Nestled amid East Cork’s woodlands, you'll find a luxury 5-star steeped in Irish history and tradition. Situated on 220 acres, Castlemartyr Resort consists of a grand 18th-century Manor House that sits adjacent to the ruins of an 800-year-old castle. With a storied history that includes Strongbow, Walter Raleigh, the Knights Templar and more, it was the perfect venue for Maeve Goggin's wedding to Jago Gibbons on the 6th of June 2024. Photographed by Wonder and Magic, their wedding day was intimate, romantic and perfectly personal. Not to mention, they had the cutest ring bearer we've ever seen!
A mutual friend introduced Jago and Maeve in a café called The Gingerbread House 18 years ago! "We slowly got to know each other and had many movie nights together before we started dating about a year later." In the middle of a hug, he asked Maeve to be his girlfriend, to which she nodded. He panicked because he wasn’t sure if it was a nod, and she said nothing! "We’ve been inseparable since going to college, travelling, buying our first home, raising our dog, and working together for six years. It would be rare to see one of us without the other." Jago’s sure now that it was a nod (but he’ll never know for sure).
The couple knew marriage was on the cards from a pretty early stage in their relationship. "We had planned on getting engaged after we bought our first home, but COVID had other plans! We decided to wait as we didn’t fancy planning a wedding with the uncertainties of COVID-19." In October 2022, Jago decided to propose and set a plan in motion. He went on a work trip to Dublin with the covert mission of buying a promise ring from Chupi, a female-owned, Irish business Maeve has been watching for years. "We have a tradition of buying a new Christmas tree bauble every year and putting up the tree the night of The Late Late Toy Show. Jago had found a bauble that doubled as a ring box and popped the question while we were putting up the tree." Unbeknownst to Jago, despite his secretive planning, Maeve had worked out what he had planned the day before! "We discussed Christmas present ideas with each other. I suggested a simple piece of jewellery, and Jago BEAMED. This was a mischievous smile, so my immediate reaction was, “What have you done?” I quickly figured out the rest and, while putting up the tree, kept one eye on Jago waiting for the moment; I completely missed the ring bauble sitting on the tree in front of me for 20 minutes!"
"I was very lucky to have Cathyanne Bridal Hair as my hair stylist and Jessica May Parker as my makeup artist for the wedding." Cathyanne helped Maeve understand different options for her wedding day, walking her through the pros and cons of the various styles. She also considered the potential impact of wind on the outdoor ceremony and the longevity of each option. "We had read about couples shopping for their wedding scents together and thought it was an excellent idea, so we tried that. Ultimately, we couldn’t find ones that beat our existing favourite scents, so we kept things simple and stuck with what we knew we loved." For Jago, that’s Jean Paul Gautier’s Le Male; for Maeve, that’s Outremer’s Vanille.
Maeve had a good idea of what she wanted before shopping but still tried on a few different styles in a couple of shops. In typical fashion, she fell in love with a dress she found in the first shop she visited! "I wasn’t too concerned about keeping my dress a secret from Jago, but he wanted the surprise, so I didn’t show or tell him anything about it before the day. He did sketch what he thought it would look like, and it ended up being extremely similar (I guess he knows me well after nearly 17 years together!)."
Jago wanted to wear a blue suit, but since he already had several navy suits, he wanted to wear something different to mark the occasion. With that in mind, he opted for a two-tone look, wearing navy trousers and a waistcoat paired with a lighter blue jacket. "I went for a Made-to-measure suit to get the style I envisioned. Saville Menswear was an excellent choice for the suit, guiding me through various options and making the entire experience feel unique and significant. The customization process was amazing—I could choose every detail, from the buttons and lapel style to the stitch colour. I even added personal touches, like stitching our wedding date and initials into the fabric and choosing an inner accent lining with lemon prints, symbolizing the Amalfi Coast where we honeymooned."
