Tara & Ryan

A Fairytale Winter Wedding in Prague.

Tara and Ryan, together with their wedding planner Natalie Dlouha from White-Prague Wedding Agency organised a fabulously unique and truly memorable winter wedding. Their New Years day ceremony was held in the fairytale setting of the magnificent Hluboká Castle, followed by evening celebrations overlooking the famous Prague Castle.

One of the things I really love about Tara and Ryan’s story is that they fully embraced getting married so far from home and created a “wedding adventure”. Their gorgeous wedding photography was shot by Canadian based destination wedding photographers Rowell Photography, who travelled with the couple to document not only their wedding, but also a gorgeous 40’s inspired pre-wedding session in London and their romantic honeymoon in Paris.

The Destination

Tara and Ryan are from two different continents, so it goes without saying that they have family and friends spread from one end of the globe to the other. Because of this, it was important for the couple to find a location that would not only be perfect geographically but also provide their guests with an experience of a lifetime.

This location was Prague; the enchanting historical capital of Bohemia. Rich in history and an important cultural centre of Europe, it was the perfect middle ground to bring together Tara and Ryan’s international guests.

The Look

Tara looked every part the princess in her Bridal Gown and veil designed by David McCaffrey. Made in Canada, McCaffrey Haute Couture are synonymous for designs which combine romantic elegance with a distinctive classical style. Finishing her look, Tara wore a gorgeous crystal tiara and incorporated crystal trim on both her veil and gown.

A colour scheme of chestnut brown, white and blue was used throughout. The neutral tone of brown helped to compliment the white landscape, whilst white and blue flowers were chosen to provide the ice look.

The Ceremony

Although the couple had their hearts set on Prague as their winter wedding destination, when it came to choosing a ceremony venue they fell in love with Hluboká Castle. Just over two hours south of Prague, this fairytale setting is a year round favourite for weddings and as Tara aptly commented “every bride wants to feel like a princess on her wedding day, and the Castle was the key piece in achieving this.”

Being Canadian, the travelling distance to and from the ceremony venue was not an issue, so out of this dilemma the perfect compromise was born – wedding ceremony in South Bohemia, wedding reception in Prague. Following the ceremony, Tara and Ryan enjoyed a romantic horse and carriage ride around the beautiful grounds whilst family and friends were treated to a private tour of the Castle.

The Reception

The next surprise for their guests was the fleet of stretch Limousines arranged for the journey back to Prague, this gave everyone time to relax and toast the newly married couple in style.

A gala dinner was held at the Four Seasons Hotel which is situated by the Vltava River. In keeping with their ceremony venue the couple chose unique baroque style decor for their reception venue. This included not only the floral and table decorations but also baroque music, baroque dancers and waiters in baroque costumes. To draw all the elements together a crystal theme was used, including a crystal cake topper, Swarovski crystal toasting glasses and crystal candle holders.

The end to a perfect day was an amazing fireworks display viewed from the hotel’s private balcony, with the silhouette of Prague Castle in the background!

Make sure you pop over to Rowell Photography to see more stunning images from Tara and Ryan’s wedding

The Perfect Partners

Wedding Planner: White-Prague Wedding Agency // Wedding Photographer: Rowell Photography // Wedding Ceremony: Hluboká Castle, South Bohemia, Czech Republic // Wedding Reception: Four Seasons Hotel, Prague, Czech Republic // Bridal Gown and Veil: McCafferey Haute Couture, Ottawa, Canada // Grooms Suit: Hugo Boss, Harry Roasen, Ottawa, Canada