Can I tell you about a wedding that completely stole my heart?
Niamh and Rachel got married at the National Gallery of Ireland. It was intimate, warm and full of so much love the kind of wedding where you walk in as a vendor and leave feeling like part of the family. Honestly, that’s exactly what happened to me.
The two of them were just the cutest, most lovely brides. The kind of people who make everyone around them feel at ease. And at the end of the night, they handed me a card and a bottle of bubbly! . A handwritten card saying thank you for bringing art to their wedding. I’m not going to lie I had happy tears. Who does that?! The most thoughtful thing.
That night is one of the reasons I do what I do. And it’s also why I truly believe that intimate weddings and live illustration are just made for each other. Here’s why.
- Every single guest gets their own moment
At a huge wedding things move so fast people get swept from one thing to the next. But at a smaller celebration there’s actual time to breathe. Time for me get to know them, snap a quick photo and sketch them properly. Everyone goes home with their own little portrait. Something handmade, just for them. As wedding favours go, I’d say that’s pretty special.
- It becomes the talking point of the whole day
At Niamh and Rachel’s wedding the illustrations were a whole thing. People were comparing their portraits, laughing, showing each other. At an intimate wedding that energy ripples through the whole room because everyone knows everyone. There’s that brilliant moment when someone holds up their drawing and goes “wait is that me?!” and the whole table loses it. Every. Single. Time.
- Dublin’s intimate venues are just made for it
The National Gallery. A cosy townhouse. A private garden. A candlelit dining room. Dublin has so many gorgeous spots for small weddings and every single one of them suits live illustration perfectly. I set up my little doodle corner, blend into the atmosphere and just get on with the magic. No fuss, no big setup. Just me, my watercolours and your people.
- It feels like you because it is
You didn’t choose an intimate wedding to follow a template. You chose it because you wanted something real and personal. Live illustration is the same there’s nothing mass produced about it. Every drawing is different. Every face is different. Every wedding is different. It’s handmade from start to finish, just like the day you’re planning.
- You get your own keepsake too
Every couple I work with gets a special portrait . Your guests go home with their little A5 doodles, you get something just for you. A drawing of you both on your day. No filter, no algorithm just art.
If you’re planning something intimate in Dublin and this feels like your kind of thing, come and have a chat with me. I’d love to hear about your day what you’re planning, who’s coming, what you want it to feel like.
No pressure, no long forms. Just a real conversation. You can find me on WhatsApp or book a call I’m here! ✨
Come find me on Instagram @isa_the_doodle_fairy for behind the scenes doodles, wedding day moments and a lot of watercolour magic!
To Niamh and Rachel Thank you for allowing me to be part of your beautiful wedding.
Love The Doodle Fairy
Isa