Here at One Fab Day we love to see couples write their own rule book when it comes to the wedding of their dreams and that is exactly what Clare and Barry did. The ivy-snaked 19th-century manor house Trudder Lodge in Co. Wicklow played host to their colourful and fun summer wedding with a festival spirit which included traditional Irish elements as well. While the style was classic, the colour palette included hues of orange, pink and red colour which drew inspiration from their beautiful sunset proposal.
With bold flowers at the fore, disco balls and ribbons were also a popular fixture in the styling and their woodland ceremony included the dreamiest draped fabric display. For the bride it was hugely important to involve their loved ones in their dream day and loads of their talented family and friends helped bring the magic to life as you will see from their wedding images wonderfully captured by Sasson Haviv. Off we go…
Clare is from Drogheda and Barry from Ballybrack and they live in Dublin. Clare and Barry both work in the TV and film industry and that is where their love story started. Clare is a buyer for set decoration and Barry works as standby props and they met while they were working on the show Red Rock.
Laura Devides created Clare’s breathtaking bridal beauty look which included a beautiful brown smokey eye and her glossy tresses were pulled back into a gorgeous ponytale with curled bangs courtesy of hairstylist Sarah Boyle. “My hair and make up were honestly the best, so talented and so lovely, all of my girls felt so beautiful and looked after. Sarah and Laura were so personal and attentive, they made my wedding morning effortless.”
“Barry made the proposal so, so special,” Clare reminisces blissfully. “We had been together for eight years and we were on a three-month travel adventure around Mexico and South America. He carried the ring for two months! Until he found the most perfect spot in Minca in the north of Colombia. It was so magical and special, he proposed at sunset in the mountains with champagne.”
We absolutely adore the bridal party’s getting ready attire. The colourful prints marry together so chicly!
Clare and Barry dreamt of their happiest day being filled with colour with a party atmosphere and fabulous music that would have their guests wanting to dance until dawn. “We wanted the overall vibe to feel very us. We had a legal ceremony the day before so this day was a pure declaration and celebration of love in front of all our friends and family.”
Clare was so enchanting in a flowing dress by A La Robe, the effortlessly elegant French bridal label from designer Elizabeth Soljak. It had hint of delicate whimsy thanks to the diaphanous flutter sleeves which she complemented with a romantic ruffle veil and pearl drop earrings by Blue Meadow along with Lodi heels.
A moment for Barry’s incredible wedding day look with the star of the show being his vintage Gucci cardigan.
Clare and Barry tied the knot in fairytale fashion in the woods under the shadow of a towering oak tree which was dressed magically with draped fabric.
As for how they knew their venue was ‘the one’ the bride explains, “When we arrived and met the lovely Niamh there she made us feel so at home, which was exactly what we were looking for. We wanted to be able to do things a little differently and decorate it in such a way and Niamh really was up for helping us celebrate the way we envisioned. Also the grounds and the oak tree were so magical. I had shivers leaving after the first visit, and just knew it was the one.”
Their ceremony was officiated by a dear friend they cherish. “Our friend Liane was our celebrant, rocking her pink power suit. She knows us both so well so made the ceremony so personal to us and our relationship. The ceremony was so gorgeous and relaxed because of her.”
Their ceremony readings included an excerpt from Margaretville by Gabrielle Zevin and their friends Gill Ryder and Ben Johnson sang so beautifully at their ceremony. One of their favourite songs was Lowland Hum’s cover of Be My Baby by the Ronettes.
The celebrations kicked off with a sun-dappled drinks reception with toe-tapping trad music. “Celticbreeze a trad trio performed beautifully on the hill at Trudder, it was fabulous and everyone appreciated and enjoyed.”
They also had an array of lawn games which their guests, both young and older, adored.
“We asked our film friends to help us – it was important to me to include friends and family and it just helped that we had talented people in our corner. Alix Cafferky and Jess Timlin helped decorate and bounce ideas off – they put it all together on the day with the help of their partners Micheal and Johnny; Tony Porter in props who managed to hang the beautiful drape from the 30ft tree!”
Clare wanted to incorporate classical and formal elements too, through the style. Bridesmaids in black is a trend we will never get tired of, and these leading ladies mixed and matched midis and maxis flawlessly. She wanted her bridal besties to be as comfortable as possible so they chose dresses from various different designers.
Clare created their invites with the help of her father who is an artist, in fact, they used one of his beautiful prints in the design. “I did some of the wedding day stationary, but also our wonderfully talented friend who is a graphic designer, Patricia Douglas, did the main signs and menu,” the bride adds.
From the ribbons adorning the foliage, flower and disco ball display overhead to the napkins and vases dotting the tables, their marquee reception space was awash with sunset shades. They gave mini bottles of prosecco with cute cardigan name tags created by Aisling Byrne as their wedding favours.
Clare and Barry’s tall one-tier wedding cake had a painterly vibe and it featured the sweetest wedding cake topper of the couple on their special day. 3D printed by Kate Aungier, it included lovely details such as the bride’s beautiful bouquet and the groom’s chic cardigan.
“Our day would not have been the same if it wasn’t for Trudder Lodge and Niamh. It was the perfect backdrop for our beautiful wedding,” Clare reflects.
Later, their guests tucked into a BBQ feast for dinner. “It reflected Barry’s love of BBQ-ing. We would often host summer BBQs so this felt personal for us. Our guests loved it too!”
“Do what you want, you won’t regret it,” the bride advises. “Even if it’s more than budgeted – it’s worth it to look back on. We also tried to spread out the organising so it doesn’t bottleneck to the week or two before, try and enjoy those weeks with appointments and catch ups. Do your research and make sure you are happy with who you are hiring for your day. Your suppliers and wedding party are the foundation of a successful day so make sure you are comfortable and happy with everyone involved.”
The couple sourced their dream engagement and wedding rings at Bespoke Diamonds.
The couple wanted the dancefloor to be packed all night long and they enlisted the high-energy band The Mixtape to do the honours. Their first dance was Common People by Pulp which definitely got everyone in the mood to boogie.
Clare and Barry jetted off to Italy for their honeymoon straight after the wedding. They stayed at Masseria Santo Scalone in Puglia, which is a historic farmhouse that was originally built in the 1300s which has been transformed into a luxurious retreat.
Clare and Barry, your special day has had us smiling non-stop! A very special thank you to Sasson Haviv for sharing all the beautiful imagery with One Fab Day, there are even more in the gallery below!
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