Elegant excellence seems like a very apt way to describe lovely real wedding couple Leanne and Daniel's wedding day. They tied the knot in a sophisticated spring wedding complete with an elegant neutral palette, demure blooms, a romantic candlelit reception and glimmers of glamorous gold. Leanne was a picture of exquisite grace on her big day with a scene-stealing bow being a real star of her wedding gown. White bridesmaids dresses are one of the hottest bridesmaids dress trends this year and Leanne's bridal party will offer wonderful inspiration on that front. The wedding images by Anna G Photography captured every magnificent detail of their luxurious nuptials.
So, let's get the ball rolling by learning more about our newlyweds. Leanne hails from Tullamore in Co. Offaly while Dan is a Cork City man. Today, they live in Tullamore. Leanne and Dan met in work and quickly became friends but as they spent more time together sparks began to fly and it became very clear that their friendship was going to develop into something more. As the HR Manager, Leanne was cautious of starting an office romance, as was Dan. She reflects: "Asking the HR Manager out on a date was not the norm!
"We went on a work night out over Christmas, and our work colleague suggested to Dan that he should ask me out on a date as it was clear there was something between us, thankfully Dan plucked up the courage to ask me out on a date. We went on our first official date in the January and the rest is history." The couple will never forget November 12th, 2021, as it was the day Dan proposed. He chose his favourite beach in the world, Coumeenoole Beach in Dingle, to pop the question.
"We had been going to Dingle for quite some time as Dan’s family has a holiday home there. It was a dark wet and windy day. Despite the weather Dan had a job to do and the weather wasn’t going to dampen his spirits. He suggested a walk on the beach, it was spilling rain on the drive over to the beach, but just as we pulled up and parked the car the rain stopped and the sun came out. Dan got down on one knee and asked me to marry him, of course my answer was yes! He then surprised me with a night away to Adare Manor, another favourite hotel of ours that has lots of special memories for us."
The couple wanted their wedding on May 5th, 2023, to radiate timeless elegance. They enlisted Frog Prince wedding and event planners to bring their dream day to life. "I have a classic and minimalistic style and it was important that this was reflected in our day. I wanted a natural colour palette with lots of candlelight which Frog Prince achieved. I wanted to look back at my pictures in years to come and see the class, grace and elegance shine through." Leanne looked astonishingly demure in a ballgown wedding dress which had a bateau neckline and a low back finished in a statement bow.
We've no doubt the "oohs and ahs" were pouring out of guests as she walked down the aisle. Leanne accessorised with pearl earrings, a pearl bracelet, Manolo Blahnik stilettos with sparkling broaches and a long veil with floral lace edging. How heart-meltingly cute did the flower girls and page boys look in their wedding outfits? Sweetly, Leanne's bridesmaids matched with her wearing white bridesmaids dresses which were tied with bows at the back. The couple tied the knot in Ennis Cathedral which was given an injection of gentle colour thanks to the white, cream and the lightest of pink blooms.
Dan looked so dapper in a black tux which was custom made from Louis Copeland & Sons. 133 of their nearest and dearest gathered to celebrate their love story. "We put a lot of time and effort into our mass ceremony to ensure it was special and meaningful to us in terms of the prayers, reflections, and songs that we chose," Leanne explains. When asked if she could pick a favourite ceremony reading or song, she couldn't and we can't blame her.
"All of the ceremony readings and music was very special to us both and we put a lot of effort and meaning into our ceremony. It was particularly special walking down the aisle to the instrumental version of Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay as we started the next chapter in life as husband and wife."
They arrived at the five-star venue in serious style in a handsome vintage car. Talk about making an entrance! For Leanne and Dan it was so important that our guests were made feel welcome and enjoyed themselves and of course that they created wonderful memories with their family and friends that they could cherish forever.
Having their loved ones with them to mark the most important day of their life made their wedding utterly unforgettable. They travelled far and wide too. "Guests travelled long distances to celebrate our special day with us, such as Dubai, Australia, America, the UK, and Mallorca and not to forget Offaly and Cork!"
For breathtaking scenery, luxurious interiors and elegant cuisine, few venues can rival the historic Dromoland Castle, which has been hosting epic celebrations since the 16th Century. The couple fell in love with the venue because it reflected the style of their wedding perfectly.
"It has that old world charm but also has the class and elegance that we wanted. Once we met the team in Dromoland Castle we knew we were in safe hands and they went above and beyond to achieve everything we wanted." While indoors the Irish castle venue is undoubtedly grandiose, the grounds are utterly enchanting.
After the ceremony, guests were treated to cocktails and delicious canapes in the character-filled reception space.
The reception room was dressed with refined ivory and gold decor. When the sun set, the candles elevated the ambiance to seriously romantic heights. Leanne has several nuggets of advice to share with couples who are planning their wedding: "Be as organised as possible, stay true to your style and what you want to achieve from your day. It can be very stressful at times but all the prep and planning goes by so quickly so try and enjoy it all and embrace the wonderful wedding planning bubble and sometimes less is more."
The multi-tier cake married the elegant theme, the creamy and blush florals and gold accents with majestic results. The night was rounded off on a dazzling note with a fireworks display. For their first dance song, they chose Justin Beiber's apt hit Lifetime. The couple celebrated newlywed life by jetting off to Italy in July. They stayed at the Imperial Palace Hotel in Santa Margherita which they would highly recommend to newlyweds.
They also soaked in the romantic scenery of the colourful Portofino, a real highlight being dinner at Splendido as Leanne shares: "It's a must, the views are breathtaking." Their envy-inducing Italian tour did stop there as they also made pitstops at Lake Como and Florence. "We had such a wonderful time exploring Italy, and its beautiful coastline, eating and drinking lots of pasta and rosé wine as well as chilling by the pool for some such much need rest and relaxation. I would highly recommend the Dior beach club (Bagni Fiore Paraggi) if you plan on visiting this part of Italy any time soon."
Congratulations Leanne and Dan and thank you for sharing your wonderful Dromoland Castle wedding with One Fab Day and to Anna G Photography for the utterly dreamy images.
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