Irish Spring Wedding at Doonbeg Lodge

With rolling green hills as its backdrop, this wedding is the definition of natural beauty. Ireland has been on my list of places to visit for awhile but after soaking up these sights by Elisha Clarke, I'm bumping it up to take the lead spot on that wanderlust list. But until that day comes, let's get lost in every one of these pretty photos right this way.

From The Bride... Steve and I got married in May 2014 at Doonbeg Lodge on Ireland's West Coast. We had an intimate ceremony with about 70 family members and close friends. Ireland's always been a special place for me as my grandmother was born there and I spent a semester studying abroad outside of Dublin in college. We got engaged in the Fall of 2012 in our home in Boston's South End. Despite dating for 7 years, he still managed to surprise me. Luckily for me, Steve was game for a destination wedding and we spent our spring break from business school visiting venues all over Ireland. I always wanted to get married in an Irish Castle, but after a week of touring around the country, we fell in love with Doonbeg Lodge. The resort was magnificent, with beautiful views of the Atlantic Ocean, an extraordinarily friendly staff, and delicious food featuring local ingredients. Although we'd never been there before, we instantly felt at home and knew it was a place we'd look forward to returning to in years to come. My friends thought I was crazy trying to plan a wedding from across the ocean while trying to finish my MBA and land a new job, but I always enjoy a challenge. I spent months devouring bridal magazines and wedding blogs, and researching Irish wedding vendors. We wanted the wedding to be relaxed, elegant, and fun, while showcasing Ireland's natural beauty. I let the dramatic landscape inform the color palette, with a lot of warm neutrals like ivory, champagne, and blush pink, with a pop of deep, emerald green in the bridesmaid dresses and rich coral pink in the blooms. It was really important to me that the flowers echoed the wild beauty of the Atlantic Coast and I was thrilled to work with Claire Ryan from the Informal Florist. I cried when she delivered my flowers on the wedding day. With vibrant peonies, pink garden roses, and lush greens, they looked like they were freshly picked from a local garden and really captured the relaxed elegant vibe we were going for. Dara Molloy, a Celtic monk residing on the nearby Aran Islands, officiated our wedding in the courtyard. He performed many traditional blessings and a traditional handfasting ceremony. After cocktails by the sea, we enjoyed a delicious meal in the marquee, dancing the night away under the stars with our amazing band. Luckily for us, the rain waited until after our outdoor ceremony and cleared just before sunset so a gorgeous rainbow could appear. From the music and flowers, to the venue, food, and decor, our uber talented photographer captured it all. We were thrilled to celebrate with our family and friends in such a special place, and would do it all over again with the same wonderful vendors if we could.