Set in 530 acres of peaceful parkland with its own walled gardens, Rathsallagh House in Dunlavin made a breathtaking backdrop for the wedding of medical student Aoife Browne to engineer and organic farmer Jack Browne on the 2nd of August, 2025. With bold pink and red accents popping against the lush green lawn, this magical day is pure eye candy, captured by Pawel Babenca.
The couple are both from County Carlow, so naturally met in the Foundry nightclub on a faithful St. Stephen’s night in 2014, bonding quickly over a shared love of reading, good food and late-night dancing. "We were on and off between 2014 and 2017, mostly due to the fact that I was in the U.S. and Jack was in Canada, but we have been going strong since February 2017. We’ve grown a lot as a couple since then, with me deciding to go back to study medicine and Jack converting the farm to organic, but we’ve enjoyed every second together and are so happy to be married."
"We both love hiking, so on our anniversary in February 2023, Jack suggested we hike up Lugnaquilla. I would usually be very enthusiastic about this, but it was raining and cold, and I didn’t feel too well. It took some convincing, but eventually I agreed to go hiking with him, and he suggested we take our golden retriever, Rufus, too. Initially, I was being pretty grumpy, and we couldn’t even make it to the top because of the weather, but after a while, I was in better form and enjoying myself. We were on a boardwalk, and I noticed that Jack tripped, which really isn’t like him. Our dog Rufus then also tripped, which I thought was really strange, but I didn’t see what happened since I was walking at the front. I kept walking and talking to Jack, but eventually he asked me to turn around. He was down on one knee, with the ring box tied to a dickie bow on Rufus’ neck, and asked me to marry him. I said yes, obviously, and started crying immediately!"
As her skin has been a problematic area for quite a while, Aoife started getting facials about six months ago at Ailish Laser & Skincare Clinic in Kilkenny. "I was honestly just so stressed with college that I didn’t have much headspace to keep on top of a very complex beauty regimen. Ailish helped me simplify my skincare routine, so it wasn’t overwhelming, and the facials I got really had my skin glowing in the lead-up to the big day." After focusing on her skin, she prioritised her health, eating well, hydrating regularly, and exercising as much as she could.
"For my signature scent, I actually went to Jo Malone in Brown Thomas in Galway when we were shopping for a dress for my Mam. The lady at the stand was super helpful and suggested layering two scents to make it more bespoke. I went with English Pear & Sweet Pea, and Velvet Rose & Oud. I decided on a rose scent because I had some roses in my wedding bouquet."
Having worn one for her debs and been thoroughly impressed by the quality, Aoife knew she wanted a Pronovias dress. As many brides are, she was convinced before starting shopping that I would pick a very specific style (lace with a sweetheart neckline), and eventually walked down the aisle in the opposite! "When I tried on the Pronovias Constellation dress, I completely fell in love with it. I just loved the sparkle and how it made me feel, so I knew it was the one for me. My only regret is that I will never get to wear it again!"
"We decided to go with MAC's menswear because we wanted to go with a local retailer. What really sealed the deal for Jack was that they could get shoes in his size, which is no easy feat, and that we could also rent the tuxedos for the groomsmen there. We bought Jack’s suit there, but at the last minute, he decided he wanted a white jacket to stand out, so we sourced it from where I bought my dress, Eden Manor Bridal. We couldn’t recommend MAC's menswear, and Cian in particular, enough!"
In her bridal party, Aoife had four bridesmaids and her man of honour. "Three of the girls, Hannah, Chloe and Rebecca, and also my man of honour, Seán, I met in my first year in Maynooth. We all became best friends pretty quickly and have been ever since." Her fourth bridesmaid, Fleur, is actually Jack's cousin, whom she had bonded with very quickly when they first met. "My bridal party were honestly the absolute best, not biased at all, and I don’t know what I would have done without them. Two of the girls travelled all the way from Australia to be there, and I feel very lucky to have them all in my life."
"We got married in the walled garden in Rathsallagh, which was magical. We’re not religious, and so it was an easy choice to get married at the venue. We were actually really lucky with the weather; it stayed dry the whole time. We had a lovely celebrant, Liz Sherry, who did a great job of incorporating Celtic symbolism throughout the wedding. Jack’s cousin, Laoise, carried out the handfasting celebration for us, which was beautiful. Our guests noticed that throughout the ceremony, butterflies, bees, and birds were flying all around, which was really special to hear. It’s hard to pick a favourite part, but one detail Laoise suggested felt especially meaningful: bringing water from the River Slaney near Jack’s home place and soil from the back garden where I grew up, and mixing them together. I just thought this was a really beautiful symbolism of our lives joining together."
Rathsallagh was actually the second venue that the pair visited, and it was very hard to beat. On the suggestion of Jack’s mum, the couple booked a night's stay to soak in the hotel. "We loved the long drive up to the house, but then we were just blown away by the amazing service and how homely it felt. We loved the fact that there were different areas where people could sit down and have a chat if they weren’t up for the dancing in the main room. We looked at one or two other venues after that, but couldn’t get Rathsallagh out of our heads, so we decided to book, and we’re so glad we did."
"So we actually had a lot of entertainment because music is very important to both of us. For the ceremony and reception, we went with Tiny String Quartet, who were so lovely to deal with and amazing musicians. I couldn’t recommend them enough. For the band, we went with Pop Gods. We went to see them one night in Dublin and had so much fun that we decided to go with them. They had everyone on the dance floor all night, and were a great choice for us. Our friends, 8 AM DJs, then played late into the night for us."
On their second day, the couple had some great trad musicians as well as Aoife's family members playing in the snug in Rathsallagh in the afternoon. That night, they surprised their guests with Sing Along Social, a festival favourite of Aoife and Jack in the past. "This may or may not have ended with me crowd surfing, and they gave us all the energy to keep going late into the night!" To round out the festivities, 8 AM DJs came back for a second set while a mini Feis Ceoil carried on in one of the drawing rooms, so there really was something for everyone!
"I honestly am really happy with how the wedding turned out. I think the best decision we made was really taking our time to pick out the right vendors for us. Every single one of them is absolutely incredible at what they do, and I am so glad we put so much time into picking them. I have to give a special shoutout, though, to our florist, Laura, who just went above and beyond and created the most spectacular florals for our wedding weekend."
"The worst decision was not getting a group photo of all of our guests. I know it’s not a commonly done thing anymore, but it would have been a lovely thing to have to look back on in the future."
- Gráinne