Originally the Royal Exchange, Dublin City Hall has been an institution of the city since 1779. The spacious Rotunda room and its exquisitely ornate domed ceiling made the perfect venue for the wedding of marketing director, Sadhbh Wilson Garvey, to former professional tennis player and founder of Give Learn, James Cluskey, with a reception at 25 Fitzwilliam Place on the 6th of March 2025. Captured by Anouska Love Story, it was the kind of day that just felt easy, full of meaning, and very them from start to finish.

In December of 2020, during peak Covid restrictions, Sadhbh had started a morning routine of sea swimming in Bray with a friend to keep her sanity. One morning after their swim, while the two were enjoying their usual coffee, her friend mentioned she’d matched with a guy who she didn’t think was her type. She said she had a feeling he might actually be Sadhbh's and asked if she could send him her Instagram. She looked at his profile, thought he was attractive, and also thought it would make quite a funny story if anything came of it, though assumed it probably wouldn’t. Not long after, the pair broke the 3km radius restriction and met in Dublin. 

"We had moved to London shortly after we started dating, and were back in Ireland for Christmas in 2024. I had been wanting to stay at Marlfield House in Wexford and try The Duck restaurant for ages, so James suggested we book a night there. Looking back, I probably should have suspected something when it was absolutely lashing rain, and he insisted we go for a walk around the gardens. We wandered around the grounds and ended up walking through a field where he commented, “It’s very muddy, isn’t it?” At that point, I started to have a slight suspicion that something might be about to happen. We crossed a little bridge, and then he suddenly got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was such a special moment, and even more lovely knowing we had the whole Christmas period ahead of us to celebrate with friends and family before returning to London."

In the lead-up to the wedding, Sadhbh wanted to focus on feeling healthy, confident and like the best version of herself rather than dramatically changing anything. She focused on good skincare, staying active, and maintaining a balanced routine despite the excitement of wedding planning. For hair and makeup, she worked with Sue Brophy, who understood the look Sadhbh wanted, creating an elegant, polished and timeless style. "On the day I felt completely myself, just a slightly more glamorous version."

"I’ve always worn YSL Libre, so that naturally became my wedding scent. I briefly looked into creating a custom fragrance for the day, but then worried James might not like it. In the end, I decided to stick with what I knew and loved — something that already felt like “my scent” and that James would instantly recognise."

Credit where credit is due, our bride actually has her sister to thank for the dress! "I had initially gone to the Own Studio in London and fallen in love with a completely different dress — it was short with a bubble hem. I sent a picture to my sister, and although she liked it, she wasn’t completely convinced. We were huge Sex and the City fans growing up. My sister had the entire DVD collection, and as teenagers, we watched them over and over again. Of course, we all remember that iconic Vivienne Westwood dress Carrie Bradshaw almost wore down the aisle. My sister came across the Camille dress by Vivienne Westwood and asked me to humour her and go try it on." When Sadhbh first contacted The White Gallery, there were no appointments available within the timeframe needed to have the dress made before her wedding, so she assumed it just wasn’t meant to be. Then one day, she got a call at work saying there had been a cancellation, so she raced over on her lunch break, and her sister was absolutely right. "I knew immediately. I left and paid the deposit that same day. I felt incredible in it. The whole process was amazing. The dress fit like a glove from the beginning. I had three fittings, but very little needed to be altered. My fitter, Molly, was fantastic — by the end of the process, we were practically friends. It made the whole experience feel really special and personal."

James jokes that since the pair started dating, most of the clothes in his wardrobe are gifts from his bride. When they first met, he mainly wore his LSU college colours — purple and yellow — which he proudly describes as “Geaux Tigers!” but fashion-wise it’s probably more of a stop than a go. For the wedding, the pair wanted something classic, sharp and timeless, so black tie felt like the obvious choice. James wore a Hugo Boss tuxedo, perfectly tailored and suited to the style of the day.

"We both wanted a small, intimate wedding. The plan was initially 25, but in true Irish fashion, it soon changed to 70, with day 2 involving all our friends and 150 people. We chose to have a short ceremony with readings and songs that were personal to both of us. The background to the ceremony was the Avoca String Quartet, which was incredible. We decided to exchange letters, which we will open on our fifth wedding anniversary. Since retiring, my dad started a woodworking course and surprised me with a beautiful hand-carved box with our names and the date, to hold the letters, which was truly special."

Sadhbh has always loved City Hall. "I’ve always appreciated architecture, and City Hall is such a beautiful and historic building that it instantly creates an incredible atmosphere. It was also very important to both of us that we got married in Dublin rather than London. Even though we live in London now, Dublin is where we’re both from and where we first met, so it felt really meaningful to celebrate such an important moment there." As neither of them are religious, they knew they wanted a civil ceremony, and City Hall felt like the perfect setting. "We then went on to 25 Fitzwilliam Place. I actually viewed only one venue, 25 Fitzwilliam Place. We had wanted somewhere in the centre of Dublin. I love Georgian architecture, and even before seeing it in person, I knew it was right. Darragh, the weddings and events manager, was incredible from start to finish and took all the worry and hassle out of the day."

For the day, they had two groups play: The Avoca String Quartet and The Trips. "I chose both based on recommendations. My aunt went to a concert of the string quartet covering Beatles tracks and raved about them. I had always wanted to walk up the aisle to Blackbird, so they were a perfect fit. The Trips were a no-brainer. James’ brother had married two years previously, and they performed at his wedding and were amazing — such great musicians and genuinely lovely guys."

"Someone once told me that the only thing you keep from the day is the photos, and that's so true. The best decision by far was Anouska, our photographer, followed by my dress and the venue."

"Our worst decision — which wasn’t really a big deal — was my obsession with having a champagne tower. It didn’t work particularly well and didn’t photograph quite as beautifully as I imagined, but if I hadn’t tried it I would probably have regretted it!"

- Gráinne