A lovingly restored 19th-century castle, Lough Rynn Castle is one of Ireland’s most unique wedding venues, thanks to its breathtaking views and secluded location in Leitrim, West of Ireland. Once the ancestral home of the Clements family and the legendary Lord Leitrim, Amanda Brady and Leigh McKeon danced the night away in this incredible ancestral home on the 1st of June 2024. Photographed by Eimear O'Donnell, this summer wedding is warm, welcoming and filled to the brim with love!
The pair were true hometown romance, meeting at 17 while doing their leaving cert in two different schools in Longford, not too far from each other. "We first met at a friend's 18th Birthday Party in November 2009. We chatted a bit but thought nothing of it until we met again at another party in February 2010. We hit it off and exchanged numbers."
During COVID, the couple were rewatching Grey's Anatomy and planning to build a house. So, Leigh took inspiration from Dr Dreamy Derek Shepard; he went on the hunt for 40ft battery-operated Christmas lights in January 2022. "On our anniversary, 02/02/2022, he laid out the lights in the layout of our house and had Moet, champagne flutes and the ring ready. I arrived at the site that evening (thinking we were meeting the architect) in the dark and rain, both of us in wellies. He got down on one knee, and I said yes immediately. It was very romantic. He surpassed all my expectations; it was perfect!"
From the beginning of her bridal beauty journey, Amanda was in a great position, having been blessed with naturally clear skin and a career as a beauty therapist! "I had monthly Image Skincare facials, a few micro-needling sessions in the run-up to the wedding, and an intense homecare routine involving retinol. I also did a body exfoliation once a week to ensure my tan sat well on the day. I kept my hair long with regular haircuts to prevent split ends. I always wanted to wear my hair down on the day, as it's how I always wear it, and I didn’t want anything drastically different. I knew exactly who I wanted to do my hair and make-up on the day! As soon as they opened their 2024 diary, I immediately emailed them. Gemma and Grainne are amazing; they are both local Cavan girls, and I know so many other brides who had them for their weddings. I couldn't recommend them highly enough!" For her wedding day fragrance, Amanda wore Chloe Nomade perfume. "I love the woody fragrance it has with fresh, floral notes. It has such a beautiful and elegant scent. I had been wanting to buy this perfume for a long time but decided to wait and treat myself to the wedding."
"We went to MK Bridal in Navan. They stocked the Ukrainian designer Eva Lendal, which I had been looking at and loving every dress in the collection. I was trying on dresses similar to those I had tried on before, and they were all gorgeous, but I felt something was missing. Caroline in Mk Bridal suggested a dress for me to try on that had a nude/blush undertone to it, and at first, I was hesitant, but once I looked in the mirror, I knew it was the one. The colour was perfect, and I realised that's what was missing all along! I chose the Eva Lendal Taylor dress. It had a beautiful long train and a matching cathedral-length veil, which had tiny pearls all through it. It was perfect, a really special moment to have with my mam." Leigh knew he wanted something classic for a suit, so he decided to go with a tux. He wanted a different colour jacket to make it unique. "We went to Carlos Conlon menswear in Virginia and tried on a few other colour velvet jackets. Carlos suggested a navy jacket as it looked well with the black trousers and the groomsmen's black tux. They all looked so smart and sophisticated."
Amanda's bridal party comprised her two sisters, Maggie and Aine, her niece Abaigh, and her best friend Lynn. "We went to Folkster in Dundrum to look at dresses. I had an idea about what colour I'd like, but I gave the girls free rein to pick a few different dresses to try on. I needed a dress that would suit all shapes and wanted all the girls to be comfortable and confident. They all ended up picking a similar colour, including the colour I liked! After trying on a few styles, we all agreed on a gorgeous blush pink, one-shoulder dress. I also got a belt and shoes to match the dress on the day. They looked stunning."
The couple had a traditional religious ceremony surrounded by our friends and family in Amanda's local church, St. Joseph's Church, Loughduff, Co. Cavan. "There were two moments I enjoyed: Walking up the aisle, seeing all our friends and family, and, of course, seeing Leigh at the altar waiting for me. The next was the vows, as a couple we embraced the vows because we knew that after 14 years together, our time had come, this is what we had been waiting for! We were finally husband and wife!"
The pair went to view Lough Rynn on a sunny Sunday afternoon in April 2022. "We loved everything about it. It had the luxurious castle vibes we were looking for but with a modern twist in the ballroom. The grounds surrounding the castle were beautiful, including the famous walled garden where we took some photos. We loved everything about Lough Rynn, including the castle, the food, and the atmosphere. The staff were exceptional, so friendly and welcoming, and always on the other end of the phone if we needed anything."
For the ceremony music and reception drinks, the couple had Laura Jo., a longtime friend of Amanda. It was an obvious choice for the pair, having heard her sing at a friend's wedding in 2019 and falling in love with her voice. "Funny story: unfortunately, our wedding band cancelled on us two weeks beforehand, which caused a brief panic! Thankfully, they helped us find another band called Electric Lemon, who were amazing. The dance floor was never empty."
Regarding the best decision, Amanda had to say, "The best decision was choosing Lough Rynn as our venue. Our wedding coordinator, Lynette, made the planning stress-free so we could enjoy our day, knowing everything was in capable hands. We were also delighted to choose Lough Rynn because we could have our drinks reception on the lawns. This is something we both wanted, but it was weather-dependent. We were delighted when we got to Lough Rynn and saw everything set up outside. The reception drinks and music outside in the sunshine were so nice; our guests loved the relaxing atmosphere."
Regarding the worst decision, Amanda had to say, "I can thankfully say that I don't have a worst decision. I would do the whole day again and not change a thing. It is very easy to get carried away with what everyone else is doing and try to do too much, but you have to remember it's your day, so do what makes you happy."
- Gráinne