This is the second part of my Real Bride’s Diary. (If you missed the previous one, click here to read our Engagement Story).
I still feel strange writing about my Wedding Planning experience rather than sharing Gemma’s planning escapades. But here is my take on what has been the most difficult task in wedding planning to date: Venue Search.
June 19th, 2015: thirteen months, one day, and five days.
Time is flying by, even though we are still a long way off. It feels like yesterday was only 18 months ago.
My current obsession is Organic Ribbon (like this and this).
Mark’s current obsession is Green Suits.
This month, we are mainly Looking into the legalities and making appointments for our return to Ireland.
The Millhouse was my dream venue. It was so beautiful that I couldn’t believe we weren’t able to have our wedding reception there.
We searched for venues in two countries and conducted 5,000 Google searches. At least 13 venues were visited. We took this very seriously.
As a wedding blogger, I’m well aware that many decisions are out of your control once you choose your venue. The space that you have may not allow you to hang the string lights in the way you like or restrict your catering options.
The venue is the most important thing to consider.
While I did feel a little like Goldilocks when choosing each venue (this one was too quirky, that one wasn’t quirky!) Our pickiness ended up paying off.
A second early pin. I was thrilled to discover that this cool venue, MC Motors, was right around the corner from my flat in London. Unfortunately, it was out of our price range. Our budget was too high.
First It Was London
We knew exactly where we wanted to be married as soon as we were engaged. The cool pub in London near our house, with a gorgeous secret garden out the back. I had imagined how I would decorate the pub, the menu, and even the ceremony.
We were drawn to the idea of having a London pub-style wedding like this one, which took place at The Londesborough, another local. It wouldn’t be right to ask our families tto ravel this far just to spend a day at a pub.
We chose to get married in London because it was laid-back, fun, and a great way to show our Irish family and friends what life is like in our new home.
We quickly learned that it wasn’t going to be easy. London has some great wedding packages, but we knew we wouldn’t be able to find anything within our budget.
We sat down and discussed it. When we considered the number of people who would be traveling, that we would need to entertain guests for several days, and the current Euro-Sterling exchange rate, we realized that we could have more flexibility and choice if we married in Ireland.
The Londesborough is one of our favorite wedding venues in London. Other favorites include Clissold, Crate, and MC Motors.
Then it was Ireland.
We decided to look at Ireland because the wedding venues and vendors have improved a lot since we left Ireland four years ago.
We still wanted a unique, relaxed, unwedding venue, but we had more options after moving out of London. Barns, country homes, and glamping sites were all available. We had a wide range of options, so we narrowed our search down to venues that we could hire exclusively and hold our ceremony on-site.
Marko and I flew to Ireland and spent three fun days driving around and checking out the sights.
Mount Druid is a quirky, glamping destination that we loved. But it’s so popular that weekends are booked two summers ahead.
We had booked one and then unbooked it; we were torn between a few others and almost canceled our party in favor of a more intimate restaurant.
We finally found a place that we both felt good about as soon as we entered.
It was a great space to be creative and play with.
It was only later that we realized it has an area which, weather permitting, will make the most beautiful backdrop to our wedding!
We are getting married in the Grain Store of Killruddery House, Wicklow, Ireland.
Killruddery House, a stunning and elegant country house, has beautifully manicured gardens as well as a beautiful Orangery. We’re not going to choose that. Our BBQ bash will be held in the barn and farmyard at the back of the property, where a farmer’s market is held every week.
The team was so accommodating and kind (and even accommodated my bizarre requests!). We’re excited to try their locally sourced and homegrown food and beverages.
