Clíona and Stephen didn’t miss a beat when it came to planning a unique and wonderfully Irish destination wedding celebration. Held at Ballintaggart House a 300-year-old Irish Country Manor in Dingle in August 2019, their homecoming wedding celebration was peppered with pretty blooms, a blue and green colour palette, and plenty of unpredictable Irish weather! Despite the less than fantastic weather the day passed off perfectly. Their wedding album is by Louise Scott Photography, who captured the happiness of the day and the moodiness of Ireland so beautifully!
Clíona and Stephen are originally from Kenmare in Kerry and Killiney in Dublin, but they are currently based in Perth, Australia. They returned home to Ireland to say "I do" and chose to celebrate their big day of love at Ballintaggart House in Dingle. Clíona says, "Dingle is a perfect setting for the style of wedding we were after, showcasing the beauty of Ireland to our Australian friends and making our whole family get away from home for a few nights. Ballintaggart House has that rustic, rugged country-house feel we were going for, you can’t but feel comfortable there. The bar is like a little pub you would find in Dingle town. It felt weird to book a venue from overseas without seeing it ourselves, but our families checked it out for us and we were happy enough with that."
Before we get any further into this gorgeous day, Clíona fills us in on how she and Stephen met, "We met when we were 13 at a summer camp in Cappnalea in Kerry, I remember having a crush on him even back then! We kept in touch loosely, over email and eventually Facebook. When we were all grown up and Stephen was in Australia and I was in Cork, we started messaging a lot, it was obvious there was something there. He came home one Christmas and I visited him in Dublin, we had our first date at a Mumford and Sons concert, then he took a trip down to Cork. It was so hard to say goodbye to each other when he was leaving again for Australia. I honestly knew in my gut we would end up together. Less than a year later I ended up moving to Australia and we have been together ever since, pretty impressed with my 13-year-old self picking out such a keeper!"
She adds, "We had discussed marriage and knew it was on the cards for us but I was still totally surprised when he proposed. It happened on the day after we had thrown a big St. Patrick’s Day party. We went for a picnic in a one of our favourite look out spots over Fremantle with a great view to watch the sunset. I genuinely thought we were there to chill out and next thing Stephen was on one knee with a ring! It’s all a bit blurry to me because I had no idea what was happening but of course I said yes, before he grabbed champagne and glasses from the car. We made very excited phone calls to Ireland that evening!"
The couple wanted their wedding to be a relaxed, rustic, country wedding celebration, "We wanted it to feel homely and Irish and involve family and friends as much as possible. Relaxed was the aim for us. We wanted to have fun and spend as much time as we could with our family and friends while we were at home, less time planning and stressing! We did this by getting as much help as possible before we got to Ireland and then had a three-day celebration when we got to Dingle. The night before we brought the wedding party and our families on a boat trip to see Fungi, and the night after was a BBQ with a Céilí band in Nellie Freds, barn-style pub."
What a gorgeous ceremony set up! However, Clíona tells us this spot wasn't part of their original ceremony plans, "We had planned for the ceremony outside in the garden with stunning views of Dingle Bay as our backdrop, but the Irish weather rolled in on the day and it was so wet that it was almost comical! Luckily the venue had enough space to fit us all inside. With the fires lit, and pints flowing, it felt like we were home."
Clíona tells us that there are so many details they loved about their ceremony, among them, their wedding ring choices and a beautiful reading by Stephen’s sister. "Stephen’s sister wrote a beautiful reading for our ceremony, which we both loved and didn’t hear until the day. My wedding ring was Stephen’s granny’s, who he was really close to, it’s very special to us."
Confetti thrown, it was off to the iconic Dick Mack's to pull a pint! The first of many toasts that day, we're sure!
"Being with our families was the best part! Getting to see our friends and family in Ireland is always special when we live so far away but having our all our friends, both Irish and Australian, as well as our family all under the one roof with us was just next level, we had the time of our lives!"
Clíona stunned in her Oleg Cassini gown, which she paired with a beautiful, ethereal crown by Olga Berg. Stephen looked dapper in a blue check suit with wool waistcoat, while the bridesmaids and groomsmen rocked outfits from ASOS.
The couple’s advice to others getting married? Ask for help! "And when you do, think about how that person might actually enjoy helping you. My Mum and Stephen’s parents were fantastic with going to visit venues we were interested in, my Dad made us a beautiful wooden arch for the ceremony, our bridesmaids were delighted to pick their own dresses, my sister did my hair - all jobs we thought those people would like to do, they all helped to lighten the load!"
The couple also add, "And if the rain comes in, roll with it! It’s not the end of the world, and even had some benefits, like our moody, dark, stormy photos that I absolutely love."
After their wedding, Clíona & Stephen jetted off to Croatia, "We went to Kurcula island in Croatia, it was just stunning and laid back, we loved it."
Congratulations Clíona & Stephen! Thank you for sharing your wedding day with us. Thank you also to Louise Scott Photography for sharing today’s photographs!
