BIG DAY >>>

So tell us how you met, were you single for a long time before you started dating?

We met in 2021 online, as most lockdown restrictions had started to relax. We’d both been on a handful of unsuccessful first dates so honestly we weren’t expecting much. I (Simon) almost cancelled as I was putting on two shows that weekend and was flat out. We met in a cafe in Hillsborough called ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ and hit it off straight away. I remember Nathan saying that he wasn’t expecting to be as interested in me as he was! After the date we messaged and met again that evening for a McFlurry - but it was almost two weeks after that when we’d next see each other as Nathan caught the flu. After that, when we went for a walk round Clare Glen, there was no turning back!

How long after you started dating did it take to pop the question, was it an immediate yes ? And who asked who?

After we’d been together for just over a year, Nathan moved into my house in Lurgan (the day after he passed his driving test!). When we met, Nathan had just graduated so we waited until he’d learnt to drive and got sorted with a job as we both wanted to be fairly independent financially and not relying on each other to get by too much. When living together was going well, we naturally started talking about the next steps and threw around a few ideas about engagement rings. It was summer 2023 by this point, and there was a lot coming up - our two year anniversary, Nathan’s birthday, my birthday and a holiday to Lake Como. Nathan knew a proposal was coming but he didn’t know when. On our first full day in Lake Como, a spot we both love, I took him to a special spot in the middle of the Lake where I had arranged a photographer through Flytography to capture the big moment. It POURED. And when I say it poured - there was thunder and lightning. In the photos there was no lake, and no mountains, just grey sky, but it’s the best story and we had the best day celebrating afterwards. Of course, Nathan said yes and we laughed about how bad the weather was. We got some amazing photos in the town of Bellagio and at the lake front. That evening we went for dinner at a gorgeous restaurant with a terrace and had to move inside to avoid golf ball sized hail stones - it was quite the day!

Tell us about your BIG DAY , location, amount of guests etc.

We got married on 26th October in the Marketplace Theatre, in Armagh. We’re both big thespians and the management at the theatre were really happy to accommodate us because we’ve put on so many shows in the past. I run a theatre group in Lurgan and Nathan loves being onstage too, so it made sense to get married somewhere that not just us, but our friends and families regularly share in happy times together. We also absolutely love Autumn and Halloween so that played into it and there were lots of pumpkins and autumnal table centres. The guys at the theatre decorated the auditorium with a massive festoon light chandelier and brought in these incredible screens to decorate the stage. Avril Hawthorne from Humanists NI performed the ceremony and everyone said how personal it was. We had friends from our theatre group perform as a small choir of about 12. They sang Space Man by Sam Ryder (we’re both Eurovision fans), Exist for Love by Aurora and You Belong to Me by Patsy Cline (our favourite love songs) and It’s The Way You Make Me Feel by Steps (I’m a big fan, and why not haha!). Instead of traditional readings our friends Jordon and Sarah did a rhyming presentation to pictures of us both, and our mum’s helped us ‘tie the knot’. We got our photos taken in Clare Glen wood and hired a Ford Anglia (Harry Potter car) to take us there and back, while our family and friends enjoyed cocktails and canapes. There was a LEGO minifigure table where guests could build their own minifigure creations. We had 160 guests and for our entertainment in the evening our friends from RPNI events performed their Donna & The Dynamos ABBA Tribute on the stage then we went outside and lit sparklers while our DJ, Darren from Northern Lights set up for the evening disco. He also provided a Taboo Donut Wall as part of his package, along with a crisp wall, for which he sourced Fright Bitesour favourite! During the gig, RPNI events made a second appearance as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. The whole thing was just so much fun.

What about the food and drink?

Everyone loved that they were allowed to have a drink during the ceremony - and it helped encourage the participation and applause that we wanted with it being in a theatre. After the ceremony, each of our guests had a cocktail or a pint voucher and the bar managers from the Hole in the Wall put together some amazing cocktails for the occasionAn Orchard Meadow, which contained apple liqueur, A Pumpkin Spiced Old Fashioned, and a Pumpkin Spiced White Russian. They also put together a ‘two fruits’ mocktail! The food was provided by Old Barn Catering, who were second to none. I was really worried about fitting our guests in the theatre bar area for food, but Peter from Old Barn alleviated any concerns almost instantly. I contacted three caterers in total - one told me to call back in two weeks, and another, based in Banbridge, told me Armagh was too far! When I rang Peter, he went to the theatre the next day, liaised with the manager and came back to me with a fantastic menu and table/seating hire quote - it was such a relief. As part of their package, they provided an amazing array of 4 canapes for after the ceremony (which we served with our cake which we cut straight away), a fantastic three course dinner - we went for brie, followed by a mediterranean chicken dish with garlic cubed potatoes and fresh veg, and a trio of our favourite desserts - apple crumble, brownie and creme brulee. The Hole In The Wall provided wine and prosecco and our glasses were never empty. In the evening Old Barn also provided pulled pork and apple sauce baps as well as nachos, salsa and cheese. Nathan’s mum works at Tori’s Bakery in Royal Hillsborough and they did a three tiered cake as well as some extra - we went for plain jam and buttercream, chocolate with chocolate ganache and pumpkin with cream cheese frosting. It sat beautifully on display in a pumpkin shaped carriage. Everyone commented on how good the food was and we’re really glad we didn’t go for a traditional dinner - that’s not really our thing!

Were there any hiccups or did all go to plan?

Of course - no such thing as the perfect wedding without a hitch! When we were more than halfway to the theatre, I realised that I had forgotten the marriage registration certificate that we needed to sign with our celebrant. As it turns out, not all heroes wear capes, and Oliver, the technical manager at the theatre met us on the Armagh Road, took the keys to mum and dad’s house and let himself in to get the documents! If we’d had to have gone back the whole day would have been delayed by an hour, but we only ran about 15 minutes behind and everyone was delighted when they were told to go to the bar for another drink! The Ford Anglia was picking up Nathan and his wedding party and it broke down on the way to the theatre as well. At the time it was all a bit stressful but we laugh about it now, and Oliver always gets a big hug every time we see him for saving the day!

Have you been on or are you going on honeymoon?

Yes, at Christmas time we went to Lapland and had a magical time. Our chartered flight was from Birmingham and a storm had been forecast for the