Bright, joyful, and bursting with personality, Jonny and Tara’s Valentine's Day wedding perfectly reflected their vibrant energy. Originally from County Down and now based in Belfast, this fun-loving pair embraced a day full of colour, with bold pinks and reds, playful details, and drop-dead-gorgeous styling, with a sweet nod to their Paris proposal story.

For Jonny and Tara, the guest experience was just as important as the styling — which was all handled by the talented bride herself. From their ceremony at the Ulster Museum, to a sightseeing bus tour around Belfast, and finishing with incredible food at the Waterman and a cosy pub later that evening filled with music, laughter, and Jonny on drums, every moment was designed to be personal, relaxed, and full of joyful chaos. In their own words, the day was “romantic, playful, and a little bit unconventional,” which sounds pretty perfect to us. Their beautiful day was wonderfully captured and shared with us by Paula Gillespie Photography — so let’s get stuck in!

Jonny and Tara are originally from County Down, Northern Ireland, and now call Belfast home. The pair first crossed paths when she was 17 and he was 20. “Just kids really,” Tara recalls. Their friendship grew from a shared love of music and a silly sense of humour, and they remained connected over the years, even if only in the background. Life eventually led them in different directions, but about ten years ago, they found themselves drawn back together. What began as a strong friendship “naturally turned into something more – and the rest is history,” Tara says.

Jonny proposed in Paris on his birthday during what Tara thought was “just a casual adventure to find a new pair of shoes.” While Paris might seem like the obvious choice for a proposal, Tara didn’t expect it. “Jonny’s not one for clichés, so the idea of a Paris proposal felt far too predictable for him – but that’s what made it all more surprising when it did happen,” she recalls.

The couple wandered through Montmartre, where they stumbled upon an old photobooth. Jonny suggested they hop in for some photos. “I was sitting on his knee, and as he dropped the coins into the machine, he asked me to marry him, just as the photobooth started snapping away,” Tara remembers. The result? A little strip of photos capturing the exact moment it all happened — so sweet it could have come straight out of a romantic movie.

Once engaged, Jonny and Tara set about planning a day with clear priorities. “We didn’t want the wedding to be just about us – we wanted it to be a celebration of love in all its forms,” Tara explains. Having their big day on Valentine’s Day felt like the perfect way to share that sentiment with everyone.

From the start, they knew they wanted the day to feel relaxed, playful, and a little bit cliché in the best way – a nod to their Paris proposal. They embraced pinks and reds, sprinkled in romantic and even silly playful details, and incorporated a few traditional touches with their own modern twist. “We also wanted it to feel elevated and personal, not overly staged or formal, but for our guests to have amazing food and drink, where they could choose what they wanted on the day,” Tara adds.

And the perfect venue for their celebration? Well, it wasn’t just one or two, Jonny and Tara chose three!

“The Ulster Museum felt right for our ceremony because it was beautifully unconventional,” Tara explains. “Not your typical wedding space, but full of meaning. You’re surrounded by art, history, and culture, which gave the day this rich, thoughtful atmosphere right from the start, celebrating the past, the future, and the stories in between. Many of our guests had never been in the museum either, so it felt like a chance for new, shared experiences to grow.”

Later, Waterman House offered the perfect continuation of that energy. A newly renovated space in the heart of Belfast, it’s known for its incredible food while remaining naturally tied to the city’s history, perched beside the Harp Bar and other iconic pubs in the Cathedral Quarter. “It felt modern yet grounded in the culture and spirit of the city we love,” Tara says.

Finally, The Dark Horse provided a natural final chapter to the day. “A cupid’s after-dark, if you will,” Tara laughs. “Just a stone’s throw from Waterman House, it’s filled with character and atmosphere, rich with emotion and music. Ending our wedding there, surrounded by our people and great craic, was the perfect close.

Jonny and Tara tied the knot on 14th February 2025 in front of 90 loved ones, keeping their ceremony simple and heartfelt. They chose not to have any readings or additional music, letting the moment speak for itself, and left the ceremony to “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer. Their ceremony was led by the wonderful Mark Caffrey, making it a truly intimate and personal start to their day.

