Here at One Fab Day, it is such a privilege to shine a spotlight on real weddings that are not only filled with sensational style but moments of love that will last forever. Tabitha and Jon‘s wedding at Limepark was a celebration of love and family of all kinds: “The family you’re born into, the family you make along the way, and the family you always carry with you.” The happiest day of your life can be tinged with a touch of sadness if you’ve lost someone you love. Tabitha’s mum Carol sadly passed away months after she got engaged but she wanted to ensure that she still had her mother of the bride moment. Together, Tabitha and Jon planned a breathtaking celebration with her spirit at the heart. Her infectious joy and radiant smile was drawn through their entire celebration and they found the most beautiful ways to honour her memory.

They wanted their summer wedding to be as sustainable as possible and so many savvy second-hand finds were threaded throughout the day. The aesthetic was inspired by the natural beauty of Ireland and their love of the mountains and the coastline informed everything from their ceremony backdrop to their stationery and their colour palette. From Tabitha’s breezy and breathtaking linen wedding dress (with an enchanting daisy veil to match), a chic confetti bar and free-flowing florals, there are oodles of gorgeous touches that we cannot wait to unveil. This Modern Love captured this immensely heartfelt and stylish celebration and we’re delighted to share these beautiful photos with you.

Tabitha and Jon are both from Portadown in County Armagh and while they spent part of their twenties and most of their thirties living in England their paths never crossed there, or back home for that matter! Then in 2019, about six months apart, they both decided to move back to Northern Ireland. Tabitha tell us, “After returning, Jon took up kayaking and soon noticed how much litter polluted the River Bann that runs through Portadown. He decided to do something about it and began cleaning it up from his kayak on a regular basis. This one-man effort eventually grew into a volunteer group called the River Bann Clean up. I joined Jon on one of his monthly kayak clean-up sessions and we instantly hit it off, connecting over our love of the outdoors and a shared sense of what it’s like to return home after years away. Our first date was a hike in the Mourne Mountains.”

The proposal almost never happened and it was actually a second attempt! Tabitha eloborates, “Jon knows how much I love wildlife – especially birds – and so wanted to propose somewhere memorable, surrounded by nature. In 2023, we travelled to Patagonia, and part of our trip included a visit to a remote island where penguins nested. Jon thought this would be the perfect place and carried the engagement ring with him as we trekked across Argentina and Chile for two weeks. But at the last minute, the trip to the island was cancelled. Although, we did eventually see the penguins, the uncertainty of the day (combined with a snow blizzard) kind of killed the mood, so he decided to wait for another chance.”

Fast forward to June 2024 and a holiday to Wales would see them travel to Skomer Island to see the puffins but his proposal plans were left up in the air again. “Much to Jon’s dismay, an email arrived the night before saying the sailing was cancelled due to forecast bad weather. Luckily, the weather front weakened, and the trip went ahead after all. After spending a magical few hours surrounded by puffins, Jon suggested we walk around the island. At a quiet lookout he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. At first, I laughed, thinking he was joking – until he pulled out the ring and I realised it was really happening. I called my mum straight away to share the happy news!”

From the very beginning of the planning process, the most important thing to Tabitha was celebrating her mum. “She’s always been my biggest champion and, like most mums, wanted nothing more than for me to find someone who would love me as fiercely as she did. When I met Jon, she was over the moon – and of course, she loved him to bits too. When he proposed no one was more delighted for us than her. But life can be cruel. My beautiful mum died very unexpectedly that December. She fell ill suddenly and passed away the following morning. To say we were all devastated doesn’t come close.”

For a while they considered cancelling their wedding as it was too hard to imagine celebrating anything when they were all so heartbroken. “Then I remembered how happy my mum was for me – how this was all she’d ever wanted – and how precious life really is. So our wedding became a celebration of love, and in many ways, it gave me a way to channel my grief. It was a chance to show everyone just how special my mum is, and to make sure she still had her moment as mother of the bride… because what an amazing mother she is.”

Immersed in lush greenery and basking in glorious sunshine, they tied the knot in a deeply personal outdoor ceremony that was the favourite part of their wedding day.

Their mountain-shaped ceremony arch was made by Tabitha’s dad and taking proud of place in the centre of the wooden structure was a beautiful photo of Tabitha’s mum so that she could see her stunning smile as said her vows.

“We involved lots of friends and family to show that love isn’t just about the two of you – it’s about everyone who helps you on the journey to this day. Our friend Nick created the perfect playlist that kept guests smiling from the moment they arrived. Another incredibly talented friend, Kim, sang Elton John’s Your Song  as we signed the registrar, while friends Stephen and Heidi led everyone in singing a hymn – something my mum would have loved. Jon’s sister and my aunt shared Bible readings, and my cousin read a poem that meant a lot to us. I also read a poem for my mum at the start of the ceremony. It was deeply personal and meant so much to me. It felt important to bring her into our wedding right from the very beginning.”

The Causeway Coast is one of their favourite places in Northern Ireland so that is where their venue search began. They wanted to be located close to the sea and they hoped to have an outdoor ceremony. The family-run venue Limepark, located in the heart of the lush North Antrim Glens, had everything they dreamt of. From the ser to a focus on local produce

They had always admired the beautifully restores buildings at Limepark and while they had driven by it countless times on their way to Ballycastle they never realised it was a wedding venue. “When we found out, we couldn’t believe our luck! From our very first visit, we fell in love with its rich history, the care that had gone into restoring it, and the unique character of each building – especially The Barn and The Manor House. We also loved that Limepark has guest cottages on site, meaning our friends and family could stay over and keep the celebrations going the next morning.”

