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.
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.
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.
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.
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
00353 876300627
POWERSCOURT HOUSE & GARDENS
Enniskerry | County Wicklow
hospitality@powerscourt.net
01 204 6000
