Have you ever dreamed of exchanging vows on a secluded island - an otherworldly place with enchanting gardens, forests, shimmering lakes? Well, that was the dream for our real wedding couple, Caoimhe and Andrew, whose fairytale wedding was fulfilled at Inish Beg Estate in West Cork! The day was filled with vintage bridal style, lakeside cocktails at sunset and so much more. SOSAC was a part of the magic and captured every perfect moment. We can't wait a second more to show you, enjoy!

The newlyweds who are living in Co. Dublin first met when Caoimhe was living in New York. Her roommate Tara mentioned her good friend Andrew was coming over from Cork and staying with them for the weekend as he was on his way to a conference in Boston. "Tara laughed and said, 'you’d better watch out, I’d say you’d be just his type,' I assured her that wasn’t the case but ultimately, she was right! A couple of stolen glances and missed opportunities followed throughout the weekend but the stars aligned when we all headed out for Taco Tuesday. The tacos were washed down with a tasty margarita, followed by a night hopping from one Bushwick dive bar to the next – on a school night! The next day, I got a message at work from Andrew asking me on a date that night. A few years of long-distance romancing, one move home, two plus years of lockdown and here we are!" says Caoimhe. 

The proposal came on an early morning on St. Patrick’s Day in 2021 when the couple went for a walk on Sandymount Strand. Caoimhe recalls the moment as the surprise of her life: "This was a regular haunt, and Andrew suggested we walk further out this time, and he dropped to one knee and produced a little box. I usually ruin or guess all his surprises, so he was delighted to get one past me!"

We are head over heels for the chic bridal style of our radiant real bride Caoimhe. She chose a beautiful minimalistic satin gown from designer Caroline Takvorian. Her look was given just the right amount of drama with a floor-length eyelash-lace veil.  A beautiful bunch of garden-style florals, with fluffy grasses gave it a perfectly undone finish!

Andrew and the groomsmen opted for classic black-tie tuxedos.

Caoimhe and Andrew's main priority when planning their wedding day was their wedding ceremony. "It was really important to us. We took a lot of time to choose the right readings, poems and music that had meaning to us and would honour the occasion. We were very lucky to have the help of talented family and friends who volunteered to perform the music. It was the most special part of the day," they say.

Caoimhe walked down the aisle to The Sailor’s Bonnet by The Gloaming. They chose to exit as husband and wife to Dreams by The Cranberries  - a beautiful selection of music!,

The words used to describe the magical Inish Beg wedding day were a hazy, vintage midsummer garden party. The private island has some whimsical wedding features, from the on-site boat house, walled gardens and woodland ponds to the octagon marquee "Friends and family travelled from every corner of the world to a little pocket of West Cork determined to make the most of the few days in ‘holiday mode’. It was a day filled with sunshine (one rain shower) reunions, laughter, great food and drinks and lots of dancing under the canopy of trees until the small hours!" 

Caoimhe and Andrew tell us how they knew that Inish Beg Estate was the perfect choice: "We wanted to get married near Baltimore in West Cork. It’s a special place with a lot of great memories. Believe it or not, we booked Inish Beg without viewing it because it was during a lockdown, and we couldn’t travel to see it! It is a beautiful setting but, full disclaimer, organising a wedding there is quite an undertaking. You have to organise every element of the day yourself from linens and glassware to skip hire. However, the grounds are exceptional, there is abundant accommodation on site and you can really make the day your own," they say.

They add, "We had a coordinator, Marie from To Have & To Hold, on the day. We had two briefing calls before the wedding day where I walked her through all details and run of the show for the day. She then took it over and made sure everything ran smoothly so I didn’t have to worry about timing and organisation at all!"

Can we bring attention to the gorgeous bridesmaids who wore dresses by The Vampire’s Wife’s gowns rented from Hurr Collective. Such a sustainable choice, and the gorgeous golden paisley print was the perfect choice for a vintage-feel summer wedding party, especially as the day was sprinkled with garden flowers, gold accents and rustic details.

The natural elements of Inish Beg's lakeside surroundings created the perfect mix of wild forest and rugged woodland backdrop, with walled garden bursting with different exotic plants and flowers - all making for the most incredible wedding portraits. "With this natural canvas, we wanted to keep décor simple and untamed. We didn’t have a vision exactly, but we knew that if we were lucky enough to evade the threat of rain that hangs over any outdoor wedding in Ireland, we wanted to use as many of the different areas within the estate as possible to take our guests on a journey throughout the day. We started with drinks and canapes in the walled garden then ambled down through the orchard to the marquee for dinner before heading over to the boathouse to sip a cocktail and watch the sunset over the water after dinner and ending the night dancing in the marquee."

Who needs a table plan display when you can hang your cards off of the trees?

Such pretty wild and romantic centrepieces.

One particular moment that sparks joy for the newlyweds was the cocktail hour after dinner. "Andrew and I had gone for a quick walk just to take a few minutes to ourselves, and we joined the party a few minutes later. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we rounded the corner and saw all our guests gathered in front of the water sipping Espresso Martinis and Pina Coladas with their slices of cake. Our best friends Tara and Rory Copplestone opened a cocktail mixer business during the pandemic called Foxglove Cocktail Co. that allowed people to make cocktails at home. They had recently ventured into weddings, so we jumped at the chance to have them at our wedding. We had seen them in action many times before and knew they have a knack for serving up amazing cocktails, fast. It was the perfect bridge after dinner and set the tone for the night ahead…which included a lot of dancing!" they say. 

Last but not least, some worthy words of wedding wisdom. "The same advice we were given by so many people, and it rings true! Really try to be present in your day. Don’t sweat the small stuff – once you wake that morning, the train has left the station and only you knew what the original plan was! Make sure to take time out to wander the grounds or have a drink together and soak it up. Getting photos is important but try and limit this to 15-20 minutes straight after the ceremony (or sneak off just before the meal) so you can be with your guests. They will want to see you straight after the ceremony and your presence kicks things off!"

As the sun was setting and the stars began to shine, the dance-offs really kicked off with Caoimhe leading the pack - a sure sign of an outstanding wedding band! Fleetwood Mac's Everywhere served as their first dance song!

A very special thank you to the beautiful couple and SOSAC for sharing this gorgeous Inish Beg wedding day with One Fab Day! 

Thinking of getting married in Cork? Check out these 35 Gorgeous Cork Wedding Venues to Suit Every Style!