Clive and Kate's wedding in Dublin City Centre was brought together by twinkling fairy lights, seasonal aromas, rich textures in cosy colours,topped off with glowing smiles! Described as an intimate affair, the day reflected the tastes of our couple in many beautiful ways. The ceremony was filled with meaning, the bride wore a custom-knit cardigan, and the groom sported an exquisite velvet suit. Even the drinks reception had a taste of the couple's unique touch with a creative cocktail! Let's enjoy the romantic day with photographer Olga Hogan's enchanting pictures of the city-chic winter wedding day!

Winter weddings naturally lend themselves to opulent, luxurious fabrics and textures, and our groom Clive completely delivered, donning a classic black velvet tuxedo.

Dubliners Clive and Kate first met at Trinity College as they were doing the same undergraduate degree. Kate describes their love story: "We were best friends all through college but only started going out after graduation. Clive surprised me by proposing on what would have otherwise been a very boring day in the middle of lockdown in April 2021. Since we were stuck at home, he arranged for a friend to ask me to go for a walk and while I was out he filled our living room with balloons and flowers, and arranged for a dinner at home from our favourite restaurant. He had worked with Paul Wojcik in ESL Jewellery, from whom my parents got their wedding rings, to design and make my ring. Paul retired in 2022 so it was really special to be able to get my engagement ring and our wedding bands from him before that!" 

The bridal details already have us swooning! Gold and pearl jewellery, velvet green bridal heels to complement Kate's striking green eyes and a bespoke bridal knit - which we will dive into in one moment! Summing up the day, the couple says: "We wanted our day to have the feel of a classic city wedding in the winter. Our ambition was to create a day that was simple, elegant and reflective of our tastes." 

Her beautiful bridesmaids complemented the groom's attire in rich forest green velvet dresses, with loose curls, and neutral bouquets filled with ivory florals and greenery. The perfect winter wedding attire!

Their guests arrived at the festive ceremony at The Merrion Hotel, in Dublin City Centre. A very sentimental moment from the ceremony was a poem, that was written by someone very special to the bride, she explains: "My grandmother had a poem called Just Once published in 1998, which my brother Michael read during our ceremony. That was a very special moment!"

When it came to choosing their dream city wedding venue, Kate and Clive had always had the Merrion Hotel on their radar. "Since we were having a city wedding we wanted a venue that highlighted the beauty of the classic Georgian architecture in Dublin, which the Merrion absolutely did! We had exclusive use of No.24, a Georgian building on Merrion Street and so it felt more like we were in a stunning old house than a hotel. As well as that, we always wanted to keep the day a relatively intimate affair and the scale of the Merrion matched our numbers of 90 people perfectly," they say. 

Now for the bespoke bridal look. Kate chose to wear a two-piece wedding ensemble with an incredible custom-knit cardigan completed with delicate pearl detail which she paired with a satin skirt by Victoire Vermeulen! She complemented her wedding look with a half-up curly hairstyle, drop pearl earrings and a divine bouquet bursting with winter florals.

We must say that we adore the romantic atmosphere of their wedding photos, which were taken against Dublin's urban backdrop. When it came to wedding advice, the couple say: "Try to get a clear idea from the outset of what you, personally, want your day to look like. As the planning progresses remind yourself of what that was in order to avoid getting pulled into thinking you need everything you see online or getting overwhelmed with others’ opinions."

A modern and minimal seating plan greeted guests at the reception entrance, where twinkling festive lights, the scent of spruce and fresh roses awaited. Glass tapered candlesticks surrounded the floral arrangements on the table, creating a classic, elegant tablescape. As for a sprinkle of personality? "We wanted to add our own touch to the drinks reception so as well as prosecco, our guests were offered Brandy Alexanders, which were delicious!" they add. 

The cheese wedding cake was a savoury delight made up of a selection of the couple's favourite cheese wheels. This makes for an excellent evening food choice, and you could even add some take-home boxes for guests to enjoy the following day. "Clive’s sister-in-law Yvonne is an incredible artist and sculpted us cake toppers which were exact replicas of each of us in our outfits, even down to the clip in my hair!" says Kate. 

As the winter wedding day came to an end after an enjoyable night of dancing from one of our favourite bands Trio Royale, the couple jetted off on a romantic honeymoon to the city of love! "We went to Paris for a few days after the wedding, which was brilliant. We intentionally chose somewhere we had both been to before so that we could really relax and not feel as if we needed to do loads of touristy things!" 

A very special thank you to Kate, Clive and Olga Hogan for sharing this beautiful winter wedding day with One Fab Day! There are tonnes more gorgeous images to pore over in the gallery below.

Did you fall in love with this Christmas wedding? Check out our favourite festive wedding cakes, our guide to winter wedding florals and winter wedding stationery right here.