Saying ‘yes to the dress’ is one of the most magical parts of wedding planning. With so many incredible bridal designers and dress styles to choose from, it’s understandable that dress shopping can feel like quite the challenge but it will be an unforgettable experience that you will cherish forever.

In our series The Dress we ask stylish real brides to share their journey to finding ‘the one’ to help inspire your quest. Here we’re shining a spotlight on the sensational wedding day style of One Fab Day alum Diana Bunici who wed Kodaline star Steve Garrigan in a fairytale celebration at Castle Leslie Estate which exuded modern romance.

From her vision to her shopping experience, to alterations and accessories, find out how her wedding dress dreams came to life.

Bride Bio

Name: Diana Bunici Garrigan
Profession: Broadcaster and Journalist
From: Dublin
Wedding Date: 11th May 2025
Wedding Venue: Castle Leslie Estate, Co. Monaghan
Honeymoon: Nashville, Tennessee
Instagram: @diana.bunici

The Love Story

Steve and I first met in the halls of RTE where I was working as a children’s TV presenter at the time. My producers arranged an interview with the hottest new band of the moment who just happened to be my now husband’s band Kodaline (I had never heard of them!). I had two interviews back-to-back and just before I was supposed to chat to Steve and the guys, I got pulled away and my co-presenters did the interview instead. I watched from the sidelines, though! So technically, our first meeting was in person but we didn’t start speaking until a few weeks later when Steve sent me a DM on Twitter. He was away on tour but we spoke every day for five months until we could finally go on a date in person! We’ve been together just under 12 years now.

When Steve got down on one knee, it caught me completely off guard – it was the last thing I was expecting! The special moment took place on the 23rd December 2023, after a very long day of Christmas shopping. Things were so busy with work in the lead up to the holidays that year, I had left shopping super last minute so I spent an intense 12 hours in town getting myself sorted. When I got home around 8pm, Steve was very keen to do Christmas presents which was a little strange as we normally exchange them on the 26th December every year. Our tradition was that we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with our families before reuniting on Stephen’s Day. I was reluctant at first (I had only just bought his and still needed to wrap them!!) but we went downstairs around 10pm. I didn’t notice but he had put on new Christmas PJs, meanwhile, I was wearing a much-loved and worn old pair.

We exchanged gifts under the twinkling lights of the tree. Steve was sorting out the wrapping paper for recycling when I realised I hadn’t opened his Christmas card so I picked it up and started to read it. His cards are usually short and sweet but this one had a longer message which was unusual. It read: “I also have another gift for you. If you don’t like it, we can exchange it.” Just as I called after him “babe, what gift?” he walked into the living room holding a little red bag with a bow on it from Weird and Sons. My lip started to tremble right away! “What’s that?” I asked. “What do you think it is?” he replied. “A necklace?’ I said, trying to get a hold of myself. I then turned around to compose myself because my face was already ugly crying – and what if it really was a necklace!! – when I turned around he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was very sweet and intimate. I had no inkling this moment might be coming so I was in total shock! We kept our engagement a secret for a few days before finally telling our families on the 26th December.

The Journey

Ever since I can remember I have always dreamed about my wedding day, but not about how I would look, and more about how I would feel. I’m a total romantic and so I couldn’t wait to experience that beautiful love bubble surrounded by my person and our closest friends and family. I would describe my personal style as feminine and classic and I think my wedding day look worked out very true to my style. I never imagined myself in a specific type of dress… which made things interesting in the shopping process because I really didn’t know where to begin! My Pinterest board was full of romantic lace gowns but I couldn’t find what I was looking for when I began the search so I opened up my mind to all the other possibilities.

I found TikTok and Instagram amazing help for dress shopping, but I spent plenty of time scouring various dress boutique websites too to see what they had in stock. I loved social media because I could see different styles on different body types and it helped me envision better how dresses might look on me. The dresses look so different on the hanger to how they are on, so it was very helpful to see them on and how they moved. I also loved looking at real weddings for inspo – I was constantly on One Fab Day!

The Vision

I knew I wanted a timeless, classic and romantic look and when I saw my dress online, I took a screenshot of it right away. I love the elegance and simplicity of it, but also the halter neckline, the gorgeous flower detail on the neck and the showstopping back!

