Built in 1766 to serve as a corn mill, The Millhouse in Slane has been lovingly transformed into one of Ireland's most characterful wedding venues, serving as the charming location for the wedding of recruiter Niamh Fitzpatrick to strength & conditioning coach Joseph Collins on June 28, 2025. With a custom Kathy De Stafford gown and a black tie wedding party, the day had a modern, polished feel, captured by Olga Hogan Photography.

The couple matched on Bumble in 2021, just after Joe had moved to Ireland for a new job. Still settling into a new city, he gladly accepted Niamh’s offer to play tour guide—and that’s where it all began. "About a week after we first started chatting, we went on our first date: a five-hour walk through Dublin city centre. We met in St. Stephen’s Green, wandered down Grafton Street, and I introduced Joe to Butlers Chocolates for the first time (definitely not the last). It was one of those rare, effortless days where everything just clicked. We talked, we laughed, and before we knew it, hours had passed. Joe would love to say he played it cool—but he was smitten from the start."

"Not long after settling into our new life in New Zealand, we went browsing for engagement rings—just a few days after Ireland’s heartbreaking loss to New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals. Once the timing felt right, Joe suggested a walk to Brooklyn, a suburb in Wellington, with the idea of hiking up to the Brooklyn Wind Turbine. But the walk turned out to be longer and steeper than expected, and with a ring and a bottle of champagne hidden in his backpack, Joe was worried that the bottle might pop or the ring might get lost before we reached the top. At the summit, with sweeping views all around, he asked me to take some panoramic photos from the lookout point, and when I turned back around, he was down on one knee, ring in hand."

"My signature scent was, and still is, Hermès Eau des Merveilles." With notes of orange, pepper, fir, and benzoin, it's a layered and multifaceted fragrance reminiscent of walking through the woods with a steaming vanilla latte in hand. 

In early February 2024, Niamh's parents visited the couple in New Zealand, and she took the opportunity to book appointments at some bridal boutiques in Wellington, but to no avail. "A few months later, while back in Ireland for a visit, I stopped into a bridal shop in Dublin, and that’s where I found it. I fell in love with the neckline immediately, and once I tried it on, I knew it was something special. At the time, I was informed that, due to the designer, Kathy, being retired, there might be limitations to the alterations that could be made. Still, I couldn’t stop thinking about the lace detail on another dress I’d seen, and I asked if it might be possible to add that lace to mine and remove the sleeves." By chance, Kathy herself was in the shop that day and was able to confirm to Niamh that her changes would be possible. To add more pressure to an already stressful process, Niamh was flying back to New Zealand later that week and would not return until just before the wedding the following year. So, after a celebratory cup of tea (and maybe a glass of champagne) with her mum and maid of honour, she said YES to the dress! "When I returned for the final fittings, I was blown away. Kathy and her incredible team had not only perfected the dress, but they’d also made me a beautiful veil as a surprise gift. Despite preparing to move out of Dublin, Kathy herself was at my last three fittings, ensuring every detail was just right."

"Since we were living in New Zealand and three out of the four groomsmen were based in the UK, choosing tuxedos felt like the simplest and most practical option. Joe did some research online and came across Tangos, a company that offered in-person fittings and custom alterations. They tailored each suit individually, ensuring a perfect fit for everyone involved."

Niamh's bridesmaids were her two older sisters, Clair and Erika, her childhood best friend, Karen, and her oldest school friend, Gráinne. Choosing their dresses turned out to be surprisingly effortless. "Two years earlier, I had been a bridesmaid for Karen, and we had found our dresses at Folkster, a boutique I absolutely love. So, when it came time to pick dresses for my own bridesmaids, returning to Folkster was an easy decision. I already had a style in mind, and the colour complemented each of them beautifully."

"Joe and I walked out first, then slipped back into the ceremony room once everyone had made their way outside. It was a lovely chance to pause, catch our breath, and share a quiet moment before the celebrations continued. Then we stepped out through a confetti arch surrounded by all our guests — and the photos turned out beautifully."

Niamh began with an impressive list of approximately seventy exclusive venues across Leinster. "We had decided on Leinster early on, as it made things much easier for guests travelling from abroad. Many evenings were spent going through each venue one by one, colour-coding them based on how much we liked them. Since we weren’t planning to be in Ireland before the wedding, my family kindly took on the role of venue scouts." The pair's initial favourites were quickly ruled out, and eventually, it came down to The Millhouse and one other contender. With their Irish team viewing both, the decision was made the moment Joe and Niamh saw photos of the Mill Room set up for a ceremony; they were smitten. "What we loved most about the venue was having it exclusively to ourselves for two full days. It created such a warm, intimate atmosphere, the perfect opportunity to bring our families and bridal parties together and truly savour the excitement before the big day."

Our wedding band was the Bentley Boys. We had seen them perform at two previous weddings and were instantly impressed by their energy and versatility. Working with them was effortless; they made the whole process easy, sending us recordings of three vocalists to choose from. Once we made our selection, everything was quickly confirmed. For the ceremony and drinks reception, we had the Castle String Quartet. They had an extensive repertoire to choose from and even helped me plan a surprise song to walk up the aisle to, just for Joe. The music was absolutely beautiful and created the perfect atmosphere throughout the ceremony and reception."

"One of the best decisions we made was doing a first look before the ceremony. We knew we didn’t want to miss out on time with our friends and family by spending hours on photos later in the day, so choosing a first look felt like the perfect solution. It gave us a chance to calm our nerves, share a quiet moment, and soak it all in—just the two of us. The photos from that moment are some of our absolute favourites: intimate, emotional, and uniquely ours. It was a part of the day that no one else got to see, and that makes it all the more special."

- Gráinne