Having known Claire & Ryan for years, I knew they’d be up for the Mr & Mrs challenge! I remember their wedding day well, not just because they’re friends, but because it was an amazing day. The happy couple were married just after Christmas, with the theme continuing into their reception at The Red Door. To give you both points of view of their wedding day, here Claire & Ryan share their memories of the day.
Biggest surprise of the day
He said: Claire’s dress. It wasn’t what I had pictured in my mind!
She said: My present from Ryan that morning. We both agreed we would not exchange presents on the morning of the wedding, but I had bought him something small. I was definitely not expecting anything, as when you tell Ryan something, he takes it literally. He bought me a Mi Moneda necklace, with an infinity coin in the middle, and a huge bunch of flowers. I had been admiring the necklace for quite a while. It wasn’t about the present – it was more the thought and the surprise as I genuinely thought he would stick to what we agreed on.
Best moment of the day
He said: When Claire walked up the aisle to meet me. I was so excited – the adrenaline was unbelievable. I had never been so nervous and so happy at the same time. I don’t think I will ever have that feeling again.
She said: Reaching the top of the aisle. I was so nervous all morning. When I reached the top, I think that’s when all my emotions came out. It was the most amazing feeling ever.
How were you feeling before the ceremony?
He said: A mixture of emotions. Excited but also nervous.
She said: I was so nervous. I just could not wait to get up the aisle – that was the scariest part. I was quite emotional but I tried to hide it as best I could. I was so scared of ruining my make-up.
How did you feel when you saw your other half for the first time?
He said: Shocked is the best word I can use to describe how I felt. I was surprised at her dress. In my mind I had imagined that she would be wearing a completely different looking dress.
She said: I felt like I took a deep breath for the first time since reaching the chapel. I was emotional but felt so much more relaxed having him by my side.
How would you describe the style of your wedding?
He said: Classy! To be honest Claire did it all and she did an amazing job. Everything was perfect.
She said: Elegant/wintery/Christmassy maybe? A mixture of all three I think. Since we got married on the 29th of December it was only right to try keep the Christmas spirit going for a little while longer. We incorporated a few Christmas decorations and props into our decorating, while also trying to not go over the top on and keep it elegant.
What was the most fun part of wedding planning?
He said: Claire doing it all! Ha-ha. For me it was properly organizing the only thing that I really wanted and that was my cigar and whiskey bar. It was a lot of fun, planning and sourcing the various objects used to make it.
She said: Honestly…Nothing! I did not enjoy the planning at all! Living away from home made it so much more difficult. We practically booked everything on hear say as we were never home for wedding fairs. My mum and sister did so much for us as. All we could do was give orders over the phone. We ordered a lot online and although it all turned out exactly what I wanted, it was a constant worry as I could never see what I had ordered in real life. I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I was at home and had a more hands on role rather than dictating.
What was the most difficult thing to agree on?
He said: Nothing really. We each had certain things that we wanted and we both agreed on them all.
She said: I can’t wait to hear Ryan’s answer on this! I actually don’t remember really disagreeing on anything. I think I just said what I wanted and Ryan agreed. He was definitely super easy with the whole process.
How does it feel to be married?
He said: Great, although nothing has really changed, something feels special now. I can’t really describe what that something is, but I feel different.
She said: The same. I think because we have lived away from home now for quite a while, we always depend on each other anyway and nothing has changed.
How was your honeymoon?
He said: Lots of fun. We had two honeymoons that were great.
She said: We had a mini-moon after our wedding to Budapest as due to work commitments we could not go straight away. We have just recently returned from our ‘real’ honeymoon in Vegas. Both were absolutely amazing. Budapest was a lot more relaxing and exactly what we needed straight after the wedding before heading back to work, and Vegas was unbelievable.
Any advice for other couples?
He said: Enjoy it all and try to take it all in. It does fly by super fast. Don’t be afraid to delegate certain things to people on the day. It makes it a lot more stress free for you.
She said: Don’t stress over the silliest things – everything on the day will just go to plan and anything you worried about before, you won’t even think twice about on the day. Enjoy every single minute of your day as it goes by super fast. Ensure you have an amazing photographer (Michael Love) and videographer because that’s the only memories you get. They will capture all the littlest things that you forgot about, giving you amazing memories to look back on and re-live the day over again.
Sum up your day in a single sentence
He said: An amazing day, which costs way too much money 😉
She said: The best day ever!!!! So cliché, but it really is!
Haha! It’s great seeing the two answers together 🙂 Thanks Michael, this was great to do after the wedding.