Set in the rolling Meath countryside, Tankardstown House blends Georgian grandeur with an inviting, intimate charm. With sweeping lawns, candlelit rooms and effortless hospitality, it was a fabulous venue for the wedding of educator Niamh Lavelle to carpenter Conor Renaghan on the 20th of December 2025. Captured by Magills Film & Photography, it was a brilliant day from start to finish, full of laughter, great music and a dance floor that absolutely did not quit!
In the early hours of a night out, while both were heading for home, the couple unexpectedly bumped into each other on the street through mutual friends. It was a cold night, and Conor (ever the gentleman) gave Niamh his jacket before watching her head on her merry way. Love at first sight, as they say!! He slipped into his future bride's DM’s the following week, and that was that.
"We were on holiday in Fiji, enjoying the island life, relaxing and soaking up the sunshine. Conor had booked a private sunset dinner to pop the question, but some things just don’t go to plan. The weather that evening decided to take an unexpected turn, which threw a curveball in Conor’s plans. Before dinner, we were heading along the beach when he got down on one knee and popped the question."
Niamh wanted to be and look like herself on the wedding day, so she didn’t make any drastic changes to her skincare routine. "I have always been lucky to have pretty good skin, so I continued using good-quality products while introducing some facials, like skin peels and laser genesis, which I absolutely loved! Let’s just say Conor took his skincare routine to the next level- continuing to use 5in1 all over!"
"Choosing a wedding scent was a lot harder than I imagined. I was back and forth between a few different scents, and I was constantly asking for people's opinions. In the end, I went for the classic Jo Malone Peony and blush. It took Conor all of 5 minutes to pick his Giorgio Armani Stronger With You Intensely."
The couple are currently living in Australia, so Melbourne was the destination for the wedding dress hunt. "My mam came for a visit, so I decided it would be a lovely time to try on some dresses while she was here, to experience this moment with her. In hindsight, I probably tried on too many dresses, which made the decision more difficult than I expected." The pair decided to visit Mariana Hardwick (Australia's leading designer of Bridal Couture) just for a look and instantly got such a good feel for their dresses. "I had never ever planned on going down the route of getting a dress custom-made, and that’s exactly what happened in the end. Emma, with whom I worked, was amazing and always so helpful. I had about 6 dress fittings throughout the process. It was amazing to see the whole process unfold and watch the progress from one dress fitting to the next."
"Conor’s suit picking was a very easy process; he went to TW Menswear in Carrickmacross. He knew he wanted a tuxedo, but was undecided on the colour of his jacket. It was between burgundy and black, but he knew he wanted it to be velvet. The staff were honestly so good, and the whole process was so easy. Everything was pressed and labelled for the groomsmen and our dads, so we didn’t have to do anything other than collect! Shout out to Mikey for all his help."
In her bridal party, Niamh had four bridesmaids: a childhood friend, a family member, a college friend, and a friend from Australia, each representing different parts of her life, both from home and from Australia. "I loved the idea of gold bridesmaid dresses for a Christmas wedding, but it was really difficult to find a nice shade of gold, so I ended up settling on champagne, which was perfect."
"After getting engaged, we began looking at venues in Australia. We reached out to a few to organise Zoom calls. From our first correspondence with Tankardstown House, we were very pleased, and after the Zoom call, we were sold! It was everything we wished for, with both the main house's old-fashioned style and the beautiful modern orangery for the function room. Picking Tankardstown just felt right for us, beautiful, relaxed, and full of character. The Georgian house and gardens are stunning, the food is exceptional, and their attention to detail is second to none! The whole place has this warm, welcoming vibe. It wasn’t just a venue; it felt like a place where your day could be really personal and special."
"We wanted a lively band to keep the dance floor full all night long, and The Tributes did just that. The dancefloor never stopped, and the craic was 90. Having a good band was one of the most important things to us, and we couldn’t have asked for better. We also had professional Irish Dancers provide entertainment after the meal to get the night started. I have always loved Irish Dancing from a very young age, and once we started wedding planning, I knew I wanted Irish dancers there on the night. After some research, we booked Celtic Dance Fusion and kept this a surprise for our guests."
"Investing in Leanne (photographer) and Johnny Magill (videographer) was one of the best decisions we made. From Leanne's very first email, we knew she would fit in. Upon meeting them both that day, they made us both feel so comfortable, as did our families. They slotted in along with our wedding party and kept the craic going, which we loved. Leanne and Johnny are both husband and wife, and they knew each other's style and worked so well together, which was very important to us."
- Gráinne