Once considered the largest and finest weir and the millrace of its kind in Ireland, the Millhouse has been transformed into a hotel and wedding venue of unique character! Serving a new generation as one of Ireland's most characterful wedding venues, it was the perfect host for the wedding of Aishlin Bracken to former professional rugby player David Nolan on June 21st 2025. Photographed by Dasha Caffrey and featured in the Winter issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL Weddings, the infectious fun in their pictures is proof that these lovebirds had a fantastic day!
Aishlin was living at home after moving back from Dubai after seven years. With lockdowns and restrictions, she came home for a break to spend time with family and never returned. David changed careers and moved from Galway to the Midlands for work. "Shortly after this, we crossed paths and instantly hit it off, bonding over the fact that we were both one of seven siblings - I’m the eldest of 7 & David is the youngest of 7. I knew he would fit right in in the madhouse!"
"New Year’s Eve 2023, David had planned a getaway to Ashford Castle. It was an early start as he had a horse riding trek booked through the grounds at 09:30. It was a misty, moody morning, which actually made everything more magical. On the way back, the instructor took David’s horse, and he walked alongside me to the front of the castle overlooking Lough Corrib to take some photos. When I jumped down from the horse and turned around, David was down on one knee."
As she doesn’t wear heavy makeup, Aishlin wanted to make sure her skin was at its best for the wedding day. About a year out, she booked a consultation with Aoife at Re-nu and let her do her thing, starting with chemical peels and, in the last few months before the wedding, IPL treatments. "Combined with their recommended skin care routine, my skin has never felt better. It was definitely worth the investment. I had never actually had my makeup done before, so I knew I needed a trial. Dearbhla was incredible to deal with and talked me through all the steps as she was applying." For the actual day, she added a few extra lashes and went with the trial look.
"My mum and I did the Jo Malone experience in Brown Thomas, Dublin. I adore strong, musky oud scents and fell in love with Pomegranate Noir. While I was there, I picked up the Jo Malone Cypress & Grapevine cologne for David."
After trawling through endless bridal accounts on Instagram, our bride was drawn to a particular style, simple with a little bit of something. I" came across Pearl Lane in Dun Laoghaire and really wanted to check out their designers, so my mum and I took a trip up." She tried on a few different styles just to rule them out, but fell in love with the ‘Celine’ by Made with Love - the drop waist and corset bodice had the perfect amount of simplicity and elegance that she was looking for.
"We wanted something timeless and classic. As he would regularly wear suits as a wedding guest or to formal events, he wanted something different for his own wedding. David wore a tux with a velvet suit jacket & waistcoat to stand out from the groomsmen."
For her bridal party, Aishlin asked her two sisters, Katelynn & Karen, her cousin Michelle and her best friend, Lisa. From the start, she wanted her bridesmaids to be comfortable, feel like themselves and have their own personality shine through. "After months of looking for dresses, a colleague recommended Jenny Yoo – I fell in love with the range of colours, textures and styles. So, I sent it on to the girls, and immediately they all got back – super excited and wondering when we were going shopping."
"Our ceremony was beautiful. We had it in a small country church off the beaten track in Rathfeigh, about ten minutes from our venue. Our local priest, Fr Fergal Cummins, travelled up for the day and provided the entertainment with his wit and a couple of great one-liners. One of our guests said to us, “We thought we were going to a mass, not a comedy show”. He really set the tone for the day and had everyone in a great mood. Jamie McKeogh from Jig Jam was our guitarist and singer. I have actually known Jamie since primary school, as his sister and I are friends. He sang beautifully throughout and finished up at our drinks reception."
After viewing some castles, hotels and manor houses, the Millhouse had everything the two wanted: the gardens, the river, the forest, the old Georgian-style house and stunning décor, the orangery and the function room. There were different areas to break up the day, from the drinks reception outside to the main reception in the function room and then to the house for the after-party. All of which opened out onto the gardens overlooking the river Boyne and scenic countryside. You could see everyone, no matter where in the house or garden you were, so you didn’t miss out on any of the craic.
"We wanted a two-day event and a place to relax and call ‘home’ for the weekend. As we had people travelling from Offaly, Galway, Spain, the UK, California & Dubai, moving them to a separate location for day 2 would have been an inconvenience after they had travelled so far. The team at the Millhouse really went above and beyond to make us feel at home and provided incredible service. With the great weather, we really got to utilise the entire grounds, and everyone enjoyed going outside and soaking in the atmosphere whilst still being able to see what was going on inside."
"We chose Jo Petit & The Dreamband. Through recommendations from wedding venues and suppliers, and after researching videos on Instagram and YouTube, Jo & the band were top-tier. They were not at all like a regular band. Jo brought so much class, elegance & energy to the dance floor. The dance floor couldn’t fit any more people, and they were queuing to get on. Everyone to date is still talking about the band and Jo Petit. He was an incredible showman. I don’t know how he could sing and dance all night—the hat & sunglasses never came off either—a great vibe and definitely one of my highlights."
Regarding their best decision, Aishlin said, "All of our vendors - I can’t pick one. Everyone was so professional and lovely to work with, from the girls doing hair & makeup to our photographer, Dasha, who captured some incredible moments throughout the day. She was military in getting all the shots – with the two big families, she was well able to get all in order and everyone in place. She captured our day beautifully, and everyone is still complimenting our photos!"
- Gráinne