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Carrie and Noel
Balcon De Mediterraneo Nerja
Wedding Planners: Sunshine Weddings Spain
Officiant: Fr. Petru Chelaru
Hair and Makeup: Sorcha O’Dowd and Karen and Roisin (bridesmaid and friend)
Flowers: Inma Florista | Beautiful English roses
Dress Designer: Daarlana | The White Room Bridal Shop
Bridesmaids Dresses: JJ’s House
Their story…
Noel and I first started seeing each other when we were 15 years old- You could say we are childhood sweethearts!! We have pictures together in our school uniforms and now we have pictures together on our Wedding day!
It was out of this world!! Everything far exceeded our expectations and there is not one thing we would have done differently! It was truely a dream come true for us both!
How we met…. all very juvenile of course given that we were so young!! I had a sleepover at my friends house and told them that I liked Noel. It so happened that she had his number and text him to tell him just that- but it wasn’t his number at all…. it was his dads!! After Noel eventually got the word from his dad that ‘some girl called Carrie likes you’ he got in touch and we arranged to meet after school that Friday and have been in each others hearts since then! We have grown up together and shared some of the most wonderful experiences with each other. We have been through some tough times too and had our challenges but always found our way back to each other. They made us stronger! 16 years later we married…. a day we knew was always on the cards and so the story continues ❤️
Dress is Daarlana from The white room bridal shop close to our home!
Dress shopping was quite the experience for me!! I was expecting our little boy Alfie at the time and so had a short window of opportunity to search for the right dress- before the bump appeared!! I wanted to pick 3 shops maximum- I did alot of research online and found the designers that I liked best and that cut out a lot of travelling between stores- when I was feeling a little sick and a little tired (by a little, I clearly mean A LOT!!). I loved my dress from the minute I put it on- It was light and comfortable and was very me! My mum, sister and bridesmaids came along and they all thought it was beautiful. So, without a second thought it was ordered and I didn’t even want to think about it again until after the little mans arrival!! I had 4months to fit back into it- the best incentive!! I loved it on the day- and so did Noel!
Well I thought brides were supposed to be the fussy ones!! Noel visited quite a few shops in search of the perfect suit… still coming back to the first one he tried on! It was a Torre suit in dark navy with a slight checked pattern and was perfect on him! Although he worried about wearing a 3 piece suit in the heat- he was glad he opted for a more formal look in the end! He looked very handsome!!
Noel surprised me with a gorgeous bracelet the morning of the wedding! It had the date of our wedding inscribed on the front and Alfie’s birthdate inscribed on the back- very special and the two best days of our lives!
Noel’s knee gave way in our favourite city in Ireland- Galway!! It was the 14/12/2016 and in our hotel room overlooking the beautiful Christmas markets in eyre Square. Initially I walked past him as I thought he was tying his shoe… and did a double take and noticed he was holding a ring box!! I was in such shock it was a total surprise!
Do it!!! It may seem daunting at the start but it is so worth it- get a good wedding planner and let them work their magic!!
I was so excited- no nerves whatsoever! A crowd had gathered on the square outside the church and cheered and xlapped as myself and my Dad walked in- it was a lovely experience!
Most people dread walking up the aisle but it was one of my favourite moments from the wedding! Although Dad and I walked up past all our family and friends the only person I could see was Noel holding Alfie at the top of the Altar- it was so special! My eyes were fixed on them… I was walking up to my two boys and nothing felt so right!
My sister Susan sang one of our favourite songs ‘Grace’ during the ceremony. It is an Irish folk song with a special place in our hearts. It was so nice to bring a little bit of home to our ceremony and Susan blew us away with her vocals!
Be in the moment and be yourself!
How was your experience taking photos/working with me on your wedding day?
Rebecca was fantastic to work with- she really knows her stuff! Noel wasn’t the biggest fan of posing for pictures- especially in the busy square in nerja but she made us feel so comfortable and we enjoyed the special moments together. Especially that evening when she took Noel and I away with baby Alfie and took some family pictures as the sun went down! It was lovely to have some family moments during what was a hectic day!
The wedding party photos and the family photos will be treasured forever! Our nearest and dearest all together (looking in the one direction!!!) sharing in our special day- we are blessed with the people by our sides!
Bridesmaids dresses were bought online on JJ’s House! I wanted something comfortable and light for the girls and the dresses were just that! They all looked stunning!
The whole day was special- we are blessed with the most wonderful family and friends that being able to celebrate with them all abroad was amazing! When the last bus left the venue myself and Noel sat back in the quiet and listened to the sing songs and craic that was being had as they boarded for home- surrounded by the fairy lights in the Cortijo Bravo- all very surreal!
The speeches- some beautiful words from our nearest and dearest that we will treasure forever!
Our first dance was to a song called ‘the One’ by Kodaline. Noel picked it some time ago and it was perfect! The words are beautiful and sums up how we feel!
The Q Band played a blinder on the night! They really got the crowd going and played the best party music! They supplied the dj service also- needless to say we danced until the early hours!!
We had never been to a wedding abroad before… we didnt know what to expect at all!! Of course you always worry will your guests have a good time, eapecially seeing as they are making a huge effort to be there! The wedding planners really put us at ease though and everything from the venue, the food, the music, the atmosphere… everything was just amazing and far better than we could have imagined and everyone is still talking about how great it was! Some insisting we need to renew our vows and do it all over again!!!!!
How did you pick your destination for your wedding
One of our friends was at a Wedding in Nerja and told us to check it out! We visited and fell in love with the place! The views are stunning and the church in the square is gorgeous! We knew our guests would have an amazing tome here and us too! The Cortijo Bravo was a no brainer- the boutique hotel is stunning- we were sold instantly when we visited.
We were recommended Rebecca from our wedding planner! We were very lucky as she was only taking a small number of weddings in Spain this year and we jumped at the chance! As soon as I saw her work I knew she was exactly what we were looking for!! Amazing photography!!