Wedding | Ailbhe & Fergus

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We are both from Galway in Ireland although we first met in the summer of 2017 in a bar in New York when both were there for the summer. We are both now living and working in Dublin.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We viewed 3 different locations in Ireland as possible wedding venues. When we visited Hilton Park we fell in love and knew it was the place for us. It felt very private as you enter down the long driveway and the house itself is truly stunning. The gardens are beautiful and there is even a lake and sauna on-site for a lovely dip the morning after the wedding.

How many guests did you have?

120 guests. We had planned for 80 to begin but it’s so difficult to keep numbers down! We were very happy with our number in the end however.

Tell us about your outfits.

I wore a dress from The Own Studio. I found it super difficult to find a dress that I felt was my style but in the end the Own Studio came through. It was really the only dress I tried on that immediately felt like me. Fergus chose a Canali tuxedo tailored by Louis Copeland & Sons.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We truly just wanted our friends and family to have an enjoyable day. We also wanted the day to feel true to us so we made sure the choices we made were aligned with our preferences. A priority for us was good wine and food. We drove to France on the ferry four months before our wedding to get the wine for the weekend and it was such a fun process. Similarly Olive & Vine, the catering company we chose, served amazing food on the day which was right to our liking with tomato and burrata to start, lamb for mains and chocolate delice tart for dessert.

Any tips for couples getting married?

Being as organised as possible from the beginning is so important. We left a lot of jobs until the last few weeks and this led to a bit of a stressful build up but of course it was all entirely worth it in the end. I also think it’s important to know that anxiety in the lead up to the day is entirely normal and it is reassuring to know that the anxiety disappears on the day when you are enjoying yourself with your family and friends.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

Yes. Kath Young our photographer! She was incredible from the first moment we reached out. Although based in Australia she travels Europe throughout the year for various weddings. I happened to come across her work on Instagram and saw she was coming to Europe around the time of our wedding. It was fate! She was so professional and felt like a friend by the time the wedding came around. The photos turned out even better than we could have expected. We are so thankful we chose Kath and would recommend her to everyone!

Photographer: Kath Young Photography @kathyoungphotography | Flora: The Irish Flower Farmer 

@theirishflowerfarmer | Ceremony & Reception Location: Hilton Park @hiltonparkmanor | Makeup: Mary Ellen Darby Makeup @maryellendarbybridal | Hair: Aidan Darcy Hair @aidandarcyhair | Catering & Beverages: Olive and Vine Wedding Catering  @oliveandvineweddingcatering | Cake: Wild Rose Artisan Cakes @wildroseartisancakes | Entertainment:  Irish Wedding Harpist @irishweddingharpist | Dress & Veil: The Own Studio @theownstudio | Suit: Louis Copeland & Sons | Engagement Ring: Michelle-Oh 

@michelleohjewellery | Wedding Rings: Appleby Jewellers @applyby_jewellers | Other Jewellery:  Completed Works @completedworks