An exclusive country house with a rich history dating back to the 17th century, Tankardstown House boasts an impressive 18th-century Manor House & orangery and was the perfect venue for the wedding of software engineer Chloe Claridad to project manager Arjuna Sivakumar on September 3rd 2024. Featured in the Summer issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL WEDDINGS, this elegant celebration was planned from the US with the help of Coastal Ceremonies and captured in all its joy by Awake And Dreaming Photography.
The two met through a mutual friend whom they later chose as their officiant. "He was having a night of playing Catan and invited Arjuna and me, and we officially met at that board game night."
"We took our first trip to Ireland in July 2022, and on the 10th, we visited the Cliffs of Moher just before sunset. I’ll admit, I had a slight feeling he might propose. I’d planned to wear outdoor gear for the walk, but Arjuna insisted I dress up a little since he wanted photos. So, seeing the tourists in their comfy clothing and him acting very anxious, I had a hunch about the plan." However, after walking along the cliff’s edge for over an hour, Chloe had convinced herself that he was, in fact, genuinely trying to find a spot to watch the sunset! "As we were taking photos, I heard Arjuna say my name, and as I turned towards him, I saw him on one knee, the engagement ring before me, and I was utterly in shock. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes immediately!"
In the last four years, Chloe has developed allergies to many environmental factors and chemicals. So, a year before the wedding day, she had to undertake the incredibly arduous task of finding makeup that was free of the offending ingredients. Thankfully, she was able to rebuild a beauty kit that worked for her needs, and Ailbhe Lynch was able to make sure she felt beautiful on her wedding day.
Chloe visited three boutiques before finding her wedding gown in The Dress Theory in Seattle. "I had a type of dress already in mind: flowy and straightforward with no lace and mainly satin material." But no matter how many variations she tried, nothing felt quite right. It wasn't until the third boutique that her stylist pulled a dress out of left field — a lace, strapless dress with detachable lace sleeves — and encouraged her to give it a shot. "I knew it was the one because it was the only dress my sister saw and immediately started tearing up."
"Arjuna and I visited a store specialising in suits, where we tried on a few types in different colours before finding the right one. We had him try this dark brown suit, which, at first glance, looks black, but under the light, it gives a more subtle dark brown. When he tried it on, it fit him so well, and we both knew that was the one."
For her bridal party, Chloe's bridesmaids were her sister, sister-in-law, and two best friends. "I knew that for the colour of the dresses, I wanted them to be sage green. But let them choose what dresses and styles they wanted. At first, they all were going to wear different dresses that varied in the sage green spectrum."
"Our ceremony was a dream, and we had no idea it would go so well and be amazing. Over 110 guests travelled worldwide to attend our wedding. We had a rehearsal and a welcome reception the night before the ceremony to welcome everyone who came early and get a feel of the large and beautiful space of Tankardstown before the big day. As I walked down the aisle and saw the room filled with friends and family, with Arjuna at the end, I felt a surge of excitement. After the kiss, we both felt elated, happy, and excited to start the party during cocktail hour and reception!"
From the beginning of their wedding journey, the couple ran into one major issue: planning an Irish wedding from the other side of the world! Unable to physically visit venues or meet with vendors, the pair hired Susan Eyles from Coastal Ceremonies to be their fantastic wedding coordinator! She was able to send them a list of venues that met their broader needs, leaving Chloe and Arjuna to narrow down their top priorities. "Aesthetically, Arjuna wanted to have a venue that provided castle-like features. I wanted a venue that was modern but still had charm and character. Finally, and most importantly, as Arjuna and I are big foodies, we wanted a reception meal that wouldn’t disappoint!"
Tankardstown fit all these boxes and more. The pair booked the venue immediately, but didn’t view the space officially until 6 months before the wedding! "Once we visited the venue, we fell in love with the grounds and the space. The best thing about Tankardstown was their staff; they made our wedding day as easy as possible for Arjuna and me."
"For our entertainment, we wanted a high-energy band that could keep our guests on the dancefloor and play a mix of different music. We chose the Bentley Boys because they could do a mix of live music and a DJ for later in the night. We had an amazing time because of the great mix of music they played and the energy they brought when performing."
"Our top and best decision was choosing Susan as our coordinator. I have heard horror stories about how weddings can go so badly or how stressful they can be. But I never had anything close to that experience, and I truly believe it's because of Susan that our wedding went smoothly and was stress-free. I knew I might run into some road bumps because we were planning an international wedding. But she took away all the hard work and stress, and I honestly could not be more grateful. We had nothing to worry about on the day of, and everything went exactly as planned."
- Gráinne