Shaughney and Adam met at work when they were both teenagers. "Adam has a fantastic sense of humour and I loved his jokes," Shaughney tells us. "We added each other on social media, swapped numbers and arranged to meet up outside of work and have been together ever since."
The couple became engaged during a holiday to New York for Shaughney's birthday. "It was our first full day in the city and we were both jet-lagged so decided to explore Central Park," Shaughney tells us. "Adam had always planned to pop the question next to the fountain featured in the Home Alone movie but he got stage fright because there were so many people around! His second idea was to rent a rowing boat for a trip on the lake in Central Park. He would not let me have control of the oars and ended up rowing us into a hedge! He then started searching through his bag and said 'I can't get down on one knee but...' at which point I interrupted him.
Because he is a joker and had been winding me up for years pretending to get down on one knee in a restaurant and other places, I said ’oh don't think about doing this again!‘ At that exact moment, he had the ring box in his hand and was gobsmacked at my response! We both started laughing and then Adam asked me to marry him.” During his proposal preparations, Adam had confided in some of Shaughney's closest friends regarding the engagement ring choice. “My best friend, who became my maid-of-honour, accidentally revealed that Adam was planning on proposing but didn't tell me when, where or how! So it was a lovely surprise,” Shaughney says
When looking for a reception venue, the couple wanted a large function room with a simplistic white interior and stunning grounds where they could capture glorious photographs of their special day. "The lake at wedding venue Manor by the Lake proved to be a big attraction for us," Shaughney reveals. "We also liked the games den where Adam and his groomsmen could grab a drink, listen to music and play pool. We didn't want the rooms to feel like those in a hotel and this romantic venue didn't disappoint! We only viewed two other places which didn't compare so we both knew then that it was the one for us."
The couple arrived at their wedding in style. "We always wanted an old-fashioned, convertible car so we hired a diamond white Beauford Convertible lovingly named Barnaby which featured black running boards and beading. It had an immaculate cream interior with faux-fur rugs and a black mohair soft top and was styled with silver ribbons. Our bridesmaids' car was a dark blue BMW 7 Series with a silver ribbon running down the bonnet."
"Our elegant place names matched our invitations and other stationery presented on pearlised card with a silver glitter border and tied with dove-grey ribbon. Each place name was displayed in a clear bauble holder which also held pretty silver mirrored confetti. I had also created our menu cards to tie in with our theme in a shimmery dove-grey shade with the food choices printed on ivory card."
The couple decided to donate to Cancer Research and give their guests badges as favours because Adam's mum and Shaughney's grandmother have both battled with the disease. "We paired these with personalised Love Hearts sweets in grey organza bags with silver wooden name tags attached," Shaughney explains.
Bridal PJs
Bride's dress
Bride's make-up
Bridesmaids' make-up
Catering
Ceremony venue
DJ, dancefloor, floral hoop and photo booth
Flowers
Groom's suit
Hair
Photographer
Pianist
Reception venue
Stationery
Transport (bride and groom)
Transport (bridesmaids)
Venue stylist
Wedding cake
Wedding signs