It might seem abit early to be worrying about how I’m going to get to the church or from the church to the venue, but the little church I have booked is just a stones throw from Darver Castle. With this in mind I’m wondering is it worth paying for a fancy car to take me across the road? If not, what other options do I have? So here are a few alternatives I have found, not all a goer but I threw them in for the fun 
A quirky little car!
Tractor
I’m sure there will be plenty in the vicinity…
A rickshaw!
A job for the best man?
Bicycles
Not so sure about this one, I haven’t been on a bike since I was 12. Can imagine the dress getting caught in the spurs!?
A moped
Quick and effective, I bet we’d beat everyone back! although not sure if it would be good for the hair.
I’m sure I’d look just as elegant as Sophie on a donkey…
A step up from the donkey?
I think this would be quite fitting for me ;P I’d put the bridesmaids to work on this one.
Walk there? in my heels? No chance.
If anyone else has some bright ideas let me know!!
From the top:
Just Married
Blue car
Tractor 1
Tractor 2
Rickshaw 1
Rickshaw 2
Bikes
Moped
Donkey from Mamma Mia
Horse and Carriage
Queen being carried
Walking to the church
This week’s Friday fancies is an inspiration board packed full of Parisian pretties and we have been inspired by the original French fashionista herself, Marie Antoinette. Renowned for her decadent style and extravagent tastes we have discovered only the most fabulous fancies to complement her Parisian panache!
Friday Fancies
Christian Louboutin’s ‘Marie Antoinette’ shoes are the perfect tribute to the French queen and these Christian Dior earrings are a match made in baroque fashion heaven. We also love this cute set of vintage Paris postcards which would make perfect invitations to your own Parisian party. And what party would be complete without some fabulous treats? Assort your soiree with gorgeous gateaux and simply ‘let them eat cake’!
I’m so happy to finally announce that we have found our perfect venue – Darver Castle!
This place embodied everything we were looking for when it came to our perfect wedding venue. Think authentic, romantic, homely, friendly and beautiful all rolled into one!
Darver Castle is 500 years old and set in 50 acres of gardens and trees in Co. Louth.
The Carville family bought Darver Castle in 1997 and carefully decorated and furnished it in a manner that kept the interior true to the nature of the building, antique and charming.
Darver Castle
Our package includes the exclusivity of the entire Castle for the night of our wedding, which means family and bridal party can stay in the 9 rooms that are available. I loved the way original features of the Castle were integrated with modern luxuries, such as a Swedish style sauna that is built into one of the towers.
There is a lovely bright conservatory that connects the main building to the banquet hall which is where you would have your reception drinks before heading in to dinner.
This cosy Victorian style Castle along with warm and friendly Carville family ticked all the boxes for us. Looking forward to the next step!
www.darvercastle.ie
Here at Pretty as a Picture we are walking away from tradition and embracing the trend of Colourful Wedding Shoes.
Vibrant heels provide a great way to make a fashion statement and and express your personality on your big day. You could choose to match your shoes to your wedding theme or for a fun surprise why not choose a different colour altogether!
Have fun with your shoes but make sure they are comfortable and remember for this trend the more vibrant the shoe the better!!
Here are some photos of colourful shoes by brides who got it right for your inspiration-
Radiant in Red - Pinterest, Bwed
Pretty as a Peacock- Brides/ aisle say
Something Blue- Style me pretty via Pinterest
Pretty in Pink-Brides
Gorgeous Green- Rangoli
Yellow Wedding Shoes – Magda Lucas
We just know you’ll love these gorgeous shots as much as we do, so we have trawled the shops (online) to seek out the hottest buys to make sure you don’t miss out on this fab trend. These vibrant pics will make for very pretty, dramatic pictures.
(Above Wedding Rumours, Swipes Collection by Dune in blue, yellow and pink)
L-R: Ankle cuff orange peep toe from Littlewoods, Sparkling Louboutins, Green ankle platforms from Littlewoods, Pink ankle cuff peep toe shoes from Littlewoods.
L-R: Red lace up platform with almond toe front from Dune, Yellow sling backs adorned with flower, bow and gem detail from Debenhams.
