Meet our beautiful bride Carolyn, who got married in Blackrock and held their after celebrations in Castlemartyr on the 2nd of April 2022. Carolyn fell in love with her dress the second she put it on! The minute Sorcha slipped it over her head, she just knew that it was the one! We love how radiant and confident Carolyn looks in her beautiful photographs.
We asked Carolyn some questions about her wedding style, how she knew her dress was the one for her and if she has any advice for other brides-to-be.
Carolyn, our Luna dress from Love Story Bride was just perfect on you! Was it the style you had in mind for yourself? How did you know it was the dress for you?
My dress was the style I had envisioned… I wanted something really simple. Something that I could look back on in years to come and still love. However, I kept an open mind throughout the process of trying to find my dress and tried on every style imaginable. You name it, I tried it! But in the end, my dress was exactly what I had envisioned, I absolutely adored it and it was a dream to wear.
When did you know it was the dress for you?
So I had actually seen that TW&G had advertised that the brand from which my dress was from (Love Story Bridal) was going to be in stock around the time I was shopping for my dress. I had been to a few shops and had actually visited TW&G already, but LSB wasn’t in the shop yet and it was always at the back of my mind. When it finally arrived in stock, I made an appointment straight away. The minute I tried it on I fell in love. It is true what people say that the minute you try on “the one”, you won’t want to look at any other dress.
The first time I tried my dress on I was flying solo – I knew the minute I tried it on that it was the one for me. I went back to seal the deal with my mum and sister, as I still wanted their input and to love it as much as I did. Judging by their reactions when I walked out to show them, it was a clear winner!
What would you say was your overall wedding style?
Modern and understated with a romantic twist.
I accessorised my dress with a tulle Alexandra Grecco veil and a lace jacket also by Love story Bridal. For the evening time I removed the veil and jacket and added a detachable bow to the sleeve of the dress. This was also from The White and Gold. I felt like I had an entirely new look for dancing without a second dress. I had to have the Loeffler Randal shoes the minute Sorcha showed them to me. I absolutely loved that they peeped out at the side of my dress due to the slit at the side. I ordered the gold Camellias. They were honestly so comfortable and like slippers for the day. I wore them without even thinking about removing them, even with hours of dancing thrown in! For my jewellery I wore the Baroque double drop pearl earrings by One Dame Lane and an Interlinking circle bracelet by Loulerie, which one of my gorgeous bridesmaids gifted me the night before my wedding.
Any underwear tips for our brides to be?
Spanx Thinstincts 2.0 High waisted shorts…highly recommend! They smooth out everything. Also chat with whoever is doing your alterations. They have so much experience and will point you in the right direction of what will work/what won’t work for your particular dress.
Any special moments you treasure from the day?
As we were getting ready to go into the church and walk down the aisle, I was a bit nervous. The bridal party had gone ahead and so I was up. I linked my dad’s arm and took a deep breath. As we went to walk down the aisle through the doors of the church, the two of us got stuck for a second. It was quite narrow! I looked up to see all our family & friends beaming and Conor waiting for me at the end of the aisle. Dad and I just looked at each other and burst out laughing. The nerves instantly faded away! Walking up the aisle to Conor in a room full of love with my dad by my side was very special.
If you could give brides-to-be one piece of solid advice?
Don’t sweat the small stuff!
All my suppliers were amazing and I couldn’t recommend them enough:
Hair – Matt from Reeb
Make up – Jessica O’Sullivan of Portrait by Jessica
Tan – Tara O’Callaghan of bridal tan by Tara
Flowers – Jill Wildflower
Photographer – Egle of White Cat Studio
If you had bridesmaids where did you choose their dresses from?
I had 4 bridesmaids and their dresses were by the Dessy range. I purchased them in Diamond Bridal located in Cork City.
How did you find your experience at The White and Gold?
I had such a lovely experience in The White and Gold. Sorcha made us feel so welcome and offered great advice on dresses and accessories, all while keeping the bubbles flowing! The shop is so beautiful, and you won’t want to leave…. it’s a bride’s dream!
Thank you for your gorgeous words Carolyn. It was such a pleasure meeting you and your lovely mom and sister, and I still remember the wow moment when we tried your dress on for the first time… your friends were right … when you know, you know! I am so thrilled you chose to be part of our White & Gold gang and we wish you both a lifetime of happiness together ♥
Photos by White Cat Studio.
