A 17th-century authentic Irish castle located in the beautiful County Sligo, on the route of the world-famous Wild Atlantic Way, Markree Castle was the stunning venue for the wedding of clinical specialist radiation therapist Andrea Oates to quality operations lead Shane Minogue on August 24th, 2024. Photographed by Studio Brown, we're obsessed with Andrea's custom Suzanne Neville wedding dress!
The pair met in College when they were both studying Radiation Therapy at Trinity College Dublin, but it wasn't until a year after becoming friends that they went on their first date and from there, we're sure you can guess!
"We were on a trip to Paris, France, in December 2022. It was the first place we ever went on holiday together, and we have returned there every two years or so. It was a gorgeous morning on December 1st, and Shane suggested going to the Eiffel Tower early in the morning, before it got too busy. We were strolling along the gardens beside the Eiffel Tower, and Shane offered to take photos of me. He was snapping away while I had my back to him, and then he told me to turn around, and when I did, he was down on one knee! We called our families straight away and celebrated with a gorgeous meal and drinks in Bambino Paris that evening."
Andrea's beauty journey primarily involved growing out her hair, as she was adamant about having long, natural brown hair for the day. Aside from that, she had a few hydrating facials in the lead-up to the Wedding and maintained a good skincare routine to ensure her skin looked its best. To complement Shane's choice of Blue de Chanel aftershave, Andrea chose Coco Mademoiselle as her wedding day perfume.
"I had been to several different bridal shops and tried on every single style of dress, but nothing was standing out to me. I always liked a part of one dress, the shape of another, so I knew I would need something Bespoke as I am such a perfectionist. Then I visited Dee in Kadee Bride in Athlone, where I had been previously when my sister was purchasing her wedding dress. The Suzanne Neville collection is divine! You can mix and match the styles, materials, and shapes of the dresses to create a Bespoke design. Dee is amazing, so honest and helpful in the decision-making process."
In her research, Andrea came across the floral “Eternity” Dress from Suzanne Neville, but unfortunately, it was only available in Suzanne’s flagship store in London. She was, however, able to find and try on a plain version of the dress without the floral appliqué detail she loved so much, but after seeing it on, realised she much preferred the square neckline of the "Gigi" dress. Thankfully, Dee (Bridal stylist and owner of Kadee Bridal) came to the rescue and suggested they use the square neckline of Gigi, with the skirt of Eternity, with the addition of bespoke floral appliques. "After some back-and-forth discussions between Dee and the Suzanne Neville team, they said they could! I even got a sketch of my dress drawn by Suzanne Neville herself!"
"I knew I wanted the floral detailing to be draped along the bottom of my veil, but I couldn’t find a veil that matched the floral appliqué perfectly. We used a plain veil from Kadee Bride and had the Suzanne Neville team send over some of the Eternity floral appliqué. With the help of Larissa at Athlone Dressmakers, who was making the final alterations to my wedding dress, my vision came to life. Dee and Larissa created the most stunning veil that complemented the dress perfectly."
Andrea chose her two sisters (and her best friends) to stand next to her on her wedding day as bridesmaids. "I always wanted cream, neutral bridesmaids’ dresses, and we found their amazing feather-detailed dresses in the Mango Capsule collection online. We made some minor adjustments to the neckline and retained a small train at the back of their dresses when they were altered."
"The ceremony was perfect! Our priest was incredibly funny and entertaining, making the whole ceremony enjoyable. My favourite part was the music, as my two sisters and younger brother played and sang throughout the ceremony."
The couple knew from the beginning of their wedding journey that they wanted a castle venue close to Andrea's family parish, St. Mel’s Cathedral in Longford. Lucky for them, Markree Castle is located just 50 minutes away and offers exclusive use on-site. "The castle itself is so unique, with stunning adjoining dining rooms and a separate entertainment area downstairs for the band. The thing that really sold us on the venue was the stunning outside courtyard where you can have your first dance under the stars."
"My mam found our band online – The Suite Wedding Band from Galway, and they were AMAZING. The dancefloor was full all night long – including the DJ at the end, who was being yelled at to play “One More Tune”. He said that was a first for him. The Suite was amazing as they had us fill out a questionnaire before the wedding day to detail some genres we liked and didn’t like. They were so friendly and easy to deal with, especially when we wanted to add on the Saxophone player last minute."
Regarding the best decision, Andrea said, "Best decision must be the photographer – Claire was just such a joy to work with! She was so calm and reassuring, and had the day timed and planned to perfection. We had such a perfect balance between getting photos and still having time to mingle and enjoy the day. And her photographs truly speak for themselves – I especially love how she focused on creating unique photo opportunities, such as the beautiful moments captured in the Billiard Room with our Bridal Party."
- Gráinne