Even though they bonded over a love of travel, solicitors Jean and Fintan decided to tie the knot at home in Ireland, enjoying a day full of fun with their nearest and dearest.
How did you both meet?
‘We met in 2016 when we both joined the same law firm as trainee solicitors in Dublin,’ explains Jean. ‘We got to know each other over a few months and ultimately started properly dating after a group trip to Vietnam in early 2017 with some friends. Fintan made the first move. We discovered a common love of travel and took advantage of any opportunities we could over the years and have now been to twenty countries together. We both still work for the same law firm – albeit in different areas of law.’
Tell us about the proposal.
‘Fintan proposed in early December in 2022 at Ashford Castle after six years of dating. He surprised me with the trip a few days before. It was a lovely frosty, but sunny day and we went for a walk in the grounds when we arrived. After finding a quiet spot down a pretty walkway he got down on one knee! Fintan had afternoon tea booked afterward, which quickly turned into a celebratory champagne tasting and we got to enjoy the engagement bubble for a little while before calling our families. It felt perfect and we were both really excited about starting the next chapter of our life together.’
How did the planning process go?
‘We started planning immediately as we knew we wanted to get married in 2023 having been together for a number of years already. We were due to go travelling for two months to Australia and New Zealand in January/February 2023 so we started looking at venues straight away. We planned everything ourselves and got most of the big items (band, photographer, videographer, make-up and hair) locked in while travelling. I even bought my wedding dress in Sydney. I was very hands-on with planning, I even made our invitations and menus.
Where did you get married and why did you choose this venue?
We had our ceremony at a small church local to my parent’s house in Cork. It’s where I was baptised, had my communion and confirmation, so it felt special to have the wedding there. It’s in a small village with pretty grounds and looked stunning in the sun on the day.’ Our wedding reception was held at Castlemartyr Resort. When we initially visited it immediately stood out from other venues. It was the right mix of modern and classic and had beautiful grounds. I had always hoped that if I got married in Cork it would be at Castlemartyr and thankfully Fintan liked it too! We felt like we would be in great hands here and that our guests would have a great time too and we were right.’
Who captured your day?
‘We chose Wonder & Magic because they create beautiful images, but also capture the spirit of the day and never miss a detail. Richie took so much time before our wedding to get a real understanding of what we wanted and was such a positive and happy influence on the day itself. Tom from White Phoenix Films was our videographer and he made us feel like movie stars on the day, giving us just the right amount of direction. We also hired a content creator, Lucy from And Something Blu. Lucy just slotted in on the day and got so many reels and photos, plus the quality was fantastic!’
What did you wear?
‘I wore a dress from Blanche Bridal. I went shopping by myself in Sydney and after trying on 12 or 13 dresses, I knew immediately that it was the one. I loved the 3D floral detailing, the low back and incredible train. In the evening I changed into a dress from Karolina Kusy, which was tons of fun for dancing and enjoying the band and DJ! Fintan got a bespoke black tuxedo made by Abraham’s Tailoring. He chose a velvet jacket with shawl collar for a modern yet classic look. The groomsmen also wore black tuxes from here and my bridesmaids wore navy one shoulder full length dresses from Asos.’
What was your favourite moment from the day?
‘My favourite moment was seeing Jean walk down the aisle, particularly since she’d kept me waiting an extra ten minutes,’ laughs Fintan. ‘She looked so happy.’ Aside from walking down the aisle and seeing Fintan, Jean’s favourite moment was stealing away to get a glimpse of the reception room before the guests were called to dinner. ‘The room looked amazing – exactly how I’d envisioned it. It was amazing to see all of the details come together.’
Do you have any advice to share?
‘Soak it all in! We had a relatively short engagement (approximately ten months) and it feels like it flew by, so make the most of it because it’s such a special time.’
Jean and Fintan’s Dream Team:
Venue: Castlemartyr Resort & Spa;
Photographer: Wonder & Magic;
Videographer: White Phoenix Films;
Wedding Content Creator: And Something Blu;
Wedding Dresses: Blanche Bridal & Karolina Kusy;
Alterations: By Kate;
Groom’s & Groomsmen Suiting: Abraham’s Tailoring;
Bridesmaids Dresses: Asos;
Bridal Shoes: Rainbow Club;
Flowers: French Touch Flowers;
Cake: Applebee Bakes;
Make-up: Nikki Burke, The Make-Up Doll;
Hair: Christine O’Sullivan;
Wedding Rings: Appleby Jewellers;
Ceremony/ Reception Music: Delta String Quartet;
Band: Arthur;
