A few years back, my sister spent an amazing semester studying abroad in Ireland. Every week she would call me with awesome tales involving yummy fish and chips and frolicking around the breathtaking countryside with her flatmates. I was just sort of jealous (ahem), and it was then and there that I made the decision that I would someday travel to Ireland to shamelessly recreate every experience my sister was having. This wedding from Therese Aherne Weddings just reminded me of how much I want that to happen. A masterpiece of nuptial bliss, it’s a stunning Irish backdrop + a beautiful couple + the wedding of my dreams. See it all in the full gallery.
From the Bride… When people ask us how and when we first met, they are surprised when we tell them we met in 5th grade when we were 10-years-old. We shared a classroom in elementary school in Ontario, Canada. Unfortunately for all of you romantics, the story doesn’t actually start there. After going our separate ways for high school and University, it wasn’t until 2007 that our paths crossed again at the wedding of a mutual friend. At this point we discovered that we were both living and working in Europe. The relationship didn’t start there either. Another year went by as strangers. Thanks to Facebook, email and the matchmaking skills of our mutual friend, we finally arranged to have our first date in Budapest, Hungary in 2009. And this is when it all began. We courted in cities all over Europe and were engaged in Positano, Italy. It made sense for our wedding to take place in Europe.
Powerscourt House is one of the most breathtaking estates in Ireland. The formal gardens span more than 47 acres in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains. From the moment I stepped foot inside Powerscourt House, I had goosebumps. We had invited guests from all parts of the world to help us celebrate our wedding and we knew this venue would blow them away. We wanted our wedding reception to be luxurious, but yet maintain a fun and warm atmosphere. Powerscourt House and Gardens had the charm and the romance we were looking for. Because the venue was picturesque, we required only simple decor to pull it all together. The florist, Little Daisy Flowers, helped me bring my vision to life. We used beautiful fresh flowers and simple candlelight to create the mood.
Most of our guests were traveling a great distance to celebrate with us, so we wanted to incorporate elements that would make them feel at home. We provided a wedding bus to transport them from their hotels to the church and reception. For all the children at the wedding, individually wrapped gifts with coloring books and candy were waiting for them at their table. My mother, sisters and I spent hours making strawberry jam to set on the tables as favors. We also set out baskets of slippers for the girls to change into when their feet got sore from dancing.
Kevin and I wanted the wedding day to reflect our own personalities and our relationship. We love traditional Irish music and that played throughout the ceremony and the wine reception. We had fallen in love over weekend dates in difference cities in Europe and so all the tables in the dining hall were named after countries we had visited. We created a picture table which displayed pictures of Kevin and I on our travels. It also displayed our grandparents on their wedding day for good luck. For the dinner music, we put together a playlist of our favorite songs. The first dance song mirrored our long distance relationship and all of the hurdles we had jumped to be together. Kevin is an avid golfer and we knew a mini golf set would act as the perfect kissing game. We also love ice cream and chose to serve that for dessert instead of traditional cake.
An Irish day wouldn’t have been complete without a bit of rain. The rains came, but we were prepared with umbrellas and rubber boots. The rain didn’t put a damper on the day and even made for some stunning photos. The feeling on the day was one of pure happiness. All of the months of planning had paid off. We got to relax and enjoy all the little moments. Looking around the ballroom at the guests that had traveled so far to be with us was the biggest reward of all.
Photography: Therese Aherne Weddings | Videography: Bride & Groom Films | Event Planning: Feast Catering & Events | Floral Design: Little Daisy Flowers | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Cake: Alison O'Loughlin Cakes | Invitations: Ink Pretty | Ceremony Venue: St. Mary's Church in Enniskerry | Reception Venue: Powerscourt House And Gardens | Shoes: Bella Belle | Rings: Tiffany & Co. | Catering: Feast Catering & Events | Makeup: Ellie Balfe | Hair: Brown Sugar | Groom's Suit: Brown Thomas | Groomsmen Suits: Moore's Clothing | String Quartet: Dublin String Quartet | Transportation: Absolute Limousines | Bridal Boutique: White Toronto | Decor: Candlelight Weddings Ireland | Ice cream: Featherbed Farm Luxury Ice cream | Mass Booklets: Blackrock Printers | Reception Band: Ultrasounds | Rubber Boots: Pennys | Traditional Irish Music: Dublin City Folk | Vintage Wedding Bus: Dualway | Wine: O'Briens