Hillmount House Wedding with a Hint of Halloween

01/11/2022

If you’re planning a wedding at Hillmount House, you’ll love this…

Last Halloween I had the pleasure of being Phil and Laura’s wedding photographer. It was a fantastic day with lots of little autumnal touches that hinted to Halloween and the autumn season.

Phil and Laura are fantastic couple and complement each other perfectly with Phil being a total extravert, always up for a laugh and Laura who is the sweetest girl and a little more reserved!

They made me feel like part of the family from when we first met and Phil had me laughing at his antics throughout the day.

I always like to get to know my couples and how their story began, this is the first chapter in Laura and Phil’s story…

Laura and Phil

How did you two meet?

We met during lunch on the first day of our undergraduate Biomedical Science degree at Queen’s University, Belfast in 2009. The advisor of studies had organised lunch in the Great Hall for our class. We were best friends for a few years before becoming a couple in 2013.

The Proposal.

In February 2019, Phil suggested an afternoon walk around Queen’s University and Botanic Gardens so that he could try out his new camera. We walked around the Lanyon building (QUB) whilst Phil took photographs of the beautiful buildings. He suggested heading towards the Great hall so that he could take a photograph of it for a wall in our new house. He then asked me to pose beside the sign, firstly facing the camera and then, with my back to the camera. He then called my name and when I turned around, he was on one knee, Exactly where we first met!”

(When I met with Phil and Laura for their engagement photoshoot, we returned to the Great Hall and Botanic Gardens. In fact, they had one of their favourite photos framed and had it for guests to sign on their wedding day.)

Wedding Vibe.

How would you sum up your wedding day in a couple of sentences, the look, the feel the vibe?

In the words of one guest, ‘a kaleidoscope of twinkling candles, stunning flowers, sparkly pumpkins, shadows from the firelight…and the centre of it all, the Bridal party?’ A magical day celebrating with our family and friends.

Wedding Day Priorities

What was important to you about your wedding, the main priorities?

It meant a great deal to be able to be married in the sam church as my parents. We wanted our day to be cosy and relaxed. It was important for us for all aspects of the day to tie in together. Once we found the fabulous Hillmount House, everything flowed from there.

We ensured that the flowers, stationery, cake and decorations all carried the same theme. We wanted a lasting memory of a truly happy day surrounded by those who meant most to us.

The Wedding Dress!

How did you find your wedding dress?

My sister had lived in Spain for two previous years and had noticed the Rosa Clara wedding boutique stores. As she showed us around Valencia in 2017, she pointed out the shop and I always remember that she said we should definitely look there for our wedding dresses when the time came!

As soon as Phil and I became engaged, Anna started to send me photos of Rosa Clara bridal gowns. She was right, they were beautiful!

We noticed that the stockist in Northern Ireland, Orchid Bridal Studio in Portadown had a trunk show over the following weekend. I contacted the proprietor, Neil, who was able to give me his last appointment, a cancellation from earlier in the day! ! Mum and I travelled to Portadown, having chosen my four top dress styles. By chance, Neil had three of the as part of the trunk show!

Anna, still living in Spain, Face Timed us at the appointment. I tried on my first dress, the DELA design. Despite trying on a few other, they simply didn’t compare. The DELA dress was the one!

Venue Choice

What made your venue “The One”?

Hillmount House is a very personal venue. We had always imagined a rustic setting, with gardens for photographs. The guest capacity was exactly what we required and it had a homely feel from the moment we first walked in. The warm welcome continued throughout subsequent visits and was apparent to all on the day itself.

It was a most relaxed venue and we truly felt it offered a unique experience that wasn’t apparent in other venues.

What made your day special to you?

What made the day really special and unique to you?

Our Minister, Rev. Pauline Lorimer added very personal touches to the service. The relaxed approach and the personal and warm conduction of the service will never leave us.

Our wonderful florist Kim (Victoriana Floral) created and sprayed unique pumpkin and gourd decorations with added to the connection to Halloween.

Tracy and Sean’s attention to detail in their photographs and videoing, in particular the use of significant objects.

We held the speeches on the stairs in Hillmount House to add to the relaxed atmosphere.

The genuine kindness of people on they, such as Tru Colours (hair stylist) in the morning. We received such a warm welcome and the staff provided drinks, strawberries and snacks for all.

My Dad contacted ulster Rugby who very kindly sent a congratulatory video message to us from John Cooney.

Advice for other couples

What advice would you give to other couples planning their day?

If you have a clear idea of what kind of venue you would like, don’t settle for something different. It took us a while to find the perfect venue but it was worth the wait!

Make a guest list early before you start to consider venues to ensure that you’re able to seat all of your family and friends.

Enjoy every second of your day, take time in the middle of your day to relax, just the two of you as the day absolutely flies!

Don’t worry if things change slightly from what you have planned, you are the only people who know what to expect, so none of your guest will notice last minute changes!

Cath with your photographer to make sure you have a plan B for photographs incase of last minute weather changes!

Special thanks to Laura, Phil and their family for making me feel so welcome.

The Ceremony

The ceremony was a beautiful service held in Whiteabbey Methodist Church. It was a very intimate and personalised service which was very special to the couple.

The Reception

Laura and Phil had their wedding reception in the beautiful converted barn at Hillmount House, which is a beautiful privately owned Georgian country house in County Antrim. It was the most beautiful wedding and even the freezing cold weather didn’t put off the bridal party from photos in the garden as they were all thoughtfully supplied with hot water bottles and blankets by the couple.

WHY HILLMOUNT HOUSE IS A GREAT PLACE TO GET MARRIED

The reception was at Hillmount House – I love this venue because it’s so cosy and relaxed. Weddings at Hillmount House are amazing, because there’s always a warm and friendly welcome. Hillmount House is really peaceful and secluded, and is one of the best places to get married in County Antrim. The venue offers an amazing atmosphere for a wedding – whether it’s a small intimate affair, a micro wedding or a larger one when current regulations are relaxed.

What they wore

Laura wore a beautiful designer gown by Rosa Clara, supplied by Orchid Bridal Studio and Phil wore a navy suit and they looked really perfect.

ADVICE FOR PLANNING YOUR WEDDING AT HILLMOUNT HOUSE

Book early as smaller, more intimate venues are more popular than ever now that couples are currently having to downsize their original guest numbers.

If you’re planning a wedding at Hillmount House, get in touch!

Suppliers

Venue – Hillmount House – http://www.hillmounthouse.com

Flowers – Victoriana Floral – http://www.victorianabfloral.com

Bridal Gowns and Bridesmaids dresses – Orchid Bridal Studio http://www.orchidbridalstudio

Head Piece – B’Jewelled Bridal – http://www.bjewelledbridal.co.uk

Wedding Cake – Fairy Tree Cakes – http://www.fairytreecakes.co.uk

Hair and Makeup up – Tru Colours Hair Bar – @trucolourshairbar

Video – Timeless Productions – http://www.timelessproductionsni.com

Stationery – The Perfect Day Print – http://www.perfectdayprint.com

Photography – Tracy Steele Photography – https://www.tracysteelephotography.co.uk