Aislinn and Tim's wedding day oozed with wonderful winter wedding inspiration. From classical stationery and warm florals inspired by grandad's wildflower garden, to a bridal party in snow white shades, and much more! With the breathtaking details captured by Adam and Grace Photography, let's travel back to a beautiful November morning at Virginia Park Lodge.
We could pore over these details all day, from the luscious stationery suite that looks like something from a Jane Austen novel, to the handwritten caligraphy and unique wax seals.
Our gorgeous bride, Aislinn, hails from Newry, Co. Down. She met her husband, Tim, a London native, while working for the same firm but in separate locations. "Aislinn popped over to my office one day, which is when we first laid eyes on one another. However, it was five months later—many rejections by myself and a swipe left on Tinder—before we hooked up. And the rest was history," says Tim.
Tim's first effort at proposing was supposed to take place in Ireland, but it almost went wrong when an overly eager security guard at Gatwick Airport searched Tim's bag, with the ring inside! Tim had a few quiet words and airport security kept Operation Proposal moving forward. However, Tim was unable to get Aislinn on her own due to the weekend's schedule. "Some weeks later, in October 2021, we went to Richmond Park for a Sunday morning walk. Tim planned to propose while out on the walk, but my stomach got the better of me, and before a picturesque enough spot could be found, I insisted we go for lunch at Petersham Nurseries." After which Aislinn went to the gym and sent Tim to get groceries—with the ring in his pocket! However, Tim proposed that evening at home over a Sunday roast, and it was just perfect. He even had the champagne cooling in the fridge.
The wedding theme was contemporary meets classic. Because it was so close to Christmas, the couple decided on a black-tie affair. "Being a designer myself, I focused on every single small detail, from the menus scribed in cloth down to the very berries and thyme in the welcome drinks. At one stage, when we were knee deep in planning, I even joked with Tim that I was getting calligraphy on the toilet roll just to see how he reacted!" laughs Aislinn.
A special moment recalled from the wedding ceremony, was a poem Aislinn wrote about her dear grandfather. "This was read by my cousin, and Arco played his favourite hymn, O Holy Night, in the background. I somehow managed to hold back the tears, but it was a beautiful piece to end our mass with," she says.
Throughout the day, Aislinn used flowers and floral arrangements to construct an homage to her beloved grandfather, who sadly is no longer with them. "He had great love for his garden and so the initial design concept was 'wildflower'. We wanted to recreate his garden at our venue in memory of him. Due to the time of year in November and the dark evenings, getting light into the main pavilion was a priority and we wanted to do this with candlelight. We spent a lot of time working with Rosehip & Berry and House of Hannah bringing this vision to life, the team did an incredible job."
In sophisticated white gowns, the bridesmaids exuded elegance. The classic wedding day style was made utterly modern with statement sleeves andankle-length gowns. The snow-coloured palette paired seamlessly with the timeless tuxedo look worn by the groomsmen!
The sensational bride wore a custom designby Emma Beaumont Atelier, she explains: "I worked closely with her for 10 months to make the dress of my dreams. It was one of the most memorable experiences." She opted for an Bardot neckline and fishtail skirt that created a chic silhouette, finished with a showstopping oversiezed bow at the back which draped all the way to the floor. She finished her look with simple pearl accessories and gorgeous Jimmy Choo bridal shoes, so that every detail worked in harmony.
The magnificent winter wedding party took place at Virginia Park Lodge. The newlyweds explain what drew them to the gorgeous venue: "We never wanted a summer wedding, it was always going to be either autumn or winter. We wanted a big house, a roaring fire and of course creamy pints of Guinness. When we flew home for Christmas, we visited Virginia Park Lodge with all the decorations up and immediately fell in love." When they walked into the Pavilion, O Holy Night started playing which was Aislinn's grandfather's favourite song, and they took this as a sign it was meant to be, booking it later that day. "We also held our day two there, which we would highly recommend. Despite it being the middle of November, we held a drinks reception in the forest at the Piggery, hired a little shebeen, had blazing firepits with smores and of course singing and dancing. This was so special to us we were even lucky enough to have a sunny day," they add.
