Surrounded by the beauty of the Mediterranean, stunning Baroque cathedrals and their closest friends and family, Marguerite and Declan from Tipperary had the perfect wedding in Malta.
We met...
Since we are both from the same small town in Tipperary, we probably always knew of each other, but had never spoken. It wasn’t until summer 2001 that we were introduced properly. After a few weeks of chatting and flirting, he hadn’t made any moves, so I had presumed he had no interest. Then one quiet Friday night my friend and I went to a local pub for a few drinks, and he and his brother were doing likewise. They joined us and we got chatting for hours and really hit it off.
First impressions…
He asked me out to dinner in a nearby Chinese for our first date and made a really good impression. He collected me in a lovely new car (his Dad’s!), opened doors for me and we hit it off straight away. We had independent plans for travel but decided to take things as they came. After a year, he headed to Australia with his friends and I went to work in Japan and then studied in France as part of my University programme. We kept in regular contact and when we returned to Ireland, we picked up where we left off, happier and stronger having had our chance to do our own thing for a while.
Our proposal...
One Friday evening, after a particularly stressful week at work, I arrived home to find our bags packed and was told we were going on a surprise weekend away. He took me to the Rochestown Park Hotel in Cork and we had a lovely dinner and drinks. Next morning he sent me for a massage, and when I came back he had candles lit all around the room, pink Moet on ice and he went down on one knee. I was completely bowled over. Then he told me that he had flights booked to Antwerp the following week so we could get a ring. I still don’t know how I kept the secret for a whole week! We designed the ring ourselves with Phillipe Harold, and collected it the next day. I remember vividly the excitement of the flight home with the bling on my finger and trying to hide it from some people we knew who happened to be on the same flight!
Our wedding theme...
We had no particular colour theme, but as the wedding was abroad, we wanted things to be simple and fresh. My dress was vintage style lace in cream, so we opted for cream waistcoats and cravats for the groom and groomsmen. When I came across the bridesmaids dresses, the colour really impressed me and I was delighted when it suited both my sister Katie and friend Michelle perfectly. They were a coral colour which varied from pink to burnt orange tones depending on the light. As shoulders have to be covered in the churches in Malta, the girls wore cream wraps with their dresses, and we built cream and coral flowers into the bouquets and button holes. The flower girl, Anna, wore a cream dress, and carried a similar bouquet to Michelle and Katie. We had small glass bowls with orange gerberas on the tables in the marquee, and matching sashes on every second chair.
Why we chose Malta….
Malta enjoys pleasant weather all year round, which makes it an ideal wedding location and it is just over three hours from Dublin. The island is small, but steeped in history and culture, with lots for guests to see and do. Hotels, food and drinks are extremely reasonable, and the people are very friendly. There are 365 churches on the island, so lots of choice for a church ceremony and some spectacular locations for civil ceremonies. St. Julian’s, where we stayed, is pleasant fishing village, with lovely restaurants and bars and a seafront which stretches down to Sliema with a lovely promenade and gardens along the way. On the other side of St. Julians is Paceville, the liveliest area in Malta for late night clubs and bars.
My dress...
My dress was by San Patrick, and I got it from Say I Do bridal in Cork. I had been looking for a light, simple, empire line dress suited to a destination wedding but wasn’t 100% keen on anything I tried. After trying two or three lighter dresses, my mum and friend passed the lace dress into me to try. The moment I tried it on I knew it was exactly what I wanted. The lines were very simple and elegant, but the detail in the lace was delicate and beautiful. Lace is ideal for a foreign wedding as it travels well and it also suited the church and surrounds very well. As shoulders had to be covered, I chose a two tier lace cathedral veil so the first tier would fall around my shoulders. The dress was light and comfortable, and the bustle came up very easily and stayed up all night long.
Our ceremony...
Our ceremony was held in a beautiful parish church in the centre of the island. Guests were brought from the Radisson Hotel to a little wine bar adjacent to the church before the ceremony. I arrived with my Dad in a vintage Beaufort Convertible. In Malta, it’s customary for the priest and groom to wait at the church door for the bride to arrive, so it was very emotional seeing Declan there waiting for me. My dad and I walked down the aisle before the bridesmaids and flower girl, which was strange but lovely at the same time. We had a Celtic harp and violin playing for the ceremony.
My favourite part of the wedding day…
The day was magical from start to finish, we smiled and laughed and danced all night. Everyone was in holiday mode, so the atmosphere was great. Our lasting memory from the day is standing at the top of the steps of the villa at 3.30 am waving goodbye to all our guests as the coaches took them back to their hotels. It was a lovely moment for the two of us to reflect on the fun of the day and enjoy the quiet of the villa for a few moments before heading back to our hotel.
My piece of advice for other brides...
If you’re getting married abroad, we would totally recommend using the services of a wedding planner. We went with Mariella and Mark Burton from Dream Days, and have to say that we certainly had a dream day! Organising a wedding abroad can take lots of time and research, but with their help we were able to do most of ours online. Dream Days worked with us and our individual taste and style, and most importantly within our budget. With their contacts in every area, they negotiated great deals from all suppliers, and also got great rates for ourselves and our guests in hotels. On the day itself, it was great to have Mariella, an experienced tour operator there to direct the guests; she managed to load two coaches with 100 intoxicated Irish guests, onto a bus in less than five minutes which is no small feat!
Funniest part of the day...
During the ceremony, the photographer approached us, bent down and whispered, “ Sir, the price tag is still on your shoes.” We couldn’t stop laughing, but there was nothing we could do about it at that point! He came back a moment later and said, “Don’t worry, I will airbrush it out.” Sure enough, when our album arrived in the post four weeks after the wedding, the sticker had been airbrushed out. There’s a picture of the two of us with tears in our eyes, which looks like we are overcome with emotion at the altar…but it’s actually tears of laughter!
Dress: Say I Do, Cork
Wedding Planner: Dream Days
Reception: Villa Arrigo, Naxaar
Proposal: Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork
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