A truly unique 18th Century hunting estate, set amidst 100 acres of stunning grounds and scenery Virginia Park Lodge was the backdrop for Róisín O’Dwyer & Alan Casey's elegant winter celebration in 2022! A day filled with joy and laughter, the couple transformed the lodge into their perfect Winter Wonderland. Read on to see all the contemporary yet organic details of their December 10th, 2022, wedding, photographed by Dasha Caffrey.
The couple actually met at a wedding on the 10th of December 2016 and in a romantic coincidence, got married on the anniversary of the day they met! When it came to their engagement, unbeknownst to Róisín, Alan had sought out the help of her best friend to keep her out of the apartment for the day! She arrived back to the apartment and immediately saw candles and fairy lights everywhere "I was literally paralysed with shock, so I couldn’t even enter the room. When I did, Al sat me down, got on one knee and began to read a storybook poem of our lives together he had written, which ended with the question will you marry me?" It was delighted yes!
When we asked about the beauty journey, Rosin admitted that she left all the skin stuff a bit late, but closer to their wedding day booked in for a series of facials from Ciara Darcy, who was able to give the bride-to-be a skincare routine to follow in the run-up to the big day. That said, hair and makeup were the first things Róisín booked once they had a date locked in! Lisa Shannon did the makeup, and Danielle Garner did the bride's hair, creating a final look that comprised stunning neutral makeup and eyes accentuated by a sleek ponytail to pull the hair away from the face and show off Róisín's high cheekbones.
When it came to the dress Róisín visited The One by Sinead Corcoran. She set her eyes on a beautiful strapless organza gown from Varca Bridal and fell head over heels in love. Named after the beloved Vivienne Westwood, like her namesake, Viv is the perfect blend of delicate bridal attire and high fashion details, combining to create a truly unique and royally feminine wedding dress. The flowing organza skirt with oversized flower motif and exposed corset are unlined for a surprising pop of leg. "I ended up buying the very first dress I tried on. A real cliché but the second I put it on, I knew it was the one!" She also wore a bow in her hair and a veil from Aura Bridalwear.
The bridal party was made up of four bridesmaids, Róisín's sister and three best friends. She said, "I’ve known all of them since I was a baby, and they’re just the most amazing women. From organising the best hen party, helping with all the jobs in the run-up, hyping me up on the day and calming all my nerves. I really am so blessed to have them." Each bridesmaid wore matching soft pink, off-the-shoulder dresses from Folkster and they all looked stunning! The couple also had their two goddaughters and our fourteen-month-old daughter as our flower girls. "I’ve never felt luckier being able to share the aisle with my own daughter."
Due to it being the height of lockdown in November 2020, Róisín and Alan opted for a virtual tour of Virginia Park Lodge, and immediately fell in love. "We had a feeling that if it could feel that magical over the phone, we could only imagine what it would be like in person." Róisín admitted that she would have looked at every venue under the sun for the sake of completeness, but once they got off the video call, the pair immediately knew it was the one for them and went ahead and booked it. "I loved that we could have the venue to ourselves for the weekend. It really felt like a home away from home with all our friends and family."
For the church the newly weds had a string quartet, complemented by a good friend of Róisín's sining. Having a close friend play such a big role in their wedding ceremony meant a lot to the couple, accentuated by the fact that the song he sang was very close to both the bride and grooms hearts. For the drinks reception and between courses at dinner the pair hired a magician, Shane Black. He was a total hit on the day and the pair said that guests were talking about the magic for day after the wedding! For the reception band, the pair had the terrific Jo Petit and Dreamband who had everyone on the dance floor all night long.
In Virginia Park Lodge, you move from the pavilion into the main house for the DJ, and it was essential to Róisín that they kept the energy going, so she had The Hit Machine Drummers do a small set and lead everyone to the house, "I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a brilliant surprise for everyone! DJ and Sax led the afterparty in the house, complete with DJ, bongos, and a saxophone. I couldn’t recommend these guys more, not only because they let me have a go on the bongos!"
- Gráinne