Where do we even begin? Your face will be hurting from smiling after reading about this unforgettable celebration of fun and style. Clare Louise and Matthew chose an enchanting ancient woodland location for their summer wedding, Finnebrogue Woods in Co. Down. Their big day had everything from oversized bouquets in watercolour hues to a vintage-inspired Lambeth buttercream wedding cake and the sweetest pastel mix and match bridesmaid dresses. Their lakeside reception had a festival feel thanks to the tipis and the sound of trumpets wafting through the warm air. They were blessed with wonderful weather so not only was their day painted in an ethereal glow but they took the dancefloor outside and danced as the sun set. There is so much gorgeousness to unpack, so prepare to feast your eyes on all the magic with stunning pictures from Gillian Higgins Photography.

Clare Louise is from Downpatrick in Co. Down and Scotsman Matthew is from Edinburgh. They met in Scotland in November 2014 and Clare Louise tells us: "I was living in Dundee and he was living in Edinburgh. We matched on Tinder and had our first date in Edinburgh, everything felt so right and so we spent the year hanging out between Dundee and Edinburgh! We booked a trip to Bali together after dating for eight weeks so we moved fast!"

Matthew picked a very unique spot to propose. He popped the question on the floating hotel, the Fingal in Leith, Edinburgh. "It was our seven-year anniversary and I did think it was a little over the top for an anniversary celebration, but I went with it, of course! Matthew asked me to marry him before dinner so we had a few celebratory drinks, had some delicious food and then rang our loved ones to share our news! It was such a gorgeous evening!"

They instantly fell in love with their wedding venue, Finnebrogue Woods in Downpatrick, and their big day was laced with sentimentality for Clare Louise as it's located just a five-minute drive from her family home. "When we first visited the venue, we both knew it was right for us. With the backdrop of the Quoile river, I have so many childhood memories here and it is a view I grew up loving because it is beautiful when the sun is shining and when the rain is pouring - we knew we'd win either way!"

"To celebrate our wedding with this perfect view seemed so fitting and having lived in Edinburgh for so long, it was really special to celebrate somewhere that really felt like home!" They drew on the natural beauty of the stunning lakeside location for their wedding aesthetic utilising soft tones and free-flowing florals.

"Finnebrogue itself does the hard work and we knew that our finishing touches would help make the venue reflect us." Now onto the style, which was magnificent.

Clare Louise looked utterly breathtaking in a gracefully draped silky wedding gown which had an elegant halter neckline and she wore the straps tied in a bow at the back. She accessorised with gold magnolia floral studs and gold chunky block heels.

80 guests joined them for their wedding day on July 8th, 2023. "We wanted our wedding day to be unique to us and we're so lucky to have loved ones who were keen to help us in achieving that."

"My mum is so talented and with great determination she and her friend Christine took on the alteration of my wedding dress. She also handmade my veil which was so special - 10 metres of handstitched embroidery is no mean feat!"

Matthew's dad Stephen sadly passed away in May 2022, just a few months after the couple got engaged. His memory was honoured on their wedding day in such a beautiful way. "He was a big car enthusiast and his most treasured car was his Audi RS2 which we used as our wedding car. Being able to leave the ceremony just the two of us in the RS2 was so special." 

Want to mix and match bridesmaids dresses but don't know where to start? Clare Louise's bridesmaids served up seriously wonderful inspiration. They looked incredible in satin dresses in rainbow pastel shades which is one of the sweetest bridesmaid dress trends right now.

Matthew and his groomsmen looked so dapper in their wedding attire which included kilts in shades of deep green and blue and they wore bold buttonholes.

The wedding flowers included evergreen roses, baby's breath and blue tweedia and they bloomed in soft shades of blue, peach and pink. One of the most treasured moments from their ceremony came courtesy of Matthew's mum.

"She read the poem Blessing of the Hands by Rev. Daniel L. Harris at the end of our ceremony which was really beautiful.",

After tying the knot, the newlyweds took a romantic stroll around the picturesque seaside town of Saul. Their reception at the captivating woodland wedding venue was held by the shore of the glittering lake.

Their celebration had a festival feel thanks to the towering tipis on the lawn and guests mingled in the sunshine as they enjoyed mouth-watering nibbles. "We are really passionate about food, so it was really important for us to get this right. We were really grateful to our caterers for their flexibility in helping us put together a menu that we were both really excited about!"

They found a wonderful way to preserve their wedding bouquets. They had them hand-dried and arranged beautifully in a hand-made frame. "Rebecca did an incredible job and we now have our framed piece hanging above our bed to enjoy forever!"

Matthew is a photographer himself and when it came to their special day they wanted natural and warm documentary-style shots. "Our first choice was Gillian, who was absolutely phenomenal. Gillian and Tim captured our day perfectly and they were absolutely gorgeous people which helped keep the whole experience so relaxed and fun!"

Their reception was held in a tipi which was romantic and rustic, lush foliage abounded as did twinkling fairy lights.

The table settings included pastel candles with table numbers and menus sporting delicate illustrations of foliage, flowers and food.

The bride blew their guests away with her surprise trumpet performance. "I have long been a fan of Linley Hamilton and when he agreed to play on our wedding day, we were both pretty taken aback! I played the trumpet growing up and I couldn't resist the opportunity to play at my own wedding. Only Matthew knew about it in advance so it was a nice surprise and maybe the first trumpet conga line at Finnebrogue! It was a lot of fun!"

They flipped the script by serving their cake as part of the drinks reception and it proved to be one of the best decisions they made when it came to their big day. "My mum and dad are amazing bakers - so they made a selection of our favourite cakes. I was definitely ready for some cake by then!" The impressive spread included chocolate, blueberry and floral-dappled creations.

The vintage-inspired, cherry-topped pink and red Lambeth buttercream cake was the star of the delectable show. The cake trend is really rising in popularity and we can see why, it's so fun and fabulous.

A very special VIP guest made an appearance at the reception, their adorable whippet Pablo who was wearing a very dapper bow tie and all. As for the big day itself, Clare Louise advices couples to: "Just go with the flow, soak up the excitement that comes with it and have fun."

Clare Louise's mum even made the 'Everlasting Love' banner which was hung inside the teepee. "Everlasting Love by Love Affair was our first dance song. It is now is an amazing keepsake from the day which is now hung in our hallway!"

Your wedding day can go by in a flash and it's so important to carve out time alone with your partner where you can. The couple enjoyed a very special moment together by taking the small rowing boat out on the lake.

With Matthew being Scottish, the ceilidh was their "not-so-secret ingredient" to a good party. "We were lucky enough to have this outside as the sun was setting, it was incredible. Our ceilidh band was absolutely fantastic, the caller gave everyone the confidence to give it a go and have a bit of fun!"

Clare Louise and Matthew have always dreamed of visiting Japan so it's their perfect honeymoon destination. "We decided not to go straight after our wedding and instead save it for cherry blossom season. We are so excited!"

We want to say a massive congratulations and thank you to Clare Louise and Matthew for sharing their exceptionally cool tipi wedding with One Fab Day and to Gillian Higgins Photography for the incredible images.

Tying the knot? Check out more Real Weddings and get inspired!