Meet the latest couple in The Chupi Wedding Series: Yasmin & Gavin. This gorgeous couple tell us about their wedding day that was planned in just one week as Covid-19 had changed their plans.
Gavin and I actually first met each other when we started secondary school in 2005. We were part of the same friend group for most of school and then we actually picked the same degree course at college in 2010, which is where we became really close friends and things grew from there. We have been an official couple since February 2011.
We finally got engaged on September 18th 2019, after much hinting from me!! It was so perfect, we were booked to stay in the Finn Lough bubble domes that night and I really hoped it would happen. But before we left for Enniskillen, we took our two pups for a walk on the beach and as we were nearly back to the car Gavin got down on one knee with the little pink Chupi box and asked me to be his wife. We had picked the Love, Luck & Laughter ring as a promise ring earlier that year.
Trying to get married in 2020 was an emotional rollercoaster. We had originally planned our wedding for Friday 13th of November (I always wanted to get married on Friday 13th) in the beautiful Red Door Country House here in Donegal. It was our dream wedding venue and we were so excited to plan our dream day. But obviously 2020 had other plans! It became clear very quickly that our dream day wasn’t going to be as we had imagined due to Covid-19.
We were willing to accept the changes and roll with the punches if it meant we could have our dream date and venue. And then in July, my grandmother became terminally ill and we decided to postpone our wedding until February 26th 2021.
Fast forward to October, my grandmother was doing well but the restrictions were getting more and more strict so we finally decided to cancel our new February date and go ahead with 6 guests on or original date in November.
Everything was going to plan finally, it wasn’t going to be our dream day, but we would finally be married after nearly 10 years together. Then in true 2020 fashion, another spanner was thrown into the mix, this time for the better. We could have 25 guests!!!
But because we had cancelled our February date, we no longer had a venue! So exactly one week before our wedding we were on the hunt for a venue. An Grianan Hotel, in Donegal were amazing from start to finish. They planned our dream day with a weeks’ notice and was the most perfect day possible!
We had a beautiful civil ceremony in the hotel, which we live streamed for our friends and family who couldn’t be with us, and then an amazing reception with our families. It couldn’t have been more perfect. And after all the tears and the stress of 2020 we were finally married!
I was never the girl who wanted the big wedding dress and after going to one bridal shop, the stress was enough for me to decide that online was the way forward. So, I ordered the most beautiful Needle & Thread dress online and had it altered the way I wanted it. I also ordered the most beautiful blush pink Charlotte Mills shoes to match! It was everything I wanted and more! I felt like my most authentic self that day and I wish I could wear my dress every day.
I chose the Solid Gold Love is all Grey diamond with classic sides as my engagement ring when we visited the store in September 2019. I couldn’t wait for us to go back and choose our wedding bands.
Once restrictions allowed, we travelled back to the store and after trying on basically every ring in the store I decided on two Written in the Stars bands to wear either side of my engagement ring. Gavin also chose the Solid Gold Driftwood ring as his band. I also chose a North Star Signet ring as my wedding present from Gavin to wear on the day. I’m obsessed with all my Chupi pieces and all the girls in the store were so lovely and helpful!
I have known for the longest time that Chupi would be a part of our wedding day! Chupi has always been special to me as the first piece of jewellery that Gavin ever bought me was the Follow Your Arrow ring from one of the older collections and from then on, my obsession has continued. I can’t wait to add more beautiful pieces to my collection! Thank you to everyone at Chupi for everything!
Photos: Ali & Laura Photography
Venue: An Grianan Hotel, Burt, Co Donegal
Dress: Needle & Thread London
Shoes: Charlotte Mills
Flowers: Sass & Halo
Cake: @_cakesbyd on Instagram
If a Chupi piece was a part of your big day – whether it was in the form of engagement rings, wedding bands, earrings or a beautiful necklace, we’d love to hear from you and feature you on the Chupi Journal. Find more details on the Chupi Wedding Series here.
