For all those couples who've ever wondered what a chic, city wedding could look like - this one is for you! Michelle and Garry's stylish Dublin City celebration wedding is prettier than a picture.  Hosted at the luxurious Merrion Hotel, incredible history and thoughtfully curated details collide for one wow-worthy wedding. With everything from a simple, yet oh-so-chic green and white colour palette, to the bride in a short wedding dress with a 60s vibe, and photo ops all around Dublin city, every minute of their wedding is filled with magic.  With every little detail artfully captured in the imagery by Julie Cummins Photography, you are destined to fall in love with this stylish little celebration!

We got the low-down on how this lovely pair first met; "We met in July 2017 but admittedly we were so busy with work schedules at that time that we almost cancelled on each other…. but obviously, we are *very* happy that love prevailed, and we kept that very first date! We first met at the Duke of Wellington statue in Bank in London and then strolled over to the iconic East London Petticoat Lane for speakeasy cocktails", Michelle tells us. The bride adds, "Life then followed with lots of fun dates over the years until our Big Day on 28th August 2021 in Dublin. What made it all extra special and feel full circle was realising that our wedding reception venue at the Merrion Hotel was also once home of the Duke of Wellington."

The proposal happened at home in a low-key, but very romantic fashion! "We are both big live music fans and had planned to visit Nashville in May 2020, but Covid hit and like many, our plans changed. Casey had planned to propose on that trip", Michelle says. After various stop and start restrictions, it became clear to Casey that he would have to change up his proposal plans so he took charge and somehow managed to organize filling their living room with red roses and candles to a non-suspecting Shel who was working late in the next room!

Once the date was set, the couple began planning their day of love, but Covid had other plans for their original wedding day vision. "We had numerous times where we had to imagine a reality of a very intimate wedding, so when we were eventually allowed to have 50, we wanted to ensure that everyone could enjoy themselves without any worry. We also wanted to ensure that every family and friend felt spoilt. We’re happy to say, that on reflection of our photos, we have so many photos of our guests smiling and laughing! It was such a joyful occasion."

"We really thought that we would not be able to have all our nearest and dearest with us for our Big Day, so this to us was what made it so special to us. In the end, that all that mattered."

The pair describe the feeling and vibe of their Big Little Day as "Joyful". The bride adds, "After such a difficult time for all during Covid, we wanted to ensure that for that weekend our family and friends could forget all and just have the best day of their lives, not just the wedding couple. We wanted to spoil everyone as our way to say thank you, as we knew travelling for anyone during that period was stressful."

When it came to the perfect venue for their celebration, the pair tell us that The Merrion was number 1 on their list. "Other than our 1st date connection via way of the Duke of Wellington, the team at the Merrion are bar none. They have an incredible ability to deliver a luxury service whilst also making you feel right at home. We are particularly grateful to Laura, our wedding organizer at the Merrion, Peter the General Manager and the doormen, who must have carried everything but the kitchen sink from our cars to our rooms…many times throughout the weekend! We’ve never experienced anything like it, and quite frankly, we’re not sure how anywhere else will ever hold up next to it."

The couple said their 'I do's' in the beautiful surroundings of Newman University Church at St. Stephen’s Green. Michelle walked up the aisle to the gorgeous sounds of Edel & Alida Loftus of Harp Duets.

Michelle's fabulous short wedding dress is a custom design by Irish designer Louise Kennedy and the shape suits this wedding’s laid-back elegance perfectly. We just adore that feather detailing! On her feet Michelle wore jewelled Manolo Blahnik kitten heels, while for jewellery she chose a pair of pearl drop earrings by Louise Kennedy. She completed her ensemble with an oversized bow veil.

Michelle finished her look with an absolutely beautiful cream-hued bouquet comprised of roses, lisianthus, astilbe and eucalyptus.

Garry wore a slick made to measure suit by Zegna. We love the matching cream buttonhole worn by the groom, which is so elegant.

The couple worked with event management agency Together by Ten Four to help bring their dream day together, and say the team were invaluable during a stressful time. "Without the incredible support of Together by Ten Four who turned our vision into a dream come true, we’re not sure how we would have done it – everything was planned by phone calls, Whatsapps, Pinterest boards and Zoom calls. No detail too small, no request too challenging. We’re still amazed at how they managed to ensure every detail was meticulously managed for us with such elegance, whilst we were in lockdown in the UK. Ultimately, their support that even meant on the day, we could really focus on celebrating with our loved ones, after not seeing so many of them for so long."

Michelle and Garry have these words of wedded wisdom to share with our engaged couples, "If budget can allow, we definitely would advise using on-the-day planner, if they are not already planning the whole wedding. I only got to visit the venue once before whilst Casey visited one month before, so Together by Ten Four managed everything for us from abroad – from suppliers to venue communications. It totally took the pressure off us and our wedding party so when the Big Day came, we could totally relax and enjoy the day."

The couple have yet to go on honeymoon, but tell us that they are still dreaming of taking that Nashville trip in the near future!

A huge thank you to Michelle and Casey for sharing their Merrion Hotel wedding with us! Of course a massive shout out has to go to Julie Cummins Photography for sharing these stunning images too! There are more pics for you to pore over in the gallery below.