Exuding understated elegance and luxury, Tankardstown House provides the perfect backdrop for the wedding of primary school teacher Kate O’Regan to strategic business manager Dylan O’Brien on May 4th 2025. Featured in the Winter issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL Weddings and captured by Wonder & Magic.
The couple met on a beach in Canggu, Bali, in August of 2018. Kate was on a summer holiday across Thailand & Bali with all her college friends, and Dylan was with a few work friends, exploring Vietnam, Malaysia & Bali. A mutual friend introduced the pair, and they met a few times over the next few days. At the end of the holiday, Kate & Dylan exchanged numbers and, once back in Dublin, had their first date.
"We were still living in Sydney, Australia, at the time. I was on my midterm break from school, and Dylan had convinced me to tag along to a (quite unexciting) work conference. Little did I know there had never been a work conference. The night before we were due to drive, Dylan revealed that we were actually flying to Hobart, Tasmania, for a getaway. The location was absolutely beautiful. A secluded cottage overlooking Bruny Island Bay, where we watched a beautiful sunset, lit the outdoor fire, toasted a glass of red wine, before Dylan got down on one knee & asked me to marry him. I immediately said yes (between many joyful tears!). Dylan chose this location as it was a close carbon copy of our very first trip away together in Killybegs, Donegal."
"I actually completely pared back my skincare routine in the weeks leading up to the wedding, as my skin was beginning to act out (for the first time in years). I wore Jo Malone’s Rose & White Musk, a classic rose fragrance, while Dylan went for Oud & Bergamot, a rich, woody scent. Both were new to us then, and now every time we wear them, we’re instantly back on our wedding day."
When she started her dress shopping journey, Kate was living in Sydney, Australia, and was so fortunate to have three of her bridesmaids to help along the way. "I adored the dresses from Kyha Studios, so this was my first stop. We were greeted with a glass of champagne, and I felt so special throughout. I immediately fell in love with the quality and style of their gowns." She had picked out various styles to try, but quickly narrowed the search to a more specific one. Despite falling head over heels for a dress, Kate didn’t want to commit too early to the first boutique she visited, so kept looking. "We went to another bridal store a few days later, but my mind was still on the one from Kyha. We went back, and when I tried it on again, I knew it was the one."
"Living in Sydney, Dylan had been a big fan of P Johnson Tailor for great leisure & business casual wear and was aware that their expertise lay in the suit/tuxedo space. After chatting with their team in a custom consultation, he knew he wanted to commit to a P Johnson look for the day, with their classic & timeless fit and feel."
Her bridesmaids included her three younger sisters and four closest friends, who all made the journey for their bestie. "As I had a larger bridal party, I loved the idea of having one colour with different styles. Each bridesmaid chose the style that they preferred the most, and they all looked terrific on the day (as they always do). I was between a few colours but went with navy as it complemented the classic style of Tankardstown and the floral arrangements."
"We wanted our ceremony to reflect what we hope represents us as a couple: a balance of love and fun! We were so fortunate to have a beautiful sunny May bank holiday weekend, which allowed us to have our ceremony in Tankardstown's gorgeous walled garden. Our favourite part of the ceremony was involving as many of our friends & family as possible, which gave it the loving, comfortable & fun energy we wanted to capture."
From the moment the couple set foot in Tankardstown, they knew it was going to be their wedding venue! "We had heard from numerous guests & online reviews that the team at Tankardstown and the standards they set with their professionalism & care were second to none." One of the major venue highlights (aside from the incredible team) was the diverse spaces they could use for different experiences throughout the day: the ceremony outdoors, the drinks reception between the manor house & sun-drenched patio area, and, of course, the main event in the stunning glass-roofed orangery reception room.
"For our ceremony & drinks reception, we had the incredibly talented Olivia Romeo as a singer and pianist, accompanied by Aoife Hennessey on violin. Both are simply best in class at what they do, such as wonderfully talented musicians, and both were a breath of fresh air to deal with - they take the stress out of the planning from the first email."
"For our wedding band & DJ, we chose the Mixtape based on countless recommendations from friends who have seen the band perform at several weddings. Again, we were so fortunate to have them on our wedding day - they find an outstanding balance of modern/classic hits, they get the full room up dancing for the night, involve guests in fun games/dance-offs throughout & were incredibly flexible to any personal requests either in the lead up or on the night itself. We also added the Mixtape saxophone player, which was so enjoyable!"
"Our best decision was choosing the venue and all of our vendors. We really couldn’t have chosen a better team to work with from start to finish. From the most exquisite flower arrangements and beautifully captured photos and videos to the best beauty team, music, and everything in between. It is clichéd, but it truly takes a village to have the day run so smoothly. I can, with absolute certainty, say that every vendor we chose for Tankardstown was exceptionally professional in how they communicated prior, how they showed up on the day & how they made us and our guests feel. We could not have asked for a better team & it really showed us all the time/care that went into the decision, which was worth every second."
- Gráinne