Set against a panoramic backdrop of rugged landscape and shimmering sea waves, Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg delivers incredible ocean views. The five-star hotel and links made the perfect venue for the wedding of global head of business services Courtney Jones to sales director Mike Jones on October 19th, 2024. This unseasonably sunny autumn wedding, captured by Studio Lordan and planned by Kristine Hayes, was filled with perfectly personal touches.
The pair met online, scheduled a date and then, as luck would have it, bumped into one another the day before at a bar called Puffy’s in Tribeca. "Date number two was the most memorable; we went to a quiet French restaurant, and Mike was telling a story where he kept referring to himself as 'Jonesie'. I asked, "Why do you keep saying Jonesie?" to which he quickly responded that Jones was his last name. In shock, I explained it was my last name, too!" As luck would have it, Courtney never needed to change her name once the marriage was official!
"The proposal was very special. We flew down to Florida for a long weekend and jumped right onto the course before checking into the room, etc. We were on the 18th hole, and Mike said he wanted a picture and ended up down on one knee. I was utterly shocked and got down on my knees to meet him. The best part was that my parents had flown down and were waiting to celebrate with the couple. The entire golf course knew it was happening, and people had pulled up their carts to watch. Looking back on the golf round, the caddie teased Mike all day. If he hit a bad shot, he’d comment on “Mike, I think you have to swing a little easier, it seems like you’re nervous, it’s not like you have anything else to think about today” I can’t believe Mike got through 18 holes with a ring in his pocket!"
In the months leading up to her wedding day, Courtney prepped her skin with a few Clear and Brilliant facials and was diligent about her skincare routine, which generally follows the SkinCeuticals line. Since she was travelling to Ireland for the wedding, it was vital that she made sure to overly hydrate her skin on the plane to not get dehydrated before the big day. "As for hair/makeup, since I was getting married abroad, I didn’t really have time for a trial. I picked my hair and makeup artists through Instagram and their websites. They were both amazing to work with, and honestly, their personalities were selling points. I wanted to make sure I was surrounded by happy, chill people all day, and every single one of our vendors followed that theme."
"I saw so many gorgeous dresses, but hadn’t had that 'This is it' moment yet. I had resigned myself to thinking that I would have to pick without having the 'aha' moment, but I made one last appointment and went by myself. I had the moment and called my mom immediately. She came in a few days later to see the dress, and that was that." You would think that the stresses would end there, but as many brides do, Courtney didn't account for the weight of her dress before falling in love, and the challenges of taking a mammoth of beads and tulle on a plane became quickly apparent. "When we shipped the dress home, and the shipper made me send them a picture of me in it after he shipped it because he couldn’t understand how a dress could ever weigh as much as it did."
Mike went to a custom suit maker in NYC on the recommendation of a friend. He had his rehearsal dinner suit made in a green plaid as a nod to Ireland and his wedding suit in a navy wool with a slight plaid pattern throughout.
For her wedding day, Courtney had four bridesmaids, with her cousin and lifelong best friend Jaclyn taking the long-promised (Since childhood) role of her maid of honour. Her other three bridesmaids were her two cousins, Kylie and Olivia, and her best friend, Katie. "I really didn’t have a strong opinion about their dresses. I told them I wanted fall colored dresses and let them pick what they wanted. I wanted them to feel comfortable on the day of the wedding and wear what they felt their best in. I loved the array of colours they chose and thought they all looked beautiful."
"We had our ceremony in San Senan’s church in Kilrush. Our venue gave us a list of churches in the area, and we admittedly chose San Senan’s because it was just so beautiful. We officially got married in May at City Hall in NYC, which was so iconic New York, but had our church ceremony in Ireland. We had a mix of traditional church music, Irish music and some popular songs thrown in. I was supposed to walk down the aisle to a harp version of Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams but I think I ended up walking down to the same song as my bridesmaids, which was A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman. Then we walked out to Dreams by the Cranberries. I guess dreams were the unofficial theme of the ceremony."
The pair took a trip to Doonbeg a year before their wedding to mix golf with sightseeing, not intending on it being their wedding venue in the slightest. The first night, they were sitting in the Doughmore bar, and on a whim, Courtney asked the bartender for a wedding brochure. Mike’s jaw dropped as the two hadn’t REALLY talked about getting married at that point, but both just absolutely loved the cosy vibe of Doonbeg. "The onsite wedding planning was excellent, and everyone who works there is just so lovely. It’s unique because you’re at an amazing resort in the middle of nowhere, but for us, it mixes two of our favourite things together, golf and the ocean. The whole weekend was a 4-day affair, which meant we got to spend time with every guest, making our wedding memories that much more special."
"We chose the Bentley Boys and couldn’t have been happier with our decision. They were perfect for us, making planning from the US seamless and straightforward. We had a few instruments join us at the cocktail hour, a band for the reception and a DJ for our late-night party. Our dance floor was packed the entire night, which is exactly what we wanted. One of my favourite memories from the dance floor was my dance with my dad. We danced to My Girl and we called my mom out onto the floor and danced together."
"Getting married abroad doesn’t work for everyone, but for us, it was the perfect mix of what we could and couldn’t control. We cared about food, drinks, music and spending time with everyone who made the long trip to help us celebrate. Everything else I put in the hands of the venue, our fantastic wedding planner and our other vendors. During planning, people kept asking how stressful it was, and I have to say it really wasn’t. Everyone we dealt with, from our cake maker to our day-of planner, made us feel like we were in trusting hands, and we were. Early on, someone told me to pick vendors, particularly photographers, based on personality, and it was the best advice I’ve gotten. I honestly don’t think I have a single complaint about anyone who helped us make the weekend so special."
"I'm not sure we have a bad decision! We had so much fun that we forgot to taste our cake, but we heard it was delicious!"
- Gráinne