Writer Judith Heede explains how a chance meeting in Bali led to a new life …
I never planned to get married in Northern Ireland. In fact, I never planned to live here at all, but life often unfolds in the most unexpected corners of the world. In my case, on the side of a road in Bali. It was there, in the tropical humidity of Ubud, that I got lost on a motorbike trip through the jungle. As a travel journalist, I roamed the planet in search of stories and, quite frankly, myself. My sense of direction has always been more poetic than practical. As I stared helplessly at my GPS, a handsome man on a Harley-Davidson pulled up beside me.
What followed was one of those encounters you read about in novels and roll your eyes at because it never happens in real life. Only that it did! Within hours, we were inseparable and within weeks I had packed up my Balinese life into a single suitcase, slung my guitar over my shoulder and followed him to the North.
Three years later, we had our dream wedding on the shores of Strangford Lough. The Old Court was the first venue we visited. The moment we stepped through its gate, we knew. It had it all – a 17th-century chapel, a view over the lough, and ancient trees whispering wise words into the wind.
I wore my mother’s lace wedding dress from 1977. Slipping into it felt like stepping back in time. My veil was made from an old lace curtain that once belonged to my great-grandmother and was transformed by my seamstress Wioletta into a hooded veil that brushed the grass as I walked. To complete the story, our rings were forged from Andy’s father’s and my grandmother’s bands, which were melted together to create ours. Two pasts joined into one future.
My something new and blue were my Manolo Blahniks. After years of writing fashion pieces for Grazia and attending runway shows in Paris, like Carrie Bradshaw’s love of shoes mine never faded.
Andy had proposed a year earlier with an antique Art Deco diamond ring straight out of The Great Gatsby. He knows my weakness for vintage, so our wedding became a blend of heritage and heart: part Irish, part German and a proud dash of Scottish, thanks to his ancestors. A bagpiper played The Skye Boat Song as I walked toward the chapel and Scotland the Brave as my father led me down the aisle. The ceremony was filled with music, laughter and so much love.
In the garden, Andy’s sister Emma had prepared a handfasting ritual beneath a birch arch decorated by Fleuriste Belfast, with the most romantic wildflowers. My spiritual teacher friend from Ibiza offered blessings, woven together by red tartan and lace. I had spent months planning every detail, from the flowers to the food. We chose Yellow Door, who served Irish lemon thyme roasted chicken with cheesecake, fresh strawberries and a champagne berry sauce for dessert.
My father gave a touching speech in the garden before playing All You Need Is Love. Music was woven through the day: my brother and brother-in-law played guitar and violin in the chapel, and my sister sang with her daughters during the party. Our dog Cooper proudly wore the McAllister tartan.
The first dance turned into a line dance that everyone had practiced, followed by a German Polonaise that wound through the old barn. It reminded me that the most extraordinary things often happen when you lose your way. Had I not taken that wrong turn in the Balinese jungle, I might never have found my road home, or the man on the Harley, who’s now my husband.
Suppliers
Venue: Old Court Wedding Company
Catering: Yellow Door Deli
Drinks: Horatio Group
Flowers: Fleuriste Belfast
Photographer: Ricky Parker
Rings: Robinsons Goldsmith Bangor
Cake: Relax Cakes
Hair & make-up: Michelle Mayne @m_m_beauty_services
Band: Cupid Arrows @cupidsarrowweddingband
Stationery: Davenport
SEE MORE: A Lavish Wedding At Adare Manor
