of drawers in the bedroom…… possibly the most anxious two hours of my life.’

With a team of dedicated vendors behind them, including some of our all-time faves , Mary and Aaron were able to shine a bit of light into 2020.

Mary and Aaron’s big day was originally planned for August but COVID, of course, had other plans. They rescheduled to the 5th November and three weeks before the wedding another lockdown was announced. With 25 guests in attendance and no reception allowed due to restrictions the couple went ahead and had the most relaxed and enjoyable day. The talented photographer Sam Wolsley was behind the lens and has captured all the magic of the day with his signature emotive style.

You can't get much more classic or modern than a monochrome colour scheme and we are loving the inspiration behind the styling.

‘The style was classic black and white with a hint of colour from the flowers. We had originally planned an August wedding and I had always wanted sunflowers as they would complement the back dresses and tuxes. Due to Covid we moved the wedding to 5/11/20, Budding Designs were so creative and able to accommodate the sunflower idea with Autumn vibes. Due to the seasonal change I added shrugs for the bridesmaids, flower girl and I got a feather bolero to wear when we were outside. The classic black and white theme allowed us to transition styling between the seasons.’

Mary wore Stella York gown #6928 and looks truly extraordinary. With an artful mix of lace, tulle and sultry crepe, this gown highlights her knockout silhouette. It’s the perfect mix of pure and sultry, and Mary looks effortlessly chic and beautiful.

What was the highlight of your day? Or what made your wedding day unique?

‘To get married in the presence of our families, it was so intimate. We had planned a large wedding of over 200 guests in August, which was postponed to November where we planned to have 100 guests. Two weeks before our wedding another lockdown was announced where 25 people were permitted to attend the chapel, and receptions were not allowed. We didn’t want to reschedule again, so we went for it and loved every second. After the service we went to the amazing Antrim Castle Gardens to get photos taken, the scenery was picturesque. We had some food at home and a few fireworks. The entire day was so relaxed and we both agreed if we were to do it again, we would not change one thing.’

Top tip / word of advice for other couples planning their wedding day.

‘Don’t get caught up in the stress of a big event in the middle of a pandemic, the situation is so changeable and is outside of your control. Just go for it regardless of restrictions. Celebrating together with our close families was the most important and enjoyable thing. Click with your suppliers as you will be spending a lot of time with them. Our photographer Sam and Ronan from Broductions (video) were great fun. We relaxed in their company and we love the footage they captured of our wedding day.’

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Flaherty we hope married life is blissful and that the romance never ends!