Like so many weddings in 2020, Meg and Matthew’s original wedding day looked very different from the one they had been planning. But choosing to look on the bright side, this resilient couple found small moments throughout the day that made it even more magical than they could have imagined. They honored their original Catskills wedding by having an intimate backyard celebration and the best part? The bride got to wear her Stella York wedding dress twice!Â
The Proposal
Matthew and I met in law school and after we took the bar exam in July 2019, we decided to take a trip to Ireland. I lived in Ireland during college and miss it every day, and I just couldn’t stop thinking about bringing Matt to my favorite place on Earth. We spent a week revisiting all my old college haunts in Dublin and then taking a road trip out west to Kerry, Clare, and Galway. One day on that road trip, when we were traveling from Killarney to Dingle, we stopped at Inch Beach, a quiet stretch of sand nestled between the Kerry mountains. We were two of maybe 10 people on the beach that day. While we were taking in the view and washing off some seashells we had gathered, Matt knelt down in the surf and asked me to marry him. It was such a private and intimate moment in a breathtaking place.
Finding the Perfect Stella York Wedding Dress
It was important for me to feel that I had a dress that evoked a classic, timeless style that made me feel elegant but not too ornate. I worried about dress shopping because as a plus-size bride, I really didn’t know what to expect. I had always admired Stella York gowns though, so I did not visit any boutique that did not carry Stella York dresses. Style 6758 was one of the first dresses I tried on, and I never wanted to take it off. It was flattering, comfortable, and simple, while still being elegant and special. Its understated elegance really allowed me and my personality to shine.
The Wedding Details
My husband and I originally planned to throw a mountain weekend retreat with 50-60 of our closest friends and family in November 2020 but COVID-19 had other plans. Rather than hope against hope that the pandemic would slow before our date, during the summer of 2020 we decided to host a very intimate backyard wedding with just our immediate families and our bridal party. The best part about this day was that I was still able to wear my Stella York dress, which made the day still feel so incredibly special and magical. Then, on our original November date, Matt and I spent a weekend in the Catskills, in the town where we were supposed to have gotten married. We are so happy with our decision to prioritize the health and safety of our families and we still cherish our memories from the August wedding date and our November weekend getaway. AND I got to wear my Stella York dress twice!
Our original wedding plan included all the hallmarks of a mountain family retreat – bonfires, Irish coffees and local beers, and all our loved ones staying on-site with us. We still incorporated these elements into our COVID-safe backyard wedding, with a family member DJ, plenty of dancing and string lights and sparklers, and still more than enough local beers. We used the weekend getaway on our original November date with just Matt and myself for bridal portraits to include some more styled and curated elements, including the deep burgundy hues of a late autumn wedding, walks through the woods along a stream (yes, in my dress!), and a private moment of sharing some of our favorite Irish whiskey together. We were able to highlight all of the best parts of our wedding vision and we are so grateful, with the help of our family, friends and amazing vendors, to have made it work for us.
Photos by Samantha Sullivan Photography