One of Ireland's more breathtaking wedding venues, Gloster House, is a luxury Georgian country house nestling at the foot of the Slieve Bloom mountains. Built in 1720 and attributed to one of the most important architects of the period, Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, the house has been lovingly restored over the last 14 years. Surrounded by manicured gardens, woodland, and lakes, Hazel Cryan married Andrew Swanton on May 20th 2023. Photographed by Niamh Smith Photography and featured in the Summer issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL WEDDINGS, we couldn't imagine a more beautiful day if we tried!
The couple originally met in 2016 and had a few dates before going their separate ways, with Andrew emigrating to Australia to work as a doctor. During COVID-19, the two reconnected, and Andrew moved back home to Ireland. "Things couldn’t have gone better since!"
"We had a lovely private proposal. I returned home from a weekend in Madrid in late November 2022 with some friends to find the whole place decorated for Christmas. Andrew designed a beautiful vintage-inspired ring and had it under the tree. Thankfully, he had gotten great advice to book me for a nail appointment!"
The best adjectives we can think of that formed the wedding theme and Hazel's look are classic, elegant, romantic, and vintage. "I would typically wear my hair down in soft curls or waves regularly, so I opted for that same style on the day but a little more elevated by lightly pinning it back with adding some volume." For her make-up, Hazel wanted to keep it natural with good coverage and focus on the eyes with a very subtle winged eyeliner. "I did one trial with Ailbhe Lynch as I have never had my make-up done professionally. I love her style and so trusted her implicitly. The dress being full of lace with a long sleeve was enough of a statement, so keeping the rest simple was paramount!"
The couple both wore Tom Ford Leather Ombre. It’s quite masculine, with an initial smell of luxurious leather and violet leaf, but the longer it sits on your skin, the subtly sweet and spicy notes from cardamom and jasmine develop. "It’s not for everybody, but I think it is heavenly, and wearing the same scent on the day was quite romantic. Whenever we put it on, I feel like I’m getting married again!"
Hazel & Andrew had less than five months to organise the wedding; thankfully, she quickly found the dress! "I always had a classic vintage, elegant style in mind and loved the idea of long sleeves and lace. I only went to 2-3 shops, and as soon as I tried it on, I adored it. I opted for a full-length cathedral veil, which we added lace to the dress to complete the look. Generally, a heavy lace long-sleeve wedding dress and black bridesmaid dresses would be considered more appropriate for a winter wedding than summer. However, I adore the simplicity of black and white and generally prefer to go with my style and what people feel good in instead of a trend or norm."
Despite being a summer wedding, the couple opted for a black-tie wedding. "It’s such a classic look and fits with the venue. We loved the idea of Andrew’s suit being slightly different, so we opted for a black velvet jacket as part of his tux."
Hazel's bridal party comprised her cousin Stephnie and two close friends, Ciara and Doireann. "We opted for a satin black dress from Dress Code in two different styles. Two of my bridesmaids live in Dublin, and one, my cousin, is in Australia. The two girls in Dublin tried a few styles and picked what they felt suited them, and my cousin in Australia picked a style we shipped to her so she could get it altered. It was tricking trying to organise picking ensembles when one person is on the other side of the world, but we made it work, and I loved how they all looked on the wedding day."
Andrew was speaking with a friend, Julie Muir, an Irish celebrant based in Australia, who suggested she could online mentor someone if the pair had a particular person in mind! "We picked my brother Ross, which couldn't have gone better. We had a lovely, very different and personal ceremony, including reading our vows, in the beautiful chapel on the grounds of Gloster House in Offaly." The two kept the wedding style simple and elegant, with a black and white dress code for the bridal party and bunches of gypsophila as decor. "We had a string quartet for my entrance and then added some fun by being played out at the end by the new brass kings (hiding at the back of the chapel!) while being showered in confetti."
The pair didn’t want to wait long between getting engaged and getting married (only five months!). "I’ve always loved Gloster House, but we didn’t consider or visit other venues. It has everything on site, the house is beautiful but we fell in love with the white chapel. I contacted Nigel Alexander from Gloster in December 2022 and got so lucky to get a cancellation for a date in May 2023. In a bizarre turn of events, I realised later that the cancellation was due to my friend who had moved her wedding abroad! The venue is so beautiful and unique, with so many different spaces we could use, from an onsite chapel to a beautiful courtyard and a glorious hall for the drinks reception. The beautiful country house and grounds were almost like something out of a fairytale, and our guests spent the day raving about how beautiful it was. The Alexander family, which owns Gloster House, Nigel, Tom, and Mary, are incredible to work with. Gloster House is an extraordinary place, and we feel fortunate to have had our wedding there. It was a fabulous day, and If we had to do it again, we would not change anything."
Delta String Quartet played the pre-ceremony champagne reception and the ceremony. The new Brass Kings played the couple out of the chapel and into the reception on the front terrace of Gloster House overlooking their gardens. "We moved into the banquet hall for dinner/speeches before returning to the chapel, which was transformed into a dancefloor post-ceremony. It's such a fantastic space with high roofs, and we had some huge white balloons with fairy lights lining the walls, and the band smash hits there waiting. I've never seen a dance floor fill up so fast and stay full all night!"
Regarding the best decision, Hazel had to say, "Asking my brother to do the ceremony was the best decision we made. Also, select suppliers based on your personality and style. Ailbhe Lynch did our make-up, and Kathy McLean, who owns Pearl and is my really good friend, did our hair. Niamh Smith was our photographer, and Gavin from Dreamcatchers was our videographer. I can't compliment either of them enough; we're head over heels for our photos and video! Everyone got on so well and worked well together. We had the loveliest morning getting ready, everyone chatting and enjoying themselves. It set the tone for the day. I have no regrets or feelings like decisions went wrong; everything went great!"
- Gráinne