With a millennium-long legacy of caring for the landscape, Dromoland Castle is surrounded by 500 acres of unspoiled parklands and woodlands. Brimming with an irrepressible spirit of five-star delight, it was the stunning venue for the wedding of consultant Emily Gagis to banking VP Matthew Hanna on June 7th 2025. Captured by Anna G Photography and featured in the Spring issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL Weddings, this destination wedding was utter perfection, right down to the last touches planned by Dream Irish Wedding.

The couple met at work in New York City right after Emily had graduated from college. The pair worked together on a project, and Matt had been working there for a few years before his future wife joined. They quickly became friends and, about eight months into the friendship, realised they had mutual feelings and went on their first date. Matt grew up in Northern Ireland and moved to the US 10 years ago, which was the catalyst for the wedding in Clare.

"We had a big trip to Italy planned in June 2023, which had us spending time in Rome, Venice and Lake Como. We had begun discussing getting engaged in early 2023, so I had a feeling the Italy trip would be the time, but I was not sure when. When we arrived in Lake Como at the end of the trip, Matt had planned a boat ride around the lake. He was very calm, so he threw me off a bit. A few minutes into the boat ride, he proposed (with the boat captain taking some surprisingly good photos for us), and we spent the rest of the afternoon celebrating, talking about all the behind-the-scenes details of how the proposal happened, and Facetiming our family and friends."

Emily wanted to keep her hair and makeup relatively simple on the day, so she visited FMN Bridal a few days before the wedding for a trial. Knowing that she wanted to wear a cathedral veil, it only made sense to have her hair up and out of her face, so the team created a low chignon to keep it in place.

"I had picked out my fragrance (Miss Dior) one day in the City ahead of travelling over for the wedding, and it helped pull my whole look together. I loved that the fresh floral notes matched the pink palette we used throughout the wedding, so even the perfume felt connected to the day."

Our bride-to-be only visited two dress boutiques during her dress shopping journey. Intending to take her time, as she had nearly two years to pick out a dress, she kept her entourage small with just her mum and two sisters in tow. It was clear that she had more time on her hands than needed when she fell in love with a dress on Day 1, but knew that she would regret not giving it one more day to look at other options. "The following week, I went to a bridal boutique in my hometown in New Jersey and tried on a large selection, including the 1st dress I fell in love with. While I still loved it, my bridal consultant had picked out a Lihi Hod dress for me to try, and I knew once I walked out of the dressing room that I had found the dress." She couldn’t leave that day without buying it.

"I came back a few months later to pick out my veil, and I knew I wanted a dramatic, long veil with lots of lace detail. We added the lace from my two Grandmothers’ dresses onto my blusher, which meant the world to me. For my something blue, I wore my mother’s sapphire anniversary ring. It made the whole ensemble feel rooted in something bigger than just aesthetics—it became a little thread of family history woven into the day."

"One of Matt’s best friends had gotten his wedding suit from the Cad & The Dandy, and they had recently opened a shop in Rockefeller Centre by Matt’s office. He had a great time working with them and added a few personal touches to his tuxedo. His groomsmen wore matching traditional tuxedos."

Emily's (massive) bridal party included her two sisters, her two sisters-in-law and her closest friends from college and high school. "I let them all pick their own dresses, but I was adamant that I wanted a myriad of pink hues and all floor-length. When they stood together, the mix of tones looked so soft and romantic, especially against the gardens and interiors of Dromoland." It created the prettiest gradient without feeling too “matchy.”

"Our ceremony was a traditional catholic mass. It was very special to begin our marriage with a mass, and we picked out every song and reading that was included. We had our aunt, uncle, and brother-in-law read, and it was a beautiful way to bring the family together. Stepping out of the church afterwards, greeted by that summer light, was one of those quiet moments you don’t realise you’ll treasure until later."

The couple knew they wanted to get married in Ireland, as Matt was born and raised in the North, and Emily has a large Irish-American family who were excited about the chance to travel for the weekend. When they got engaged, Emily & Matt began looking at a few different venues, and Dromoland checked all of the boxes. "My parents had stayed at Dromoland in 1998, and we had even watched home movies they had taken during their stay." It felt like a sign.

"We wanted a venue where our guests could enjoy their time in Ireland with fun on-site activities and in town, and we also wanted to make sure it was close to an airport, as most of our guests were travelling from the States. Our favourite things about the venue were the beautiful interiors and the amazing staff, who treated our guests and us so well."

"We hired the Munster String Quartet to perform at our ceremony and cocktail hour. They were one of the first vendors we booked after seeing footage of them performing and knowing it would make our ceremony so special. We hired the Firm as our wedding band, and they kept the dance floor alive all night. We keep looking back at videos of our friends and family dancing to the Firm, and it is the best."

"Our best decision was hiring Michelle as our planner. We didn’t have to worry about anything during the weekend, and she ensured our day was perfect. Two other decisions that stand out include having a welcome party at Knox’s Pub in Ennis. Our guests (and we) had so much fun kicking off the weekend with Guinness and live music. It was a great night to see everyone and set the tone for the weekend. Our other best decision was having the horse and hounds greet our guests as we drove onto the grounds at Dromoland. It added this charming, unmistakably Irish touch that set the tone before people even stepped inside. Everyone loved it."

- Gráinne