Joni & Nick’s Ireland Micro Wedding: 2 Days on the Causeway Coast
Most couples planning a micro wedding in Ireland start the way Joni did: imagining something bigger. All the people you love in one room, a band, dancing, a banquet. It sounds beautiful until you actually start pricing it out.
“When you’re younger and you don’t pay your own bills, or realize how expensive life can be, it’s easy to imagine a big wedding,” Joni told me. “We quickly realized we wanted to enjoy our day without feeling financially stressed.”
They chose Ireland instead. Not a big wedding, not a two-person elopement either. What Joni and Nick had was an Ireland micro wedding: 15 people, two full days on the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland, a ceremony at Murlough Bay, personal vows at Kinbane Castle, sunset at the Giant’s Causeway with lanterns, and a sunrise session at the Dark Hedges & Dunseverick Castle the next morning.
It was not a small day. It was a different kind of big.
If you’re thinking about eloping in Ireland, here’s everything you need to know.
What a 2 Day Ireland Micro Wedding Looks Like
Day one started with hair and makeup in Bushmills before I joined them at the house for prep. First look, vows being written, the dress being fastened, Nick’s tie, buttonholes. The small, unhurried moments that get swallowed up at a traditional wedding when a hundred people are waiting.
Then we drove to Murlough Bay for the ceremony. It’s one of the most remote bays on the entire Causeway Coast, ringed by cliffs and completely hidden from the road. Most people have never heard of it.
The group headed into Ballycastle for dinner and Guinness at the Central Bar before we drove out to Kinbane Castle at golden hour for their personal vows. Kinbane sits on a limestone headland jutting out into the North Channel. At that time of evening in August, with the light doing what it does up here, it’s somewhere between a film set and a dream.
The final stop on day one was the Giant’s Causeway at sunset, with lanterns. The Causeway had been under cloud for nearly three weeks before Joni and Nick arrived. The night of their Ireland micro wedding, it cleared.
“You had said it was the first time you could see the sunset in about 3 weeks,” Joni said. “That felt so special. Like it was meant to be.”
Day two started before the sun did. We were at the Dark Hedges by 5:40am, shooting in the first light before the day-trippers arrived. The Dark Hedges is a tunnel of ancient beech trees lining the old Stranocum road. It looks completely different before the world wakes up. From there we moved to a second location to chase the best of the early light before wrapping at 7:40am.
Two days. Five locations. Fifteen people. One couple who flew over from the US and handed me complete trust.
The Timeline
Day One, August 8 (6 hours)
1:45pm: Hair and makeup in Bushmills
3:45pm: Rob arrives for prep, first look, vow writing, dress, buttonholes
4:30pm: Drive to Murlough Bay
5:00pm: Ceremony at Murlough Bay followed by group photos.
6:00pm: Drive into Ballycastle
6:30pm: Dinner and Guinness at the Central Bar, Ballycastle
7:30pm: Personal vows at Kinbane Castle
8:45pm: Giant’s Causeway for sunset and dusk with lanterns
9:45pm: Coverage ends
Day Two, August 9 (2 hours)
5:40am: Dark Hedges at first light
6:30am: Dunseverick Castle
7:40am: Coverage ends
Joni & Nick, In Their Own Words
1. Why did you choose to elope rather than have a traditional wedding?
Growing up I always thought I’d have a big wedding. When you’re younger and you don’t pay your own bills, or realize how expensive life can be, it’s easy to imagine a big wedding. However, when we got engaged (and before that because a lot of our friends and family were already married) we started to realize how much a wedding actually cost. Between the venue, food, bar, DJ or band, photographer, hair, makeup, dress… everything added up and it was not cheap. We quickly realized we wanted to enjoy our day without feeling financially stressed and felt confident we wanted a small elopement with close family and a couple of friends. Once we booked Ireland, which already held a special place in my heart, we were beyond excited. We felt like we had nothing more to do, and it felt freeing.
2. Were there moments where you questioned your decision to elope?
The only time we questioned our decision is when we got a little backlash from certain family members who felt left out. We didn’t let the noise get to us though because your wedding day is about you, so ultimately the outside opinions didn’t matter. I know that sounds a little harsh but it’s the truth.
