One of the largest privately-owned castles in Ireland, Markree Castle stands on a secluded 500-acre estate in the scenic north-west of Ireland. With a history dating as far back as the 17th century, this Gothic masterpiece made for the perfect venue for lecturer of law Clare Maguire to marry technology entrepreneur Eoin Brophy on June 8th, 2024. Featured in the Summer issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL WEDDINGS, from the prettiest pink bridesmaids dresses to timeless white flowers, this is a day to fall in love with, photographed by Under the Veil.
The pair met as childhood friends and knew each other from school before finally (after five years!) dating in college at 19. The day of their wedding marked just over 10 years together!
"We had been to New York for New Year's Eve in 2021, and a few days after we arrived home, Eoin booked a weekend away in Ireland, which he said was to 'beat the post-holiday blues'. It didn’t set off any suspicions because we had previously discussed getting engaged, but we agreed to wait until Eoin completed his PhD. While out for a walk during that trip, he proposed by a lake surrounded by lilies, and I spent the rest of it teary-eyed with the biggest smile on my face. It was a total surprise, and also so special because it was just the two of us at that moment."
In the 12 months before the wedding, Clare focused more on skincare and invested in some new products, as well as getting a few treatments like facials in the run-up to try and get her skin wedding-ready and feeling healthy. "I wanted to feel like myself on the day, but with a more polished version of my hair and makeup, and both my hair and makeup artist nailed it! My makeup artist, Adrianna, was terrific and did a soft glam look with peachy/rust tones and a big focus on that glowy, dewy skin we all love. My hairstylist, Niamh Lee, did a soft low bun with curls down the side of my face."
After sampling a few fragrances, Clare decided on Joe Malone Pomegranate Noir for the day. "Since then, my go-to Jean Paul Gaultier perfume has shared the top spot as a favourite with Jo Malone. Eoin was more decisive and wore Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille."
When she first started looking for her wedding dress, Clare had a clear vision in mind, but after being told time and time again that she would most likely fall in love with something completely unexpected, she decided to keep an open mind. "While I liked loads of the dresses I tried, I wasn’t getting that feeling of 'this is the one' people talk about. I would have been happy with any of them. Then, during one of my many online searches, I came across a dress from the designer Pollardi and instantly fell in love. AG Bridal in London was the nearest boutique that carried the line, so I reached out." While in the boutique, she finally tried on a dress that gave her the feeling, and ironically, it was the exact design she had envisioned from the start!
"Eoin wanted a black tie dress code for the wedding, so he had a tuxedo designed by Bond Brothers Dublin. As a special touch, he had the date of our wedding stitched into the underside of the collar of the tux jacket. The groomsmen also wore black tuxedos, but Eoin added a few extra touches to his suit to make it stand out, such as gold knot studs and cuff links."
For her bridal party, Clare asked her two long-time friends, Emily and Eve. "We wanted to keep our wedding theme classic to match the venue, so we kept elements like the tuxedos and white florals in line with that. But the girls’ dresses, a rose gold/rust colour from Azazie, gave a little pop of colour that blended so well with the theme and looked stunning on the girls."
"We had a traditional church ceremony in Sligo Town. I was feeling nervous before walking down the aisle—my dad was too! As we started walking about halfway down, my dad nudged me and whispered, ‘Clare, my phone is not on silent!’. Turning back wasn’t an option at that point, so the two of us just started giggling as we walked, which, funnily, completely eased our nerves. Seeing Eoin turn around as I reached the top of the aisle was incredibly special—the moment that made everything feel real and calmed any last bit of nervous excitement."
The pair knew they wanted a venue with a timeless, vintage vibe, and the moment they saw Markree Castle, that was it. It ticked every box—and then some! "One of the biggest draws was having the venue to ourselves and having the option to have our day two celebrations there. It made it feel like a weekend getaway with all our favourite people." From the drinks reception in the main reception rooms to dinner in the spectacular dining room, followed by a night of dancing in the downstairs bar, they used every inch of the castle on their day. "Our florist, Olga from the Flower Shed, was amazing, made the venue even more stunning, and brought our vision out."
"For the ceremony and drinks reception, we had the Nova Quartet. We wanted to create a Bridgerton-style atmosphere with modern songs played on classical instruments, and mixing the old and new matched both the venue and us. Nova Quartet have a vast selection of music options, and walking down the aisle to ‘Until I Found You’ on violin and piano was a special moment. The Best Men took over after dinner for the evening entertainment and packed the dance floor all night. Later in the evening, our DJ David was joined by Darren Hutch on saxophone, which was a great surprise for our guests—the two worked so well together and brought incredible energy to the dancing."
"The best decision would have to be to choose our venue. Adding personal touches also made the day feel like us; for example, our table theme and wedding favours tied back to Eoin’s love for whiskey and my love for wine. We named each table after one of our favourite whiskeys or wines, with the wedding favour being a mini bottle of the whiskey or wine that corresponded to that table. It was a big hit with our guests, who traded bottles throughout the day, and it was a great way to get people talking."
- Gráinne