A rustic and relaxed day of romance! Today's real wedding couple Louise and Gavin tied the knot at Juniper Barn on a September day bathed in amazing sunshine. It was a classic, timeless and pared-back celebration with an injection of colour and fun coming courtesy of the magical wildflower displays. The couple wanted their special day to reflect what they love and for their guests to experience the beauty of Sligo which holds a very special place in their hearts.

Documented fabulously by photographer Siobhan Byrne their celebration included stunning bridal style, bridesmaids in black, phenomenal food, and a breathtaking photoshoot immersed in nature. Let's get going!

Gavin is from Sligo while Louise is from Liverpool and they currently live just outside the city. They were set up by Louise's best friend who worked with Gavin for years. Louise explains, "She assured me even if I didn't like him I would definitely have a laugh if I went out with him, she wasn't wrong. We first met on St Patrick's Day in an Irish Paddy's Day tent in central Manchester with a few friends. Gavin asked if he could show me one of the best bars around, a small Irish pub tucked in the side streets, we had a pint of Guinness and the rest is pretty much history!"

The couple spend a lot of time in Sligo visiting Gavin's family, it holds a really special place in their hearts. Gavin popped the question on Rosses Point Beach near where he grew up and it took Louise completely by surprise. "I had no idea after he told me we were meeting friends. He proposed on the cliffs overlooking the ocean and we sat afterwards admiring the view and taking it all in. We then headed to one of our favourite food spots on the beach, Austies. Our whole family including mine from the UK were all waiting for us and we spent the afternoon drinking fizz in the sunshine. It was such a special day."

As for the priorities for their celebration Louise says, "We really just wanted the wedding to be a reflection of what we love and enjoy and for all our guests to see how beautiful Sligo is. Having great drinks and food, good music and all our friends and family together having fun was the most important thing for us!"

Gavin and his groomsmen served up black-tie brilliance for the sun-kissed celebration. Gavin's wedding suit was from Reiss while his groomsmen wore suits from EJ Menswear in Sligo.

Louise opted for a radiant makeup look and her best friend and bridesmaid Danielle Nolan who is a hairdresser was behind her sleek and stunning up do.

Louise's modern romantic bridal look comprised of a Martina Liana off-the-shoulder gown which she styled with her grandmother's pearl earrings, a bracelet that her husband gifted her on the wedding morning, slingback heels from ASOS, and a scalloped floral lace edge by an independent Spanish veil maker.

Louise's bridal besties exuded elegance in black bridesmaids dresses. "Everyone wore a mixture of dresses depending on what they chose themselves. I wanted them to just be comfortable and feel amazing on the day. They wore a mixture of ASOS, House of CB, Zara and Meshki."

Their beloved friend Maire McKeown was their celebrant and it made the experience so much more special. "We were legally married in St. George's Hall in Liverpool prior to the wedding, just the two of us which was beautiful. So we didn't have to go through all the legal bits in Ireland with Louise not being Irish. Maire said some really special moving words during our ceremony which meant a lot. "

Their family members and friends also gave gorgeous readings during the ceremony and adorably Louise and Gavin's one-year-old son Finley cheered at all the right moments. "It was really special to have our son Fin with us on our special day."

They decided to make their wedding a weekend celebration as most of their guests travelled from the UK and outside of Sligo. "On Friday we started with a dinner in Sligo town centre with our nearest and dearest. On Sunday we guests spent the day in The Strand Bar on the beach in Strandhill, where we ate pizza, drank Guinness and had live music!"

Louise wanted a rustic venue with a laid-back feel with some striking elements. Once she found Juniper Barn online they asked Gavin’s brother and partner to go and view it as they couldn't travel as they had recently welcoming their son. They immediately booked it after their FaceTime call! "I really loved the vibe of the venue, the rustic barns with contrasting blue doors almost made you feel as if you were in a French Chateau. The grounds themselves are just stunning, surrounded by wildflowers, sheep, the beautiful lake and small unique things like the old bell which we rang as we walked from the ceremony to the main barns."

Dorothy, the owner of Juniper Barn, styled all the decor and the flowers. "The venue had so much character and charm I kept the decor to a minimum and let the venue speak for itself. The open-plan dining space with banquet style tables really appealed to us as we have large families and all love to dine together."

Louise really wanted it their wedding aesthetic to represent what they love rather than being dictated by trends. Louise highlights, "I wanted to keep everything pretty pared-back, classic and timeless and bring some fun and colour through the wildflowers which complimented the blue doors and black bridesmaid dresses."

With Siobhan Byrne behind the camera, every single moment of magic was captured. "Siobhan was amazing and made us feel super relaxed on the day. I found her through Instagram and absolutely loved her work! We are beyond pleased with out wedding photo."

Her top piece of wedding planning advice is, "Go with what you and your partner really love and is a reflection of you both and don't worry too much about trying to please everyone else, it's an impossible task and the day will naturally be amazing and really authentic to you. It's really easy to get carried away in so many aspects of the planning and the small details however I really feel the less is more approach is what worked for me and the main thing everyone remembers is the atmosphere, food & music! And, remember to take it all on the day, don't sweat the small stuff and just have fun and soak it all up!"

They wanted the menu to be full of food they adore instead of traditional wedding dishes. "I cannot recommend Ryan of Wild Catering Company enough, we did a tasting in his home in Doolin which was a fantastic experience. He was so relaxed and amazing to work with, food was one of the most talked about points of our day." They tucked into scrumptious canapes including ceviche tacos, arancini balls and salmon crostini. The mouthwatering main menu included brown butter sage gnocchi, slow-cooked beef shoulder and sticky toffee pudding.

They washed down their delicious food with a stunning selection of wines from Winebuff in Sligo town centre. "They were so helpful with all aspects of us selecting the wine and helping figure out numbers. We often go back to rebuy the wedding bottles!"

The speeches were a real highlight. "They provoked a lot of emotion, my sister spoke which I'm pretty sure made everyone in the room laugh and cry within the space of ten minutes. It was honestly just so special to have all our loved ones together in a place we love so much."

Louise and Gavin shared their first dance to Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac and their friend Dan Palmer did the honours with the DJ set. "He took up DJing as a hobby in lockdown who did the most amazing evening music set for us! The dancefloor was full."

The couple had wanted to explore more of Ireland and they took their opportunity with their honeymoon. "We thought this would be the perfect opportunity as we had our young baby with us. We headed to Kenmare in Kerry for a week after the wedding which had some of the most stunning scenery we have every seen. We stayed in a waterfront cottage which I couldn't recommend enough. It was cosy, warm and had incredible sunrise and sunset views over the water. It was the perfect week to wind down after our big day."

Congratulations Gavin and Louise! A very special thank you to our wonderful couple and Siobhan Byrne for allowing us to share today's brilliant barn wedding with One Fab Day!