3. How did your guests feel about the elopement?
Our guests enjoyed the day and loved the scenery. I know they were a little nervous about the drive, which I completely understand, but they were just happy for us. I think our guests were happy to be there and it didn’t matter how we got married. It was definitely a unique experience for them and something they probably won’t experience again. All of Nick’s side of the family and both of our friends had never been to Ireland, and they all loved it.
4. Were there any doubts from guests about the wedding?
Yes, there were doubts about the wedding from some of the guests. The doubts came from the logistics of how everyone was getting there, where people would stay, what time the ceremony would be. Because it wasn’t traditional I think that caused some anxiousness, but I told them to trust the process.
5. Were there any aspects of eloping you were personally nervous about?
I was most nervous about hair and makeup. I had found your page and looked through all of your posts and met with you over FaceTime, so I didn’t have any doubts about the photography or locations. But when you have a “normal” or more “traditional” wedding, you usually have a makeup and hair trial, so I was definitely a little nervous about that. I kept telling myself I never saw a post on your page and thought a bride didn’t look amazing, so that’s how I kept calm about my doubts. And it ended up working out.
6. What did you value most about the planning support you received?
All of it. It wouldn’t have happened. It’s truly incredible you planned everything. We couldn’t have done it without you.
7. What was your favorite moment of the day?
Going to the second and third location. I’d love to go back in time and relive experiencing the Giant’s Causeway at sunset. It was stunning. You had said it was the first time you could see the sunset in about 3 weeks, and that felt so special. Like it was meant to be. The location was breathtaking and sunset is my favorite.
8. How did your elopement feel compared to what a traditional wedding might have felt like?
Relaxed. As fun as a traditional wedding would be, we didn’t have the extra pressure of making sure everyone enjoyed their food, liked the DJ or band, and we got to enjoy our day and make it about us. A lot of the times I hear from brides and grooms (mostly brides) that they didn’t get to enjoy certain moments at the wedding everyone else did because they were too stressed making sure everyone else was enjoying themselves. Again, your wedding day is supposed to be about the couple, so I’m happy our elopement felt that way.
9. What do you love most when you look back at your photos?
The scenery. Every time I look at the pictures I am mind blown that’s where we got married. Northern Ireland looks like one big postcard. We’re still obsessed. So obsessed we talk about booking an anniversary shoot with you one day.
10. How did you make the decision to book, and did you look at other photographers?
To be 100% honest, we didn’t look elsewhere. As soon as we saw your page, we knew you’d be the one. There was no doubt in my mind, and Nick had zero hesitation. Your photos are magical and when we reached out and you responded with potential dates, we knew we wouldn’t go another route.
11. Would you recommend an August elopement in Northern Ireland?
We got married on August 8th. We had heard from locals and from you that it rained for 3 weeks straight before our arrival. The whole time we were there the sun was out and we didn’t see a drop of rain. With that being said — yes, I would recommend an August wedding in Northern Ireland. We stayed in Northern Ireland for 4 nights/5 days and then traveled to Galway where my family lives. We will be back to Northern Ireland because we’d like more time there and we’d like to revisit our wedding locations.
12. Is there a photo that stands out most to you?
There are a few that come to mind. One photo that sticks out to me the most is a photo from the Dark Hedges. The Dark Hedges is one of the most unique places we saw in Northern Ireland. I don’t think you’d see anything like it anywhere else in the world. If you’re planning to explore in Northern Ireland, that is one of the locations I would definitely recommend. You’ll get the best photos.
Still Talking About Coming Back
Joni and Nick are still talking about coming back for an anniversary shoot. Nick’s family had never set foot in Ireland before the wedding. They fell in love with it. The rain held off for their entire stay after three weeks of it. The sunset at the Giant’s Causeway broke through on the one evening it mattered. If the Causeway Coast is calling you, here’s my complete guide to eloping in Northern Ireland.
That’s not luck, or at least it’s not only luck. It’s what happens when a couple stops trying to manage what everyone else thinks of their wedding day and starts actually planning the day they want.
If you’re planning a micro wedding in Ireland and some part of this sounds like what you’ve been quietly imagining, get in touch. I’d love to hear what you’re thinking.
