Planning a Wedding From Abroad

Coming home to get married .... Top Tips!

It may seem like a daunting task planning a wedding in Ireland from abroad. We asked Laura Cash from Swans and Gibbons to give us her top tips! Laura has worked with couples getting married at Powerscourt House and Gardens  and here are her top 5 tips for your destination wedding in Ireland!

As Dorothy says .... 'There's no place like home'. So it's not surprising that many Irish couples living abroad are coming home to get married. And with an abundance of incredibly talented and creative suppliers, a diverse range of stunning venues and the 'can't be bought' bit of Craic, its no wonder!

So we have compiled a Top 5 list of what needs to be done to get the ball rolling ....

1. Make Pinterest and Skype your new best friends. Pinterest is an incredibly valuable tool for sharing your style with suppliers allowing them to see your vision. Be warned though - many days will be lost to pinning addiction. If you are finding it difficult to realise your vision on Pinterest alone, then Skype will allow you to see everything a little easier. From tours around Venues to chats about bouquets. It will encourage good communication and stop days wasted through back and fourth emails.

Image via Pinterest

2. The Dreaded Legals! We can't emphasize how important it is to get on top of this task from the get go. Whether you are getting married in a church, at the venue or in a forest, you will need to give notice of your intent to marry at least 3 months prior to your wedding. And if your partner is not from Ireland or has a different religion be prepared to fill out extra paperwork. You can contact any of the registrars on the HSE website who will steer you in the right direction. www.hse.ie

3. If you are going to make a trip home in the months before your wedding make sure you set aside a day or two to arrange all your appointments to meet with suppliers you are using - cake tasting, wine tasting, florist, make up, hair etc. You will be worn out but will have plenty to check off your list and it will eliminate the need to do it the week before the wedding which should be about relaxing and spending time with family and friends.

Image Via Pinterest

4. Get organised! Log on to the Internet, source what you need then write up a list of everything that you can do from where you are living (dress, suit, shoes etc) and another one for what needs to be done in Ireland. This will ease that overwhelming feeling of panic. Then delegate, delegate, delegate. As self confessed control freaks we know this can be hard (believe us) but if your brother/aunt/neighbour is offering to help, take them up on the offer. Small jobs like collecting the Ceremony booklets and buying the unity candles take up plenty of time when you add them all together. So don't be shy in asking for and taking help.

Image via Pinterest

5. Talk to your venue. No one will know your venue better than the venue itself. So make an appointment to chat (via Skype of course!) and get grilling them on all things wedding. Most venues will have a designated wedding coordinator who will be happy to run through all your questions. They will know what works best and where the band/DJ should go, what canapés work best and what time the dancing kicks off.

www.powerscourt.com

And if all else fails, think about hiring a Wedding Planner for full planning, on the day Coordinating or anything in between. We love love love taking the stress out of wedding planning and creating the perfect day for each individual couple. 

Happy Planning

''At Swans and Gibbons, weddings are our buzz. They’re the crispy bits on our bacon, the flake in our 99. We are so passionate about weddings that we want your big day to be THE big day, and put the special 'ding' into your wedding. We have an exhaustive knowledge of where and how to make the perfect wedding in Ireland. No-matter where in the world you’re coming from, we can cater for your every whim to create an unforgettable experience.''

SWANS & GIBBONS

Laura Cash

Wedding and Event Planning and Design

www.swansandgibbons.ie

laura@swansandgibbons.ie

00353 876300627

POWERSCOURT HOUSE & GARDENS

Enniskerry | County Wicklow

www.powerscourt.com

hospitality@powerscourt.net

01 204 6000