Set against the beautiful surroundings of Powerscourt House & Gardens, Laura and Gavin celebrated their love with an unforgettable winter celebration filled with music, joy and emotion — even a storm couldn’t stop them.
THE COUPLE
Laura French, people partner at Sculpted by Aimee, and Gavin Hickey, development manager at Energia.
THEY LIVE
In Shankill, Co Dublin.
THE VENUE
Powerscourt House & Gardens, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. It was the first venue we viewed, and no other venues compared.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Lucy Nuzum was our photographer. She is an absolute pro and such a lovely person too. She made us feel so at ease on the day. We absolutely loved the natural and candid style of our photos. Rob Clifford, our videographer from Origin of Love, also captured the most amazing footage, and it is something we will cherish forever.
THEY MET
11 years ago, at a friend’s 21st birthday in Howl at the Moon in Dublin.
THE PROPOSAL
It was Christmas 2021, and Gav had organised a surprise afternoon tea and overnight stay for us in the Merrion Hotel. When we walked into our room, he had organised for it to be filled with balloons, flowers, personal photos and a playlist of our favourite songs playing. When I turned around in shock, he was down on one knee. At the time, it was the best Christmas ever. Now it’s the second best as we got married at Christmas in 2023.
THE DRESS AND THE SUIT
I found my dress at The One in Rathmines – the B.B. Dress by NEWHITE. I tend to struggle with making decisions, so it was actually my mum and sister who first spotted it in the shop and encouraged me to try it on. I initially tried the dress without the overskirt, and it was Adrieanna, who assisted us in the store, who felt it would really suit me. The moment I tried on the full look with the overskirt and veil, I knew it was the one. It was incredibly comfortable and made me feel so beautiful.
One of the things I loved most was that it gave me two looks on the day – I removed the overskirt and veil in the evening for a more relaxed feel, which was perfect for the celebration.
I wore patent Jimmy Choo classic pumps, which were surprisingly comfortable, so much so that I ended up wearing them all night. I wanted a simple, timeless heel to complement the modern feel of my dress. I found my accessories at Alice May Bridal and chose two different pairs of earrings to reflect my two looks. I wore simple pearl earrings for the ceremony and switched to something more playful for the evening. I also loved my ‘Wifey’ clutch, which was perfect for carrying my lipstick for touch-ups throughout the day.
Gav and his groomsmen got their suits from Protocol in Dublin, designed by Benetti. As it was a Christmas wedding with a black-tie dress code, Gav chose a black velvet tuxedo jacket, setting his look apart from the groomsmen, who wore classic black tuxedos.
THE CEREMONY
Our ceremony took place in Powerscourt House, with Billy Hutchinson as our celebrant. Billy took such an invested interest in us as a couple and ensured the ceremony truly reflected who we are and our personalities. He struck the perfect balance, keeping it fun while also being romantic, emotional and deeply sentimental.
We were also lucky to have the wonderful Naomi Laide as our ceremony singer. She performed some of our favourite songs, and so many of our guests commented afterwards on how beautiful her voice was. Naomi also thoughtfully included festive songs both before and after the ceremony, which added a really special seasonal touch to the day.
THE RECEPTION
When we chose Powerscourt House as our wedding venue, one of the main reasons was the beautiful ballroom where we held our reception. From the main ballroom to the drinks reception area and the bar, we loved how perfectly the spaces flowed together.
With our wedding taking place so close to Christmas, it was also important to us that the venue was conveniently located near Dublin and easily accessible for our guests. Orlaith and the team at Feast were incredible and took such wonderful care of us, as well as our family and friends, throughout the day.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
Trio Royale set the tone at our drinks reception with festive jazz, while Smash Hits brought the party in the evening with all the best ’90s songs. The dance floor was full all night, and we didn’t stop dancing.
THE DECOR
One of the areas we really invested in was flowers and décor, as Powerscourt House is a blank canvas and allows couples complete freedom in how they choose to style the space. Frog Prince met with us, created vision boards, and brought our ideas to life.
They exceeded all expectations in terms of the décor. We’ll never forget seeing the ballroom fully dressed for the first time, just the two of us, before our guests arrived for the meal; it completely took our breath away. As our wedding fell on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, they played beautifully with candlelight to create a warm, cosy atmosphere.
We also had Christmas trees in both the ceremony and drinks reception spaces, and named our tables after our favourite Christmas songs, which added a fun and festive personal touch.
THEIR TOP TIPS
Focus on the big-ticket items and don’t sweat the small stuff. Securing a venue you love, a great band, and a celebrant you truly connect with will set the tone for the entire day – everything else will fall into place around that.
It’s also possible to avoid unnecessary spending on stationery. We designed all of our signage, invitations and place settings ourselves on Canva and had them printed locally. We still achieved the look we wanted, and it saved us a significant amount of money.
THEY WISH THEY HAD
We got married on one of the stormiest days in December, which meant we couldn’t make as good use of the Gardens; however, this was minor and didn’t take away from how great our day was.
THEIR BEST MOMENTS
My mum, Laura, unfortunately broke a bone in her foot just four weeks before our wedding while on a trip to Lisbon, leaving her in a cast and reliant on a scooter on the day. Every supplier we worked with was so kind and attentive, constantly looking out for her, which meant so much to us. One especially memorable moment for our family was when she ditched the scooter and managed to walk up the aisle on Gav’s arm as she arrived at the ceremony. It brought smiles to everyone’s faces and was incredibly special.
There was also a moment during the ceremony when Naomi sang a very meaningful song for us, Days Like This by Van Morrison. We remember looking at each other and feeling like we were in a bubble, just the two of us. Saying our personal vows was equally unforgettable. The ceremony was so emotional that there truly wasn’t a dry eye.
We were also so grateful to the many friends and family members who travelled internationally to be with us, especially so close to Christmas. Bridesmaids and groomsmen journeyed from Sydney and Melbourne, while family and friends joined us from London, Lisbon, New York and Canada. It felt like a truly international affair, and having everyone together meant the world to us.
The speeches were another standout moment of the day, particularly the best man’s speech.
THE FIRST DANCE SONG
Are You Ready For Love by Elton John.
THE CREW
Venue: Powerscourt House & Gardens. Wedding Dress: NEWHITE at The One. Groom’s Tux: Protocol. Make-Up: Natasha Ray. Hair: Lou Merryweather. Celebrant: Billy Hutchinson. Videographer: Origin of Love. Photobooth: Snap Happy. Singer: Naomi Laide. Music: Trio Royale. Cake: Solo Bake. Catering: Feast. Decor: Frog Prince.
See more photographs from Laura and Gavin’s wedding in the gallery below.
Photography by Lucy Nuzum.
Want to see your Real Wedding on IMAGE.ie? Email shayna.healy@image.ie with the subject line ‘Real Wedding’.
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