If understated elegance is how you would describe your day, then you are going to adore Sarah and Michael's wedding. From Sarah's utterly gorgeous dress, to the calligraphy details at the flower-filled cocktail reception, their day was picture perfect. But living in Sydney, Sarah and Michael were eager to plan a wedding that would not only look gorgeous, but would also allow them to spend every last minute with their friends and family back home in Ireland. To make sure this was the case they chose the glamorous Castle Durrow as their venue, which they took over for a chic weekend. You will adore this...
Sarah and Michael met in Leggs on Leeson Street, and spent the next few weeks walking Sandymount beach in the evenings and taking weekend trips to Clonakilty, Cork, where Michael is from. Just 2 years later they decided it was time for a change and moved to Sydney together.
The following year Michael proposed on a sandy beach in Noosa, Queensland. "The setting was just perfect, under the stars on a quiet, romantic beach - he couldn’t have planned it better."
Despite living in Sydney, both Sarah and Michael knew that they would definitely get married in Ireland and began the search for a venue that was close to both Cork & Dublin (no easy task, never mind from half way across the world) and suitable to host all of their guests for the whole weekend.
Michael and Sarah's search led them to the epic Castle Durrow, which couldn't have been a more perfect choice, Sarah explained... "The grounds are stunning and Castle Durrow integrates the old and new seamlessly – it has all the charm and nostalgia of a country manor teamed with the luxury of a 5 star hotel, it was exactly what we we’re looking for. It also helped that it was smack bang in the middle of Dublin (my home) and Cork (Michael's)!"
With their venue chosen Michael and Sarah began to plan a very glamorous and elegant wedding with lots of lush flowers, subtle hints of gold, and beautiful detail for which they enlisted the help of stylists House of Hannah.
As Michael and Sarah live abroad, the main priority over their wedding weekend was to spend as much time as possible with family and friends. To make this possible most guests stayed over the course of the weekend, enjoying drinks in the resident's bar and a relaxed BBQ the day afterwards.
To complete Sarah's classic bridal look she accessorised her dress with a full length veil, headpiece and statement earrings. Michael kept his look equally classic with a sharp three piece suit bought in Sydney.
Each of Sarah's bridesmaids wore bright blue Jenny Yoo dresses, in slightly different shapes and with hairstyles that suited them individually. If you're not sure what dress to buy that will suit each of your girls, picking one colour or palette, like Sarah, and going for different shapes is a great option. For some more inspiration check out our How to Mix & Match Bridesmaids' Dresses post.
The reception décor was kept classic yet decadent, with lots of lush luxurious flowers, gold cutlery, champagne and an impressive blue and gold tiered cake. Gorgeous!
Wishing you both the best, and thanks so much for sharing you day with us.
A big thank you also goes to Larry McMahon for sharing his work with us, to see more of Larry's photography head over to www.larrymcmahonphotography.com
The Wedding Details
- Ceremony: St Tighearnach’s church, Cullohill, Laois
- Wedding Dress: Johanna Johnson
- Bridesmaids dresses: Jenny Yoo
- Shoes: Jimmy Choo
- Flowers & Styling: House of Hannah
- Cake: The Perfectionist Confectionist
- Hair: Joanne Kelly
- Evening Music: Bentley Boys
- Drinks Reception Music: Dublin String Quartet
