Heading to the supremely elegant Kilshane House to celebrate their special day, our real wedding couple Deirdre and Mark exchanged vows in a beautiful church ceremony in Co. Tipperary. Sporting a pair of iconic blue Manolo Blahniks, our bride Deirdre wore an incredibly stylish Suzanne Neville gown alongside her team of bridesmaids in a soft neutral shade. Featuring a spectacular photoshoot using the grounds of the historic estate as an unforgettable backdrop, check out Deirdre and Mark's May celebration, captured by Pawel Bebenca Photography, below!
Before diving into the details of their fabulous special day, let's get to know the happy couple a bit more! Deirdre and Mark's paths originally crossed on a dating app: "Bumble – a classic modern love story! We bonded over a mutual appreciation of the GAA and had our first date in a bar in Limerick, followed closely by a second two days later walking the beach in Spanish Point with brunch in the Armada."
Fast forward to Mark's romantic proposal while the pair were on a weekend away at Mount Juliet Estate: "Despite wanting to treat me to a blow dry that morning and subtly suggesting it might be no harm to have my makeup done, I was none the wiser and insisted it was a waste with all the lovely walks around the grounds. He did manage to convince me to let him have a go painting my nails! About five minutes after arriving, our walk through the beautiful autumnal grounds was cut short with the most wonderful surprise – and one muddy knee. Once we had some time to enjoy the moment over a bottle of bubbly we had great fun Facetiming close family and friends."
From the outset of wedding planning the couple prioritised putting on a great weekend of celebrating for their guests: "We knew that no matter what we were going to have fun, so we really wanted those around us – family and friends – to enjoy the weekend. We wanted good food, good music, a relaxed feel and to make sure that we were present for as much of the day as possible. Our photographer and videographer really listened to this – taking most of our photographs close to the venue so that we got to be with our guests during the drinks reception."
After opening a heartfelt letter from the groom, our glowing bride Deirdre donned her phenomenal Suzanne Neville gown which she paired with her 'something blue' - ever-stylish Manolo Blahnik pumps.
Following sweet first looks with her bridal party, Deirdre made her way to the couple's ceremony spot.
Before their beautiful church ceremony began, the couple's musicians had to step in to keep the day running smoothly: "At the church the power went before the ceremony and our musicians pulled out all the stops to get a battery powered piano."
The couple highlighted two elements of their ceremony that were particularly special to them: "Our friend Ailbhe sang Nella Fantasia during the ceremony which was really special. After communion, Deirdre’s aunt and godmother read the words to the opening scene of Love Actually – one of our favourites - adding a touch of Christmas magic in May."
Following the ceremony, the newlyweds headed over to historic Kilshane House to celebrate: "We had visited a few venues before Kilshane House but it was the first one where we both turned to each other and could see ourselves there getting married. From the moment we drove through the gates, we loved how tucked away it is - that feeling that for your wedding weekend it essentially meant having all your friends and family in one big house together. The humorous signs on the drive up also set the tone we were after. The house has some really beautiful features including the stairs, doll house and the glass conservatory which really add to the character."
With her bridesmaids wearing gorgeous gowns in a neutral colour palette, Deirdre described the look of their wedding day as classic with a little softness around the edges: "The venue itself set that tone – elegant yet inviting and comfortable. While the dresses and suits brought quite clean, sharp lines - the flowers added a softness and summery feel."
Deirdre and Mark added that the little touches from the staff at Kilshane made their day all the more special: "bringing Mark a pint to the table when we sat for dinner without asking and overhearing me looking for flip-flops and going to find a pair."
Celebrating in style, the couple's elegant reception space featured draped ceiling décor, a soft neutral colour palette and pops of green from the hanging foliage and centrepieces.
"Another really special moment for us was gathering all our bridal party together for a drink when the rest of the guests sat for dinner – it was such a lovely pause with our crew before the real party started. It was an idea we got from a close friend’s wedding and one we are really glad we made time for."
Deirdre and Mark had this advice for couples setting off on their own wedding planning journey: "Take your time choosing your main suppliers – venue, photographer, videographer, florist, hair, makeup - as this will set the overall aesthetic for the day. Remember that these are the people who live and breathe weddings – they’ll have done it one hundred times so while its important to have a sense of what you want, do listen to their advice. Then step back and trust that it will all come together. Find a moment in the day with just the two of you to stop, breathe and take it all in because time really does fly when you’re having fun."
Deirdre and Mark's joy-filled reception went on to include a stunning golden hour photoshoot on the grounds, a first dance to Van Morrison’s Days Like This and a sparkler exit.
In terms of their well-deserved honeymoon of epic proportions: "We spent 10 days on Safari in Tanzania, across three National Parks – Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire followed by a week in Zanzibar. It was lovely to head away straight after the wedding and stay in that bubble. There was a nice contrast between being up early and out every day on safari and the totally relaxed vibe of the Zanzibar beach resort. Would definitely recommend!"
Congratulations Deirdre and Mark! A very special thank you to the couple and to Pawel Bebenca Photography for sharing this magnificent Kilshane House wedding with One Fab Day. There are also plenty more amazing photos from their special day to check out in the gallery below!
Are you tying the knot during sunshine season? Check out the rest of our Summer Real Weddings for lots of inspiration!
