Ailbhe and John tied the knot on June 20th, 2015. Their beautiful outdoor ceremony was held in the courtyard of a local town hall on the shores of Lake Como and presented here by Irish Weddings in Italy.
John and Ailbhe met in London and John, originally from New York, flew her over to New York for their first date. Three wonderful years later, he popped the question.
Italy was a perfect choice for the couple’s wedding. Paola Shanahan of Irish Weddings in Italy says, “Ailbhe and John are very down to earth people. Their wedding was very much about celebrating their union while ensuring their guests were happy and looked after. It was a fun filled, relaxed day, with lots of smiles throughout.”
The local town hall has a lovely garden so the civil ceremony was held outside, giving fantastic photo opportunities for the group and lots of natural light to capture Ailbhe and John’s happiness.
The couple chose a stunning villa located on the shores of Lake Como, which offered the perfect place to relax during the wedding. Paola says the peace and privacy that Lake Como provides is what makes it such a beloved travel destination. “Little can prepare brides and grooms to its beauty. Italy has it all, the weather, the food, the lifestyle, the history and the wine.”
Ailbhe’s favourite colour is yellow, so it was a natural choice for her bridal bouquet and wedding flowers to be sunny yellow blooms.
Paola believes one of the highlights of their day was travelling by boat from the ceremony to Villa Balbianello for the reception. The trip gave the guests and the couple more stunning views and as it offered the chance to see the beauties of the lake Como shores with its villas, its medieval and picturesque villages all around.
As a former chef, Paola particularly loved the couple’s choice of menu. “The risotto with lime, shrimps and cherry tomatoes was a great starter because of its delicate flavour and texture. I felt that by leaving guest choose their mains between seabass and beef, they offered everyone an option to enjoy. I love the mixed berries wedding cake they chose too.”
The mother and daughter photography team did a beautiful job capturing the fabulous wedding all day, leaving Ailbhe and John with amazing memories to treasure.