Nestled in the heart of Ireland’s hidden heartlands, Glasson Lakehouse is a secluded oasis set against breathtaking natural beauty. Hugging the serene shores of Lough Ree, it was the gorgeous venue for Claire Ryan and Ian Bailey's wedding on the 13th of September 2024. Captured by Kathryn Mervyn, buckle up and prepare to have your socks blown off!
The couple met online in October 2015. After chatting back and forth for a few weeks, they decided to meet for food and drinks. Despite an anxious start with Ian waiting for Claire's bus to arrive, the pair quickly got comfortable together over dinner and drinks. They even discovered that despite growing up over an hour apart, they had several friends in common!
"It was the weekend of Claire’s 30th Birthday (November 2022). We celebrated with her family in Westmeath on Saturday evening. On Sunday, I surprised Claire with an overnight stay in the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point, Co. Clare. The plan was to arrive at the hotel, drop our bags off, then stroll on the beach where I hoped to propose at sunset and then go to the bar for drinks where Claire’s friends would surprise her for her 30th and she would show them the ring! But of course, it didn’t go to plan. Instead, when we arrived in our room, Claire decided that she was tired and wanted to rest before going for dinner. Despite all of my convincing, a walk was not on the cards. I then went to the bathroom, gathered my thoughts, scrambled through my bag for the ring and decided to propose in the room. Claire was sitting in the middle of the bed looking at the sunset, so I lay on the bed in front of her and asked her to marry me. Her reply was, ‘Oh no, I mean YES! YES!'. "
Having struggled with her skin for as long as she can remember, Claire started her beauty journey a year before the wedding with a bridal skin consultation at the Skin Boutique in Kinsealy. From there, she had a series of peels and microneedling with a more hydrating HydraFacial close to the wedding. Her hard work paid off, and she had a flawless complexion on her wedding day! For her wedding day fragrance, Claire wore Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint (the same perfume she wore when she and Ian began dating). "When I started looking for a wedding scent, I noticed that it was available as a limited edition archive scent, so I knew I had to go with it as my wedding scent."
"I found the wedding dress process quite difficult; I can be indecisive at best, so a big decision like this was not easy. I needed to get my Mam and Maid of Honour's opinion, so I was delighted they came to so many appointments with me. I went to about eight different shops; I made the mistake of wanting a particular element on the dress, making it much more challenging to appreciate the fit and style of the dresses. Eventually, when I found my dress at The Suite in Rathmines, it was just the fit of it that felt right, and I thought that the folded skirt gave it something different."
"Picking the suit was easy for me. I have always loved Remus Uomo menswear. The fit, style and quality of suits have always been a favourite of mine. When it came down to picking my suit, I wanted a Remus Uomo Tuxedo. I decided to go with a full three piece with a dickie-bow, where my groomsmen had a two piece with a dickie bow."
Claire kept her bridal party small, with just two girls: her childhood best friend of 25 years, Caitriona, and her college bestie and former housemate, Sinead. "For the bridesmaid dresses, I had an idea of what colour I wanted and had researched some shops that stocked that colour. We did two days back-to-back of bridesmaid shopping, four shops in total, but one dress stood out. The material quality, the shape, and the colour were perfect."
"The ceremony was brilliant. We were married in the church in Claire’s hometown (Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath). My favourite part (Claire) was walking into the church where I had grown up and had so many other events, there was something lovely and nostalgic about it, the flowers were a close second, I just loved them so much, they were breathtaking. My favourite part (Ian) was when I turned around and saw Claire walking down the aisle with a big smile. All of my nerves disappeared there and then. But having our family and friends in one place was amazing."
A testament to their adoration for their wedding venue, Glasson Lakehouse was the first and only venue the couple viewed. As soon as they stepped foot on the grounds, they knew for sure it was the location for them! "Everything about Glasson blew us away: the drive-in, the interior design of the reception and bedrooms, the golf course (Ian’s request), the view of the lakes, and the function room, which overlooks the whole property. We loved the outdoor area and heated pool for our second day."
"We chose Mairead Conlon for our church and reception music; her voice was amazing and added to our ceremony. The band we chose were The Suitcase Trio. We wanted an upbeat but genuine band; the guys are passionate about their music. They played a fantastic set and everyone was on the dance floor all night. Claire is an Irish dance teacher, so some of her dancers performed, and Ian’s Grandad is also a fantastic saxophone player and was in the show bands, so he did an excellent piece during the night, so we had no shortage of entertainment."
Regarding the best decision, Claire said, "One of our best decisions was going with Glasson for our venue. We love the setting it provided for our photos and also the day two memories. We have already rebooked for a night for our first anniversary."
Regarding the worst decision, Claire said, "Our worst decision, which was more of an oversight, was not getting enough sparklers; we didn’t expect as many people to come outside for the sparkler shot, so in the end, we had to turn people away. This was one of our regrets."
- Gráinne