With its secluded location, breathtaking views and classic romanticism, the 19th-century Lough Rynn Castle was the perfect venue for solicitor Aileen McCormack's wedding to manufacturing technician Kieran Daly on September 14th 2023. If you're in love with the idea of an elegant castle wedding, you will fall head over heels when you see the details captured by Only Love Photography.
"Kieran proposed on New Year's Eve 2021/ 1 Jan 2022. Usually, we would go away with a group of Kieran’s friends to ring in the new year. However, lockdown and social distancing were still in full swing, so we decided to adapt the tradition and celebrate just the two of us. Little did I know, Kieran had other plans in mind. We cooked a lovely meal, and as the clock struck midnight, Kieran got down on one knee and the rest is history."
Aileen had a rigorous beauty routine, which involved a multitude of products and facials every four to six weeks in the months leading up to the wedding. It certainly paid off in the end! For her fragrance, she wore Maison Margiela's Mutiny, a warm, fruity scent with notes of pear, pink pepper, and vanilla. Kieran’s scent was Jo Malone Silver Birch and Lavender.
"I initially had a completely different dress in mind, but after seeing multiple brides wear it, I changed my mind. I came across my actual dress on Pinterest and instantly fell in love with it. Finding the dress to try on proved more difficult than expected, and a trip to the designer in Spain was on the cards as the two boutiques which stocked Jesus Peiro in Ireland did not stock the actual dress I was looking for."
However, Petticoat Lane Bridal in Hillsborough went above and beyond, managing to arrange for a sample of the dress to be sent over, especially for Aileen to try on. It’s safe to say her mind was made up the second it was on her body!
"We knew we wanted to go with a classic colour scheme and thought having Kieran and the groomsmen in tuxedos would complement the black bridesmaids' dresses (this was my secret vision, as Kieran did not know what colour the bridesmaids were wearing). While we thought it would be nice for all the boys to be in the same colour, we thought the black velvet jacket for Kieran was the perfect addition to his outfit to elevate the look."
Aileen's bridal party consisted of her sister, Emma; childhood friend, Sarah; and university friends, Cathy and Deana. "As I said, I knew I wanted a classic look; the girls tried on a number of more neutral colours, but settled on black, which I absolutely loved. I wanted to make sure all the girls were comfortable in their dresses, so each picked their own dress. I know I am biased, but I think they all looked stunning."
"We loved our ceremony, our priest Father Declan Kelly was super relaxed and made the whole thing run smoothly. The favourite part of the ceremony for both of us was meeting at the altar, where we could breathe a sigh of relief that it had all come together. Partying the night away in the Dungeon bar in Lough Rynn was one of our favourite parts of the reception; it was so special having our friends and family there."
We drove to Lough Rynn shortly after we got engaged to look around the grounds. A few months later, when we started wedding planning, we booked a viewing. We viewed another venue before Lough Rynn, but as soon as we met Lynette and the team, we knew it was a truly special place and that we would be well taken care of. We were not wrong; everything was taken care of for us down to every last detail.
"Lough Rynn Castle is a truly beautiful venue, boasting a fantastic team. We especially loved the Baronial Hall, where we held the drinks reception, and the walled gardens, where we took many of our pictures. It's hard to narrow it down to a few key points. We loved Lough Rynn when we first viewed it, and it has only grown even more special to us."
"Deane Connaghan played in the church and the drinks reception. We had heard Deane sing a few times before and loved his voice, so it was an easy decision; we were delighted that he was available to play. The Bentley boys are a brilliant wedding band. We wanted a band that would keep our guests up dancing all night, and that’s exactly what they did. The floor was never empty."
Regarding their best decisions, Aileen said, "Staying with my bridesmaids and friends in Lough Rynn the night before the wedding! Another decision we are happy we made was to not overplan things or get too carried away with what the wedding day should look like; we made sure it was what we wanted."
- Gráinne