On a sunshine-filled afternoon in May, tucked away in the picturesque walled gardens at Martinstown House, Sinéad and Karl exchanged their vows surrounded by 160 of their closest friends and family. The pair's charming celebration featured a picture-perfect rustic outdoor ceremony, colourful wildflower arrangements, and the sweetest handwritten wedding favours for their guests. Laden with so much character and cool festival vibes, check out this unmissable whimsical special day, captured by the wonderful Aidan Beatty Photography, below!

Before diving into the details of their storybook special day, let's get to know the happy couple a bit more! Laois native Sinéad and Donegal born Karl's paths crossed almost ten years ago while the pair were studying at NUIG.  "Karl was studying Biopharmaceutical Chemistry, I was a Creative Writing student. We met through friends and the rest is history! The Roisín Dubh has a lot to answer for…"

Fast forward to May 2020, the couple's sweet engagement story began on a Friday while the two were living in Oxford in Karl's tiny box room. With lockdown underway, Sinéad was waiting on Karl to come home so they could go on a walk together: "I had got some new clothes and makeup for my birthday so decided to mess around with them whilst I waited for him to come home (lucky I did in hindsight!)" After changing their regular route and acting rather distracted on their walk: "He brought me down a side alley called St Mary’s Passage, famous because of its lone street lamp that seemingly inspired C.S Lewis when writing the Chronicles of Narnia. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was completely surprised!"

Falling head over heels for the breathtaking grounds of Martinstown House, the couples outdoor celebration had a distinctly festival feel: "some of our favourite memories as a couple are at various music festivals so it was nice to have an element of that at the wedding!" From the moment they started their virtual tour of the sunshine-yellow country house, Sinéad and Karl knew that it was the venue for them: "The Booths and Jennifer were beyond kind and accommodating and the place had that personal feel that we were both after... On top of that – the ceremony space speaks for itself!"

With a colourful twine-wrapped wildflower bouquet in hand, glowing bride Sinéad opted to wear an effortlessly chic customised Vanessa Cocchiaro gown: "I love things that feel timeless, but have a unique element about them and I wanted that to be reflected at our wedding."

Tying in with the earthy tones of the couple's special day, Sinéad's bridesmaids wore matching sage dresses from Pretty Lavish and held understated daisy and eucalyptus bouquets.

Walking down the aisle with his family by his side, dapper groom Karl donned a stylish black Benetti Menswear tuxedo: "Pairing Karl’s very classic tux with a boutonnière made of lavender and daisies or my dress with a bouquet of wildflowers allowed us to mix and match the classic with all things wild and beautiful."

Against the spectacular forest backdrop of the Woodlands space in Martinstown House, Sinéad and Karl exchanged their vows in a thoughtful, serene ceremony.

Alongside a beautiful Hand-Fasting ritual, editor Sinéad paid close attention to the couple's poignant selection of ceremony readings which included Take Love For Granted by Jack Ridl, Pósadh by Colm Breathanach and Scaffolding by Seamus Heaney: "I work with words all day every day, and it was special being able to choose writings and poems that mean so much to Karl and I". In a wonderfully special addition to their ceremony, Sinéad and Karl's friend played an acoustic version of the couple's favourite song Kids on the Run by The Tallest Man on Earth.

Sinéad and Karl had this advice for couples embarking on their special day: "Don’t sweat the small stuff and try not get whisked away into the land of wedding mania. At the end of the day, this is about the two of you, so try to remain as true to that as possible."

 The couple's evening went on to include a festival inspired reception complete with a marquee, speeches on the lawn, campervans and a first dance to BellX1's Rocky Took A Lover.

To immortalise their special day the couple gifted their wedding party sweet personalised wedding favours: "Our families, bridal party and groomsmen stayed in Martinstown House the night before and that was really special. We had handwritten cards for each of them and presents that reminded us of them that they could keep forever."

Adding an extra sweet note to their day: "We had photos of all of our parents and grandparents on their special days lining the shelves of the marquee and a guest book where people took polaroids and wrote many words of wisdom." Finishing off the night with a bang: "My family are all hugely into music, so having a sing song with everyone at the end of the night also felt extra special."

Following their busy wedding festivities, Sinéad and Karl enjoyed a few days in the Galgorm for a quick mini-moon getaway. With their honeymoon in the works for next summer "Being based in London, we don’t often have the opportunity to relax near home and see loved ones frequently, so it was nice to be able to do that both sides of the wedding and honeymoon!"

A very special thank you to Sinéad, Karl and Aidan Beatty for sharing this wonderful wedding with One Fab Day. There are also plenty more gorgeous photos from their stunning Martinstown House special day to check out in the gallery below!

Dreaming of your own country house celebration? Check out our guide of Irish country house venues perfect for an intimate wedding.