When it came to styling their wedding, Jonny and Tara weren’t afraid to have fun blending romance, nostalgia, and playful details into every corner of their day. The obvious inspiration was Valentine’s Day,” Tara explains. “We weren’t afraid to lean into the clichés, but in a fun and intentional way. We played with colour and bold florals to make it feel romantic — yes — but also modern, spontaneous, and a little tongue-in-cheek at times.”

Vintage textures and tones, old Valentine’s Day love poems, and throwback romance movies also influenced the look and feel of the day. “There were playful nods and puns intentionally placed at every turn, and a sense of nostalgia running through everything, from the bridesmaids’ proposals, to the wedding invites, right through to the thank you cards, but with contemporary touches that made it feel fresh and personal,” she adds.

"The venues themselves shaped much of the aesthetic. From the striking art and architecture of the Ulster Museum, to the stylishly restored Waterman House, and finishing in the cosy, antique-filled Dark Horse with its red chairs and soft glow, each location contributed to a cohesive, romantic, and vibrant celebration."

Tara looked stunning in a satin strapless gown by Élysée Bridal from Dream Weddings Coleraine, paired with bold red patent Prada bridal shoes. Her hair was styled by Rebecca Mulholland, and makeup was by Makeup by Leona, perfectly complementing her romantic, playful look. Jonny looked equally sharp in his suit from Bogart Menswear, making them a picture-perfect pair for their Valentine’s Day celebration.

Her bridesmaids complemented the day beautifully, wearing mismatched dresses in shades of blush and lilac from ASOS, perfectly echoing the wedding’s playful love-day theme.

For Jonny and Tara, it was the little details both 'sentimental and silly' that made their day feel truly personal. “It was all in the details that made the day feel like us, full of heart and humour,” Tara explains.

Instead of making a big event out of cutting the cake, they opted for a champagne tower straight after the ceremony to kick off the celebrations. Cheesy signage, Valentine’s-inspired games, and pictures of loved ones no longer with them displayed in vintage frames added thoughtful, personal touches throughout the day.

They also got creative with the speeches, splitting them up — three on the stairs after the ceremony and two at the food reception — which “divided them nicely so people listened more,” Tara says. For a bit of comic relief, the couple even pretended they were going to serenade their guests with Valentine-themed ukuleles during the ceremony.

Practical details were given a personal twist too. Instead of wedding cars, they opted for a bus to travel between venues so everyone could share the experience. They used a vintage camcorder to record memories themselves, adding a nostalgic, playful touch. Valentine’s-themed fortune cookies, personalised tambourines that doubled as party favours, and temporary tattoos let guests wear their hearts on their sleeves for the day.

The details were brought to life by their talented suppliers, including stationery by Thomas Bannon Draws, florals by Flowers By Mee, and the cake by Bakes by Paige, each adding their own touch of magic to the celebration.

When asked what advice they would give to other couples, Tara and Jonny were clear: “Stay true to yourselves and who you are together — don’t do anything you don’t actually want to do on your wedding day just because you feel like you have to.”

For their first dance, Jonny and Tara chose This Is My Prayer by Billy Hambric, a gorgeous choice that perfectly captured the emotion of their day.

For their Cupid’s After Dark after-party, Tara changed into a show-stopping beaded gown by Eva Lendel from Elody Bridal, Newry, instantly upping the glamour for the evening celebrations. The finale was unforgettable, with Jonny taking to the drums and being joined by his bride, making for a playful, joyous close to the day.

When it came to a honeymoon, Jonny and Tara weren’t planning anything extravagant. “We weren’t going to do a honeymoon as such, as we wanted to fill the year with lots of little trips away instead,” Tara explains. However, they treated themselves to a last-minute getaway to Northern Tenerife for a few days, which turned out to be a lovely and relaxing escape after their Valentine’s Day celebrations.

A huge thank you to Jonny and Tara for sharing their Valentine’s Day wedding with us, and to their wonderful photographer, Paula Gillespie, for letting us showcase it on One Fab Day. Check out the gallery below for even more beautiful shots from their day!