Despite what movies and TV shows would have you believe, pulling off a surprise wedding is an incredibly difficult task, so we were floored to see that the couple in today's real wedding managed to do it 3,000 miles from home! US lovebirds Amanda and Bradley organised an epic trip to Ireland with ten of their nearest and dearest people, some of whom wondered if a proposal might be on the cards. Little did they know that they were going to be attending the couple's wedding at Loughcrew Estate and Gardens! Their big day was a super intimate bash that included an outdoor ceremony, dinner a,nd reception, another extremely rare occurance in this part of the world! Alexandra Celia Photography was on hand to capture their ambitious and painfully stylish celebration, so let's take a closer look, shall we!?

Amanda tells us that she first met Bradley in a bar in her native Tacoma, Washington. "We were both out with friends and I had a little too much to drink - I didn’t remember much of the encounter! I walked by Bradley and asked if he knew how to dance, he said no, but I thought he was too cute to not give him a shot on the dance floor. I quickly figured out that he had lied to me about his dancing skills. We had a blast but then went separate ways without exchanging numbers. The second time we met was two weeks later at that same bar. Brad remembered me but I had no recollection of him! History repeated itself and I eventually asked him to dance again. He made sure to get my number this time!"

When the couple sat down to discuss the kind of wedding they wanted, the idea of surprise nuptials really appealed. "The priority for us was us," Amanda says. "That's why we went against the norm and planned this elaborate secret elopement. Both of us feel very fortunate to have very large families and a lot of friends acquired from moving often, but we had both been to several big weddings and knew how exhausting they could be."

Settling on a location was easy for this pair. "Brad and I actually have Irish backgrounds," Amanda says. "Mine is way too far back to trace but Brad still has relatives living in Cork. We chose Ireland because both of our families had made it a priority to visit before they got too old, so we knew how much the trip would mean to them." 

To make a surprise wedding work, they planned it at the end of a two-week family trip around Ireland! "Everyone was anticipating a proposal, but they got the ultimate surprise instead. We carried that anticipation and nervousness with us until we told our parents two days before the wedding."

Amanda tells us that her initial vision for the day differed from Bradley's somewhat! "I wanted to be surrounded by nature and Brad just wanted it to feel swanky!"

She adds that she was sold on Loughcrew Estate and Gardens from the moment she saw pictures of St Oliver Plunkett’s church. " I could immediately imagine us eating, laughing, and drinking there," she says. "I could almost palpably feel the emotion of our day, all just from looking at the pictures of the venue. When I found out that the venue could accommodate all of us, I was basically in happy tears. Brad didn’t get the vision but he loved the grounds and trusted me."

Of course, planning to have their ceremony, dinner and reception outdoors was a huge gamble in this climate! "It rained the morning of the wedding but I was determined to have the reception dinner in St. Oliver Punkett’s ruined church," Amanda says. "Minutes before the ceremony, the sun came out. It turned out to be the best day we had, out of our whole 14-day trip leading up to the wedding."

As you've probably noticed by now, this was a pretty small group! "I had my grandma, mom, dad, brother, niece, nephew and close friend," Amanda says. "Brad had his sister, father and mother there. Throughout the evening, you will also see others pop up in images, like our photographer Alex, her fiancé Evan and another close friend."

I was seriously impressed to learn that Amanda and Bradley carried some of their wedding décor half way acorss the globe! "Each vase for the table was hand selected," Amanda says. "I spent months going to antique stores to find the perfect amber glass. They actually had to be hidden from the family for half of the trip until Brad was able to smuggle them to our florist in Galway. We thought for sure we would be found out!"

Amanda and Bradley recruited one of our favourite wedding bands, The Suitcase Trio, to perform on the day. "They did an acoustic set for the dinner and stepped things up for the dancing," Amanda says. "They said we were the smallest but most exciting group they had ever played for!"

With such a small number of guests, it was important to the couple that they were totally comfortable with their photographer. "Alexandra Celia is one of my best friends and I think it shows," Amanda says. "There is almost an extra amount of love that comes through in her photos!"

I can't quite believe that we've made it this far without discussing Amanda's incredible bridal look! "The top was Alexandra Grecco from New York and the pants were from Nordstrom Bridal," she tells us. "My veil was made for my mother’s wedding by her grandmother. Neither of them knew I had brought it to wear until we were getting ready, so lots of tears were shed!" This talented bride also did her own hair and makeup for the big day.

In the end, the couple were thrilled that they chose Ireland as the destination for their wedding. Amanda tells us, "It’s hard to explain the feeling we had but it was a sense that, not only were we embraced by the people themselves, but also an intangible feeling that we were welcomed by the land."

Amanda's advice for engaged couples is to keep your eye on the prize! "People often say you can’t control everything in a wedding, but it’s more like you can’t control anything!" she says. "Pick something that you both aren’t willing to compromise on and focus on that one aspect going right. For me, it was eating outside in the church, and, for Brad, it was looking real good in his suit. Little things initially went wrong with both the suit and the dress but, because we let all other details of the wedding go, it was easy to navigate our obstacles."

Amanda tells us that the couple didn't go on honeymoon, partly because their wedding doubled as one! "We were also moving to Washington, D.C. the week after our wedding and were too excited to get back and start our new lives together. Brad had been working hard for three years to land us that opportunity and it was better than any honeymoon!"

Thanks so much to Amanda and Bradley for sharing their incredible day with us, and to Alexandra Celia for providing the beautiful imagery!