Teachers Jessie Adamson and Seán Woods celebrated their wedding on 13th April 2019 with a detail-laden celebration at Ballybeg House, Co. Wicklow.
Photography: Lima-Conlon Photography
An Irish love story, the couple first met in 2011 at the Rose of Tralee festival. Jessie had taken part as the 2010 Carlow Rose while Seán attended in 2011 as the Monaghan escort. Although they met during the festival, it wasn't until afterwards that a romance blossomed. The couple had many mutual friends, so despite living at opposite ends of the country, it was no great shock when they crossed paths. Meeting at an impromptu get together for a friend, they spent much of the night talking and ended up sharing a kiss, and from that moment, they were inseparable. Indeed, despite the distance between them, they made the drive to see each other every single weekend and every additional opportunity possible. After a year, Seán took the plunge and moved to Carlow, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The proposal came in 2017 while the couple were holidaying at Disneyworld in Florida. Jessie has always been a huge Disney fan, believing that she too could be a Disney princess, so it was no surprise that Seán took this trip as an opportunity to pop the question. The proposal came as a complete surprise to Jessie, even though during the couple's second date, one of her friends told Seán that he needed to propose to Jesse at Disney. Picking the most magical moment possible, Seán got down on one knee in front of Cinderella's castle just as the fireworks started. Without the slightest hesitation, Jessie said yes, proceeding to cry for about an hour.
The couple embraced and cried together for the entirety of the fireworks show, with the crowd around them coming up afterwards and offering their congratulations. A moment they will never forget, between the atmosphere, the fireworks and the goodwill of those around them it perfect in every way.
Seán and Jessie already had a fair idea of what kind of wedding they wanted, and this helped hugely when it came to narrowing down the venues they wanted to see. Ballybeg House in Co. Wicklow was the first place on their list, and they both immediately fell in love with the venue. Ten years previous, the bride's sister had been married at Ballybeg, so Jesse already had an idea of what the venue was like, but nothing could prepare her for the moment she walked into the Ayers ceremony room, it was instant love, and the couple decision was made on the spot. The couple loved the fact that Ballybeg gave the opportunity to completely customise their day, which was important to both of them. Once the venue was booked, Jessie immediately contacted her band-to-be, they were the band she had always wanted for her wedding, and so she made sure they were the first thing she checked off her list.
A real family affair, Jessie and Seán were incredibly lucky to have talented family and friends that could help with much of the design and preparation for their big day. Jessie's cousin, Linda-Lee Farrell, designed the couple's invitations with a beautiful rose theme that carried across into their table plan, table settings, favours and guest book. Linda was able to take each idea that Jessie had and turn it into reality.
Continuing with family input, Jessie's Mum made the couple's beautiful wedding cakes decorated to match their wedding invitation while her friends provided the most beautiful music imaginable for their ceremony.
I enjoyed the planning process and loved getting to put our touch to the day. I know people say that nobody notices the little touches but if you enjoy that kind of thing then go for it.
Jessie had a clear vision of the dress style she wanted but wasn't sure if it would suit her. A Pinterest Board fantasy of hers, it was at first hard to see it translate to the real world, but once it came to trying on dresses, it was the only style that felt like her. Purchasing her dress from Memories Bridal Boutique in Cork, Jessie recalls falling in love with her dress and matching lace top. She loved the idea that the dress would give her long sleeves, but that they could be removed for dancing.
Jessie says that she always knew the colour scheme she wanted for her bridesmaids. 'I adore dusky pink and thought it would go beautifully with a spring wedding' she recalls. The two beautiful bridesmaids were very easy to dress, and Jessie opted for tea-length dresses from Chi Chi London, giving a 50s feel to the overall look.
The couple cannot lavish any more praise than they have on Ballybeg House. The most spectacular venue, nothing they asked the wedding team for was too much trouble or hassle and being able to have the venue from Thursday to Monday allowed them to make the most out of their wedding and enjoy every last moment. The couple reflects, 'The staff could not have been better, they not only catered to everything we needed but they always made sure that we had a glass in our hand and that we were fed and warm. The fires were lit all of the time, the bars were well stocked, and the food was amazing.'
Although Ballybeg House is only a 10-minute drive from Jessie's mum's house, it feels like paradise. As soon as you drive up the beautiful driveway, you're stepping into another world. To add to the celebration, the couples Day 2 was Jessie's birthday, and they opted to have a second party with a chip van and sing-song in the Shebeen.
Everyone that came to the wedding was captivated by the stunning views, from the ceremony room to the farmhouse, the walled garden to the Shebeen, our guests could not speak highly enough of the venue.
The 'honeymoon' cottage at Ballybeg House gave the pair a chance to sit back and enjoy some space from the rest of the wedding party, allowing them to reflect on the whole occasion.
A lot of the extra details went into the wedding day and were inspired based on things that are important to the couple. Music is a huge part of Jessie's life, so she decided to base her table plan on musicals, choosing to include some Disney favourites in honour of the couple's engagement. Each table had its own "playbill" and a quote from a song or book done in the same pattern as our invitations. The tables had props from that musical or book in the centre too and were decorated with books and beautiful flowers.
Most touchingly, Jessie and Seán's guest book was a map of the world that reflected their love of travelling. And since the big day, it has become a beautiful piece of artwork displayed lovingly in their home.
Everything about the day was perfect, and there is little or nothing the couple would change. The morning of the wedding flew, but we were able to take a few minutes to ourselves where we had a drink in front of the fire, had some canapés and reflected on how lucky we were to be surrounded by the people we love.
The only advice Jessie and Seán have for those starting on their wedding journey is to enjoy every single moment; from the start of your wedding planning to the day itself, it all goes by so quickly.
Their biggest piece of advice is for the day itself, be sure to enjoy the fact that people are there to celebrate with you. Try to soak in all the love on the day and although things may go wrong, if you remain relaxed and enjoy yourself, then nobody will notice.
You can't control the weather, our day was very cold and windy, but there was nothing we could do so there is no point in stressing about it, and it honestly didn't take away from our day in the slightest.
Most importantly, try to take a few moments together after you are married. The morning flies by so make sure that you have left enough time and that you aren't rushing around. Savour every minute, the day flies by, but it truly is one of the best days of your life.