The couple at the centre of today's real wedding, Bailey and Derek, look so thrilled to be married, it's impossible not to crack a smile as you peruse the gorgeous images by Lauren Carroll Photos! Derek, from Dublin, and Bailey, from Virginia, USA, celebrated with just four guests at their romantic Irish elopement. In the end, they decided on just two, their childhood best friends, while four more friends joined them for dinner and drinks afterwards. Their big day was modest compared to many (Bailey wore a second-hand dress, and carried a simple, dried-flower bouquet), but it looks positively magical!

Bailey tells us that she first started visiting Ireland when her sister's family moved to Dublin. "As a college student en route to getting my Masters in teaching, I had the opportunity to come to Ireland for extended periods during my breaks." While in Ireland, Bailey would sometimes look after her sister's kids, which is how she first crossed paths with Derek! "I made acquaintance with a Momma in the area, who just so happened to be Derek's sister-in-law. It turns out, she had her eyes set on me and was scheming to introduce Derek and me and, get Derek to show me around. She went so far as to bring him to one of the birthday parties she knew I was likely to attend… but fate wasn't ready for us yet and I chose to sit that one out!"

Eventually, Bailey agreed to let Derek's sister-in-law pass on her phone number. "We made plans to go to Glendalough, Co. Wicklow, to hike the Spinc trail together," Bailey says. "It was a blind date so neither of us had ever seen each other before but it felt as though we had known each other our whole lives. To this day we both agree, for whatever reason, we knew in those first moments this is where we are meant to be."

Jumping head-first into a long-distance relationship, the couple eventually decided that Bailey would make the move to Dublin, and they would get married shortly after. But Derek was still planning an official proposal! Bailey tells us, "I had my dog, Indigo, with me for the plane ride and my wedding dress. I was so focused on making sure Indigo was happy and safe and calm, that I forgot my wedding dress on the plane! As I reach the terminal, I see Derek waiting outside the doors, Indigo recognises him and begins pulling me (or was I pulling her? We were both excited, to say the least!) As we reach him, we embrace, before I break the news to him that I am, in fact, a ham, and have to go back to get my wedding dress. I could see the ring box in his hand… I ruined it! He didn't notice what I noticed and put it back in his pocket. He took Indigo and my bags and I ran off, eager to get my dress and finally be ‘home’. The second time around, the moment he sees me, he's on one knee!"

Bailey tells us that the couple were keen not to spend a small fortune on their big day. "This was a wedding on a budget!" she says. "Neither of us wanted a big wedding, neither of us wanted to go all out, we just wanted to have a day dedicated to celebrating our love for one another."

The couple's brief for their wedding was, "simplistic, Irish, boho, and in that order!" Bailey adds, "Neither of us wanted much of the day's traditional fuss. I'm proud to live here and to be married to an Irish man, and Derek is a proud Irish man, so we wanted to capture the hints of traditional Irish culture and the gorgeous land it holds. In addition, I wanted to tie in bits and pieces to give it romantic, boho-chic vibes. The bouquet and dress did just this for me!"

The couple made it official at the Letterkenny Civil Registration Office, before exchanging vows and taking wedding portraits at the Poisoned Glen. "Afterwards we had dinner and drinks at the Olde Glen Bar and Restaurant," Bailey tells us. "The food was heavenly and the pub had such a great atmosphere, very traditional! Our friends have joked they would drive the four hours back to Donegal just to eat there again - we fully agree."

The couple tells us that having close friends in attendance made the day so, so special. "Although only two of them got to witness the marriage, we all spent the morning getting ready together, popping champagne, and crying happy tears, ready for this journey Derek and I were about to take." This was particularly special for Bailey, whose family weren't able to travel due to Covid restrictions, and could only attend the day via Zoom. "I relied heavily and humbly on the friends of Derek's and their amazing partners to make me feel special and celebrated on this day. I am forever grateful for the ladies who took the time and effort to invite me into their lives, make friends, become family, and be there for me on my big day when others couldn't."

Bailey describes their big day as blissful. "I'm not sure there is any other word to describe it so accurately. Despite the irony of it pouring rain, we barely noticed and just kept moving and grooving to what the day had in store for us. We were puddy in love for one another and nothing could taint the moments we shared on this day."

Bailey's wedding dress is a gorgeous, second-hand find! "My dress is from a Los Angeles based boutique and designer,  V. Chapman," she says. "The dress was originally priced at $395 but they didn't have my size in stock. I searched for weeks until I found the exact dress in my size on a marketplace, Poshmark. What are the chances?!"

How adorable are the couple's dogs, Indigo and Bo!? Bailey tells us, "Indi is the grey-coloured Pitbull mix, rescued at 12 weeks old and now eight years old! Bo is the brown-coloured Border Collie/Husky mix, rescued at 6 months old and now 7 years old."

Bailey's advice for engaged couples is to focus on yourself and your partner. "This is your day and while I know it can be stressful trying to plan and include everyone and every detail you imagined, focus on what is important. You and your partner, joining together. I promise it makes the day so much more special."