Today, we’re beyond excited to share the real wedding of Kyle and Ciarán, an Irish-American couple living in Scotand, who, like so many others, postponed their wedding in the face of Covid-19 restrictions, but decided to go ahead and tie the knot with a small group of guests in the meantime. Their part-one wedding was neither expensive, nor elaborate, but it still managed to be heart-stoppingly beautiful, thanks to the wildly romantic portrait session with Give us a Goo Photography at Howth Head, and a few key details the couple made sure to include, namely incredible outfits (their pastel suits are positively dreamy!), lush bouquets, and… well you’ll have to keep reading to find out the rest!

Kyle, from California, and Ciarán, from Donegal, tell us that they met via Tinder when Ciarán was living in California on a Fulbright Scholarship. “We ended up spending hours talking to each other on the phone and through text for nearly a month,” they explain. “Our first date was unexpectedly in Universal Studios Hollywood when we both coincidentally ended up going on the same day with friends, whom we ended up ditching while we spent four hours together over iced coffee at a wee bistro table in a replica street of Paris (the street was called Rue de L’Amour!) We then had our first official date a few weeks after and spent the entire rest of summer exploring Southern California together.” At the end of the Summer, Ciarán headed back home to Ireland, and the couple did long-distance for a couple of months before both moving to Scotland, where they are now based.

Years later, Ciarán popped the question in the most romantic location possible! “One of Kyle’s favorite historical figures is Marie Antoinette,” he tells us, “and we were lucky enough to be able to visit Versailles twice (so far). The first time, I secretly found the perfect spot to propose, and on our return visit a few months later, on a warm Spring day, I got down on one knee at the Temple de L’Amour in Marie Antoinette’s garden – the only witness was a statue of Cupid!”

When Covid-19 hit, the couple decided to postpone their wedding, but still tie the knot as planned, with 12 guests in attendance. Their rescheduled wedding is due to take place in Killashee House in 2022 and we can’t wait to see it!

For the couple’s “official” wedding day, they had an intimate ceremony at the registry office in Dublin, followed by drinks at the Shelbourne, and dinner at La Caverna. They also had a gorgeous portrait session with the talented Phil from Give us a Goo Photography at Howth Head. They describe it as, “very intimate and relaxed. It was one of the best days of our lives, and a very special moment during a memorable time.”

The couple chose Howth Head as the location for their portraits because they both love the sea. “Considering Ciarán is from Donegal and I am no stranger to the beach, and we spent many of our early memories together near the ocean, it was the ideal place to capture the moment,” Kyle says.

Even though their wedding day was a modest affair, the couple added a few details to help make it extra special. They tell us, “Linda Byrne created a gorgeous, detailed, custom engagement illustration for us, which we displayed in our suite. Tina from The Wild Bunch arranged two beautiful, distinctive yet complimentary bouquets for us. We weren’t sure if the two huge ‘Mr’ balloons were more the spotlight than us, but we’re delighted we invested in them!”

The couple were keen to have their two beloved cats, Coco and Éiru, represented on the day, too! “We are proud cat dads of two cheeky, adorable, loving girls, who we thought of a lot during our time away from them in Ireland. The best way of honouring them and having them with us on the day was by getting personalised cufflinks with their faces on them!”

The couple’s family and friends were also keen to mark the occasion. “Kara McFadden, Ciarán’s sister, made us a lovely rainbow wedding cake, and our nephew Owen (our page boy) and niece Erin drew us adorable wedding pictures and gave them to us the night before the signing,” Kyle says. “Erin gave us a lucky horseshoe, which sits now beside the front door of our first house.”

Kyle and Ciarán’s advice for couples planning during the pandemic is to consider a two-part wedding. “Remember, you can always split the days up if you want to have a small intimate ceremony now, and a big ceremony and reception with a larger crowd later. No matter what, as lovely as the venue, the cake, the decor, and the music etc. all are, at the end of the day, the most important part is you and your future spouse.”

The couple are still working on planning their honeymoon. They tell us, “We’re thinking either Akumal in Mexico, Cape Town in South Africa or Tokyo, Japan. Either way, we’re looking forward to making memories in these exciting destinations!”

Thanks so much to Kyle and Ciarán for sharing their part-one wedding with us, and to Give us a Goo Photography for providing the beautiful imagery! There are even more images to swoon over in the gallery below.