Since 1832, the 550-acre estate of The K Club has been synonymous with the good life. Having changed hands from one influential pair to another since the land's first inception in 1215, it has now become the venue for thousands of stunning wedding celebrations, including the union of chartered psychologist Deirdre Walsh and corporate executive Anil Kumar Shivaji on the 29th of August 2025. Planned in just 8 months and shot by Anouska Love Story, it weaves in a Christmas Eve garden proposal, sage satin bridesmaids and a silk gown found on the first try into one unforgettable celebration.
The couple met in Dublin, on a beautiful spring evening out in town on Friday, the 25th of March 2022. It was truly love at first sight!
"On Christmas Eve 2024, Anil proposed in one of Deirdre’s favourite places in the world, which is the garden in her childhood home, where they had also spent time gardening and planting organic veg together over the years. It was a beautiful sunny winter morning, and he asked her if she’d go for a walk after brunch, and while outside, he got down on one knee and popped the question with the most beautiful ring! They then excitedly celebrated with Deirdre’s family throughout that memorable Christmas that they’ll never forget! Of course, like the chivalrous man he is, Anil had asked Deirdre’s dad for his permission to propose in the days prior. We celebrated for a week, then started planning the wedding straight away, as we knew we wanted a summer wedding!"
Deirdre kept things fairly minimal in the lead-up to the wedding, booking herself in for a series of hydrafacials and adhering strictly to her skincare routine, getting a healthy amount of sleep and staying hydrated daily. "One of my saviours was my LED tri-booster device from Irish brand Haumea skincare, which kept my skin feeling firm and rejuvenated."
"My signature wedding scent was Chance by Chanel, which I’ve loved since my early college days! I actually hadn’t worn it in years, but a couple of weeks before the wedding, a friend was visiting the house, and she had this perfume on, and it just took me right back to those fun carefree college days, and I said, I’m going to get this for my wedding! It all felt very serendipitous."
The pair had a relatively short engagement by Irish standards, so Deirdre knew she had to make a move fairly quickly on choosing a dress. After their engagement, Anil and Deirdre booked the venue within a couple of weeks and also set a wedding dress shopping date! "I had heard great things about The White and Gold Bridal in Howth, and so my mam, one of my bridesmaids, and I drove up on a January day. I didn’t really know what kind of dress I wanted initially, but I did have an idea of what styles suited me best. My friend, who was one of my bridesmaids, had said to me don’t worry, when you see and try on the dress, you will know! And she was so right!"
"I didn’t expect to buy the dress on the first day I went wedding dress shopping, but when I tried it on, I absolutely fell in love and knew immediately it was the one. I didn’t want to take it off! It was all very exciting and emotional too. It felt so luxurious to wear the ivory silk. My dress was from New York-based designer Alexandra Grecco, and so I had it sent over from NY within a few months in time to complete my alterations before our day in August! A rush fee was paid to get it here on time. I am still completely in love with it. I bought my veil in a beautiful store in Marbella a few months later!"
Anil already had an idea of the kind of suit he wanted, and when the couple went to Bond Brothers in Goatstown and explained the vision, they carefully selected the right style for him, the groomsmen, and his lovely grooms-woman, who looked incredible! Things weren't totally smooth sailing; Anil left it till the last few days before the wedding to choose his tie, and at that point, his bride-to-be stepped in to offer some creative direction!
There were 5 bridesmaids altogether: two were Deirdre’s first cousins, who she’s always been close to; one of Deirdre’s best friends, who flew in from Toronto; and two who are her sisters-in-law, so it was very much a family affair overall. "We went to Starla boutique to have a look at the various styles of dresses, and I knew I wanted something sleek and elegant for the girls, so we went for charmeuse satin material in sage colour, and they were divine, all the girls looked so beautiful on the day!" They all wore the same-coloured dress and material in different styles, which they chose for themselves. Deirdre matched the sage dresses with gold accessories, including heels, clutch bags from Accessorise, and earrings from one of her favourite Irish brands, Rosie & Dott.
"Our ceremony was one of our favourite parts of our day. It was in St Brigid’s Church in Straffan, Co. Kildare. The church was the perfect size for the number of guests we had, and it all felt so special. Our wedding singer was incredible, and we were so thankful to our wonderful celebrant, Brother Richard Hendrick, who made the ceremony so memorable for our families and us."
Deirdre had attended a friend's wedding in the same venue some years ago, and she remembered what a beautiful setting it was. "We were lucky to get the last Friday of the summer available that year. We loved The K Club, it truly was the most magical venue set on such beautiful grounds, which made a lovely backdrop for our photos, which were taken by the incredibly talented Anouska, and we also had content creator Shauna there too, capturing the most beautiful video content. We had a welcome dinner the night before the wedding, so that meant the bridal party and our families all stayed in the venue the night before, and so the bridal suite was also the perfect place to spend one of the most memorable mornings of my life getting ready to walk down the aisle, surrounded by my girls!"
"Our singer for the church was Lucy Kavanagh, and for the reception, the entertainment was the 52nd Street Wedding Band. Both had come recommended by friends."
- Gráinne