A curved Palladian grandeur embracing the magnificence of the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the rolling Wicklow landscape behind, Powerscourt House was the breathtakingly beautiful location for Fiona Muldowney and Stefano Sangiacomo's wedding on the 31st of August 2024. Captured by Under The Veil and planned by Waterlily Weddings, we're delighted to wrap up 2024 with such a beautiful celebration!
The couple was introduced through mutual friends. "We were in Pebble Beach for the Concours d’Elegance, an annual car show held at the Pebble Beach Golf Links. We reconnected when we moved back to San Francisco in 2018 after graduating from our respective universities. The rest is history!"
"We were in Lake Tahoe with my family on our annual summer trip and hiked Eagle Rock on the lake's West Shore. We got to the top, and Stefano got down on one knee! I was very surprised at the moment! No make-up, workout clothes, no manicure, no photographer – just what I wanted. A nearby hiker took a photo and video, which we’re so lucky to have. We went back to my family’s cabin, where Stefano’s family had also joined to surprise us. We spent the day on the dock, swimming and playing cards. It was my dream engagement, simple but in a very special place for both of us. Stefano’s family had a home in Incline Village in Lake Tahoe, where we spent the summer of 2020 together. It’s where we fell in love."
For her bridal beauty routine, Fiona kept things simple, focusing less on adding new targeted products and more on her overall complexion. "I would recommend the Paula’s Choice Exfoliant, La Roche Posay Hyalu B5 serum, and lots of moisturizers! I love the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream." For her signature scent she wore a combination of the Oribe Cote d’Azur Eau de Parfum and Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey. "I don’t like sweet perfumes—this was the perfect combination and felt fresh!"
Fiona wore an absolutely stunning Ines de Santo silk jacquard gown from Bridal Galleria in San Francisco. Finding the dress of her dreams took five appointments, but as soon as she spotted the gown on the hanger, she knew it was the one. "I went to each bridal studio with my mom, as we have very similar tastes and are very close. I originally was open to a fuller skirt, but I felt I looked best in a more fitted style. I paired the dress with a veil from the Bridal Galleria with a simple satin strip outline, picking up the satin of my dress. The dress had a faintly printed jacquard with lilies of the valley, which ended up in my bouquet, a tribute to my great-grandmother, Lily Austin."
She had quite a large bridal party of eight girls! "I had the toughest time picking bridesmaid dresses! I went back & forth a million times on matching dresses or having the girls choose their own. And if they did pick their own, what colour? At first, I was all-in on a light lemon but found that most dresses were satin, which can be challenging to wear or not the exact shade of yellow I was hoping for. I decided to stick with my theme of a true summer wedding – everyone picked their dress and made it colourful! I asked for no black, navy, emerald green, or red. Patterns were fine, but try to shoot for full length. I loved that the bridesmaids & groomsmen looked like friends going down the aisle, not like a traditional bridal party."
"The ceremony was our favourite part of the whole day. My parents married in Donnybrook Church 37 years ago, so having our ceremony there was extraordinary. We had incredible music – Claudia Boyle was our soprano, Gabriel Diaz on trumpet, and Cyril Murphy on piano/organ. We exited the church to “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay as we had gone to the concert with our bridal party on the Thursday before the wedding. We can’t pick a favourite part, but we loved finally seeing each other on the day, hearing our family members take part in our readings, the prayers of the faithful, our vows, and the signing of the register."
After getting engaged, Stefano and Fiona quickly decided they wanted to marry in Ireland. "I had grown up visiting Powerscourt’s gardens every summer. It was always one of my favourite outings, and I have many happy memories of being there with family and friends. When I heard they hosted weddings, I asked my parents to tour it as they were in Dublin following our proposal. The view and gardens were stunning – Powerscourt couldn’t have looked better! The dining room looked incredible, with beautiful flowers and trees done by Lamber de Bie. We loved all the speeches from my dad, my matron of honour, and the two best men."
For their reception entertainment, Fiona and Stefano hired the Bentley Boys. "My parents saw them play at a showcase and loved their cover of “The Boys Are Back in Town” by Thin Lizzy. Since we couldn’t do much in-person research on bands, I trusted their YouTube videos and am so glad I did! They were a fantastic band; our guests had so much fun dancing."
Regarding the best decision, Fiona said, "I’m so glad we decided to do the wedding in Ireland and had our amazing wedding planner, Michelle, to help us with every detail. I’m so glad we chose Powerscourt to show our guests the beautiful Irish countryside (since most guests stayed in town at the Shelbourne). Also, having my maternal grandmother, Joan Austin, in attendance was very important to us. She lives in Dublin. Because she's the only living grandparent between Stefano & me, but also because we're very close and have many memories together at Powerscourt."
Regarding the worst decision, Fiona said, "The only decision I wish I had made was to close the bars during dinner so that our guests weren’t getting up to grab drinks, instead having the waiters bring drinks into the dining room for them."
- Gráinne