- Wedding date: 08/08/2013
- Wedding venue: Glenview Hotel, Glen of the Downs, Co Wicklow.
- Wedding Photographer: Marcin and Marta Onysko from MM Photography
The Glenview Hotel is such a beautiful spot for a wedding, what made you decide it was the perfect option for you?
Daniel and I live in the UK but I am a local girl. When we were in Ireland last October we viewed a lot of places in the area and the Glenview was the last appointment on our list. When we entered the drive of the hotel surrounded by trees and then saw the view from the hotel, Dan was especially taken aback. As soon as we entered the hotel we were made feel at home and shown around. The view, the landscape gardens and the staff really make that venue feel special.
Did you have any particular theme?
We had nothing in particular other than the colour purple which were shown through the bridesmaid dresses , groomsmen cravats and waistcoats and the bows on the seats. Our theme was very much showing off Ireland to our guests, especially the overseas guests.
What made the Glenview Hotel stand out from other venues?
The hotel has that ‘old Irish’ feel to it. It’s a beautiful hotel which is well maintained inside and out. The rooms are big and comfortable and the staff all enjoy working there. It is the only venue we had ever been too where the manager was standing greeting his guests. Every time we paid a visit we didn’t want to leave! The gardens and view took our breath away and we were lucky to make use of them on the day.
My mother also told me that on trips up from Wexford to home that I used to admire the hotel on the side of the mountain and say that I wanted to get married there!
Tell us about the wedding dress!
My wedding dress came from a designer here in the UK called Fabulous Brides by Layla. It was an A-Line classical and soft satin style dress. It was strapless with elegant lace on the bust and a light scattering of pearls and diamantes. As soon as I tried the dress on, I fell in love with it. My dress was so important that I even bought it its own seat on the plane on the way to Ireland!
What was your favourite moment of the whole day?
Alessandra: It really is so hard to pick a favourite moment as the day was all so amazing! Walking down the aisle was so emotional and would be up there with a favourite. But I think it was when my husband, Daniel, did his speech. It was such an unexpected heartfelt speech that I cried and laughed so many times.
Daniel: My beautiful wife walking down the aisle towards me!
How long were you planning your wedding? Did you enjoy the build up to the big day?
We booked the wedding end of October 2012 so around 10 months. The buildup was great and I didn’t feel stressed as my parents in Ireland were amazing at helping us plan. We were both so busy with work that having their help made it so much easier! Also Damien, at the hotel, was always on hand on emails and was such a pleasure to deal with. The week leading up to the wedding was fun and enjoyable and made it all seem real!
Did you have a first dance song?
Yes we danced to The Eagles song ‘Love will keep us alive’ which was sung by a band from Arklow called The Groove. We both love the words of this song and it really meant a lot to us.
If you could give any words of wisdom to couples celebrating their big day, what would it be?
It was said to us many times leading up to the day and the advice is true – find a few quiet moments to yourselves as the day is so busy and goes so fast that it’s easy to forget that you are both there to tell the world you love each other – so find a quiet moment alone to remind yourselves of why you are there.
