A Palladian manor in the heart of Ireland, Cashel Palace is a luxury hotel in Tipperary, meticulously restored and exquisitely reimagined. A breathtaking blend of luxury, history, and charm, offering an unparalleled setting for your wedding day. This majestic hotel, once a Bishop's residence dating back to the 18th century, was the venue for Bríd de Brún's wedding to Cian Madden on August 11th 2023. Photographed by Christina Brosnan and featured in the Summer issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL WEDDINGS, If you're on the hunt for some of the dreamiest details for your wedding inspo, look no further!
The pair met in December 2013 in a nightclub in Cork. "We knew from very early on that we had each found our perfect person, and the rest is history!"
Bríd surprised Cian with a trip to Cancun, Mexico, for his 30th birthday in June 2022, and he surprised her back by proposing on the beach with a photographer! "It was a total shock and not what I anticipated from the holiday." Talk about a fantastic souvenir to bring home!
Her beauty journey was pretty simple. "I aim to eat healthy 80% of the time anyway, so I kept that up and didn’t change that up at all." Being a pharmacist, Bríd is on her feet all day at work and usually reaches a 10k step count by the time she gets home in the evening, so in the run-up to the wedding, she made a point to make sure to reach 10k steps every day (Especially on days off). "I was slightly more consistent with my skincare than I was before the wedding prep as I can be very lazy with that, and aside from that, just simple steps like water intake and fresh air, which I aim to do anyway regardless of the wedding prep or not." On the wedding day, Bríd kept her makeup quite rosey and soft. "I didn’t want to look too different from my usual makeup look, so I just worked with Sue Brophy to elevate what I would normally do." Eager to keep her hair back off her face, Bríd slicked down the face-framing bits behind her ears and added volume to her lengths with soft curls.
Initially, Bríd had chosen a fragrance as my wedding scent and adored it, but by chance, the couple were gifted the Jo Malone experience to celebrate their engagement! "I didn’t realise how much of a difference combining their products can make on the scent of just the perfume alone! It’s something both Cian and I did as a couple, and it was such a fun day out. We ended up getting gels, lotions and scents that also worked together and mixed well, which made it special. It was a lovely and luxurious gift, and it felt really special working together to make these unique sets for our wedding day."
Bríd found the process of choosing the wedding dress to be a lot harder than initially anticipated, as she rarely wears white. "I think the pressure to pick something unique is very intense, so you can overthink everything you buy; in the end, I just went back to basics and acted as if I was just picking something for a normal event (With a slightly bigger budget!)." She wore a white French Connection Suit the night before for the rehearsal dinner; it's just a simple fitted piece she can re-wear. "On the wedding day, I wore a simple yet edgy clean-cut Eva Lendel Wedding dress with a trailing overskirt, then at the reception, we removed the overskirt and added a custom Dior-inspired bow in its place." She added a pearl bracelet, pearl drop earrings, and a custom-made cathedral-length veil with a structure tulle, adding volume and 80s inspiration. For the shoes, Bríd wore a simple pair of white Jimmy Choo heels with a crossover detail over the toe.
Cian is stylish and knows exactly what he likes. "We knew he would be wearing a black tie suit, so we had a starting point; from there, we went to Louis Copeland & Sons on Wicklow Street in Dublin and were blown away at how amazing they are at what they do. David O’Connor took us under his wing and brought us from the idea to reality." They custom-made Cian’s suit and looked at every small detail, from socks, cufflinks, watches, and shoes, to ensure it was perfect from head to toe. He wore a velvet jacket with satin silk lapels, a low-cut circular waistcoat and black fitted trousers.
Bríd's bridal party comprised her two sisters and two childhood friends. "I initially wanted the girls to wear white, but the combination didn’t look great because my dress was ivory. Instead, we chose a simple, clean, understated oyster champagne colour." The group went to Dresscode in Dublin and were pleasantly surprised with the quality of their dresses. "Once I decided on colour, I was happy enough to let the girls choose their silhouettes. My maid of honour (and sister) Niamh went with an asymmetrical strapped bodice style, and the other three girls liked the same sleeveless wrap-top dress, so they wore the same. It worked out well with everybody in a similar style but with the bonus of my MOH looking a little more unique!"
The couple's ceremony was very traditional. "We got married in Holycross Abbey, just outside of Cashel. It’s a beautiful 11th-century abbey that houses one of Ireland's only surviving medieval frescoes! We had gorgeous music from a musician and friend of mine, Kate Hurley, who played the harp and was accompanied by a violinist. I am quite traditional, so this was an important part of the day. The priest who led the ceremony has been a friend of mine for a few years and made it very personal. The ceremony involved as many friends and family as possible, and the whole thing was perfect. I had butterflies in my stomach for the entire morning leading up to my walk down the aisle, but as soon as I locked eyes with Cian, I felt excited to marry him."
The pair got engaged in June; by July, Bríd had started looking at venues! Cashel Palace had just reopened, and there had only been a handful of weddings there, which was a major appeal for the couple. "I wanted something different individual and somewhere no one else close to me had been. We went to see it, and the minute we drove into the hotel, we both got a feeling that I couldn’t describe it. However, I knew we’d get married before we went inside. It sounds dramatic, but it’s true! What I loved most was that it had the old original building, which is elegant and classic, but it also has a new extension, making it modern and simple. The ballroom was a win for me because of all the natural light, high ceilings, spaciousness, and brightness. It was just stunning. Aside from that, the food is incredible and has such a calming vibe the minute you step inside. The staff were excellent; they catered to every wish, and we felt like royalty from the moment we arrived."
For the reception entertainment, the couple hired the Event Band. "They were phenomenal. They are a 10-piece band with a saxophone. They are so talented and edgy, have amazing stage presence and are really just for the crowd going."
Regarding the best decision, Bríd had to say, "Without a doubt, my best decision was to say yes to Cian! One of the other best decisions was to pick Cashel Palace as our venue. Every element of it was perfect, and we had such a wonderfully stress-free wedding day. From the get-go, the team at the hotel worked like mad to make sure everything was exactly how we wanted it. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough!"
- Gráinne