Hannah & Jody

When you read the groom lip syncs a song to his bride you know the wedding is going to be an absolute riot of fun. The images captured by Navyblur of this Northern Ireland wedding really encapsulate ALL the joy and smiles it has to offer. Both Hannah and Jody have infectious smiles, so be prepared to be ginning along with them as you soak up every last detail.

Dress

Hannah The Bride: I chose my dress 4 days after getting engaged in January, after 2 bridal shops. The main reasons for that was because we were returning to Singapore the very next day, and I wanted to find my dress with my Mum and sisters by my side. I didn’t see my dress until August again, so I was slightly nervous as I almost forgot what it looked like, but as soon as I tried it on I felt so excited to wear it only 3 days later for the real thing!

The Groom

Jody The Groom: I loved my suit! It was an easy find, on a weekend trip to Hong Kong. The hardest part was finding the shoes that complimented the colour, as well as my style. Everyone kept telling me it’s all about the bride, so I knew I needed to step it up, or they might forget about me.

The Venue

Hannah The Bride: Breckenhill was the perfect place for our wedding. I guess we wanted somewhere that gave us room to do our own thing, and be open to our own ideas. There was never a request that was too much trouble for them. We chose the venue via a facetime call, and to be honest when my Dad saw the barn in real life, he wasn’t convinced, but we never doubted our choice.

Colour Scheme/Décor

We used lots of pastel colours, especially mint green- my favourite colour. I’m not really a fan of everything matching, so we tried to stay clear of that, and keep things simple, but with a splash of colour! Jody was able to use his artistic talents and design our invitations, programmes, motif, and generally was able to make everything more personalised! My favourite piece was our table plan which was made the day before on an old palette we found and a map of the world.

Flowers/Florist

I sent the florist my ideas the week before, and she made my ideas become reality. The bouquets were exactly what I imagined, and I loved them! I wanted each bouquet to be slightly different, and be full of colour! My mum’s neighbour kindly offered to arrange our table centrepiece flowers and church flowers using flowers my Mum bought at the flower market/ taken from her garden, and it was perfect. So natural, and full of character.

The Wedding Party Fashion

When your bridal party live on 3 separate continents, it was best to keep this one as simple as possible. Jody ordered the guy’s shirts and trousers online, and all changes could be made in advance. Jody was convinced the guys didn’t need a jacket, and he was 100% right to make that decision as the bowties and braces suited the relaxed feel of the day, and it was also an incredible summer’s day! I already knew the neckline and colour I wanted for the girls’ dresses, so I chose the dresses within 5 minutes of being in the bridal shop. I probably could have searched online, but for convenience purposes this made sense, and the girls looked beautiful so it was worth it.

Ceremony

The ceremony was a very special part for us, as we had a mixture of friends and family from both Northern Ireland and Singapore taking part in bible readings and leading worship songs. It was so important for us to start marriage in the presence of God, singing to God and doing that surrounded by our favourite people.

Entertainment

We hired a local band to play music in the evening time, and the dance floor was fully alive all night. There were a few surprises during the night, including some Irish dances, and Jody and his groomsmen performed a lip sync song which was hilarious. Other highlights include seeing my Granny dancing, and making all her grand-children proud.

Food

Food is a massive love for both our families- we opted for a less traditional evening meal of a barbeque, including salads, baby potatoes and rice to suit all of our guests no matter what country they’re from!

Photographer

We both love photographs, but Jody is definitely fussier so he was in charge of choosing a photographer. We love Xander and Christine’s style, and their love for all things fun and bright. Our day didn’t feel overtaken by photoshoots, rather they joined the relaxed flow of the day, and still managed to get the best photographs ever.

Videographer

We found Cinematic Tide through our photographer’s and loved their work as soon as we saw it online. Sam and Dani are so chilled, but yet so utterly talented. Our video is a summary of all the moments we loved most about our day, and we are so glad we made the decision to have a videographer. Photos and videos maybe the highest expense, but it’s worth it. Especially when you can always look back at them in years to come.

Final Thoughts

Our wedding would have been a disaster without the help of so many people. We were living in Singapore whilst planning, and many of our ideas would not have transpired if it wasn’t for my family’s efforts of getting things sorted at home. The most important part of your day is you and your partner. Don’t let family or cultural traditions be put in front of your own choices. For us, we strived to keep our love for God first, followed by our love for each other, and we wanted to share all of that love with our guests. The wedding day is only the beginning of many adventures you will have together, so don’t stress about the minor details, and enjoy the experiences of planning, as well as preparing for your marriage too.