One of Ireland's most luxurious 5-star castle hotels, Dromoland Castle, has been welcoming guests since the 16th century. With such a rich history, it's no wonder senior manager Denise Fay and facilities & landscape foreman Anthony Rocheleau chose it as the venue for their wedding on June 6th 2024. Captured by Pawel Bebenca and planned by Paula Russell, the day brought together family and friends from across the globe for a celebration filled with meaningful touches!

Denise & Anthony's love story began as all good love stories do, with a swipe right! Eight years later, the pair are happily living in Vancouver with their precious pooch, Mulligan.

"In Whistler, on a golfing trip with friends, Anthony got down on one knee and asked the question. He had called home to my mother & father in Ireland to seek permission beforehand. He worked with his mom to design & make a one-of-a-kind ring which had his grandmother’s diamond and represented our past, present & future."

"My stepmother is a fantastic makeup artist, so I could fully relax knowing that she was going to keep the makeup good for the day and in our pictures, but also at a minimum to make sure I stayed true to myself, as I don’t ever really wear makeup."

With her mum and sister by her side (Who flew over from Ireland to help!) Denise set out into Vancouver to find her dream wedding dress. She didn’t know exactly what she was on the hunt for, but knew it was something beautiful & classic. It wasn't until a visit to Luxx Nova Boutique that she encountered the Arhita dress from Blammo-Biamo, and it was love at first sight! "I knew I had found the one when I stepped into it." Still, not wanting to settle on the first dress that gave her butterflies, she kept on searching. But as many brides realise after finding the one, all the dresses after that were just dresses.

"The suit was easy, as Anthony wanted a classic tux, black, and I wanted him to have what he wanted, so no objections from me. We were home in Ireland a few months before our wedding for prep, etc., and we looked at the only place we knew we would get something tailored perfectly and also looked after with great care, and that place was Louis Copeland & Sons."

For her bridal party, Denise asked her two younger sisters to stand by her side. Finding a dress proved to be a little more complicated than the usual process, as they had to find something that both a 21-year-old and a 15-year-old could wear. "We searched online as it was harder to do in person. Once I found one they both liked, I shipped it to both of them." In the end, they found the beautiful A-line high-neck gowns from JJ's House in the shade of Emerald green as a homage to Denise's home country.

"The ceremony was wonderful; it was hard to pick a favourite part. We used a lot of elemental symbols, such as earth, wind & fire. The poems & readings we chose were simple & rooted in realism and everyday life. We had our family & friends read them, which was wonderful. Our music was meaningful and connected to our story, as well as to our friends & family. We honoured those who could not be with us, and it was short & sweet. The best part was Dara!! He made it special & ever so personable to us."

As the couple currently live in Vancouver, Denise's family are based in Ireland, and Anthony’s family lives on the East Coast of Canada, travelling for the wedding was inevitable. "We wanted somewhere surrounded by natural beauty, a golf course, and of course, I wanted a Castle wedding to fulfil my childhood dreams. When we started looking at options, Dromoland had it all + more! Its beauty, the food and staff were what we loved most about it!"

"Our entertainment was our friends! The Entertainers’ drummer, Alan, is a very old friend that I have known for almost 20 years, and we knew how fantastic he (+ the band) was & wanted to have him a part of our day. Another Friend of ours from Vancouver, Nick, is a fantastic DJ! He graciously offered to lend his skills to top the night off!"

- Gráinne