Home Wanderful Weddings A touch of 1950’s charm at this incredible Irish wedding

A touch of 1950’s charm at this incredible Irish wedding

incredible Irish wedding at Kilashee House

Childhood sweethearts, Jennifer and Andrew, tied the knot with 90 friends and family to the sweet tune of The Vard Sisters in The Church of the Immaculate Conception, Clondalkin Village. This was followed by a romantic reception at Killashee House Hotel in Co Kildare – Ireland.

Find out more about their wonderful day…..

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

How they met

‘We are childhood sweethearts and met at school. I was 15, playing the lead role in a school play, whilst Andrew was 16 and working backstage. We have been best friends ever since!’

The proposal 

‘Andrew is mad about cars and we decided to take a trip down to the Irish Festival of Speed which was being held at Adare Manor, Co. Limerick. It is such a nice venue so we decided to make a weekend of it.

I thought I might get a proposal during a romantic dinner on the first night but nothing happened! However, Andrew proposed unsuspectingly the next morning whilst having breakfast in bed. It was so lovely and unexpected.’

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

The outfits

Jennifer’s dress was from Truly Bridal Boutique in Naas, Co. Kildare (Ireland) from the La Sposa range. She had tried on many dresses before this one but apparently nothing came close to it. We adore Jennifer’s dress and can see why she fell in love with it too.

‘It was made of the softest tulle and had the most beautiful intricate detail such as beading on the waist and lace applique on the veil to match the lace in the dress. When shopping for a wedding dress, you can sometimes feel like you’re on a conveyor belt system but the ladies in Truly Bridal made the experience very special for me and they were great!’

‘Andrew hired his suit from Aston Formal Wear. He was initially going to buy his suit but he found it quite difficult to find one that he liked. He kept it quite simple by going with a classic grey suit with matching waistcoat. He looked very handsome on the day!’

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

The venue

‘We chose our Killashee House because it had everything we were looking for. Sometimes you have to make a compromise to get exactly what you want but there was nothing to compromise on!’

‘We had beautiful gardens for great photo opportunities, we had our own private use of the house, which kept things very personal for us and we also had all of the great amenities that come with a hotel venue so that our guests could have more options when choosing where to stay and what to do the next day.’

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

Vision for the day

‘I’m a very girly girl and wanted to use my personality to bring out the style of the wedding. I wanted to keep things soft and classic whilst also bringing out a bit of vintage elegance. I particularly love the 1950’s style of Grace Kelly who is a style icon of mine.’

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

Personal touches

Jennifer and Andrew made their own Ferrero Rocher trees which were inspired by Andrew’s grandparents who are apparently quite partial to the odd sweet or two!

‘It took forever to put all the sweets on as I bought the wrong size polystyrene balls which were too big. I think there was plenty of Ferrero Rocher to go around anyway!’

Best decision

‘Spending as much time with my new husband on the day as possible. We took some time out for ourselves and really lived in the moment as a newly married couple.’ Ah, we think this is just lovely!

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

In hindsight…..

‘I was so nervous that morning so I would have liked to have been a bit more relaxed before arriving at the church. I was fine once I saw Andrew at the top of the aisle!’

Useful tips

‘Naas has some lovely local coffee shops and trendy boutiques. There are some local pubs around the area but if you are staying on a Friday or Saturday night, Killashee House have the most adorable ‘snug’ hidden away from the hustle and bustle of it all. It’s a really nice hideout after a busy day!’

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

Videography

Cathal Farrelly captured their day beautifully. Check out the couple’s stunning wedding video below.

Nick O’Keeffe also did an amazing job as photographer – check out his portfolio here

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

The suppliers

‘I am a stickler for research and I spent many hours scrolling through reviews and websites before making my decisions. Once we found the right suppliers, we went ahead and booked them!’ A girl after our own heart!

Destination Wedding_Ireland_The Vard Sisters_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_The Vard Sisters_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

Venue: Killashee House Hotel

Wedding Dress: Truly Bridal Boutique

Bridal Shoes: Aruna Seth

Suits:  Aston Formal Wear

Makeup: Rhona Cullinan from The Powder Room Girls

Hair: Susan Peggs from The Powder Room Girls

Stationary: Coill Design

Flowers: Tiger Lily

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

Photographer: Nick O’Keeffe Photography

Videographer: Cathal Farrelly Cinematographer

Cake: Giftcakes

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe PhotographyDestination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography

Church Music: The Vard Sisters

Venue Music: Pat Coldrick (Classical Guitarist)

Wedding Band & DJ: The Great Escape

It looks like Jennifer and Andrew had the prefect day! We have loved seeing the photos of their stunning venue and finding out more about how they planned their day. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O'Keeffe Photography
Destination Wedding_Ireland_Killashee House Hotel_Nick O’Keeffe Photography