We're definitely biased, but there's something special about Irish weddings, especially when the couple have travelled from far and wide to get married in our little corner of the world! In today's real wedding, we find out why American bride Holly and Spanish groom Diego decided that Ireland was the perfect midpoint between their two homelands, and pour over the delightful details of their Huntington Castle bash (including a gorgeous palette of pale greens and pinks!), which is captured so beautifully by David Duignan Photography.
Holly and Diego tell us that they met at work and were instantly taken with each other. "We would find excuses to exchange messages or walk by each other’s desk with goofy smiles," Holly says. "It wasn’t until we decided to grab a drink together after a long week at work that things really began. We were both cautious, but after hours of getting lost in conversation, we quickly realised things felt right and from that point on we were inseparable."
The getting-ready space at Huntington Castle looks so cool in the photos!
Cowboy boots are a wedding-day must for a bride from Texas!
Holly sewed this adorable message into her Dad's tie for the big day - what a lovely keepsake!
Diego went all-out with his proposal - Holly thought she and her sister were going to a party for the local soccer team, until they arrived at a beautiful cliffside park, where Diego was waiting at the end of a path lit with paper lanterns, with a friend playing John Legend's All of Me on the violin. After an emotional proposal, Diego and Holly enjoyed a four-course picnic with champagne overlooking the ocean.
But the surprises didn’t stop there! "After the picnic, we drove out to a country home where our closest friends and family had thrown us a surprise engagement party – it was an unforgettable night!" Holly says.
Holly and Diego's first step in wedding planning was to find a location that would work for the American and the Spanish sides of the family. "We wanted to pick a neutral place," Holly says, "but we couldn’t exactly picture ourselves having a beach wedding, as we were hoping for something a bit more traditional. Ireland was actually Diego’s idea and as soon as he said it we were hooked on the idea. It’s such a special place for both of us that it just made sense."
Of course, when their guests were travelling between 1,500 and 4,500 miles for the wedding, they needed a venue with a bit of wow factor! "We wanted to make sure that if our guests were to travel all the way from their respective countries that they would get to experience the magic and charm that made us fall in love with Ireland in the first place."
In their search for a venue with real Irish charm, they stumbled upon Huntington Castle. "Diego in particular was all about finding a spot where we could get married in a ruin and I was hoping for beautiful gardens. Huntington Castle was one of three venues that we visited, but once we saw it in person, we really couldn’t imagine getting married anywhere else. It had Diego’s ruin - the old Abbey - and I was in love with the gardens, especially the yew walk."
The couple planned a "story walk" for their guests for after the ceremony. "We made photo collages with frames and wooden planks and laid them out among some of the trees on the property so our guests were able to explore while finding pictures from our childhood, adventures together and daily life." What a sweet idea!
Holly describes their wedding as "an absolute fairytale. We chose light pink and sage as our colors to give the wedding a garden-like feel. The vibe was cheerful and optimistic as the sun was shining throughout the entire outdoor ceremony and reception."
Holly's advice to engaged couples is to savour every element of the planning process - even the boring parts! "Planning a wedding can be tedious and time-consuming, but try to enjoy it as much as possible. Stay positive and enjoy every moment of the experience, from cake tasting to writing your vows. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so make the most of it and it will all be worth it on the big day!"
In the end, Holly and Diego were thrilled that they chose Huntington Castle for their big day. "We both really loved that the castle has so much history and the original family still lives there which made it feel homey and intimate," Holly says. "We felt like it was a venue worth traveling for and in the end, our guests loved it as much as we did!"
The couple made sure to incorporate some Irish traditions into their wedding - in fact, when Irish dancing troupe Celtic Dance Fusion hit the dancefloor, Diego picked up the steps so quickly that Holly and the guests were fooled into thinking he had practiced a routine with them beforehand!
They also hired some trad musicians to perform during the drinks reception. "We wanted to bring the pub session feel to the wedding!" Holly says. "We had a great experience finding our musicians and quite a bit of luck too! The father-and-son duo were only available by chance as the son, David, was back from touring South Africa for his brother’s wedding!"
We have to admit, we would be pretty chuffed to receive a vintage teacup and saucer set as a wedding favour! And we love how the bridesmaids' dresses are echoed in these pretty mint green napkins!
We love the simple floral accents on this Lolly and Cooks cake, proving that a wedding cake doesn't have to be fussy to be gorgeous!
Given all the travelling that Holly's family had done, it would have been rude not to pop over to Paris with them for a friend-and-familymoon after the wedding! The newlyweds then spent a blissful week in the Algarve in Portugal before heading off again in December for two weeks of touring temples and island-hopping in Thailand.
It looks like this crowd really knows how to party! Thanks so much to David Duignan Photography for sharing his photographs with us, and, of course, to Holly and Diego for giving us the back story to their incredible day!
- Photographer: David Duignan Photography
- Wedding Venue: Huntington Castle
- Wedding Dress: Pronovias
- Bridesmaids Dresses: Alfred Angelo & David's Bridal
- Shoes: Boot Barn
- Flowers: Flower Boutique
- Groomsmen's Suits: Aston Formal
- Caterer: Honeydew Events
- Cake: Lolly & Cooks
- Wedding Favours: Vintage Doodahs
- Make Up & Hair: Snips & Lips
- Wedding Bands: Luxor Custom Jewellers
- Ceremony/Reception Music: Ben & David Delaney
- Celtic Dancers: Celtic Dance Fusion
- Photobooth: Photoboothz
- Wedding Planner: The Wedding Expert
- Videographer: Dreamcatcher Productions
