Nestled in the Irish Countryside, Ballymagarvey Village is a haven of timeless elegance and charm. This beautifully restored 18th-century estate was the venue for the wedding of kitchen designer Tábata Angel de Sousa to refrigeration engineer Graham Jones on June 30th 2025, shot by Wonder & Magic and featured in the Spring issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL Weddings.
The pair first met in 2019; Tábata had just started her first job since moving to Ireland from Brazil, and it just happened to be Graham’s workplace as well. "I had very limited English at the time, so I would always have my earphones in, staying in my own little world, until one day I looked up and saw this tall boy standing in front of me with a coffee!" Graham said it took him a long time to build up the courage to come say hi after getting all the details about his future wife from other colleagues!
"Graham had been planning the proposal for a while but was just waiting for the perfect time. We had just booked a Mediterranean cruise that would start in Italy, so he decided to book a few days in Venice beforehand and planned everything out. He booked a gondola ride for us, and everything was ready to go, until he realised that he had left the ring back at the hotel! Graham tried to come up with an excuse to get back to the hotel without giving the game away. Eventually, with the ring retrieved, we climbed aboard the Gondola. And there, under the bridge of love, on the romantic canals of Venice, all six-foot-five Graham managed to get down on one knee and uttered the immortal words “Will you marry me?” trying his best not to tip the boat over! Of course, my answer was yes; it was a proposal I could never have imagined happening to me. It was a fairytale."
Tábata's beauty journey was all about feeling like an elevated version of herself. She focused on simple skincare and soft, romantic details that matched the whimsical theme. On the day, she kept her look timeless, luminous skin, delicate eyes, and effortless hair. It was not about changing anything, just enhancing what already felt like her.
"I’m very intentional with my choice of perfume, so my wedding day was no exception. I wore Dama Bianca by Xerjoff, essentially spring in a bottle, with sweet notes of lime, violet, lily of the valley, and vanilla. Graham wore Elysium Eau Intense by Roja Parfums, an aromatic, citrusy cologne with notes of rhubarb, lime, and black pepper."
Choosing her wedding dress was one of the most exciting parts of the entire process for Tábata. "I tried over 40 gowns because I truly had no idea what direction to take, and I have quite a unique, fashion-forward taste. As a former fashion designer, I focused less on a specific silhouette and more on what I wanted the dress to express. I even considered going fully custom, but I worried about not loving the final result." In the end, she created her own vision by combining two dresses: the Mimosa gown by Eva Lendel with the Adisa corset and skirt by Luce Sposa. With Valentina's incredible craftsmanship at Dublin Bridal House, the two pieces became one seamless dream dress. And thanks to the Angelo Bridal team, everything arrived in record time. "The final result was more beautiful than I could ever have imagined."
When choosing his suit, Graham wanted to blend timeless style with glam and personality, and a touch of James Bond. He wanted something that would feel forever stylish, but with small details that made it uniquely his. When he found the suit from AB Formal Wear, it was perfect!
Tábata's friends Ariane and Fernanda were her maid of honour and bridesmaid. "We had long conversations about their dresses because I really wanted them to feel comfortable and special. When I created the wedding mood board, I showed it to them, and we used that as inspiration. Once we had settled on the colour, French blue, they each chose their favourite dress style from the website (JJ House). We tried them on, and they turned out to be exactly what we had envisioned."
"Our ceremony was beautiful. From the music to the rituals to the poetry, everything felt truly magical. We included both Brazilian and Irish wedding traditions, which made it even more personal. One of my favourite parts was hearing two special readings: For You, With Love / A você, com amor, read in Portuguese, and an excerpt from The Alchemist by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho. There were also some really funny moments that made the ceremony unforgettable. Graham was so nervous that he could not repeat the vows properly, after joking with me that I would struggle with this part. And at one point, I suddenly remembered I had forgotten the box of wine for one of the rituals. I whispered it to Conor in the middle of the aisle, and he very calmly told me that it probably wasn’t the best moment to sort it out, which nearly made both of us, Graham and I, burst out laughing! Graham's favourite part was how emotional his mam got walking down the aisle with him, just because his brothers and sisters love pointing out that she never got emotional for any of them as they walked down the aisle."
When the couple were choosing their venue, they wanted something that would match the style and theme they were going for. "We narrowed our options to our top three venues, but when we visited Ballymagarvey, we immediately fell in love. We wanted an exclusive venue because our wedding was so intimate, and Ballymagarvey fit that perfectly. The drive up through the garden is like a movie, the fountain outside the manor house is the statement piece, and the vintage style is carried throughout the building." Graham and Tábata were welcomed by Laura and given the full tour; they had no doubt it was the one.
"Our entertainment was a band named Spring Break. We had looked at a lot of different bands, but something stood out about Spring Break: their music ranged from the 70s right up to today, which suited our wedding party down to a tee. We also knew, after speaking with Dan from the band, that these guys would make it a night to remember, and from the very first song to the last, they kept the dance floor full. They even played Brazilian music, which was such a nice touch for the people who had travelled over."
"Our best decision was keeping the guest list below eighty; we decided to have only immediate family and our closest friends, which made it more special. Nobody was afraid of embarrassing themselves with their dance moves after a couple of drinks!"
- Gráinne