Janine & Robbie's real wedding in Monaghan's incredible Castle Leslie Estate, is filled with refined style and beautiful details. The couple, who met at university in the UK and now live in London, returned to Ireland to tie the knot with an emotional church ceremony, and a marquee reception filled with surprises for both the couple, and their guests. From Janine's Suzanne Neville gown, to the fairytale-worthy reception decor, this wedding is a lesson in all things elegant - and photographer Dylan McBurney captured it all.
The beginnings of Janine & Robbie's love story is a testament to how perseverance pays off - even in the form of relentless unanswered Facebook messages! “We originally met at the University of Bristol where we both read law. We became friends towards the end of our degrees. I then moved to The Gambia where I lectured for a year. We had pretty much lost touch, when I started to receive messages from Robbie on Facebook. He must have said 'hi' hundreds of times before he got a response out of me! He asked me out shortly after moved back to London, and we haven't looked back since.” Janine recalls.
Robbie proposed to Janine on New Year’s Eve in Ireland, "This was the birthday of my late grandfather, who had passed away the year before and was sorely missed. Robbie flew over from London and proposed saying he wanted there to be some happy memories at this time of year. Knowing how important my family are to me, he timed it so that we were all together to celebrate that evening.”
All ready for the family first look!
Janine describes the feel of her and Robbie's day as quite classic and traditional, "The main focus was the flowers which we used in the church and moved to the venue (all expertly and seamlessly achieved by House of Elliott!)."
The ceremony florals were pretty impactful, and really add to the feeling of grandeur in the church.
Janine & Robbie's wedding day was emotional for the bride's family for more reasons than one, Janine says the sermon given by their priest, Fr McElhennon, was a particularly memorable moment, "My grandmother had sadly passed away two days before our wedding, and he captured the mood incredibly well. I don’t think we will ever forget his words, that it was a joyful day tinged with sadness. Ours was a mixed marriage, and he also managed to make the service accessible to all regardless of background or faith.”
The powder blue bridesmaid dresses worked perfectly with the purple and blue tones of the bouquets.
Janine's mum worked in some surprises to make the day all the more special for the bride and groom, “A huge floral arch at the entrance to Castle Leslie and a soft-top vintage Bentley to take us from the church to the venue."
Keep reading for another amazing surprise Janine's mother put together for the big day that wowed the out-of-town guests!
Such a lovely location for a quiet moment for the couple to enjoy!
Janine & Robbie tell us the main priorities for their wedding were threefold,"Having a meaningful ceremony in the church where my parents got married. Good food and plenty of wine for guests. Finding a private venue close to the church with accommodation. We had a lot of guests flying from London and we wanted to ensure there wasn’t too much travelling on the day.” Mission accomplished!
The couple chose Castle Leslie for a number of reasons - including its famously good food. But Janine tells us what its main selling point was, "The grounds are fabulous and provide the perfect backdrop for photographs." We totally agree!
Janine tells us about how she and Robbie decorated their reception, “The marquee at the Castle is a white blank canvas. EPNI helped us to introduce softer nude tones and soft lighting. The vibe felt elegant and glamorous.”
So. Many. Flowers. And what a gorgeous view behind the top table.
Before we get to the beautiful ceremony and reception, we quickly asked the couple what their two main pieces of advice were for others planning their own wedding. Here's their two cents for guest cancelations and thank yous;
“Expect last-minute guest cancellations. They are inevitable, but being prepared for them prevents you from becoming too stressed. And after the wedding, start writing thank you cards as gifts come in. It's the last thing you will want to do when you come back from honeymoon.”
The couple were overwhelmed when they saw the marquee for the first time, "The fairy-lit marquee ceiling. We first viewed the venue after it had been decorated by EPNI and, whilst Castle Leslie has a lot to offer generally, the lighting blew us away." gushes Janine.
Remember when we mentioned Janine's mother planned one more special surprise... “The lead dancer from Riverdance, who along with some of other cast members, came to perform at midnight right after a show at The Gaiety Theatre in Dublin. The atmosphere was electric. Our English guests were in awe!” Janine excitedly tells us. What a special gift!
We'd imagine that after a wedding this beautiful, you'd need a seriously good honeymoon to keep you from experiencing those post-wedding blues. We were dying to hear all about Janine and Robbie's Italian adventure. “We toured around Italy for 2.5 weeks. The first week was spent on a yacht which we had charted with a skipper and hostess to sail around the Aeolian Islands. We then flew to Naples and spent a few days in Praiano on the Amalfi Coast. We finished off with one week in Tuscany, cycling and visiting local vineyards.” Officially jealous.
Huge thanks goes out to Dylan McBurney for sharing his incredible work with us. And to Janine and Robbie for allowing us to enjoy their magical day.
