Sandra and Manuel traveled from Los Angeles to Ireland with 27 of their closest friends and family to get married in an intimate outdoor ceremony at Slea Head on the Dingle Peninsula.
A Windy Dingle Wedding
How did you meet?
I met him in my third year of teaching and his first year. At first we didn’t really click with each other. He thought I was too uptight with teaching, and I really didn’t think too much about him. I just remember him wearing a bright royal blue shirt with a white tie. I mean, who wears a white tie? Probably a month had passed, and one of our coworkers wanted to go out for a happy hour after work. We all went out, and he was there too. We started talking about the World Cup and realized that we both have deep love for soccer. Soon, we started to watch every game at 4 AM and hung out all day together.
Tell us about the proposal?
We went up to Lake Tahoe for a snowboarding trip. After three days of snowboarding, we decided to take a day off from the snow. We went hiking on the nearby trail. When we reached the end of the trail, he was down on one knee and popped the question.
Why did you choose Ireland as your wedding destination?
We wanted to get married here in Los Angeles and invite everyone, but we also wanted to stay true to ourselves. We love to travel, we love being close to nature, and we love connecting to people. When we sat down and discussed what we wanted, we knew we wanted a small intimate wedding and to TRAVEL! We jumped onto Google and found Peach Perfect Weddings. As we were scrolling through the destination and pictures, we knew Ireland was the place for us to celebrate.
What was the best part of the day?
The morning before the wedding ceremony. Lorraine from Peach Perfect had set up a tour around Dingle Peninsula for all of our guest. The weather wasn’t perfect, but that what also made it perfect! The gust of wind of howling and all the guest (and us) could not stop from laughing and embracing one another. It was PERFECT.
Did you incorporate any family or religious traditions into your ceremony?
All of our guest were circled around us and held a red rope to signify our connection to one another. Our wedding rings went around, and each guest blessed our marriage.
Any funny stories from the lead up to the wedding, or on the day itself?
THE WIND!! On the day of the ceremony, the wind was whipping 30 miles per hour. Everyone was cheering and laughing, and holding on to each other for a dear life! It really was something out of a movie!
Tell us about the most memorable moment?
Dingle Peninsula was perfect. It represented everything we love. The mountain and the beach! On this day, we originally had chosen Perfect by Ed Sheeran to be played by a violinist. However with the gusting of the wind, it was impossible for the violinist to play the song. Our officiant, Mary, asked our guest to sing a song. All of sudden, my husband’s cousin stepped up and sang, “Can’t Hep Falling in Love”. It was absolutely magical. Our 27 guest circled around us and everyone sang as Manuel and I dance in the center. The BEST moment of our life.
What does marriage mean to you?
Marriage is a commitment through all the best of the best, and for the worse. It is accepting your partners faults and not wanting them to change. It is knowing that your partner will always leave all the cabinet doors open and socks everywhere when he comes home from work. But all these pet peeves will never outweigh the best quality of my partner.
Any words of wisdom for other couples planning a destination wedding?
Don’t worry about what other people want on this day or what our society say it should be. Stay true to you and your finance’s style and needs!
Credits
Photographer - [K] Photography
Planner - Peach Perfect Weddings
Celebrant - Christian Minister Mary Hartney
Hair & Makeup - Tricia O’Sullivan
Florist - Angels Flowers Kerry
Looking for wedding vendors in Ireland?
Check out the Adventure Wedding Collective HERE to find Irish wedding suppliers