WEDDING PLANS:This April, Briege McAtee and Andrea Carroll will both get married, in very different ways: McAtee will follow traditional lines with personal touches, while Carroll is taking taking an alternative approach, with a focus on sustainability. They explain their plans to ROSEMARY MACCABE
ANDREA CARROLL, in business development, and AARON CASSIDY, physiotherapy student
Andrea Carroll from Swords, Co Dublin, is marrying Irish-American Aaron Cassidy in an alternative wedding on a tall ship in Dublin’s docks. The couple have been together for 12 years and Cassidy proposed in August 2010.
“We knew we didn’t want to do a church wedding,” says Carroll, “and a hotel-type wedding wasn’t what we wanted – we wanted something outdoors and we spent about a year looking for good alternative venues.”
THE GUESTSCarroll and Cassidy's guestlist is about 150, but the couple are not concerned by the numbers. "We just want everyone we love to attend," says Carroll.
INVITATIONSSustainability is at the top of the priority list, and the invitations, like everything else, will toe the environmentally friendly line. "I wanted them to be on recycled paper and to be a little bit quirky . . . They will be very informal, to reflect how relaxed we are."
THE DRESSCarroll's dress is being custom made to a collaborative design by local designer Caoimhe Keane. In keeping with the theme of sustainability, "the dress will be made from organic, sustainable silks and other materials".
THE GIRLSAs for bridesmaids, Carroll will have three, but their dresses have not been selected yet – and she is determined they won't be typical in any way. "They won't be the same dresses, anyway," she says. "Maybe similar tones or styles, but not the same."
THE BOYSCassidy's clothing – and that of his three groomsmen – has yet to be confirmed. "We're not totally sure what he's wearing yet – we're pretty relaxed about the whole thing."
THE CEREMONYThough Carroll says she and Cassidy knew they wanted an outdoor wedding, finding a venue was not as easy as they thought.
“It was difficult to find anything that would suit a large wedding, so we settled on one of the tall ships. We’ll be having our ceremony there and taking the boat out for a few hours.” In terms of traditions, though eschewing some, others will remain. “I’ll either have my dad or both of my parents walk me down the aisle,” says Carroll. “On a boat, space is limited, so we’re not quite sure what kind of aisle we’ll even have.”
FLOWERS"If we do use flowers, they'll be seasonal," says Carroll. "They'll be limited because it's April." Guests will sit at tables dressed with a reusable ethos in mind. "We've looked at alternatives for settings and for the bouquet. I like the idea of dressing the tables using vases and lamps, because they're things people might use afterwards."
THE RECEPTIONAfter the jaunt on the tall ship, the wedding party will go to Malahide Rugby Club for a barbecue. The choice of evening venue was carefully thought out: "It's a huge glass building with a wraparound deck, so for the whole day we'll be looking at the water."
FOODThe four-course meal option is out for Carroll; instead, there will be a hog roast. "The food is all organic, because that's really important to us. That was really difficult to organise with hotels. We spoke to a lot about doing organic food and that seemed to double the price." In terms of drink, they are not going for a traditional champagne reception either. "We'll be having wine and other alcohol that we and our friends enjoy," Carroll says. And, of course, a lot of the alcohol "will be organic".
MUSICThe couple have hired a DJ for the evening reception, but music throughout the rest of the day will, Carroll hopes, be provided by family and friends. "A lot of people in our group of friends and family play music."
THE FAVOURSCarroll is making her wedding favours – although the details have not been ironed out. "I make a lot of hand-made stuff . . . so we may do favours but they will be hand-made."
HONEYMOONWhere Carroll's plans converge with Briege McAtee's is in their choice of honeymoon; they also plan to go to South America, although Carroll won't be putting her feet up. "We're quite into the outdoors and adventure sports, so we'll probably do a lot of hiking and surfing."
THE DAMAGE"I'd rather not give an exact figure," says Carroll. "But it's definitely nowhere near the €20,000 the average couple spends."
