Steeped in a thousand years of eventful history, Dromoland Castle has been the host to countless expressions of romance. Surrounded by five hundred acres of unspoiled parklands and woodlands, its lush grounds were the perfect backdrop to the wedding of Non-profit fundraiser assistant director Julie LeBlanc to tech sales manager Jason Fancy on the 8th of May, 2025. If happiness could be bottled, this day would do it, with a bride glowing from start to finish and a party that never missed a beat. A truly Fancy wedding, shot by Kathy Silke Photography.
"We met through mutual friends after both moving to Boston, Massachusetts, following college in 2017. I was living with a college friend who had grown up on Cape Cod with Jason. We all went out together to celebrate a birthday, and the rest was history!"
Jason and Julie, fond of walking around their Boston neighbourhood, spent many Saturday mornings going on strolls. It was October 2023, and the morning after a long wedding night and a bit of rain, Jason was really eager to get going, so Julie had a feeling he was up to something! They made it to one of their favourite spots along the water, where Jason got down on one knee. The proposal kicked off a weekend full of celebrations with friends that night and family the next morning.
"A wedding felt like the perfect excuse to finally get into a skincare routine. I started going for monthly facials and actually stuck to all the tips and tricks, the main one being hydration! I felt absolutely glowing leading up to, and on, our wedding day. I was recommended to Sara Duffy by my wedding planner, and she did beautiful work; my makeup went on so well. My signature scent is my everyday Chloé Eau de Parfum, so I wanted to keep things simple."
For our blushing bride, wedding dress shopping was a blast! Julie went with her mum and sister to Boston to hunt for a dress that felt unique yet on par with current trends. "I love looking back at dresses from my mother’s generation and instantly knowing they’re from the ’80s. For my own dress, I wanted something that would feel timeless yet reflect the moment." The corset and patterned fabric felt especially fashion-forward for 2025, and we love that it matched the romance and magical feeling of Ireland! "Since weddings in Ireland are much longer than in America, I knew I needed a dress change to accommodate dancing, so I also had a mini dress from ELLIATT with 3D florals and fit for a good time!"
"Jason wore a custom tux from Indochino. When we started wedding planning, Jason knew he wanted a navy blue suit with a black lapel—the perfect mix of formal and fun. We dressed his groomsmen in classic black tuxes so he could have his signature look."
For her bridal party, Julie kept it simple, with only her sister as the matron of honour and her nieces as her four little flower girls. "I loved the idea of my sister in off-white since she was the only one standing up there with me, and the little girls in various light pink styles."
"Our ceremony was definitely one of the highlights of the day! A good friend of ours officiated, and he did an absolutely beautiful job sharing with our guests who we are as a couple and our commitments to each other. Might not be a favourite part, but definitely the most memorable is right as we started, a helicopter was flying in and landing at Dromoland, a lighthearted moment that helped ease any nerves!"
As for their destination wedding, the couple was very particular about where they wanted to celebrate and the experience they wanted for their guests. With three main priorities: "Being on the West Coast was important to me. I studied in Limerick, and it felt right to be near the towns and places I love so much. The beauty of the area is truly otherworldly." They wanted multiple accommodation options so their guests could stay in the place that best suited their travel needs and how they wanted to spend their downtime. And finally, Jason, along with friends and family, is an avid golfer, so organising a golf day was non-negotiable. "All of these priorities led us to Dromoland Castle Hotel. From the moment we visited, we knew it was the perfect place to get married and share with our guests."
"We hired Munster String Quartet for our ceremony and The MixTape for our reception music. We loved having live music at the ceremony, and the string quartet perfectly complemented the venue and created the ideal atmosphere. The MixTape was all Jason! He loved their energy, their set list, and that they truly were professional musicians. We even expanded their standard setup to include more instruments and a DJ. After the band finished, the saxophone and DJ kept the party going into the early hours. They were an absolute blast and so easy to work with, truly professional from start to finish!"
"It goes without saying that the best decision we made was getting married in Ireland. Destination weddings can come with a lot of voices, but we followed our instincts and knew the experience we wanted for ourselves and our guests. It certainly didn’t hurt that it was sunny the entire time we were there!"
"For the wedding itself, one of our favourite touches was hiring the Dromoland Castle Hotel Falconry for the drinks reception. Our guests couldn’t stop talking about the owl, Pickles, and the falcon, Kevin—it was such a unique and memorable experience!"
- Gráinne