Maeve kept her bridal party small, with just one bridesmaid and a man of honour. "I wanted a blue dress for Frankie, my bridesmaid, to match the colour scheme. My mom helped me find some options online, and we also showed them to Frankie for her input. We all really liked the Edie dress from TH&TH, so I took a chance and ordered it online, and it ended up being a perfect fit." Eoin, Maeve’s Man of Honour, and Cale, Jago’s Best Man, wore navy suits to match Jago, with a light blue tie that coordinated Frankie’s bridesmaid dress. The standout at the wedding party was, without a doubt, Bailey, the pup of honour, who wore a sand-coloured tuxedo harness.
The ceremony was held in Castlemartyr Resort’s gardens, right next to the fountain. The pair took a risk by planning an outdoor ceremony in Ireland, but the weather held, and the setting was magical. They decided on an intimate ceremony with just immediate family in attendance. It was important to the pair that their loved ones played meaningful roles in the day, from readings and candle lighting to tying ribbons. Even the couple's puppy, Bailey, had a special part as the ring bearer. "It’s hard to pick a favourite part as there were so many wonderful moments. However, one that particularly stands out is when we exchanged our vows. We each wrote our vows and kept them a secret from one another until the ceremony. It was beautiful to witness Jago's reaction to mine and to hear him speak so openly and lovingly about our relationship - reflecting on the past, celebrating the present, and envisioning our future together - in front of our families."
Jago and Maeve had a few criteria to meet when looking for venues. The venue had to be dog-friendly, able to serve an entirely vegetarian and vegan dinner, have nice grounds for photos, and be reasonably near Cork. It also needed to be able to accommodate an intimate ceremony of twenty people and a larger reception and dinner for about sixty guests. "There were several venues that matched these criteria, and we visited a few of them, but once we saw the Manor House in Castlemartyr Resort, we knew it would be perfect. The Manor House and Gardens radiated the elegance we wanted to capture on our wedding day. The Knights Bar and the Kiltha Room were stunning and wonderfully cosy, making them the perfect setting for our wedding of around sixty guests."
The couple chose The Munster String Trio to play classical takes on modern songs for their ceremony. Their extensive repertoire allowed the pair to pick meaningful pieces that blended tradition with their taste. "During our drinks reception, Lucia Moreno drew illustrations of our guests. We wanted something a little different, and the illustrations that the guests got to take home doubled as wedding favours. The guests absolutely loved it. The illustrations were unique and personal. A number of our guests even told us that they now have their illustrations framed at home!" For their reception entertainment, the couple wanted something upbeat but not too overpowering; in the end, they hired The Loungeman, a jazz and swing performer with a repertoire of Sinatra, Crosby and all the greats. "The evening atmosphere we envisioned was relaxed, warm, and focused on creating meaningful conversations and celebration opportunities. With that in mind, we sought entertainment that would allow the option to dance for those who wanted to while allowing space for others to chat comfortably in the same room. The Loungeman turned out to be the perfect choice. After seeing him perform in Kinsale before the wedding, we immediately knew he’d be the perfect choice."
Regarding the best decision, Maeve had to say, "Including our dog, Bailey, in the wedding was easily one of our best decisions. Although it took a bit of extra planning, it was 100% worth it. Bailey is such an important part of our lives, and leaving him out wouldn’t have felt right. He behaved wonderfully—happily greeting guests, taking his role as ring bearer seriously, looking incredibly photogenic, and even making himself a cosy resting spot on the train of Maeve’s dress. Having him there and staying overnight in Castlemartyr Resort allowed us to fully enjoy the day without worrying about him. Plus, having a dog in the ceremony added a unique touch that took some of the spotlight off us and allowed us to relax more."
Regarding the worst decision, Maeve had to say, "We don’t think there’s anything that stands out as the worst decision. If we were doing it again, we would try to make decisions quicker to remove the pressure of feeling like everything had to be perfect. It’s easy to get wrapped up in making the day as best as possible, but ultimately, it’s about getting to marry your best friend and celebrating that shared life."
- Gráinne