Surprise dance routines, drones, grand entrances, comedically scripted speeches. pumpin' disco music, tearful vowes, a super hero cake, a purple bridal dress, the sunshine, the Algarve, all the happy people. This wedding had it all! And then they did it all again (with a touch less sunshine but no less fun) legally in Ireland last March.
I was so chuffed to be involved in such a fun and love filled international extravaganza.
Bo & Karen met online 6 years ago. Their first date was drinks in Pantibar in Dublin and they ended their night with rosemary chips in Bobo’s. When the time came to propose, Karen blindfolded Bo and took her to where they had their first weekend away- Brooklodge. Karen disappeared and Bo removed the blindfold when she heard a knock at the door. She opened the door to see Karen holding a sign saying ‘Say its carol singers’ (referencing one of their favorite films) and hit play on their favorite song ‘Christmas Lights’ . More sheets of paper followed with their favorite quotes, lyrics and things they had said to each other.
The last sheet said “ Will you marry me?”. Bo said yes.
Lagos, Portugal September 2015
The Dresses:
Bo: I like grecian style, simple but elegant, no frills or much detail so I chose this dress.
Karen: I didn’t want a wedding dress because I wanted Bo to be the real bride. Our relationship has also been quite colourful, we’re known as “Renbo” to our friends, so I wanted to add a bit of colour. I found this dress in House of Fraser. Keeping the dresses a secret from each other, while trying to organise themes etc. was nearly impossible but we did it!
How did you decide on your theme for the day?
Our theme was a mixture of birds and beach. We wanted the wedding to feel very relaxed and wanted our guests to really let go and enjoy themselves so we made a rule of no ties / no ballgowns. We had guests in khakis, shorts, summer dresses, everything and it made the atmosphere chilled out.
We chose birds because Karen’s granny used to say “A little birdy told me” and we wanted her to be a part of the wedding even though she’s no longer with us. The theme started with our invite which had a poem and two fat love birds on it. The poem went “Maybe a little birdy told you, or maybe you heard it on the wind, that their love has been blossoming and Bo is marrying Ren”
Why did you choose your photographer?
Friends of ours had Janet take their photos and they were so natural and well done. Karen knew Janet from college so got back in touch with her. She doesn’t push on poses but has loads of fun ideas so its like hanging out with a friend that is just awesome at taking the best photos.
Why did you choose your venue?
We went on our first holiday to Portugal and it was so beautiful, warm and relaxed over there. We wanted a wedding abroad to keep it nice and small and to feel like a holiday for everyone.
What was your favourite memory from the day?
Our entrance into the dining room to Flo Rida ‘The Club can’t even handle me right now’- Our guests went wild!
What one piece of advice would you offer future brides?
Hire people that you trust so you’re not worrying about anything on the day and cherish every moment because it really will be the best day of your life.
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| The delightful wedding coordinators: Amelie & Jane from Unique & Chic Weddings |
THE DAY AFTER
Can you sum up the experience of your chosen photographer
Karen: We’re fussy about photos, the angle, the light, everything. As an event manager and designer, we give a lot of direction to photographers. We gave a brief to Janet with ideas of photos and she had already thought of them all and more. She built on our ideas and came up with our trash the dress idea - colour chalk- genius! She did her research on the venue and really knew what she was working with. Booking Janet was the best decision we made. Not only does she take incredible photos, she is also very relaxed and fun. Janet is a superstar. She knew all our guests by the end and she never missed a photo opportunity. I noticed the full moon on the river at dinner and when I mentioned it to Janet she had already captured it! She was switched on from the moment the day started until late into the night. She is just fantastic. She gave us a huge amount of photos. I want to print them all. Each different angle of the same moment tells another story.
Bo: Having Janet at the wedding was amazing - she makes everyone feel very relaxed, she’s friendly, amazing with children and really helpful. By the end of the weekend, it felt like Janet was part of the family. So much so that Karen’s dad wonder why Janet wasn’t hanging out with her friends at the wedding… he didn’t even realize she was the photographer
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| THE HAPPILY EVER RENBO X |
