You are about to relive a decadently beautiful wedding day inspired by the 1930s, complete with tassels and vintage charm in a mystical castle setting. Our real wedding couple, Stephanie and Jack, travelled from their hometown in Mayo to Co. Sligo, along with 100 guests, and an abundance of dried florals handmade with love by the creative bride! Oh, and not forgetting the most awe-worthy pre-loved wedding dress made up of an array of textures! Photographer Darek Novak joined the lovebirds on the crisp February morning, and captured the exquisite photography that we guarantee will inspire if you are looking to infuse some vintage style into your wedding day in a modern way. Let’s take a look…
Before indulging in the delicate wedding details, we asked ou couple to sum up the aesthetic of day. “The overall look was an antique and vintage aesthetic with contemporary elements to reflect our personal style. From the dresses to the invites, everything is related to one another through colour, style and texture. The month very much influenced the choices made. February, whilst spring, can feel quite chilly still. We kept a fresh colour palette with elements of darker tones to ground everything. Blending different textures and materials throughout the clothing, along with flowers and accessories that helped create harmony and balance without everything matching,” says Stephanie.
Can we take a moment for the wedding florals, bouquets, and buttonholes made up of dried flowers, handmade by the beautiful bride herself? Simply exquisite.
So how did these two love birds meet? Stephanie and Jack were first introduced through friends only to realise they were actually neighbours! After they hit it off, Jack popped the question on New Year’s Eve, with just the two of them, surrounded by an abundance of romantic candlelight.
Stephanie unique embroidered headpiece, tassel sleeves, and gorgeous brocade skirt, created incredible detail all working in harmony, adding individuality to her look. The beautiful bridesmaids wore vintage dresses from the 1930s, with the most spectacular hand-sewn floral stitching.
“Looking back, we are so delighted with how everything turned out. On the day everything seemed to fall into place and run seamlessly without any stress. I think overall we tried to not over plan and just make a conscious decision to enjoy every minute,” says Stephanie. “The staff at the hotel were fantastic and made everything so easy. A really lovely touch for us was having Bohemian Strings as the string quartet for the ceremony. Their music created the perfect mood.” Another special touch was that the bride’s sister designed the invites. Both the flowers and the stationery were done well ahead of time of course, and proved a very enjoyable task for the sisters! “It was a lovely creative outlet that turned out to be surprisingly stress-free.”
The ceremony took place in the chapel of their venue, Markree Castle. During the ceremony, Jack, the groom recited a very special reading that was then used as the voice-over for the newlywed’s wedding video – their favourite words spoken during the wedding ceremony.
Enda Harte, an award-winning celebrant from Spiritual Ceremonies, delivered a beautiful and warm ceremony full of personal touches.
After being pronounced husband and wife, the pair headed to the breathtaking grounds to take some very memorable wedding pictures. Stephanie and Jack describe what made this castle wedding venue the one: “The setting and every small detail of Markree Castle really was everything we hoped for. The character and integrity of the castle have been superbly renovated to reflect an old world and opulent feel. The chapel inside the castle really was the winning ticket for us. Absolutely stunning! It allowed us to have a wonderfully intimate ceremony with our closest friends and family in an utterly beautiful setting.”
We’re sure you’re hoping we’ll dish on the details on our bride’s awe-worthy attire! The antique gown, paired with a 19th-century piano shawl was purchased online at Resee, a fashion platform that specialises in vintage and pre-loved dresses. Perfect for the sustainable bride! The embroidered bridal headpiece, which perfects her look, was custom-made by Earley Hats.
The reception took place in the luxurious grand hall, speckled with gilded gold decor and a pared-back three-tiered buttercream wedding cake garnished with more divine dried flowers!
The couple chose Eve The Apple of My Eye by Bell X1 as their first dance before retreating outdoors to the castle grounds, to celebrate under the starlit sky with their guests and lots of sparklers!
Thank you to Stephanie, Jack and Darak Novak for sharing their wonderful wedding day with us all at One Fab Day.
If you enjoyed this beautiful vintage-inspired castle wedding, why not indulge in more inspiring Real Weddings here or see our list of Fairytale Castle Venues in Ireland.