BRIEGE McATEE, marketing executive, and PETER CAMPBELL, chef
Briege McAtee from Fintona, Co Tyrone, is marrying Donegal man Peter Campbell in a traditional ceremony at her local church. The couple met three years ago at a mutual friend’s 30th birthday in Dublin and decided to get married last October.
“We’d just come back from holidays and he proposed while making breakfast – it was nothing fancy,” says McAtee.
“He was down on the floor and I thought he’d dropped something . . . then he produced this wee box. I said: ‘I told you I didn’t want a ring!’ But he’d got me a necklace instead.”
THE GUESTSMcAtee and Campbell are looking at a guestlist of 250. "We just want everyone to be there," says McAtee, but she admits that the figure may decrease when the invitations are sent out.
INVITATIONSMcAtee designed the invitations, and had them made by a friend who is a printer. "I had an idea of lovebirds on a branch, so I found some artwork from a US site that cost me $10 [€7.60] . . . The printer added the script for me. I'm putting the colour of the bridesmaids' dresses on the leaves of the branch and we're going to carry the birds through on the Mass booklets, and I might put two birds on top of the cake instead of people."
THE DRESSMcAtee describes her lace dress as "vintage in style". She bought it in Ciara Bridal in the Powerscourt Centre in Dublin: "I spotted it online and had shortlisted three dresses. I tried them on and made the decision then and there."
THE GIRLSThe vintage theme will be carried through with her bridesmaids' dresses. "I have two bridesmaids: my sister-in-law and my niece, who's also my goddaughter," says McAtee. "I got their dresses made by Charlotte Jane in Cork. I love the silk they use and the retro feel . . . They're very simple, 1960s-style dresses."
McAtee and her bridesmaids used the dressmaking as an excuse for an overnight stay in Cork. She also took her mother along, who found her outfit in the same place. “They made her hat too.”
THE BOYSCampbell's suit has not been picked yet, but it "won't be a wedding suit", says McAtee. "His groomsmen are his brother and his best friend . . . We're going to get the suits in Magee in Donegal town."
THE CEREMONYThe ceremony will take place in Fintona church, with music supplied by "two local boys".
Afterwards, refreshments will be provided in McAtee’s, the family pub. “It’s really nice that it’s in the family pub, it’s like putting my own little stamp on things – it’s run by two of my five brothers and has been in the family for 100 years,” says McAtee.
FLOWERSThe flowers are being provided by McAtee's sister-in-law Róisín, whose florist business is called Nettles Petals. "We're sticking with the vintage theme – something really simple and natural."
THE RECEPTIONThe "dinner and dancing" part of the day will take place in Lough Eske Castle, Co Donegal.
FOODThe venue will provide a four-course meal of chicken and beef, and dessert will be sticky toffee pudding.
The tables will be dressed by McAtee and florist Róisín. Later on, there will be a buffet with a difference: fish and chips.
MUSICMcAtee and Campbell spent time picking the music for their night, something, McAtee says, that was of utmost importance. "We love to dance, so the band choice was one of our biggest [decisions]. We heard about this band, the Bentley Boys, a swing jazz quartet . . . We went to see them and booked them there and then." The band will be followed by local DJ Ciarán Campbell.
THE FAVOURSMcAtee is providing favours for each guest in the form of home-made marmalade. "My mum is famous for her marmalade jam, so I got 200 jam jars and we're making jam with little labels saying 'spread the love' with our names and the date."
HONEYMOON"We're hoping to do South America for our honeymoon," says McAtee, but she admits that they have not got that part of proceedings organised yet. "I fancy going to Buenos Aires and trying tango," she says. "And then we'll go to one of those resorts in Brazil, maybe Recife outside Rio de Janeiro. I'd love to go to Peru, too, but I think at that stage Peter will just want to put his feet up."
THE DAMAGEThe bill for the wedding is "in or around €20,000", says McAtee – and this does not include the bride's or bridesmaids' dresses. "My parents insisted on paying for those," she says. "It was so good of them."
