A lovingly restored 19th-century castle, Lough Rynn Castle Estate & Gardens was the perfect fairytale venue for clinical trials research nurse Sharon Brennan's wedding to Dr Colm Neary on July 13th, 2024. Photographed by Anna G and featured in the Autumn issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL WEDDINGS, the peach and champagne colour scheme is to die for!
The two first crossed paths at the University Hospital Galway, where they both worked, but didn't officially meet until a few weeks later at the Galway Races. They dated for a few months before Sharon moved to Australia. "Just before I left, we decided to commit to a long-distance relationship. Then, three months later, Colm took a big risk, postponing his surgical training scheme in Ireland to move with me to the other side of the world. It was such a romantic gesture, and I certainly didn’t have to question his commitment to me after that!"
"In January of 2023, we went on a trip to visit Tanzania in East Africa together. Colm planned for an intimate proposal on a beautiful sunset boat trip. Although it didn’t go exactly as planned, he paid for what was meant to be a private boat trip, but it turned out he got ripped off, and a group of people joined us! Talk about dampening the mood. Luckily, we could sit on the boat's roof, where we had some privacy, and he popped the question with the sun setting behind us! It was one of the most amazing moments of my life, and the country will always hold a special place in my heart."
Sharon had a hair disaster the week of the wedding when she decided to box-dye the lighter ends of her hair. To no surprise, it ended up very patchy! Thankfully, her hair stylist Roy Leigh and his colleague Shannon from No.72 of the Gallery came to the rescue and were able to tone out the patchiness. "Maybe it was meant to happen because it never looked as glossy!" For the wedding day, she wanted full, bouncy Hollywood wave curls; Roy perfected them. "Just before I left for the church, he pinned my veil; it was a cathedral-length cascading veil by Essence of Australia that had beautiful beading along the trim."
For her makeup, Sharon wanted to keep it natural, fresh, and glowy. "My makeup artist, Fiona McNamara, applied my foundation using an airbrush machine. It gave such gorgeous coverage, yet it felt lightweight and looked skin-like. We added a dewy highlighter to the cheekbones and a pop of pink cream blush for that fresh look." Her signature scent was YSL Libre. Orange blossom and rich, bold lavender are at the heart of the scent, with hints of vanilla and musk adding a slightly sweet, warm edge. "I adored it because it has a really luxurious smell and lasts very well on the skin."
The pair knew that they wanted a classic wedding theme, so the hunt was on for Sharon to find a timeless, elegant wedding dress that would complement the castle venue. "I started by making a Pinterest folder of dresses I liked, and I noticed that quite a few dresses were made by the Ukranian designer Eva Lendel. I researched bridal boutiques in Ireland that stocked her gowns and instantly fell in love with the Lika dress at MK Bridal in Navan. Narrowing my search down to one designer made the process much easier!" She settled on a white Mikado column dress with a sweetheart neckline, a beautifully overlapped bodice, and a detachable overskirt/train, and for that extra wow factor, she added the Alegra bow.
Keeping with the classic theme, Colm and his groomsmen wore classic black tuxedos from Remus Uomo. "He bought them at Donnellan’s in Roscommon, and we couldn’t recommend their team more!"
Sharon had four bridesmaids in her bridal party: her sisters Alicia and Rachel and two childhood best friends, Aisling and Carol. "My bridesmaid Aisling came across the stunning satin champagne floor-length dresses on Meshki, and we loved them immediately. I love neutral tones, so I always knew I would go for a champagne colour. We added a little pop of colour through our florals, a mixture of peach, white, and baby pink."
The pair knew that they wanted their wedding to be at a castle venue, and as soon as they laid eyes on Lough Rynn Castle, they ended the search. "We fell in love with it instantly; the castle is breathtaking. We had our reception in the Earl of Leitrim grand ballroom, and since the venue space is so beautiful, I didn’t want to go overboard with decorations. We went with classic white linens on the tables, and Kim Marie, our florist, put together some beautiful arrangements of roses and greenery that matched my bouquet. It was important that we wouldn’t have to leave our venue for photos, as we wanted to be with our guests for as long as possible. What made Lough Rynn Castle “the one” was when we found out about their underground dungeon bar. We knew we could continue the celebrations with our guests until early morning with pizza and our Spotify playlist. What more could you want?"
"Our main wedding priority was ensuring that all our friends and family were entertained from the minute they came to Lough Rynn Castle. For fun entertainment, we booked Singers by Surprise, singing waiters who entertained our wedding guests while we served the dessert. They had all our guests up on their feet singing and dancing, and there was even a conga line wrapping around the dance floor at one point. It set the tone for the rest of the night. My colleague at work recommended The Mixtape Band. We took a risk by booking them as we had never seen them live, but their online videos and incredible reviews won us over. They kept the dancefloor full all night, and adding the brass section amplified the performance!"
Regarding their best decision, Sharon had to say, "The best decision was choosing Lough Rynn Castle as our wedding venue. Our wedding coordinator, Aisling, and the team organised the day seamlessly; nothing was too much hassle, and the staff were always helpful and friendly. We also decided to book our wedding content creator, Your Story By Elle, and we have no regrets. She was able to send my sister and her husband videos and photos in real-time and gave them access to Dropbox, where they could access all content from the wedding the next day. Knowing they felt included from afar made us enjoy the day even more."
- Gráinne