After tying the knot, Mandy Clark was on a high and loved her dress so much she thought it was a shame never to wear it again.
So the mum-of-three had an idea to do something she would never forget, have a photoshoot going for a dip in her stunning gown. The 56-year-old recruited her wedding photographer and sister Patricia Cowan to join her at Glenariff waterfall on Sunday, August 7, for the special shoot.
Mandy, who lives in Crumlin, tied the knot with husband Paul five weeks beforehand at the Dunadry Hotel and said she is delighted to now have even more special memories with her wedding dress which she has since cleaned and is going to give to charity for someone else to enjoy.
READ MORE: Inside NI couple's humanist wedding at Rossharbour Resort
Speaking to Belfast Live, Mandy said: "When we walked down from the car park there were quite a few heads turned, I'm sure people were wondering what we were doing.
"Myself and Paul got married five weeks before and is had been so lovely, I was still on a high and left thinking 'what am I going to do now'. I didn't know what to be at and the dress was just hanging there in the bedroom and kept catching my eye when I passed.
"It is such a shame not to wear it again, I had to get it on one more time."
Mandy, who is also a grandmother to three with another on the way, mentioned it to her sister - her 'partner in crime' - who was on board as was William, her photographer from WillsPix.
The sisters, who have been enjoying swimming for two years with the Antrim Chilli Dippers, took the plunge together with Patricia making sure Mandy was safe when she was in the water in her wedding dress.
"It was absolutely amazing," said Mandy.
"Safety wise I hooked my dress up and my sister was in with me, we were very mindful of that. It just felt amazing, five weeks before I was getting married and now I was getting two days of happiness. I got to wear my dress again and most brides don't get to do that."
Talking about swimming, Mandy added: "It makes you feel alive, like someone has pushed a button."
Mandy said the dress have cleaned up like new and she is now donating it to a charity shop in the hope it can make another bride very happy one day.
"They are amazing pictures to have, they are great memories," she said.
"It is the most magical place and in the photos you can see, it is sheer joy. It is so hard to describe."
READ NEXT
- NI woman sheds six stone after friend asked her to be a bridesmaid
- Canadian bride travels to Ireland to make fairytale castle wedding a reality
- Watch: NI woman's proposal video goes viral with 17.8m views
- Irish bride's advice on how she saved thousands on her wedding
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