Do you like this trend, will you be adding a splash of colour to your big day, let us know and why not send us a picture.
Friday Fancies
We hope last weeks Friday Fancies Ladies day at the Races provided you with plenty of inspiration for picking that race day outfit..
Today the gals at Pretty as a Picture have taken cheeky time out to take a peek at the pictures of the deserving winners of Punchestown Best Dressed Lady Competition 2011-
We hope you enjoy these pictures and get plenty of ideas for upcoming Ladies Days such as Galway Races Summer Festival.
Please leave a comment and let us know what you think of the winning outfits and what you will be wearing to upcoming Ladies Days.
The Village at Lyons far surpassed any expectations I had. Situated in Kildare it is a truely unique wedding venue. Everything from the waterfalls to the hand painted walls oozed beauty and a rustic vintage charm. In my opinion this would be the venue of any couples dreams!
The Village at Lyons
From top to bottom:
Pictures 1,2,3 & 5:The Village at Lyons
Picture 4: The Bridal Lounge
Our next stop was Markree Castle in Sligo, driving up the long driveway through their 500 acres of land was very exciting! we really got the sense of grandeur pulling up to the driveway of this 14th Century Castle. If you are looking for an authentic castle as a wedding venue then this place fits the bill. Markree offer you the castle exclusively for your big day, IMAGINE a whole castle to yourself and wedding party! that means the bar closes when you tell it to!
The grounds are breathtaking as you can imagine for such an estate, we took a wander around the pond and down to the lake and trees imagining all the future wedding photos.
One thing that really stood out to me was the reception room. Breathtaking. This room is done in muted turquoise, white with gold gilded accents. The words baroque, Marie Antoinette and opulence spring to mind!
Markree Castle
Picture 1: www.weddingdates.ie
Picture 2,3 & 4:Markree Castle
Horetown House is a charming country house situated in the Wexford countryside. Described as ‘your home away from home’ it was originally built in 1692 and has been since been restored with care by it’s present owners. With it’s large reception hall, welcoming fireplace and 10 exquisite bedrooms this timeless home would be exclusively yours for your special day.
Downstairs is a beautiful cellar restaurant that can hold up to 100 wedding guests. Coming down the stairs to the cellar is a complete surprise! with it’s exposed stone walls and muted colour scheme you could be in a quaint restaurant in Italy.
For larger weddings there is a recently built Marquee on the grounds which can cater up to 200 wedding guests. I saw this as a blank canvas! I love that you could decorate and style it to whatever theme / colour scheme you had in mind:)
Horetown House
Pictures 1-4: Horetown House
Pictures 5 & 6: Brosnan photographic
Introducing the latest addition to the Pretty as a Picture team….
We’re delighted to have Amy join us here at the studio.
Hi everyone My name is Amy.
I am so excited about my new role at Pretty as a Picture. I cant wait to get blogging and share some inspiration- watch this space!!! Below, I’m going to share some of my favourite things with you…
1. Lipsy – I love all things Lipsy!
2. Samsung Tocco – I cannot live without my phone
3. Frozen Yogurt – my favourite snack
4. Smoothies – what a fun way to be healthy
5. Vera Wang Princess - my favourite scent
6.Pandora Bracelet – my favourite xmas
Horses, champers & fascinators… it must be Ladies Day at the races!!!
With Ladies Day happening at Punchestown today we thought it would be fun to look at race-day must haves for all you fashionistas!! We’re thinking Audrey Hepburn from My Fair Lady…
We’re loving the race day dress collection from Coast and these stunning stilettos from Karen Millen (stay away from that mud in these ladies!!!). To watch that winning horse cross the line why not treat yourself to these amazing antique second empire sevres style opera glasses – available from Etsy.
Get your fascinator & clutch from littlewoods. For your raceday Audrey Hepburn inspired scent choose Kid Mohair – a new perfume from the line of Le Vie della Lana doma Acqua di Biella.
Horse Locket from Etsy
Audrey Hepburn at the races from www.poppaclooar.co.za
And how about a funky hat to add get into the spirit of the day…!!!
Image from www.womansday.com
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