Nestled within the idyllic village of Glasson and along the serene shores of Lough Ree, you'll find Glasson Lakehouse. A secluded oasis set against a backdrop of breathtaking natural beauty, the resort hotel was the venue for Robyn Kennedy and Gearóid McDonald's wedding day on the 25th of August, 2023. Photographed by Signature Photography, we're madly in love with the laid-back charm of this wedding day. And we think you will be too!
"We met in 2013 when we were both in college in Dublin at a student race day in Leopardstown. Gearóid recognised me as a friend of a friend and decided to come over and introduce himself. Coincidentally, we were both heading to Perth that summer! We began dating in Perth and made it official when we returned to Dublin after the summer."
Gearóid proposed on New Year's Eve at the fountain in Central Park! "We moved to New York in 2018 and lived there for five years. The proposal took me by surprise (even though we had been together for ten years!) Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, I hadn’t seen my parents in over two years; that Christmas, they came to visit my sister and me in New York, and Gearóid asked my Dad’s permission to marry me. After the proposal, we met my parents and sister in The Plaza for afternoon tea! It was amazing to have them around to celebrate."
Robyn didn’t change much from her usual beauty routine in the lead-up to the wedding, other than the odd facial. "I was more conscious of my skincare routine. I used a range of skincare products (retinol, BHA, and vitamin C booster) from Paula’s Choice and liked them!"
The process of finding her wedding dress was surprisingly straightforward. "I saw a dress I loved online and thought, “That’s the dress I want!”. I found out they stocked it in a shop in Galway (Pearl Lane Bridal), so when I was home for a holiday, I went down and tried it on with my Mum and ultimately made the decision on the spot! I went to a couple of bridal shops with my bridesmaids for fun, but in the back of my mind, I already knew I had found the dress!"
Gearóid always wanted to wear a classic black tux for his wedding. "We went to the Suit Supply flagship store in Soho where we had an amazing experience (especially as they supplied prosecco for the women as the men get fitted!) He picked up his tux after two or three fittings, and it fitted like a dream!"
Robyn had her sister Lauren and two best friends, Mollie and Laura, for her bridal party. "As they were in New York, Australia and Ireland at the time, the dresses were tricky to organise. After lots of searching, I found a store with different styles of dresses in the same colour. We decided on champagne, and the girls chose a dress they liked. Luckily, my bridesmaid Laura and I wear a similar dress size. She only had the chance to try on her dress shortly before the wedding when she returned from Australia, but I was able to have it altered to fit me, and it worked perfectly!"
"Our ceremony was short and sweet but very personal to us and our families. We got married on-site at Glasson Lakehouse, with a panoramic view of the lake. Tara Carroll was our celebrant and did an amazing job telling our story and putting everyone at ease. The ceremony's highlight was the music; my cousins Patrice & Bugsy Coyle and their daughters Eva and Leanne performed, and it was so special to have them as part of our ceremony. They sang and played a broad range of music from Fleetwood Mac & The Cranberries to Shania Twain!"
The pair were living in New York and could not travel to view venues due to COVID-19, so deciding on their wedding venue was relatively easy. "I grew up near Glasson Lakehouse and spent a lot of time there; my Grandparent's house is right across the lake from the hotel. After we got engaged in January 2022, I called and asked about availability for a wedding in summer 2023. They told us they had one weekend in August, and that was how we chose our date! Undoubtedly, my favourite thing about the venue is the view of the lake. The weather was amazing on the day (bar the odd shower), and we had a beautiful drinks reception outside. Our guests loved the décor in their rooms, and the next morning, we all hit the outdoor hot tubs and pool!"
The couple hired Sway Social, a four-piece electric band, for their reception entertainment. "We came across them online and really loved the broad range of songs on their setlist. We knew the crowd we had coming would be on the dancefloor all night, and the band didn’t disappoint! The dancefloor was packed from the minute they started playing, and that’s how it stayed all night!"
Regarding the best decision, Robyn said, "Our best decision was to have our ceremony inside on the day. We had always planned an outdoor ceremony, but we called it on the morning of our wedding and moved the ceremony inside. The acoustics were better, our guests were comfortable, and the room looked amazing, thanks to our florist, Lorna from Room in Bloom! The icing on the cake was that as I pulled into Glasson at 2 pm, it started to rain; it was only a short shower, but it would have been enough for our guests to get soaked had they been sitting outside!"
Regarding the worst decision, Robyn said, "My worst decision was not having a second dress to change into for the evening. I loved my dress, but with all of the dancing that took place that night, it would have been amazing to have a shorter dress to change into for the night!"
- Gráinne