A gorgeous real wedding with a pink and brown theme at Castle Upton Estate, Templepatrick, Alyson and Ross got married in September 2008
How they met
Alyson and Ross met on holiday in Ibiza. “Ross returned home the week before me and by the time I made it home, he had sent me text messages every day,” says Alyson.
The proposal
“After a couple of failed attempts (such as when he tried to take me to Paris for my birthday but I insisted I wanted a new handbag instead!), Ross proposed at home on Valentine’s Day,” says Alyson.
The bride’s real wedding outfit
Alyson found her gown in Biento Madame in Belfast and looked stunning in her ivory satin, strapless A-line dress, with scattered beading across the drape-front. This was mirrored in the bridesmaids’ dresses – “We decorated the wedding cake with pictures of our parents cutting their cakes.
“We decorated the real wedding cake with pictures of our parents cutting their cakes on their big days”.
The groom’s outfit
Ross looked gorgeous in his black, Prince Edward suit, with an ivory waistcoat and pink cravat. The men’s suits were hired from Gowdys in Belfast .
The bridesmaids
The four bridesmaids wore chocolate-brown dresses by Impression Bridal . Their crystal hairbands from Next were chosen to match Alyson’s tiara. “Each bridesmaid was given a jewellery set from a local boutique, they then mixed and matched the sets with their own pieces so that they were all unique,” says Alyson. The flowergirls wore an ivory dress from BHS, personalised with chocolate-brown on the sash.
The flowers
The floral arrangements were all done by Reasons Florists in Newtownabbey. Alyson’s beautiful bouquet was a mix of pink gerberas and white roses, while the bridesmaids held smaller versions but all in pink. The men wore buttonholes of pink roses.
The ceremony
The civil ceremony and drinks reception were held at Castle Upton a private house outside Belfast. A classical duo played before and during the ceremony, including Eva Cassidy’s Songbird during the signing of the register.
The reception
Alyson chose white chair covers with pink sashes from Ultimate Touches . “We met on holiday so the tables where named after places we had been together,” says Alyson.
The cake
The scrumptious, milk‑chocolate wedding cake, was bought from Marks and Spencer and decorated with chocolate roses.
Real wedding special moment
“In between courses at the reception, we walked round each table, so we got the chance to speak to everyone,” remembers Alyson.
