Robyn & Chris' fairy tale inspired wedding was simply perfection, with even the smallest of details considered. With a keen eye for finishing touches, Robyn talks us through her wedding day and has some great words of wisdom for all you brides-to-be!

Robyn, how did you & Chris meet? Tell us about that proposal!

Chris and I just met by chance on a night out. He started talking to me and it just snowballed from there. Chris proposed to me at Glenariff Waterfalls. For weeks I had mentioned about wanting to go walking there and one weekend he asked me if I would like to go. On our way back up to the waterfalls Chris told me to close my eyes and I thought he was just going to show me something! When I opened them he was down on one knee and at first I thought he had a cramp! I couldn't believe it when he asked me to marry him. I was over the moon and it was a total surprise!

When and where did you get married?

We got married on the 7th of May in St Patrick's Church, Coleraine, followed by a reception at The Lodge Hotel.

What did you love most about planning your wedding?

I don't really have one favourite thing but I love personal touches and attention to detail, which I believe is what makes your wedding so special, so I would have to say sitting down with Victoria from The Wedding Room. Designing the room down to the last detail was amazing and it was so exciting to see it all come together. I also loved choosing where to have our wedding photos taken. As we both love being outside and going for walks, I think Benvarden Garden was the perfection location to capture that.

Describe your dress. How did you find 'the one'?

My dress was fitted to just under my bum and then flared out. It was covered in soft lace with lace straps, a high collar and cut out back. I found it in the first shop I visited and it was the first dress that I felt like a bride in - it just felt so comfortable to wear. I loved the shape, as did my mum. I wanted my aunty to come back and look at a few of the dresses and as soon as she saw it she liked it the most without me saying anything so I knew from that, I had picked the right one.

Who were your bridesmaids?

My bridesmaids were my three best friends and my oldest sister. These girls mean the world to me! Their dresses were grey with lace bodices and cap sleeves and had a low, sweeping back. Finished with a silver ribbon on the waist and flowing grey chiffon to the floor, they complemented my dress well with a similar neckline. The flower girls' dresses were the same, only in white.

Tell us about your bouquet

Our bouquets were kept simple with lots of small, white flowers and a dash of lilac interspersed. They were teardrop in shape so that they didn't look uniform and I liked the wild meadow look evoked by my bouquet. Jil at The Stables Flower Co did a fabulous job!

What did you love most about your wedding venue?

What I loved most about my wedding venue was that when you walked into the reception room, before the main room, it was draped entirely in white, with purple up-lights and fairy lights, and a tunnel leading into the main room. It was a dream come true and it just looked like a fairy tale. I can't thank The Lodge Hotel and Victoria and her team enough for all their hard work. Everything was so perfect!

Did everything go exactly to plan?

Surprisingly enough, everything did go to plan, apart from a bit of rain but we are used to that so I didn't worry about it, and it actually helped enhance our wedding photos. 

What advice would you offer other brides?

My advice would be to choose experienced people and venues. Our wedding day turned out to be the most perfect day for us because there was no stress and every little detail was handled because everyone was brilliant at what they did.

Finally, what led to you choosing Catherine as your wedding photographer?

What led me to Catherine was that you just can't miss how amazing this lady is at her job! Her photos capture everything on the day, including all the small details and emotions. She's extremely creative and she really captures her surroundings in each photo as well as the bridal party, which I think is hard to find in a photographer. We also had an engagement shoot and I was so nervous but she put me at ease straight away and that really helped me on the day. She's a true professional!