Offering three tranquil acres of rolling lawns, ancient trees and modern planting, Cashel Palace Hotel was the venue for the intimate ceremony of Robyn Anchell and the owner of Grandstand Sports, Sam Gibbons, on July 19th, 2024, followed by a garden party on July 20th. Captured beautifully by Studio Brown and planned by Martina O Riordan, it was a multiday celebration of love surrounded by family, friends, and the beauty of an Irish summer.
The pair had been part of the same friend group for years, but in the summer of 2021, when they crossed paths a handful of times, Robyn thought Sam was quiet and mysterious, while he thought she was loud and vivacious! "It wasn’t until October of that year, at one of our friends’ birthday parties, that we truly connected – and that’s when we realised we were more than friends. That night, after a cheeky kiss, we started texting back and forth for about a week. Being me, I was impatient and didn’t want to do the whole texting back and forth for weeks, so I decided to ask him out on our first date."
"I had been home in Tipperary for Christmas (2022), and when I returned to our apartment on Stephen’s Day. We were exchanging gifts beside our wonky (but very festive) tree, with hot chocolate, and I opened the final gift from Sam, a letter revealing a surprise trip to Venice, a place I had always dreamed of visiting. A year before, I had jokingly said that I’d one day be proposed to on a gondola in Venice, but I never actually wanted a big display. So, naturally, when I saw the trip details, I shrieked with excitement ‘Oh my God, we’re going to Venice…. You’re going to propose in Venice!’ Sam just smiled and said, ‘Rob, read the bottom of the letter. ’ At first I didn’t understand what he meant, still caught up in the excitement of Venice, until he gently said ‘Rob, turn around. When I did, he was down on one knee with a beautiful ring (his great-grandmother's engagement ring) and asked me to marry him. It was more perfect than I could have imagined."
Robyn's beauty journey was all about embracing natural beauty and feeling like her best self. "I didn’t want to look or feel too different, so I focused on natural makeup and hair that felt elegant but still me." For her signature scent, she wore Diptyque Philosykos, a woody aromatic with rich notes of fig and coconut. Sam wore Myrrh & Tonka, a deep, spicy vanillic fragrance from Jo Malone.
As soon as they were engaged, Robyn headed straight to Pinterest and started saving all kinds of dress styles. "I quickly realised I was really drawn to Laura de Sagazan’s dresses because they were so simple and elegant – and I already knew I wanted a very natural outdoor wedding, so they perfectly suited the vibe I was dreaming of."
When she discovered that the White Gallery Boutique in Newry stocked the very gowns she had been dreaming of, she booked an appointment straight away. With her mum by her side, she ventured to the boutique and ended up trying on five dresses, all very different from each other. The fourth dress was a Laure De Sagazan design (Not surprisingly), and it was the one. "I had expected the process to take a lot longer, but I am so lucky to have found my dress on my first trip to a bridal boutique. Rachel, the owner, was absolutely wonderful; she made the whole experience relaxed, enjoyable and really special."
"We were in Dublin City one day – my dad (David), Sam, and I decided to pop into Louis Copeland & Sons on Wicklow Street. Since our wedding was going to be outdoors, Sam had a similar vision to mine and was drawn to earthy tones. He ended up finding the perfect suit: a beautiful, deep forest green with a subtle, contrasting navy tie. John at Louis Copeland & Sons guided us through the whole process, from the first try-on to the fittings, and he was fantastic. He made the entire experience relaxed and enjoyable for us."
The couple decided not to have bridesmaids or groomsmen, wanting to keep things simple and focus on the people closest to them. Instead, they had flower girls and pageboys.
"Our ceremony was stunning, so relaxed and calm. Our legal ceremony took place in Cashel Palace on 19th July 2024, in an intimate setting with close family and a few friends, followed by a lovely dinner to celebrate. The next day, on 20th July, we had our bigger celebration with everyone, again at Cashel Palace in a field in the gardens in front of the Rock of Cashel, with a stretch tent. Our favourite part of the ceremony was getting ready and then seeing each other for the first time as I walked down the aisle – it was such a special moment that we’ll never forget."
The pair chose their ceremony venue because, as in Robyn's hometown, the grounds felt timeless and perfect for an intimate ceremony. "The reception venue was an easy choice: My dad’s (David) garden. I had always dreamed of a summer garden wedding surrounded by nature, good music and delicious food and drink. My Dad lives in an old gatehouse in Tipperary, full of character, and he has done so much work restoring the grounds. The garden is truly something special, with tall trees that make you feel part of the wildlife, layered with flower beds, a vegetable garden and beautiful landscape spaces. It was a no-brainer for us. We had canapés outside the conservatory doors, leading down the steps into the garden, a marquee set up amongst the tall trees and in front of his pond. It was truly a unique and magical setting – exactly what we had envisioned for our day."
"Our band was the Bentley Boys. We chose them because I had seen them play at my brother Jake’s wedding in 2020 and knew they would get everyone dancing. We also added a fun twist with the Hit Machine Drumers, who we had seen perform at my Dad’s office opening. It was a fun addition to the day! Additionally, we had a live illustrator, Ciara, a close friend of a close friend. She created incredible live illustrations of us and our guests throughout the day."
"Our best decision was definitely having the celebration over three days – it allowed us to really enjoy the moments with each other, family and close friends without feeling rushed."
- Gráinne