Surrounded by friends and family, two Irish lovebirds took their vows on a dazzling Croatian summer’s day by the Adriatic Sea scenery. It was something straight out of the golden era of Hollywood! Audrey Hepburn, eat your heart out. Saying “I do” in the rustic Church of St. Blaise, before travelling via boat cruise to their reception on the Neptune Terrace, Importanne Resort, Gillian and Patrick O’Brien’s relaxing affair was the very definition of stylish ceremonies.

Gillian’s journey to her bridal dress was  a fairy tale for the 21st century. After trying on around 40 wedding dresses and feeling like a fully grown Barbie, playing dress-up she discovered Sanyukta Shrestha and finally felt like a bride. “When you try on the dress, you just know”. Her Wallis gown, gave Gillian the echo of vintage that she had been driving towards, and the mix of classic and contemporary features. Between the soft bamboo lace sleeves and luxe silk gown, Gillian felt at home in her 1930’s Wallis Simpson inspired Sanyukta Shrestha Eco gown.

WHERE DID YOU MEET We met in my home town Dublin, Ireland. He’s from Armagh in the North of Ireland, but was visiting for the weekend.

THE PROPOSAL Patrick proposed on the Magere Brug bridge in Amsterdam on a quiet, snowy night in February 2017. He had booked the trip as a surprise and had taken me on a cheese and wine canal tour earlier that night.

MOST MAGICAL MOMENT Seeing everyone gathered together in the church. We had 87 guests and we felt so incredibly lucky that so many of our family and friends had travelled so far to celebrate with us.

THE DRESS I felt incredible in my dress on our wedding day. It was really well tailored, so fit like a glove and it was so light and comfortable to wear despite the intense Dubrovnik heat. The dress received so many compliments from friends, family and even tourists in the busy Old Town who stopped to wish us well. It also felt really sentimental to wear as my dress was my parents gift to me. It reminded me in a way of the dress my Mother wore on her wedding day.

FAIR-TRADE To be very honest being fair-trade wasn’t first on my list of priorities when I began the hunt for my wedding dress, but when I discovered Sanyukta and learned about the ethical and ecological aspect of her design and manufacturing process, I really got behind it. People are becoming a lot more mindful of the importance of sustainable and ethical fashion, which is really great.  

YOUR ADVICE FOR OTHER BRIDES? Social media such as Instagram and Pinterest are a good starting point to get an idea of the styles you like, but go into your wedding dress appointment with an open mind and try on a few wild cards. You might be surprised by what you fall in love with. I also found it really beneficial purchasing my dress directly from the Designer’s boutique rather than a stockist. The Designer will know their dresses inside out and what will work for your shape. Their passion also ensures that the dress will not leave the boutique without every last detail being perfect.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE Almost! I managed something old (my Mother’s wedding handbag), something new (my dress & veil), something borrowed (my friend’s gold ring), but I wasn’t organised enough to get something blue on time. I didn’t mind though, I’m not overly traditional.

CREDITS

Dress & Veil: Sanyukta Shrestha

Wedding planners: Dubrovnik Design Weddings

Hair & Makeup: Ana’s Studio, Dubrovnik

Bridesmaid dresses: Monsoon, Phase Eight, Warehouse

Photographer & Videographer: DT Studio

Venue: Importanne Resort, Dubrovnik