Katie and John at The K Club

Celebrating a beautiful winter wedding at Kildare's The K Club, Katie Kilduff and John McCann tied the knot on December 1st 2017. Photography by Tadgh Nathan at Photographic Memory.

The couple met through friends and had a platonic relationship for two years before things took a romantic turn. Katie was involved in a car accident and spent two months in the hospital, during this time, John visited her daily and over the weeks love flourished. 'He proved himself in sickness and in health before we even got married.', says Katie.

 

 

 

 

 

John proposed to Katie on the 13th February 2010 on the beach at the Inchydoney Hotel & Spa. Katie had always wanted to visit the hotel and as far back as 2006 had a newspaper cutting, showing the fantastic view of the beach from the hotel, stuck to her bedroom mirror. John remembered this and booked a romantic 2-night stay, during which time he had planned to propose on the beach on their last night. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible, and John best-laid plans were ruined. As fate would have it, the sun made an appearance just before they were due to leave and John seized his opportunity and insisted they take a last minute stroll along the seafront. Getting down on one knee he asked Katie to be wife in this dream location. Katie recalls, 'He proposed on one knee. I got such a fright I nearly pushed him off the cliff!'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Katie and John chose to have a long engagement giving them plenty of time to know what they wanted for their big day. To prepare, Katie bought magazines, browsed online, went to wedding fairs and got names and contact details of suppliers she was interested in meeting. When it came time to pick a venue, she arranged to meet with various hotel wedding coordinators, finding out what they had to offer and arranging visits to see potential locations firsthand. Katie kept herself organised by using a wedding planner, 'I purchased a Wedding Planner, and this was my ‘bible’ for a year, I took it everywhere with me.'

 

 

 

 

 

Even before the couple had chosen a venue, Katie had begun the search for her dress. She visited a few bridal boutiques and fell in love with a Paloma Blanca dress which she got from The White Room in Mullingar. The boutique was so helpful, and even though Katie had chosen her dress, they suggested that she try on several others before made her final decision. Katie knew her Paloma Blanca dress was the one, as she cried when she saw herself in it the first time she tried it on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The couple had their hearts set on a Christmas wedding, and Katie had met with Alina Bandol, The K Club wedding coordinator, in early October 2016 to discuss available options. 'Immediately walking into the K Club and meeting Alina, I knew wanted my wedding there. The splendour of the grounds, luxury of the Hotel and the warmth I received won me over.', Katie recalls. So impressed with both the venue and the service offered, they returned together a few short weeks later and signed their contact on October 28th, 2016.

Throughout the planning process, Alina the K Club Wedding Co-ordinator, listened to all their ideas and requests, building on what the couple wanted and suggested a few ideas of her own. The service she provided was impeccable.

 

 

 

 

 

The couple wanted to host 90 guests for their wedding celebration and had their heart set on the Legacy Suite. The Legacy Suite is separate from the hustle and bustle of the central hotel and gives your wedding a sense of privacy and exclusivity that is unparalleled. They knew, without doubt, that was the room for their wedding, and even though the room can hold up to 350 guests, they wanted the entire room. Alina was confident in assuring us that The K Club could rearrange the layout of the room, making it comfortable for 90 guests. Decor-wise, the couple chose to have two Christmas trees, one at either end of the room with the dance floor placed the focal point situated in the centre of the room. All the tables were arranged around the dance floor, meaning that guests didn’t have to move once the band were on the stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a special touch for the day, John chose to arrange a helicopter to transport the couple from their home after the wedding ceremony and fly them to the K Club. 'It was the most fantastic experience, arriving at the K Club, with all the guests waiting outside. It was something out of a movie' says Katie. Once again, Alina came to the rescue and looked after the aviation regulations regarding landing the helicopter at The K Club and surprised the couple with a champagne reception from her and the Concierge upon arrival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alina was terrific to work with, her fast response to emails and phone calls made the wedding less stressful, says Katie. The K Club surpassed all their expectations, and nothing was ever an issue. Alina herself was there on the day, overseeing everything without ever making herself noticeable. 'It was the most magical and perfect venue for our wedding, so much so, we want to do it all again. We can’t thank the K Club, the staff and Alina enough.', says Katie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The couples advice for those in the middle of planning their wedding, simply try and relax and enjoy the run-up to the big day, and on your wedding day be sure to take time out with your partner to take it all in and have a breather, it goes by so fast.