Converted from Queen Anne stables in 1798, Rathsallagh House is set on 530 acres of peaceful parkland with its own lovingly manicured walled garden. This luxurious country house was the venue for Rachel Acton and Stephen Kilgallon's wedding on the 6th of September 2024. Photographed by Niamh Smith, we're head over heels for this later summer Wicklow wedding.
The couple was introduced by mutual friends in 2014, but nothing really happened at the time! "We met again in 2015 at one of our friend's birthdays and went on a date soon after. Things moved quickly, and we moved to Vancouver for 2 years before returning to Dublin and getting engaged in 2022."
"I proposed to Rachel on holiday in Lagos, Portugal. Lagos was the first place we travelled to as a couple in 2016, and I had everything planned out for our second visit there. I booked our favourite restaurant weeks in advance and chose a private beach to propose before heading to dinner in our favourite restaurant. Unfortunately, when we reached the steps down to the beach, Rachel noticed the sand was wet and didn't want her feet covered in sand going for dinner! I tried to convince her, but to no avail, so the mission was aborted. I was worried she would get suspicious and decided to hold off for a while. Three days later, still no proposal and plenty of anxiety later, I decided to suggest we revisit the beach, and thankfully, Rachel obliged. We finally made it there. I got down on one knee, and luckily, she said yes! We went for a gorgeous dinner overlooking where we got engaged."
A few months before the wedding day, Rachel started getting regular facials at Facial Rejuve in Sandyford & Skin Coach in South William St. "One of my bridesmaids, Alison, does my hair colour, and I have hair extensions applied with Rachel Manley in Blink, Bray. I also had a He-Shi spray tan with Anna in Peach Beauty in Windy Arbour. Alison also looked after my hair on the day, and my other bridesmaid, Breifne, looked after my makeup. So lucky to have had them both there with me on the day!" For her wedding day perfume, Rachel wore her favourite perfume, Another 13 by Le Labo.
Rachel's bridesmaid, Breifne, had spotted the Jane Hill dress online, but much to Rache's chagrin, it was only stocked in the UK. However, after a few months of pining, she found out it was being stocked at The White & Gold bridal shop in Howth, so she made an appointment asap to try it on. "The girls in The White & Gold were great, and they told me to try on a few other styles before the one I had come in to ensure I wasn’t rushing into the first one! I tried about five or six dresses and liked them, but as soon as I tried the one I had seen, I knew it would be the one for me. I tried one more shop to satisfy myself, but I had already made my decision!"
Stephen had originally planned on wearing a navy wedding suit, but his mind was made up once he tried on a traditional black tuxedo in Louis Copeland. "My brother-in-law had recommended the lads in Louis Copeland in Dundrum, and they were great. The whole process was straightforward, and the tux looked great on the day and in the photos."
Rachel's bridal party comprised the six most important girls in her life: her best friend since childhood, Aoife; two more lifelong friends, Alison and Emily; her college friend, Breifne; her cousin, Beth; and sister-in-law, Ellen. "I found their dresses online in Lavish Alice. Having so many bridesmaids, I assumed I would need to pick a few different styles, but when I sent in the picture of this dress, they all loved it, and it suited each of them so well. They all looked stunning in them."
"We loved our ceremony. We were blessed with the weather and could have the ceremony outside in the walled garden. The sun was shining all the way through. We had a humanist ceremony led by our celebrant, Philip Byers, who we had met when he officiated Rachel’s brother's wedding in 2022. He was so easygoing and made the whole ceremony so enjoyable. We had a few readings and music throughout. Our ceremony singer was Jenny Cullen, the lead singer in our band for later in the evening. I walked down the aisle to Songbird by Fleetwood Mac. We both love Fleetwood Mac, so we thought Songbird was the perfect choice. The ceremony flowers were by Mary from Finesse. She was an absolute perfectionist; we loved them! Our favourite part of the ceremony was a song by our friends, Gabrielle Aplin & Alfie Hudson Taylor. They performed an acoustic version of ‘Forever and For Always’ by Shania Twain, which was stunning. We can’t stop replaying it."
The couple initially viewed Rathsallagh Hous together and fell in love, but before committing to the venue, they wanted to get their parent's opinion. Thankfully, the feeling was mutual, and thus, a venue was chosen! "The staff are phenomenal. They are so on top of every detail whilst remaining so relaxed and keeping the atmosphere calm and stress-free. The walled garden, where we were lucky enough to get married, is stunning, and we loved the outdoor drinks reception area, too. We are both huge foodies, so our favourite part about the venue must have been the food! The meal was flawless. All of our guests loved the breakfast the following day, too. We can’t thank Rathsallagh enough for everything; they were amazing, and we can't wait to go back and stay again soon."
For the reception music, the pair hired Entourage. "We had gone to see them at a showcase in Rathsallagh about a year before our wedding and booked them on the day. It was great to see them in the venue and envision how they would perform on the day. The staff in Rathsallagh recommended them, so we knew they would be great. We would recommend them to any future couples."
Regarding the best decision, the pair had to say, "We think our best decision was probably having had the wedding all in one venue. Getting ready and having the ceremony and reception in Rathsallagh made the day run smoothly. We could have a later ceremony at 3:30 pm, which meant our guests had time to get down to the venue that day and enjoy a drink in the sunshine before the ceremony."
Regarding the worst decision, the pair had to say, "If we had to pick something, it would be leaving some of the small bits to do the week of the wedding. We couldn't decide on a few things, so we left them to the last minute, which wasn’t ideal, but we got there in the end and loved every second."
- Gráinne