Time for another fantastic Real Wedding! This beautiful ceremony comes from Evelyn and Nathan Richardson who celebrated their humanist wedding just last year on 19th May 2012. This quirky couple wanted to celebrate their special day in style, so what better way to celebrate it than in Blackrock Castle, Cork!
The bride, Evelyn, shared some details about their special day…
1. When did your wedding take place?
Our wedding was on Saturday 19th May
2. Blackrock Castle is such a unique place for a wedding venue, what made you choose it?
We hadn’t even realised that Blackrock Castle did weddings until a friend of ours told us when we first got engaged! We looked it up online and fell in love with it immediately, and rang to arrange a viewing. The wedding coordinator at the castle was so friendly and welcoming that it just seemed like the perfect, relaxed venue that we were looking for. We spotted loads of greats spots where we could get photos and the wedding coordinator was so experienced at hosting weddings and was full of creative ideas that we soon got very excited at the prospect of having our wedding there.
One thing we wanted to avoid at our wedding was a “cookie cutter” approach to weddings and other venues we had looked at only seemed to offer things that we had seen at so many other weddings. But in Blackrock castle, they were so open to our quirky ideas, even allowing us to have a stilt-walker greet our guests at the gate! Plus, they offered to take our guests on a tour of the observatory which they loved as it gave them something to do while we were off taking photos.
3. What did your friends and family think of using Blackrock Castle as your venue?
They were very impressed at how beautiful the venue was and how different it was to other weddings they had been to. They also commented on how relaxed the place seemed and enjoyed viewing the observatory while sipping champagne provided by the castle cafe!
4. Tell us about your wedding menu!
We moved from the castle to the Boardwalk Bar & Grill for the wedding dinner. Despite this being a very meat-oriented restaurant, they chef there created a fabulous buffet menu which was half meat/half vegan, as it was important to me as a long-time vegetarian that our guests could sample some veggie food. We had red Thai curry with roasted butternut squash and lemon-scented rice, and beef stroganoff with mashed potato. Then at 11pm we had veggie samosas & chicken wings, though most people were too stuffed from dinner to eat those!
5. Did your wedding have a particular theme?
Our theme was fun loving, “home-made” and a little bit quirky! We had a circus-performer friend who greeted our guests at the castle in a top hat and tails…and on stilts! My colleague also chauffeured us in her 1979 VW camper van which she had decorated in purple ribbon, draped fabrics and a “just married” banner made by the young people we work with (we’re youth workers). We made our own centre pieces out of buttons and I made my own brooch bouquet with pieces from female relatives, including my deceased grandmothers which were at the centre of my bouquet.
6. What colour were the bridesmaid dresses? Did they have any extra touches to them?
I had just 1 bridesmaid and her dress was purple which we found just 1 month before the wedding in Debenhams! It was perfect as it was and didn’t need any alterations.
7. Tell us about the wedding dress!
I had no idea going in to this wedding what I wanted, as I’d never given it much thought. I tried on a few dresses with my bridesmaid and got a feel of what looked good on me and what didn’t. I decided that I liked lace, with a train, a corset and cap sleeves but I found it so difficult to get a dress that had it all! So I found a dress that had most of what I wanted to found a wonderful seamstress to amend the dress to make it more ‘me’. Despite not being a very traditional type of person, I did want a traditional-type of dress which I think surprised a lot of people! The dress was a Maggie Sottero which I found in Memories Bridal Boutique in Cork City. I had the huge flower sash removed and replaced with a long ribbon sash and had cap sleeves added. It was absolutely beautiful and I hated taking it off at the end of the night!
8. What was the best part of your wedding day?
The ceremony was definitely my favourite part. We had about 80 of our closest friends and family in the castle for our Humanist ceremony. We came up with our own readings including my favourite “everything I need to know about life, I learned from my dog” which is perfect for such dog-loving couple like ourselves! This reading is outlined below:
If you stare at someone long enough, eventually you’ll get what you want.
If at first you don’t succeed, beg.
Be direct with people; let them know exactly how you feel by peeing on their shoes.
Leave room in your schedule for a good nap.
Always give people a friendly greeting.
When you do something wrong, always take responsibility for it (as soon as you’re dragged out from under the bed).
If it’s not wet and sloppy, it’s not a real kiss.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.
Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
Run, romp and play daily.
Eat with gusto and enthusiasm.
Be loyal.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
Always turn around three times before lying down.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
No matter how often you’re scolded, don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout…run right back and make friends.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently.
Always share your favourite toy.
Don’t pass up a chance to snuggle.
Never take attention for granted.
Always kiss the ones who are mad at you to make it better.
We also had a “ring-warming” where our rings were passed around for our guests to hold and make a wish for our future ahead. This was also helpful for allowing our more religious guests to say a prayer if they wished, without us having to incorporate religion into our wedding. Having our rings warmed gave us a great sense of support from our family and friends and now our rings are more than just a symbol of our commitment to each other but they are a reminder that we have support from our family and friends in this road ahead.
9. What advice would you give to wedding couples on their wedding day?
Prepare as much as possible before the day and then let it go. Whatever happens will happen. It will be perfect even if things go “wrong”. Our ring-bearer, Nathan’s nephew, totally bottled it walking down the aisle and had to be carried to the front by the wedding coordinator which meant that I was delayed getting down the aisle! It didn’t matter in the end; it’s a funny story to tell at the end of the day. Lean on friends and family to help and don’t do it all yourself. Relax and enjoy it.
10. Would you recommend having your wedding in a castle to other couples?
Absolutely. They were so creative and gave us so much attention in the lead up to the wedding. They had the place looking absolutely amazing and were so relaxed and welcoming on the day. Highly recommended.
A special thanks to Evelyn and Nathan for sharing their special day in Blackrock Castle with us. Originally built in the 16th Century , Blackrock Castle is a unique wedding venue set in a stunning location overlooking the River Lee. Lovingly restored and steeped in history, Blackrock Castle Observatory caters for bespoke intimate weddings in a warm and relaxed environment.
Check availability for this venue in Cork.
{The images of Evelyn and Nathan’s wedding were taken by their photographer, http://www.sosacphotography.com/ he captured some fantastic shots!}