The Style Support

The wedding dress search began about 11 months before our wedding day. I went to about eight boutiques in total. I had my heart set on a certain look and I wasn’t finding it so I just kept booking more appointments in the hopes that it would magically present itself to me! I was very nervous at my first appointment so I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I was really feeling the pressure to find ‘the one’ and even more so, to look perfect wearing it. After that appointment, I changed my outlook and just had fun – it didn’t need to be so serious, this was supposed to be an enjoyable, happy experience!

My beautiful mum came to every appointment with me – she had a great eye for fashion and style and is an honest critic. Meanwhile, my gorgeous brother drove us to every single boutique – he even popped in once or twice to give his verdict! My bridesmaids and mother-in-law joined me at some of my appointments too. They were spread out throughout the summer so I gave myself a break in between appointments when I felt overwhelmed. I had so much love and support, I’m forever grateful!

The Decision

My dress is by Pronovias and I bought it at Truly Bridal Boutique in Naas. Although I had a screenshot of the dress saved in my phone for months, I almost didn’t try it on when I saw it in person because it was much heavier than I expected. In fact, I had dismissed it entirely when at the end of my appointment my bridal stylist asked how I felt about a halter neck gown. I told her, ‘Funnily enough there is one but…’. With a little convincing, I tried it anyway and it really surprised me! Once I put a veil with it, my mum became overcome with emotion and I knew it was the one. I loved that it was classic and elegant with a modern twist! I loved my dress so much (although I did have a wobble thinking I had made the wrong choice not long after I said ‘yes’ to it!). My second dress is Eva Lendel which I sourced at Forever Bridal up North.

The Alterations

My dress definitely needed alterations. My measurements matched up with the sample size I tried in store so I already knew it was going to be a bit too big on the bust when it arrived. I also had a layer of tulle removed to make the skirt a little less voluminous and got it taken up a bit too. I was so worried that it wouldn’t sit right on me on the day but I shouldn’t have! Paula King from Tamem Michael did my alterations and she was incredible to work with. She comes highly recommended for good reason! I think my dress was perfect for me. If I had to be picky, I would have taken it up a tiny bit more. I had to walk down three sets of stairs to get down the aisle (we got married right by Glaslough Lake) and I tripped myself up a bit. Luckily, I had my mam and dad to hold on to!

The Accessories

My blusher veil was really special to me but it almost wasn’t a part of the final look. I had actually bought a completely different veil but in the final try-ons – two weeks before the wedding!! – we realised it was the wrong shade for my dress. Paula King has magic hands and was able to make me a beautiful blusher with the most exquisite lace detail and she even hand stitched some musical notes in honour of my husband being a musician. I loved how much drama and romance it brought to the whole look. I loved wearing it!

The Advice

Go in with an open mind and try on as many styles as you like until you find the right style for you. Also, have fun! It doesn’t have to be so serious. I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to find ‘the right one’ and to feel all the feels in your perfect dress. The most important thing is that you feel beautiful and comfortable and like yourself. I found social media a great help for dress inspo so go on a virtual window shopping spree – dresses look so different on the body than on the hanger. And finally, give yourself as much time as possible (you might need a few rounds of alterations like I did).

The last thing you want a week or two before the wedding is to be fretting about the dress! Oh. And try your dress and veil on in true daylight – there are so many shades of cream and white. You’ll want them to match (we discovered two weeks out from our wedding that my veil was a warmer tone than my dress, making it look creamy/yellow!!).

Finally, on the wedding day there was boob tape drama for sure! Somehow, time got away from us on the morning of the big day so it was a bit of a scramble to get dressed, take photos and do a first look with my dad in time to walk down the aisle. Knowing all this, I was feeling the pressure and so, I was getting a little bit sweaty. It was also a considerably hot day for May and with the venue being a castle, there was no air con. I spent 20 minutes trying to apply my boob tape with no success – it just wouldn’t stick to my skin – before finally making it work.

Three big lessons learned here:

• Pack a hand held fan to help you cool down
• Test out your body tape before the big day, especially if you’re using a new brand
• Accept help to get dressed!

A massive thank you to our wonderful bride Diana, you can see more of her stunning style over on Instagram @diana.bunici

Check out our My Wedding Wardrobe series for more fabulous wedding style inspiration from real brides.