The tablescape of floral dreams! Each flower garland gracefully extended down in a waterfall effect over every table and was dotted with an abundance of candlelight. Dried fruits gave the wildflower inspired creations a seasonal flair, and menus and place names decorated in elegant calligraphy finished the lavish look. "We wanted to create a warm, cosy pavilion and did this through candlelight and colour, through flowers, table linen and dried fruits on the tables." They also created a winter wonderland on the entrance to the pavilion, as an area to take photos in the event of bad weather. "We were fortunate enough to have guests fly in from Australia, New York, London and France and created the warmest Irish welcome with blazing fires, an Irish trad band and the smell of sapin candles for that fresh pine smell," says the couple.
The most special part of Aislinn and Tim's winter wedding day was being surrounded by the people they love and getting to spend time with everyone who had made the effort to be there. "Just seeing people's faces as they walked in after two years of planning was priceless. We decided on not having the typical easel for a table plan, but rather had edible stickers with guests table numbers in drinks which was a fun little welcome task." Music at the reception was provided by the wonderful Trio Royale known for their repertoire that includes a cool mix of swing, jazz and latin music.
One aspect of Virginia Park Lodge that the couple particularly appreciated was its exclusivity. "We loved that you have the entire house to yourself and can make it your own. We were able to display pictures of our parents and grandparents, and a piece of artwork that my granny made us for our wedding. Staying there for a few days meant we could totally relax and enjoy every minute," says Aislinn.
What a winter wonderland photo op spot! We also love how the bow on the wedding cake gives a nod to our bride's epic style.
When planning their dream day, the priorities from the very beginning were solid. Good food, entertainment and of course great wine! "These are the things people remember. Nothing gets much better than Richard Corrigan’s culinary skills," they say.
A picture of Aislinn and her grandfather, alongside a pint of Guinness sits perfectly in place on her family table where they left a seat free for him. A truly beautiful touch.
The champagne tower is the ideal finishing touch for a contemporary winter wedding day - the ideal party shot!
For Aislinn's dress change, could we take a moment! It's not actually a second wedding dress change, but it's actually Aislinn's day two dress, which was also specially made by Emma Beaumont Atelier and definitely deserves to be seen!
As for the honeymoon, Aislinn and Tim delayed a few months before leaving because their winter wedding fell so close to Christmas and they wanted to use this time to spend with relatives in Ireland. "Straight after the wedding we headed for Clifden for a mini moon where we had no signal or wifi and just enjoyed the time watching videos and crying that it was all over. We then headed for Adare Manor for some down time luxury. We decided on the Maldives for May - it was everything it is made out to be and more! From dolphin watching, sunset cruises, fishing, snorkelling, massages, wine tasting classes, clear blue waters and of course floating cocktails, one would never get bored. It is the perfect honeymoon destination!"
The couple has these words of wedding planning advice: "Enjoy the process. Being organised is of course key. One other piece of advice we would give is to book off work the week before the wedding. There will be a lot of last minute running around, but try and book some nice lunches or dinner so you both can take time out to relax and enjoy the run up - it just goes by so quick. There will be little mishaps on the way – we had our day two entertainment cancel two days before the wedding, luckily DJ & Sax stepped in and were incredible. We also had one of the bridesmaid’s cars break down on the wedding morning. These things don’t matter when you are surrounded by the people you love.
A very special thank you to Aislinn and Tim for sharing the divine Virginia Park Lodge wedding day. And thank you to Adam and Grace photography for showcasing the beautiful imagery with One Fab Day.
Dreaming of hosting your own winter celebration? Check out our list of Heartwarming Ceremony Readings for Christmas, NYE and Winter Weddings and more winter wedding inspiration here.
