Katie and Bryan enjoyed a stylish, yet relaxed celebration surrounded by their nearest and dearest in the beautiful surroundings of Lough Rynn Castle.
How did you two meet?
‘Bryan and I actually met on a blind date! I was in my final year at college in Limerick, and I was unaware that a mutual friend of ours had sent him a snap of me and he then asked for my phone number.We arranged a date for the 18th November 2017. We went to the famous ‘Cobblestone Joes’ in the lovely Limerick where we played cards and munched pizza. Bryan dropped me home and asked if he could have a kiss and from there the relationship blossomed. A year later in March 2018, Bryan and I moved in together.’
Tell us about the proposal?
‘Unknown to me at the time, when I had fallen sick with Covid, Bryan has a night away planned to propose. However, we were heading to Killarney a month later and he had decided to pop the question then. Then the concert we were going to got cancelled, but when I broke the news to Bryan he was having none of it. We were going to Killarney come hell or high water! Thursday morning, March 2022, came and off we went. We met friends for lunch and then Bryan suggested that we head out to Rossbeigh Strand for a walk. We were walking out, hand in hand and I literally just got the feeling that he was going to propose. As we turned to go back to the car Bryan’s knee gave way and down he went! At first I was thinking ‘Oh God, this is definitely just a spare of the moment thing and then out popped the ring and I could not believe it!’
How did the wedding planning go?
‘Bryan wanted to get cracking straight away – the night we got engaged we started talking about dates and settled on winter 2023. We were both itching to get going, but we did force ourselves to just take it all in and absorb the engagement bubble buzz. I would say I waited roughly a month before beginning the wedding process. We did all of the planning ourselves and I have to say we didn’t find it too bad or stressful.’
Where did you get married and why you choose this venue?
‘We had our ceremony in my local church, a place filled with memories and a mere five minute drive from my home house. Our reception followed in Lough Rynn Castle. The minute we walked into Lough Rynn Castle, we knew that was where we wanted to get married. The, after speaking with Lynette it was a no brainer – she could not have been any better to
deal with. We could picture the whole day as it would unfold as soon as we walked into the room. Cosy, private and intimate with all of the trimmings. Just what we had envisaged.
‘On the day of the wedding Lough Rynn went above and beyond, everything ran like clockwork, the food was exquisite and we honestly could not fault the venue no matter if we were even trying to. The grounds for photos, the staff, literally everything was incredible and we could not recommend it enough.’
Who captured your day?
‘Our photographer was Neil Keery from Keery Photo, and his side kick on the day was Evanna Devine. Originally I chose Neil because of his style, I loved the relaxed vibe. Bryan and I don’t really like standing and posing for photos too much but we also recognise the value in having photos of such a significant day. Neil’s style was relaxed, candid and he captured everyone’s personality beautifully.
‘As for videography, Julianna from Doyenne Films was recommended to us by Neil and we really liked her style. She made us feel so relaxed on the day, we don’t even notice her presence, she totally blended in.’
What did you wear?
‘I will begin with my favourite part of my outfit. The hat! I could not have loved my hat any more. Before I even met Bryan I knew if ever I was getting married I would want to wear a hat. I went to Sinead B Millinery and told her the vision I had in my head. Sinead has a world of insight, knowledge and is incredibly gifted at what she does. She was beyond
patient with me when I was looking to go bigger and we literally built the hat from the ground up over the course of a few months. The dress was Suzanne Neville as soon as I puit it on I loved everything about it. It just felt very ‘me’, and it’s important to feel like yourself and be comfortable on the day.
‘The suits were hired from Galvin Tullamore. Bryan wore a black velvet jacket and a tux. He purchased his jacket and trousers from there, opting for the brand Remus Uomo for those as the tailoring and fit was neater.
‘The bridesmaids dresses were purchased on JardinVue website, however, had to be brought for a lot of alterations prior to the wedding. I went with a simple black and white as I thought it would look crisp in the photos and tie in well with the mens tux.
Do you have any favourite moments from the day?
‘So many! One in the main sticks out in my mind – as mentioned earlier I have a brother who passed away. I always believe he is sending me ‘hellos’ via butterflies. When we went into the ballroom there was a butterfly flying around from table to table, he sat beside my dad for the entire speech and even came up and sat beside us at the table – simply magic.’
Have you any advice for other couples planning their day?
‘Let the hair sit and don’t be too precious about yourself. Everyone is there because they love you. No one is looking to pick the day apart or say ‘they didn’t do this, or that’. Everyone loves you. So relax and have fun. The wedding takes on the bride and grooms vibe so it your relaxed and having fun people feel that energy and feel like they can do the same.’
Katie & Bryan’s Dream Team
Photography: Keery Photo;
Videography: Doyenne Films;
Venue: Lough Rynn Castle;
Wedding Dress: Kadee Bride;
Bridal Hat: Sinead B Millinery;
Groomswear: Galvin Tullamore;
Hair: Funky Finges;
Make-Up: Sarah Keogh;
Flowers: HiddenBotanics;
Reception Music: The Highstool Prophets;
Evening Band & DJ: Flog The Dog
