A fairytale castle set in 840 acres of gently rolling parkland in the heart of Ireland, nestled on the banks of the glittering River Maigue. Adare Manor was the magical venue for Natalie Lauren Paramore and Brandon Michael Wilder's wedding on March 9th 2019. Captured by Claire Studio Brown and planned by Dream Irish Wedding, this elopement to Ireland is dreamy down to the last detail!
The couple met through a mutual friend during a weekend visit to their lakehouse in Austin Texas. "We hit it off immediately!", years later the couple are still just as in love as when they first started dating!
The engagement was a total surprise to Natalie, having assumed she was venturing to Lady Bird Lake Boardwalk in Austin to help a friend out, "Brandon planned everything so beautifully! It was a complete surprise. He coordinated with one of my close friends who is a photographer. She said she needed to take some photos for a project then I turned around and Brandon was on one knee. Our parents and friends surprised us afterwards!" After she said yes, Brandon whisked his soon-to-be bride off to an intimate dinner, but little did Natalie know, her parents were putting together a surprise party in their house!
For the beauty journey, Natalie was diligent about finding the right artist for her, "I found a local professional through my wedding planner. We tested looks during an engagement shoot at the Cliffs of Moher. They were fantastic to work with." On the day she wore a soft glam look, with a neutral eye and soft coral pink lips. For her hair, Natalie wore a Hollywood wave style that perfectly framed her face and played on the romantically vintage style of her wedding dress. "My scent was Santal Carmin from Atelier Cologne which I discovered after doing a custom olfactory diagnosis at Nose in Paris."
On her wedding day, Natalie wore a stunning white halter neck gown from Romona Keveža, "I tried on dresses at several local boutiques in my hometown of Austin, TX. At the third shop, I tried on what wound up being my dress and knew immediately. I took it to a local seamstress who tailored it and created a beautiful one-of-a-kind veil to go with it. It was a fun process for me!" Brandon chose a tux from The Black Tux and wore a dark green velvet jacket for the reception.
Natalie had a very large bridal party! "I wanted to include all my sisters and close friends." She created an inspiration board of colours and styles of dresses that she liked and let each bridesmaid choose whatever dress caught their fancy. "I wanted them all to feel beautiful in their dresses." Because of her clear vision and open mind, each of Natalies 13 bridesmaids looked absolutely fabulous!
"We wanted our ceremony to feel very Irish and different from ceremonies in the States. Our wedding planner helped us choose a wonderful Celtic Priest, Dara Molloy, who performed a memorable ceremony rooted in Celtic traditions. We did a hand-fasting ceremony and that was my favourite part!"
Having never visited Ireland before they began their wedding journey, picking the perfect venue for their special day was the perfect chance to explore the country and soak in the culture, "We toured several venues and castles in Ireland. From the moment we arrived at Adare Manor, we were blown away by the attention to detail, gorgeous estate and kindness of the staff. We felt so comfortable there and knew it was a special place we wanted to share with our loved ones."
"We chose the Bentley Boys on the recommendation of our wedding planner. We loved that they offered everything from strings for the ceremony, and piano for the cocktail reception to a live band and a DJ to end the evening. They provided a seamless transition throughout the entire event."
Regarding the best decision, Natalie had to say, "The best decision was to have our wedding in Ireland! It was an unforgettable weekend for our friends and family."
Regarding the worst decision, Natalie had to say, "For the worst decision, I honestly can't think of anything I'd change. It was one of my favourite times in my life so far."
- Gráinne