M & D // Ballynahinch Castle

I was absolutely thrilled to be asked to photograph the stunning wedding celebration of Madeline & Darragh in Connemara last August. I knew straight away that this would be a really special one, their keen vision and aesthetic was second to none!

Madeline, the bride hails from the US while Darragh the groom is Irish. Once they had decided on Ireland for their destination wedding, luxury castle hotel Ballynahinch Castle was an easy choice. Darragh and his parents have always loved Ballynahinch, especially since the castle has been intertwined with the O’Flaherty clan since the 14th Century.

The vision for their day was a black tie garden party turned Gatsby style house party. The day was co-ordinated and overseen by the wonderful team at Waterlily Weddings, who specialise in destination wedding planning in Ireland.

Linden Illustrations designed the unique and stunning paper goods, incorporating paintings of the castle and Irish flora and fauna.

Odharnait Kiernan was on make-up creating a youthful and fresh look to enhance Madeline’s natural beauty.

Michelle Grimes of Hair Maven was on hair and created a sleek low knotted bun with some loose tendrils in the front which was clean and understated.

Madeline’s incredible dramatic dress was ‘Bloom’ by Monique Lhuillier, a green and ivory ball gown with a draped off-the-shoulder neckline, gathered bell sleeves, and soft ivy vines throughout.

Madeline kept her jewellery simple and wore her engagement ring, Claddagh ring and her late grandmother’s pearl earrings.

The handsome groom, Darragh wore a custom tux from Alan David in New York. He paired it with a custom tux shirt from Bombay Shirts, Stubbs and Wootton velvet tux slippers and custom cufflinks gifted from his in-laws.

Darragh, the groomsmen, and the fathers all wore Brackish bow ties which added a little Southern flair and natural element to their tuxedos.

A pit-stop at the bar for a creamy pre-ceremony Guinness was mandatory!

The ceremony was a traditional Catholic mass at St. Joseph’s Church in Clifden. Father Bernie Costello, who has known the O’Flaherty’s for many years, performed the service. Heritage Monograms designed their gorgeous monogram, incorporating the ruins of Dun Aengus where the couple were engaged, bluebonnets to represent the bride’s Texas roots and aspects of the O’Flaherty family crest.

The guests lined the exit of the church for a fun confetti toss with pretty dried petals.

On the way to the church and back, the couple and their guests enjoyed the incredible views of the Connemara landscape which of course we stopped to take in for photos. We were blessed with gorgeous warm August weather, it was idyllic!

After the ceremony, the guests spent a few hours in the impeccable walled garden with a gin and tonic trolley, oyster station, margarita bar and jazz band enjoying the gorgeous afternoon.

The bridesmaids wore stunning and unique individual gowns in floral and blue. Helen wore a beautiful Markarian floral gown, Lizzie wore a fabulous Marchesa cape gown and Caroline wore a long sleeved Vampire’s Wife liberty print dress.

Their aesthetic stemmed from the location and Madeline’s incredible Monique Lhuliiier gown. The green, white and blue flowers were inspired by the gown, the church and the flowers blooming at Ballynahinch. Madeline carried a simple lily of the valley bouquet by Flowers by Josephine. The castle has the most amazing hydrangea bushes and a lush walled garden on the grounds which we took full advantage of for their portraits.

Dinner was served that evening in the main dining room of the castle overlooking the fabulous views of the river.

After dinner, we headed back along the river towards the walled garden to catch that golden hour light that made for extra magical portraits. The lovely Dan from Hearts of Gold films (stepping in for B&G on the day) was by my side as videographer on the day, a pleasure to work with. And a big shout out and thank you to his wonderful wife Jess, who was my second shooter on the day.

The father of the bride kicked off the speeches with a heartfelt and funny speech welcoming Darragh into the family. He was followed by toasts (and roasts) by the Maid of Honor and Darragh’s Best Man. Maid of Honour speeches are becoming ever more popular, it’s lovely to hear the expression of female love, friendship and support.

The fabulous cake designed to match the green ivy on Madeline’s dress was created by Goya’s in Galway.

Following the cutting of the cake, the couple danced their first dance to Moon River by The Swing Cats outdoors on the castle’s terrace next to the river, a perfect end to a beautiful day!