Grace & Matt Evans got married in a lovely autumn wedding on Saturday 19th November and chose to have their special reception among their closest friends and family in Dufferin Hall. Their romance budded while working in Tesco during university nearly 14 years ago, and they have since lived together in London and now Dublin.

With Art Director Matt and Merchandiser Grace both working in demanding jobs, their aim for their wedding day was simple: keep it laid back and simple with minimal fuss and maximum fun. The couple opted to recruit the help of Grace & Savour to pull the day together and transform Dufferin Hall’s enchanting venue space.

Opting for relaxed, warm, and rustic touches with minimal décor and an intimate feeling, Grace & Saviour were able to truly bring Dufferin Hall’s stone walls and rustic tile floors to life drawing in warm lighting throughout the space by featuring candlelight throughout. “I highly recommend creating a Pinterest board when you begin planning your wedding,” said Grace. “This helped me to come up with an overall concept and provided a thorough brief to the team at Grace & Saviour.”

Staying true to form, the couple kept things simple on the day, holding their nuptials at Castle Ward, only twenty minutes from Dufferin. Following the ceremony, guests followed the happy couple to the Sunken Garden for a group photo. Guests then moved on to Dufferin Hall to kick off the reception while the newlyweds had additional photos taken. “We really lucked out with the weather,” added Grace. “It was freezing, but we had clear blue skies and loads of sun on the day.”

On arrival at their drinks reception held at Dufferin Arms, located just next door to Dufferin Coaching Inn, guests enjoyed the Dufferin’s famous mulled wine before moving on to the dinner and main party in Dufferin Hall. Wishing to mix things up a bit, servers delivered starters and desserts to guests at their tables, but mains were served in buffet style. During the speeches, guests enjoyed sharing cheeseboards.

“We were both so pleased with how our special day went,” said Grace. “One of the most memorable moments was when our wedding singer, whose car had broken down causing her to miss the wedding, took a taxi from Dublin to Killyleagh in order to spend the day with us! She really went above and beyond and was able to sing for us as the reception which added such a lovely touch to the evening.”

Another memorable moment came for the couple at the reception when the band started to play and Grace’s uncle serenaded the bride and group with ‘The Hawaiian Wedding Song’ by Elvis. “There is an old tradition where someone used to sing to the wedding couple, and it has obviously fallen out of fashion,” said Grace. “It was a lovely touch to bring this back in a modern way. He was brilliant and once he finished he went in to the pub next door and sang a few songs, getting him a standing ovation!” Following this, guests were entertained by The Convicts and a DJ who kept the party dancing through the night.

As a final unique touch to the wedding, the following morning the newlyweds hosted a breakfast for guests. Dufferin’s owner Leontine cooked up her famous cooked breakfast for 30 guests before they set off on an afternoon walk at Castle Ward.

“I would recommend the Dufferin Coaching Inn to couples looking for an alternative place to hold their wedding,” added Grace. “The venue gives a clear palette for anyone wanting to put their own personal touch on their wedding day. Hiring the guesthouse completely was also an excellent idea as then both families where all together getting ready and have a good time.

“Leontine was very accommodating and helpful throughout the whole process and also responded to emails as soon as possible. The Dufferin Arms next door was also a really big help as well. We had an amazing meal the night before and we had the downstairs just for us and for any family and friends who stayed the night before. Guest were also able to go next door to the pub during the wedding reception if they wanted a break. “

We absolutely loved being involved in Grace and Matt’s lovely day! Their unique touches and simplistic approach really enabled their own personalities to show through, as well as the natural beauty of their venues Castle Ward and Dufferin Hall! Congratulations to the happy couple!