Rebecca and Jacob curated a meaningful and personal celebration with an immensely cosy and intimate vibe. Their happy day perfectly reflected them as a couple and it was the dreamiest way to say yes to forever. Timeless and romantic with an old-world feel inspired by classic film romances, they chose a colour palette of burgundy, pinks, and lilac and incorporated so many beautiful handmade details. In fact, our immensely talented bride not only created all of the signage, invitations and stationary but the florals too right down to the buttonholes!

The wedding morning kicked off in the stylish surrounds of the Castleknock Hotel before their intimate ceremony with immediate family at Smock Alley Theatre. After they were also joined by their closest friends for their "Happily Ever After” party at The Anglers Rest. Donegal photographer Jenya Johnston Photography utilised her signature poetic aesthetic to capture all the moments they will cherish forever.

Rebecca is from Limerick while Jacob is from Laois. While they believe there is no "major story" to how they met, the way their love story began was so sweet. Rebecca says, "We started out as friends who each thought the other was an interesting character." While they used to live in Dublin they now call Limerick home.

It was a complete surprise to Rebecca when Jacob popped the question in New York. "I had no idea," she tells us. "We were casually walking through Central Park with coffees one morning and out of nowhere he pulled out a ring. I was so stunned, I’m pretty sure I just kept saying, ‘You’re messing’. I had to go and find a cafe to sit down afterwards I was totally shocked - in a good way! The stories he told me afterwards of how he managed to actually plan the whole thing were bizarre and he even picked the ring himself. I always thought I was clued in and would know if he was up to something but he played a blinder." 

Curating a wedding celebration that was warm and relaxed was their top priority. "Creating a meaningful experience for ourselves and for the people closest to us was always more important than having a big formal wedding, and that really shaped every decision we made along the way. We wanted it to feel less like a formal event and more like a gathering of our favourite people, and that’s exactly what it became, relaxed, heartfelt, and full of love."

"We always felt that Smock Alley Theatre had a special feeling. We had passed it countless times while walking through the city together while we lived in Dublin. The character, the history, and the city-centre atmosphere made it feel incredibly special, so getting married there felt like the perfect reflection of our story."

They put their own sweet spin on the bridal party format. “We only invited our immediate family members to the ceremony, we didn’t feel it necessary to have bridesmaids or groomsmen, instead we chose my brother and Jacob's sister to stand and sign the register. We nicknamed my brother Tom as ‘Man of Honour’ (who took his role very seriously, came to wedding dress fittings, and fixed my veil on the day) and Jacob's sister was nicknamed ‘Best Woman’. Instead of a flower girl and page boy, Jacob's niece and nephew painted us lovely keepsakes."

Every element of the ceremony was curated with immense heart and their family members made the experience so special. Rebecca's cousin read Seamus Heaney's adored poem Scaffolding while others recited quotes they love from their favourite TV shows. "We even included quotes from the Liverpool football manager," the bride reflects.

Their ceremony was officiated by Barbara Ryan and the talented duo Shane and Aoife performed violin and guitar instrumental versions of songs by Taylor Swift, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, The Cure, Chappell Roan, and Lady Gaga which added a whole new layer of emotion to the proceedings.

Sweetly their grandparents did a ring blessing, where they each said a prayer and blessed their rings, while their mums both lit candles and their dads both participated in the handfasting ceremony.

After the ceremony their guests were brought to the evening venue in buses arranged by the couple while the newlyweds headed off on a little adventure with their photographer Jenya Johnston which took them from the bustling cobblestoned streets of Temple Bar to the lush surrounds of the Phoenix Park.

Rebecca's Alexandra Grecco wedding dress was the perfect blend of elegance and romance which she styled with an ethereal veil, jewellery by Irish designer Seoidín and Next shoes.

The Anglers Rest felt instantly right for their reception as Rebecca and Jacob loved how welcoming it was. "It had a familiarity about it and it was a place we knew everyone would feel right at home in, it was almost like being down in the local pub, not to mention it is tucked away in a beautiful setting in the Strawberry Beds, so no one even felt like they were in the middle of Dublin! We knew it would give us exactly the warm, intimate setting we wanted to celebrate with our family and friends. Having venues that felt so natural and effortless to us made the whole day feel very true to who we are."

Not only did their guests have the sweetest memories from the day but they were also given an array of gorgeous gifts. Rebecca's grandmother spent months in the run-up to the wedding making all of the favours which were hand-painted ceramic decorations with each guest’s name on them. Rebecca also hand painted champagne bottles and perfumes as gifts for her family.

She shed more light on their breathtaking wedding aesthetic, "We wanted our wedding to feel timeless and romantic, almost like an old-fashioned wedding from a movie. We were drawn to a vintage, old-world feel inspired by classic film romances, with soft colours, candlelight, and lots of handmade details to make everything feel warm and personal rather than modern or formal."

Their spectacular Lambeth buttercream wedding cake that was decorated with lavish swags perfectly personified their vintage-leaning fete. "We both have big sweet tooths and love cake and baked goodies… so Laura from Colhoun Creations knocked it out of the park with to-die-for treats that people were asking for more of!"

“After more stunning food the drinks were flowing everyone was having a ball, we left fun games on the tables including sip and solves and sweepstakes that were keeping everyone in healthy competition.”

With a sweet cake cutting, a magical sparkler photo, a first dance to Zac Bryan’s Sun To Me which Cathal from TheSixtyFive absolutely nailed, and an incredible party on the dancefloor, their autumn celebration really had it all. "Everyone truly had a ball. So many people approached us during the wedding day saying, ‘We weren’t expecting this!’ Maybe we were too relaxed about it all in the lead up but we definitely felt like it turned out like everything we wanted and more, we really had the best suppliers all around for the entire day everyone was a 10 out of 10."

As for wedding advice, Rebecca says not to plan your day based on what you think people would want. "Only plan it based on what you two would want, anyone who wants to support you both will be there and enjoy the day regardless. For example, we thought people might be annoyed having to move between two venues on a bus, but it ended up being a highlight for some guests as they got an impromptu tour of Phoenix Park and saw thousands of deer! When we got back from our photos, everyone was talking about it. You can’t predict the moments that will stand out. If you plan a day that feels personal and meaningful to you, the rest will fall into place, and the memories will come naturally."

Their honeymoon took them to a stunning spa resort in the Dolomites. "We would totally recommend as it was such a short flight and you are so exhausted after all the fun. It was a great mix of relaxation days, hiking days and mountain cycling days."

Rebecca and Jacob we were so enchanted by your dream day! The biggest thank you to our wonderful couple and to Jenya Johnston Photography who captured their celebration so magically.

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