A beautifully restored private Georgian house and courtyard set amid breathtaking Meath countryside, Clonabreany House was the magical venue for the wedding of artisan food producer Áine Faughnan and clinical psychologist Ian Kearney on September 25th 2025. Featured in the Summer issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL WEDDINGS and shot by Elaine Barker, we're in love with all of the pink touches in this late summer celebration!
The couple's story began in 2003, when, as teenagers, they were introduced on a night out. "Ian was working in a local bar in Longford, where my friend and I would often call in, and from that first meeting, a connection formed. I fell for Ian quite quickly, but at 16, I still had some growing up to do." In time, life pulled the pair in different directions; Ian travelled through Europe, America and Asia, while Aíne spent time in Australia and New Zealand. It wasn’t until 2019 that things finally aligned. Ian was back in Longford for what was meant to be a brief visit, and during the Boxty Festival in their hometown, the pair found their way back into each other’s lives.
"Originally, Ian had a full-blown cinematic plan. He booked a New Year’s Eve trip to New York, a corner suite in Manhattan, views over the East River, fireworks over Roosevelt Island, the whole works. But like many things at the time, COVID had other plans. Just two weeks before the trip, we both tested positive, and suddenly, the dream trip and the grand proposal were off. Still, Ian regrouped and booked a getaway to Wexford. The first hotel room? Less “romantic proposal” and more "we’re here on a Groupon." So after a last-minute upgrade to the honeymoon suite, complete with a balcony and a hot tub, the plan was back on. He presented a personalised book, a story of our lives, before and after we met, full of memories, songs, photos, and all the moments that shaped our journey. On the final page was a picture of our fur baby, Nonu, offering a paw, with the words Will you marry me?”
"I began my beauty journey with Skin Nerd. Having used their services before, I knew they would be the perfect people to help me get my skin looking at its absolute best for the big day. Six months before the wedding, I booked their wedding day package, which included adjusting a few steps in my regular skincare routine and introducing supplements to help achieve a healthy glow. In the lead-up to the wedding, I also had microneedling treatments, which made a real difference, and using my LED light at home a few times a week really enhanced the results."
"We went to Brown Thomas in search of the perfect fragrance. We wanted something new that we would only wear for our wedding and afterwards on date nights, and would instantly bring us back to the memories of our special day. In the end, we chose two Jo Malone scents that we both absolutely love."
Áine tried on countless dresses, but none of them felt like the one. She had a clear vision of what she wanted, but when it came to actually trying on that style, it just didn’t suit. "At first, I was disappointed, but the moment I found my dress, I knew straight away that it was the one. I had fittings in three different stores, but in the end, my dress had been in my local shop, The Bridal Lounge, less than a kilometre away, the entire time."
"Because Ian is from Longford Town, it was important to us to keep this part of the wedding local and support a business there. We spent time considering the overall look we wanted to achieve and chose Matt O’Brien’s because of both their excellent reputation and the high level of service they provided from the very beginning."
Áine had an amazing group of women around her on the day; her sister Sheena was an obvious choice. As a wedding videographer herself, she was such a huge help in the lead-up to the day, offering advice, sharing tips, and helping her sister decide where to invest and where to save, all while keeping the day's vision in mind.
"Our ceremony was led by a celebrant, and we were very clear about the kind of atmosphere and experience we wanted to create. Ian really took the lead on this part, and after a lot of thought, we found a wonderful celebrant from Cork who travelled up on the day. She had such a lovely presence about her and immediately understood us as a couple. One of the most special moments for us was when Nonu brought up the rings. It was incredibly emotional and meant so much to us to have him play such an important part in our day."
The moment the couple walked into Clonabreany, they fell in love with it. "Everything just felt right — from the team, to the venue itself, to the beautiful grounds. We both knew straight away that it was the place for us. It was also really special that one of my bridesmaids, Jenny, was visiting at the time and could join us."
"We chose a DJ and a sax instead of a traditional band. We felt we wanted something unique that would keep our guests engaged for the evening. It went down a treat, and everyone said it was so nice for a change and that it felt really special on the day."
"One of the best decisions we made was to go to the venue the night before and have a lovely meal with our nearest and dearest. There were around 30 of us there — family, the bridal party and close friends — and it was so special to have that time together as everyone got settled in. The wedding day itself goes by so quickly, so having that extra time the evening before gave us a chance to properly chat with people we might not have had as much time with on the day itself."
"As for the worst decision, I honestly do not feel there really was one, as the whole day went so smoothly. The sun was shining, everything ran perfectly, and we could not have asked for more."
- Gráinne