Both from Co. Carlow, Tara and Paddy socialised in the same town, for two years until Paddy plucked up the courage to ask Tara out and they became a couple on October 1st, 2005. They tied the knot in the height of summer this year in Malta.
An elaborate proposal was definitely not on the cards for Tara and Paddy. “Paddy and I love the simple things in life and we’re happiest when we spend time together at home with our two Chihuahuas, Bailey and Roxy.” Instead, Paddy treated Tara to breakfast in bed, but surprised her with something else. Their Chihuahuas walked into the bedroom, one at a time, each with a note. One said “Tara”, the other said, “Will you”. Then, Paddy walked in in a suit with a final note that said, “Marry me.” She accepted of course.
“Almost immediately we knew we wanted a wedding abroad.” They had already fallen in love with Malta, having visited the island twice before. Even as an organised person, Tara still decided it was best to go with a planner. “I liked the idea of sourcing a local wedding planner that had expert knowledge of local suppliers.” They met with the team from Dream Days Weddings – Malta and Gozo and fell in love with them immediately. They visited the venue, Ir-Razzett L-Abjad and knew it was perfect.
Tara took to Pinterest and other online sources for dream wedding ideas, but they confused her, so she kept it simple and thought about what was important to her. “My grandmother passed away in 2006. She was an inspirational woman; caring and generous by nature. One of my favourite memories of her was when I was a teenager. She knew that I was a lover of flowers and routinely she would purchase me a bunch of my favourites, carnations; each time in a different colour.” She used this as a basis for the planning process, using simple, pretty flowers in shades of pink and white. Luckily, their venue had mature gardens and rustic limestone features. Often referring to themselves as ‘love birds’, Tara factored in birdcages into their theme and details. They opted for passport-style invitations match their destination wedding, with their RSVP cards in the form of a postcard.
Unusually, Tara managed to find her dress on the first day thanks to Lynda at Cameo Bridal in Kilkenny. “She was 100% honest. We saved a lot of time by not trying on dresses that she knew wouldn't suit my shape.” She chose a Ronald Joyce dress made of lace and tulle, competing it with a Ronald Joyce veil. “I knew I had found the one when my sister, my friend Caroline and I were all in floods of tears. My dad came with me the next day to give the final seal of approval.”
Tara had her sister as her bridesmaid and her brother as her brides-man, while Paddy chose his brother as his best man and his two nieces as flowergirls. “Chloe chose a beautiful blush lace Mori Lee dress from Embrace Bridal, Gorey. She wanted something quite simple and picked this dress herself.” They chose Remus Uomo three-piece suits for the entire bridal party at Detail Clothing, Carlow. The suits were navy blue in colour and were accessorised with brown shoes and blush pink ties. The couple opted for a civil ceremony, with personal details throughout. “During the ceremony we played "She moved through the fair". Paddy often sings this song as it was a favourite of his mums who sadly passed away in 2004. In addition, the men each wore a simple pink calla lily. These were one of his mum's favourite flowers and it seemed like the perfect way to incorporate her memory into the day.”
In 30 degree heat, the couple opted for fan ceremony booklets, which included the songs, favourite quotes and the poem, “Hope is a thing with feathers,” by Emily Dickinson. They also lined each side of the aisle with flower-filled bird cages to be in keeping with the love birds theme. “We had always intended on giving our guests a memorable day. A bus picked up each of our guests from their hotels and dropped them at the gates of the venue. Our guests were expecting something different, but I really wasn’t prepared for their reactions and the degree of amazement that they experienced.” The couple was conscious of the fact that guests would be quite warm so they arranged for a self-service ice-cream cart to be available at the venue for the duration of the wedding.
Tara and Paddy added plenty of personal details to their wedding. “One of my oldest friends Danielle is a fantastic artist and I knew that I wanted to incorporate her skills into the day.” Tara entrusted Danielle to customise her wedding shoes. They also chose a fingerprint tree as an alternative to a guest book.
The only downside to Tara and Paddy’s amazing destination wedding, was that their dogs couldn’t be involved. They were also sad that not everyone that would be invited would be able to attend. However, with a simple, relaxed day, reflective of their personalities, Tara and Paddy wouldn’t change a thing. The couple had their engagement photo shoot with Thomas Sunderland in April, 2014. “If we were having our wedding in Ireland, he would have been our first choice.” Both Tara and Paddy were put completely at ease by Thomas. “We discussed our wedding plans with Thomas and within an instant both parties involved were very interested in having Thomas with us on the big day.”
“Thomas spent the entire day with us. He didn't miss a single opportunity to capture the perfect picture. Not only was he our photographer for the day, but he also served as our informal event co-ordinator. When the dance-floor was quiet he ushered guests back for dancing and he served as a confidant for our dads on the day. But most importantly, he was one of our guests and knew how to have fun.” Thomas also suggested the couple get back into their wedding attire for the second day boat trip for extra photography opportunities.
Tara and Paddy completed their wedding with a boat trip around the coast. “As the trip was nearing an end, I took hold of the microphone and thanked our guests for making the trip. With that, I tossed my wedding bouquet overboard as a gesture and mark of respect for all those that couldn't be with us on the day as the DJ played Frank Sinatra's "My Way". It was perfect end to a beautiful wedding celebration.
Vendors: Venue: Ir-Razzett L-Abjad | Photographer: Thomas Sunderland | Videographer: Paul Parker | Wedding planner: Dream Days – Malta and Gozo | Wedding dress: Ronald Joyce via Cameo Bridal | Bridesmaid dress: Mori Lee via Embrace Bridal | Bridal shoes: ASOS | Bridesmaid shoes: Carvela via Kurt Geiger | Flower girl dresses: Monsoon | Hair & Make up: Richline Testa via Beauty Emporium | Rings: Paul Sheeran | Invitations: Lots of Love Invitations | Shoe customisation: I Do Shoes | Grooms wear: Remus Uomo via Detail | Jewellery: Kilkenny Shop | Cake and caterers: Osborne Caterers