Meet the latest couple in The Chupi Wedding Series : Lorraine and Declan. Lorraine tells us about the gorgeous Chupi pieces she wore for her wedding day and their beautiful wedding day set in Castle Dargan.

Despite growing up in neighbouring villages in the northwest, we met in college in Dublin in 2009. In 2013, Declan swept me off my feet with a series of coastal picnics (great things come to those who wait!!). We then spent the summer apart travelling with friends, on August 9th 2013 we reunited and the rest, as they say, is history.

We got engaged on August 23rd 2018. We set off for the day as we often do. We live by the sea but enjoy travelling to quietier seaside spots in our beautiful home county to get away from it all and spend quality time together.

The Chupi piece I wore was my delicate solid gold wedding band. It was custom made in my size in 18 carat gold. I choose it as the four petite diamonds symbolise love, luck, laughter and life.

Declan recreated our amazing second date… with a twist! It began with a picnic in the sand dunes of Enniscrone beach. We then went on to Aughris Head for a coastal cliff walk. When admiring a stunning secluded beach Declan got down on one knee. The world shook and I said yes!!! The promise ring he produced was absolutely gorgeous. After I came around we returned to the car and he whipped out bubbles, strawberries and homemade treats from the bottom of the picnic basket. We enjoyed them on another beach very close by – the sugar was very much needed! Declan had booked dinner in town so we decided to enjoy the evening together and share our news the next day.

We got married on August 9th 2019 in my local church in Rosses Point, Sligo. Our reception was in Castle Dargan , it was the third venue we viewed and it just felt right. We choose Castle Dargan for many reasons; we loved the natural light and views of rolling hills from the function room. We are blessed with big families and many close friends so it was essential that our venue could cater for our numbers.

For me the most exciting and memorable part of our day was our portrait session around the beautiful village I was lucky enough to grow up in. If only you could bottle that just married feeling!!

However, the main factor was it’s location – not only is it nestled in the countryside very close to where my mum grew up, it is a short drive from our church. This meant that my grandparents could attend our reception. My Nana is one of my best friends so this was the deciding factor for me. We really can’t thank Tanya and Bríd at Castle Dargan enough for their professionalism and kindness, everything was so easy and the day exceeded all our expectations.

Our wedding day was so relaxed and fun from start to finish. We both got ready in our home houses with our immediate families. The morning was very relaxed and I really enjoyed the time with my family, it felt a bit like Christmas morning. My dad wanted us to walk to the church but apparently it was drizzling (I didn’t even notice the rain!), my beloved mini was on standby and he drove me to the church instead.

Our godson set the tone for the day by waddling up the aisle with my beautiful Chupi wedding band . He had everyone, including himself, in stitches! My dad and I walked up the aisle to our song, ‘Our Song’ by Elton John, which was very special. The ceremony was so beautiful thanks to our wonderful celebrant and musicians. A friend of mine put the church music together and it was incredibly moving. There was an abundance of hugs and confetti outside the church, it was amazing to see our families and friends, some of whom had travelled so far.

We then made a break for it in our mini blaring ‘Paradise’ by George Ezra. We had our photographs taken around Rosses Point and then joined our guests in my local pub for Guinness and oysters (harvested locally by one of the guests). We were chaufered to our venue by Declan’s sister and enjoyed the tail end of our drinks reception.

What draws me to Chupi is what it represents; the idea that pieces are heirlooms and tell a story, that they are inspired by and connect us to nature, the importance of treating those close to you with beautiful pieces, packaging and uplifting quotes, supporting Irish craft and women in business.

The gin bar and jazz pianist went down a treat, the historic Coach House was buzzing. We got a few group shots before our guests were called to dinner. It was lovely to enjoy a quiet drink with our siblings before dancing into the function room to Westlife’s hit ‘Hello my Love.’ The atmosphere and food were amazing. I remember thinking at one point, I can’t believe this is our wedding day – it is perfect!

The speeches were touching yet hilarious, we cried with laughter. A surprise video from family, friends and Westlife themselves finished them off nicely. A friend of mine made our beautiful wedding cake which was also very special. Our first dance to George Ezra’s ‘Hold my Girl’ was so much fun, we winged it, our guests joined in and the dance floor was electric for the entire night. My husband booked a fantastic band called Late Night Radio . There was a sing song into the early hours and when we made it to the bridal suite for the first time at 6am the sun was rising over the golf course. It was an incredible day, which we are still not over! We are beyond grateful and would do it all again in a heartbeat.

For me the most exciting and memorable part of our day was our portrait session around the beautiful village I was lucky enough to grow up in. If only you could bottle that just married feeling!! The joy and happiness I felt taking in the spectacular, yet familiar views with my new husband and our siblings was so special.

We danced in the rain and even enjoyed an impromptu ice-cream (again the sucra was needed!). We returned to the same spot the next day for a swim to kick off our day two with our family and friends. This is also a memory we will cherish forever. For Declan it was walking down the aisle together and the moments that followed greeting our guests outside the church.

I always knew I would go for a plain dress. Therefore, I was drawn to dresses by London based designer Suzanne Neville stocked in Sharon Hoey. I loved both fitted dresses and ones with full skirts, which really surprised me! Sharon was so helpful and has a great eye, she made me a beautiful detachable skirt so I didn’t have to decide between styles. They completed the alterations, shortening the train on my Carmella dress so I could dance the night away! They also made my beautiful veil.

We hoped everyone, including ourselves, would really enjoy the day. My parents had the time of their lives and so many guests have commented on how much fun they had, which makes us so happy.

The Chupi piece I wore was my delicate solid gold wedding band. It was custom made in my size in 18 carat gold. I choose it as the four petite diamonds symbolise love, luck, laughter and life. My husband surprised me with the beautiful solid gold initial letter maxi disc necklace on the morning of the wedding. He chose ‘L’ for my name. My sister also gifted me the gold Swan Feather earrings the day before our wedding. She chose them as she knew I had feathers hand sewn onto my veil.

I’ve followed Chupi online for a long time. My mum bought me my first piece a few years ago. I browsed online and visited the store when shopping for my wedding band . I then purchased it online and was extremely impressed with the customer service.

They went the extra mile by including a beautiful notebook with my special order (we used it to record addresses and rsvps). What draws me to Chupi is what it represents; the idea that pieces are heirlooms and tell a story, that they are inspired by and connect us to nature, the importance of treating those close to you with beautiful pieces, packaging and uplifting quotes, supporting Irish craft and women in business.

My wedding band symbolises my hopes for our marriage; love, luck, laughter and life – what it’s all about! The solid gold initial letter maxi disc necklace means a lot to me, ‘L’ is my favourite letter as it symbolises my identity and so much more, including our relatively new favourite month, Lúnasa! My gold Swan feather earrings, like my veil, mean that family members that have passed are with my on this journey.

Photography: Amber Baruch Photography