A surprise balloon drop at midnight, thoughtful favours, the sweetest love story and the most enchanting setting... The real wedding of Emma and Gavin may have been a long time coming but it was everything they could have imagined and more when it did. Their New Year's Eve wedding was the icing on the cake to their beautiful romance which kicked off when they became co-workers more than six years ago. Emma who hails from Yorkshire and Gavin who hails from Essex, went from strangers to soulmates, this couple's love story takes us on a rollercoaster journey from Cambridge to Cape Town and finally, Adare Manor in Co. Limerick where they said 'I do' in front of their nearest and dearest at the most breathtaking wedding. Captured by Stephen Walker Photography, let's take a peek at their romantic wedding album and get all the details!
Emma and Gavin were enchanted by their wedding venue from the moment they stepped inside the front door and we can see why. Ticking every one of their boxes and providing the 'wow factor' they were looking for, Emma admitted the wedding facilities at the venue were 'by far and away the most impressive' they saw on their search for their dream place to say 'I do'.
"The ballroom, reception suite, bedrooms, great hall and friendly staff were second to none," Emma says. "The attention to detail and the manner in which all of our guests were treated by the staff, showed the best of the world-famous Irish hospitality." The quaint village of Adare stole their hearts too, so much so that they hired a local pub for their day two festivities! They also chose to tie the knot in the local town, swapping heartfelt vows in the breathtaking Holy Trinity Abbey just a stone's throw from where they hosted their festive and glamorous New Year's Eve wedding reception. "Adare wasn’t just a wedding venue, it became a place we will always carry in our heart," the bride tells us.
Oh, sweet Jimmy Choo - we see you, and boy would we love to see a pair of these sparking beauties under the tree on Christmas morning.
Tying the knot in Ireland, and in winter especially, means taking a gamble with the weather. Emma and Gavin focused on creating a special indoor experience for their guests. Their hard work paid off in the form of a spectacular floral and candle feature on the staircase leading up to the ballroom, a show-stopping floral display that acted as the most divine backdrop for those special photo moments.
The couple and their talented décor team opted for gilded clusters of ivory roses, asparagus fern and ivy in keeping with their gold, white and green New Year's Eve wedding theme - a celebration of the Emerald Isle as a special place in their hearts. That theme carried through to their church ceremony where they used romantic lanterns to warm up the ambience of the location. Back at the reception, cascading florals with metallic touches and candlelight adorned the elaborate staircase leading to the reception room. As a nod to the time of year, the couple also chose to incorporate Christmas trees into their design of the ballroom - so magical!
Before we tell you more, can we take a moment for Emma and Gavin's sweet flower girls and page boys who really 'stole the show!' The couple's nieces and nephews, aged between two and seven, really added the sweetness factor to the ceremony. What's a flower princess without her flower crown? They are just absolutely adorable!
Having endured a pandemic amid their wedding planning, many fellow newlyweds will know all about, Emma and Gavin had a little fun with their table names, incorporating much-used phrases such as 'Hotel Quarantine,' 'Booster' and 'Herd Immunity' into their day to give their guests a giggle and mark a chapter in history like no other.
Their guests were at the forefront of their minds the whole night and they arranged a special surprise for them come midnight. As it was a magical New Year's Eve wedding, a spectacular balloon drop appeared moments before the countdown. Their favours were also designed to count down to midnight - quite literally, as they chose to gift their 100 guests a gold Charlie Bell alarm clock that was set to ring at the stroke of twelve. Sparklers, bespoke matchboxes and a personalised Cadbury's chocolate bar completed the favours.
Over by the sweets buffet, Emma and Gavin set up a polaroid photo station where guests could take their photos instead of a guest book where they could leave a note on the picture and place it into a glass box designed to look like an Irish post-box - how unique! Before we go on, let's take a moment to appreciate Emma's romantic, classic and regal-like wedding look. The bride wore this beautifully structured off-the-shoulder gown paired with a pair of glittering pair of Jimmy Choos - every girl's dream! Adorning her hair, Emma chose a tiara making her look every inch the princess on her special day. No doubt, she took Gavin's breath away walking down the aisle.
Want to know more about the couple's love story? Well, it's an exceptionally sweet one as this pair went from coworkers to soulmates - an office romance that has stood the test of time! Love blossomed for the couple when Emma, originally from Yorkshire, moved back to the UK after four years in Cambodia where she was working for an NGO and began working for a disability charity where Gavin was her new co-worker. The story goes that Gavin, from Essex and a former political speech writer in Parliament, was planning on moving on from the role but he decided to stay put when he met Emma.
In January January, on top of Table Mountain in South Africa, Gavin asked Emma to marry him and to say she was shocked by his 'epic' proposal would be an understatement. "After months of secret dates in Cambridge and trying not to cause a scandal in the office, we officially became a couple in August 2016 when we couldn’t keep it quiet anymore," Emma explains. Little did she know that three years later, Gavin would pop the question on an unforgettable trip where they travelled to celebrate their birthdays. ''We had never spoken about marriage before, so my complete shock is evident from the video that he captured," she laughs. Gavin arranged a trip up the iconic mountain to 'capture the sunset' and after an 'argument about the position of the video camera', he went down on bended knee to make Emma his wife.
South Africa has a special place in Emma and Gavin's hearts as not only the place they got engaged but also where they honeymooned as they returned to write a whole new chapter there officially as man and wife. "We went on a tour of South Africa and did safari, tours of the winelands along the Western Cape, a few days by the beach in Hermanus and then five epic days in Cape Town. We enjoyed an amazing trip and really made the most of it,'" Gavin explains.
This pair's advice to newly engaged couples planning their wedding day: "Make as many decisions as you can about the wedding as a team to ensure your special day is a reflection of you both as a couple. Just go for it with suppliers and use Instagram to check them all out. You won’t regret it." Thank you to Emma and Gavin for sharing their spectacular and super romantic wedding day with us and to their photographer Stephen Walker for sharing these beautiful images. There are so many more to inspire you in the gallery below!
If Emma and Gavin's gorgeous New Year's Eve wedding has inspired you, take a dive into our selection of Real Weddings here! Or If you're planning a festive wedding, take a peek at the Things To Consider If You're Having a Winter Wedding!
