Nerja, Cortijo Maria Luisa | Karen and Brian’s Love Story

July 14, 2023

Venue: Cortijo Maria Luisa

Wedding planner: Helen Ogilvie | Boutique Spanish Weddings

Hair and Make-up: sasdbysara

Officiant: Drew

Flowers: San Miguel Florist

Stylists decor: Millie Green

Live Music: The Jackie Brown Band

Dress: Niamh Lynch, Bespoke Bridal

Grooms Suit: Suits You, Dublin

Nerja, in the Costa Del Sol was the most gorgeous location for the wedding of Karen and Brian.

The Dress

I got my dress made. I met the beautiful dress designer, Niamh Lynch, at a wedding fair in Dublin, and I instantly knew she was the one! The whole experience was amazing! We had a call to talk through my style and vision. I then went to her studio and we created a mood board of different parts of dresses that I liked. We looked through different types of material and made some decisions. Niamh then sketched out my dream dress and went off to make a mock version. I loved the mock version (I don’t think I made any changes) and then she went off and made my dress. I LOVED the back of my dress and the train! Designing my dress was the loveliest experience!!!

How did you meet

Brian and I met at my brothers wedding 8 years ago. Brian was actually meant to be in Edinburugh that night but his friend messed up their flights, so he came down to the afters of the wedding…….and the rest is history 🙂

The Grooms Suit

Brian is pretty easy going. We went to a few shops but when he tried on the last one he knew that it was the perfect fit for our day. The were all happy with it, and were even happier with all of the pints they had after the fitting 🙂

The lads got ready in a small villa overlooking the Balcon de Mediterraneo in Nerja, the beautiful crystal clear waters.

Nerja, Cortijo Maria Luisa

The mountians in Nerja, Costa Del Sol are the perfect backdrop for this wedding.

How Did You Feel Going Down the Aisle in Nerja, Cortijo Maria Luisa?

I was very calm but emotional because our little boy wasn’t there.

How Did Brian Pop the Question?

Brian popped the question in a private area in Santorini. It was MAGICAL! He totally caught me off guard. It was so beautiful, and so thoughtful- Zack was included in every part of it!

Anything Unique About Your Wedding?

Duck, DUCKS and MORE DUCKS! We sadly lost our gorgeous little boy, Zack, to brain cancer 2 years ago. Zack LOVED rubber ducks, so on our wedding day everywhere you looked you saw ducks.

Nerja, Cortijo Maria Luisa

Married…. Mr and Mrs…. Nerja, Spain

Memorable Moments Taking Pictures

My favourite time taking photos was just after the meal and Brian and I snuck off for some photos. It was so peaceful and intimate. It was a stand out moment on the day!

Good Advice for Other Couples Planning a Destination Wedding

Do it. You won’t regret it! There’s something extra special about a wedding abroad. Anyone attending will have made a huge effort to attend, so obviously they really value you both and want to be there. Everyone is also in super form as they are in holiday mode also! 🙂

Favorite Part of the Wedding

Dancing to “I get to love you, By Ruelle” with Brian and Sadhbh looking up at Zacks enormous duck. We felt him there and the song was so fitting!

How Was Your Experience Taking Photos/Working with Me on Your Wedding Day?

A dream! Rebecca had such amazing energy! She was so upbeat, encouraging, calm, intuitive and kind! Honestly, getting photos taken was such a lovely lovely experience! She made us laugh, we made her cry- we really bonded! I’ve so much love for everyone one that looked after us on the day! Not having Zack there was really really tough, and at times I really struggled but the amazing guests, family, friends and suppliers really helped to keep me up. Thank