Set in the picture-perfect surroundings of Moltanto Estate, the Carriage Rooms offer a spectacular backdrop year-round. Nestled beautifully in the heart of the picturesque Co. Down countryside, it was the stunning venue for the wedding of occupational therapist Emma Davidson to car sales executive Matthew Brown on the 2nd of August 2025. Shot by Laura Parkinson Photography and planned by Betty Williamson, prepare for love at first sight when you see the delightfully delicate details throughout this summer celebration.
The pair met in Limelight in Belfast on a night out with friends. "One of my friends liked his friend, Matthew, and I got chatting, and the rest is history."
"Matthew booked a trip to Majorca for my birthday, one of our favourite places to visit. On my birthday, we rented a car and went to a gorgeous hilltop town called Deia. It was up a winding road, and I was honestly quite terrified because there was a massive drop-off on the side of the road. We eventually reached the town and spent about 1 hour trying to find a parking spot! Once parked, we climbed to the viewing point, and it was the most beautiful view I have ever seen. Matthew proposed to me overlooking the gorgeous view, and it was magical."
"I got my makeup done by Rachael Donnelly and hair by Kim Annesley. I have always loved their makeup and hair and have been following them on Instagram for some time. I was so pleased when they were available on my wedding day! I wanted to keep my hair down and added a pearl headband, which tied in with the pearl theme. For makeup, I wanted simple but elegant, with lots of blush!"
For her wedding day fragrance, Emma wore the Des Fleurs Cedrus perfume from Chloé ‘Atelier, a woody fragrance with prominent notes of vetiver and moss that quickly softens into a calming, aromatic sandalwood.
"I went dress shopping with an idea in mind and ended up choosing something completely different and out of my comfort zone! I have always loved the vintage style, and my dress was the Bridgerton Wedding Collection by Allure Bridals. As soon as I tried it on, I knew it was the one!"
"Matthew always knew he wanted a tux, classic and straightforward. He rented the suits from Statement Menswear in Portadown and had a great experience. He liked that they were able to change up different elements to make him stand out from the rest of the groom's party; a different waistcoat, black buttons on his shirt, pleated trousers and a pocket watch."
For her bridal party, Emma had four of her closest girls by her side: her sister Sophie, and her friends Beca, Erin, and Jordana. "I went bridesmaid dress shopping with my sister and loved the idea of a pale oyster colour as I felt it really complemented the ivory wedding dress." After some consideration, Emma decided to get the dresses handmade by Joanne Ferguson, and her attention to detail was outstanding. "She created my dream bridesmaid dresses: a square neckline to suit everyone, a slit up the back to show off my heels, and pearl details on the neckline to tie in with my veil."
"We decided to go for a humanist ceremony and absolutely loved it. For our officiant, we went with Claire Shearer, and she made it so personable and told our story perfectly. I loved walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing Matthew's reaction!"
The couple had done quite extensive research on venues and absolutely loved the Carriage Rooms at Montalto. "We loved the gardens, the separate reception room and dance room, and how customisable it was. It ended up being a perfect sunny day, everyone was outdoors in the gardens enjoying drinks at the drinks reception, and it was exactly how we envisioned it!"
"I had previously done a music degree, so music is a big part of my life, and I wanted to make sure it was a big part of our wedding day. For the ceremony and meal, we chose the Arco string quartet, who were fantastic and really had a great mix of traditional quartet pieces and modern songs for strings. I also love traditional Irish music, and chose Davey Music for our drinks reception. I play the flute and decided to join them for a couple of tunes during the drinks reception, which seemed to go down a treat! For the evening party, we have always loved The Event Band for their professionalism and ability to bring the party atmosphere, and they were AMAZING! They brought so much energy to the dance floor and had a brilliant repertoire of songs for all age groups."
"We find it really hard to pinpoint just one best decision. Everything from our photographer to the flowers, the entertainment to the food exceeded our expectations! We just wish we could live it all over again!"
- Gráinne