It was the natural beauty and the stunning grounds that sealed the deal for them. “We could instantly picture ourselves saying ‘I do’ surrounded by the trees of the Camomile Lawn, then walking hand-in-hand up the magical Bluebell Lane after the ceremony. The stretch tent on the upper lawn was another bonus – perfect for Northern Ireland’s unpredictable ‘summer’ weather! It wasn’t just the venue, though. The wonderful family-run team at Limepark made everything feel so personal. From the start, they were warm, helpful, and always on hand with ideas and advice to make the day truly our own.”

It was so important to the couple that Tabitha’s mum was celebrated but she did not want any tribute to feel like a memorial. “The first thing everyone noticed about my mum was her radiant smile; her joy was infectious. We wanted to bring that same spirit to life throughout the day.” She dove into her photo album to create a sweet and fun-filled tribute to her with their signage. “We made signs to direct guests to the confetti bar, lawn games and photobooth – each one featuring pictures of my mum: on her wedding day, beating me at badminton, laughing in front of the camera.”

They drew inspiration from nature when it came to curating the aesthetic of their summer fete. “We talked a lot about how to make the wedding feel different, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by choice and the pressure to create something unique. In the end, we came back to what genuinely connects us – our love of the coastline and the mountains.” She gleaned inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram and she came across an image of a dusty steel blue table runner which became the anchoring hue in their colour palette. She stumbled across a photo of shells used as name cards which really saw the nature-inspired aesthetic really take shape.

They held their reception in the rustic barn where long wooden tables were dressed with soft blue crinkle-effect runners that mimicked gentle ripples of water which were complemented with candles in tonal blue shades. Tabitha’s best friend helped her find table décor from local charity shops and pieces were also sourced on Vinted and Facebook Marketplace and borrowed from friends. The couple even made elements themselves from reused materials.

Tabitha designed all the stationery on Canva which boasted chic shell and mountain outlines.

Tabitha spent four months collecting and hand-painting shells which she personalised for each guest. “A little keepsake from the day, and a small token from Northern Ireland. Any unused (or forgotten) shells were cleaned and then returned to the beach they came from.”

They also placed sweet photos of her mum through the years on the tables so friends and family could see her wherever they were. Cherished memories were all around.

They sourced their flowers at the nearby One Small Seed Flower Farm to cut down on carbon and plastic waste and support nature-friendly practices. The locally grown and seasonal blooms were designed by her friend Diana from Blondie Rose Floral Studio. With a wild and free-flowing aesthetic, the gently bright blooms married wonderfully with their charming wedding venue and the carefree feeling of their celebration.

Tabitha’s wedding dress bore the sweetest homage of all to her mother. “My mum always called me ‘sweetpea’, so my very talented aunt embroidered a sweetpea with my mum’s handwriting stitched underneath it. She sewed it into the pocket of my wedding dress so I could keep mum close all day.”

We are so in love with Tabitha’s timeless, individual and effortlessly cool bridal look. “My wedding dress was pre-loved too, and it’s all the more special because my mum bought it for me and got to see me trying it on,” Tabitha shares. She wore the Auldyn gown by & For Love, a soft tulle veil embroidered with a scattered daisy design by AM Faulkner, Loeffler Randall heels, her mum’s necklace, and Linjer earrings and a hair bow by Irish designer Aura Bridal which she bought on Vinted.

“You can’t think of everything – so don’t be afraid to ask for help, even with the small, mundane tasks,” she recommends. “You’ll be surprised at how willing and happy people are to chip in. Even with the master of all excel sheets by my side, there were still plenty of things I hadn’t considered. Without my friends and family helping me make confetti cones, carefully wrap candles and bud vases, keep track of the inventory, triple-check the table-name settings, sort out the sound system, make sure Jon’s suit (and my dress) were steamed, and ensure everyone knew where they needed to be, the day wouldn’t have been nearly as easy-going or fun. Their support made all the difference.”

Not only did Jon and Tabitha write their own vows but they put their own spin on the reception as they both gave speeches. “Alongside Jon and his best man (his brother, Paul), I gave a speech, as did my two best friends Laura and Lorna, who also raised a toast together.”

Their cousin made their cream heart-shaped Lambeth buttercream wedding cake which was so effortlessly chic just like the fabulous couple.

They chose Always by Bon Jovi as their first dance song as they are one of their favourite artists. “The band’s loved by many of our family members too (we even looked into getting a Bon Jovi tribute band for the wedding!) – so we knew it would be the perfect song choice to get everyone singing along and dancing with us.”

Their fun-loving, old-style band The Moonshines was behind a completely unexpected highlight of the party. “They started playing Saturday Night by Whigfield and within seconds, every woman in the room was on the dancefloor doing the moves. It was such a fun, joy-filled blast of nostalgia!”

The couple celebrated another milestone after the wedding as they bought their first home, so they have pushed pause on their honeymoon for the meantime. “When we do plan it, we’re dreaming of somewhere like New Zealand – a once-in-a-lifetime trip! In the meantime, we celebrated our one-week anniversary with a night at The Rabbit at The Loft Templepatrick and had the most amazing time. The staff were so thoughtful, and the spa was out of this world – it honestly felt like we’d been whisked off to Ibiza for the day!”

A wonderful thank you to Tabitha, Jon and  This Modern Love for sharing this sensational Limepark wedding with One Fab Day! There are lots more gorgeous photos to pore over in the gallery below.

Did you fall in love with this summer wedding? Check out our favourite summer wedding cakes, our guide to summer wedding florals, sublime summer scents for brides and signature summer cocktails right here!