We met as kids but connected as adults!
There’s a touch of Sliding Doors in this love story as Jen tells us that she and Dean got together after meeting in the canteen of IT Blanchardstown back in 2007. ‘We quickly figured out we had a mutual friend who then acted as the middle man in passing on our phone numbers,’ she recalls. ‘It wasn’t until our first date that we realised we had a lot more in common and were actually babysat by the same woman, Dean’s aunt
Colette. Somewhere out there is a picture of us at the same birthday party as kids.’
Ten years after they met as adults, Dean proposed in the couple’s front room, a few weeks after they bought their first house. He says, ‘I told Jen that we were going to a workrelated black tie event that evening, so she’d get dressed up. I had the fireplace video playing on Netflix when I got down on one knee in front of the Christmas tree and our two cats. I told her that I’ve never been sure of much in my life, but I knew I wanted to marry her from the moment we met.’
The couple tell us that their wedding plans changed a lot over the course of the pandemic. ‘Originally, we wanted the big day with 150+ guests and all the trimmings,’ Jen says. ‘But when it came down to it, we realised all we needed was our closest family and friends. The day was exactly what we had hoped for – no fuss, a very relaxing yet magical day.’
Once the couple decided to go ahead with their Covid-19 wedding, they knew they wanted it to be a stress-free day. ‘We wanted everyone to feel comfortable and just to enjoy themselves. Given everything that was going on, we wanted people to forget all that when they arrived. Horetown House was perfect because it allowed us to do that. At no time did we feel under pressure to be somewhere or move the day along. Amazing food was also important and they did not disappoint. We’re considering getting married again just so we can experience the food.’
Jen and Dean tell us that they knew Horetown House was the venue for them from the moment they set foot inside. Jen says, ‘We weren’t long back from Spain where we had viewed many venues in the hopes of getting married in Nerja. We had seen some lovely venues, but nothing really stood out or got us excited. Once we saw Horetown House and sat down with the owner Niamh, we knew no other venue would compare.’
This couple decided to make the most of their wedding by having all 25 of their guests stay in the venue the night before. ‘It gave us a chance to all catch up with each other before the big day,’ Jen says. ‘The lads headed off for a swim together the morning of the wedding, while most of the women got ready together.’
The aesthetic details of the day were partially inspired by the couple’s venue. ‘The look and the feel of the day was always going to be boho, relaxed and understated,’ Jen says, ‘with the beautiful backdrop of Horetown House’s stunning rooms doing most of the work.’
The couple made sure to include some personal details too. ‘We used Polaroid photos that we had collected over the years as place cards, which was a surprise/shock for some of the guests,’ Jen says. ‘Also, having no live music meant that we could play songs personal to us and our guests.’
Jen and Dean’s advice for engaged couples is to, ‘throw away the rule book. Don’t be afraid to do your own thing. The most important people to please are yourselves. Looking back, we’re glad we went with a smaller wedding. Sure, there’s plenty of people we would have loved to invite but it simply wasn’t an option. Having a smaller wedding meant we got to spend meaningful time with everyone who was there. The finer details are what will make the day extra special. They’re the things you’ll remember.’
They had planned a US road trip, including Nashville and New Orleans for their honeymoon, which got cancelled due to Covid19. ‘Instead we spent a few nights at The Lodge in Ashford Castle,’ they tell us. ‘We got extremely lucky with the weather, so we were able to fully enjoy the beautiful estate. Their attention to detail was next level and the food was out of this world.’
Sarah and Joseph weren’t afraid to break from tradition, which is a good thing because Covid-19 forced them to rethink their priorities. Having planned a seaside tipi bash in Skerries for over 180 people, the couple pivoted to an intimate, bohemian affair for 25 at Killary Lodge in the Connemara countryside. The results were outrageously cool, featuring bold colours, expertly-styled spaces and one hell of a ceremony arch, all captured by Paula McManus Photography.
Sarah and Joseph tell us that they’ve been together since they were 14. ‘We met through friends and spent the evening wrestling each other over his phone, teenage flirting,’ Sarah remembers. ‘A few weeks later, I was late going home for dinner and he finally asked me out.’
Joseph’s proposal sounds so romantic. Sarah tells us, ‘He proposed at sunset on a beach in Indonesia. It was beautiful and I had absolutely no idea. We were away with two of our best friends, who captured it on video for us, so it is really nice to have that to look back on.’
The couple tell us that having a laid-back wedding was really important to them from the beginning. ‘We really just wanted it to be relaxed with a focus on what was important to us, which is food, a good atmosphere and spending time with our close family and friends,’ Sarah says. ‘We wanted people to feel comfortable and not have to be dressed in a three-piece suit in the middle of summer.’
They tell us they were happy to play around with the wedding formula. ‘Our main priority was not just doing the typical wedding thing because it was a tradition. Anything we had in our wedding was there because we wanted it. For example, we didn’t have any speeches or a first dance. We cut the cake away from our guests. We wanted our guests to come, relax, enjoy good food and drink and spend time together. It was more of a party, where we had a short ceremony in the middle.’
Sarah and Joseph had their close friend Roisín sing at their ceremony. ‘She has the most amazing voice,’ Sarah says. ‘It gives me goosebumps whenever I hear her sing.’
The bride worked with her dad to make a cornhole game for their guests to play on the day, which involves throwing bean bags at a raised platform with a hole. She tells us, ‘My best friend painted them for us. She even did one with a portrait of our dog, Doug, as he couldn’t be there with us.’
The couple had originally planned a wedding for over 180 guests in their hometown of Skerries. ‘We were planning tipis in a field by the sea, but, unfortunately, we were forced to reschedule,’ Sarah says. ‘We realised in February that we realistically weren’t going to have the wedding we had originally planned and we decided to cut our losses and look for an intimate venue. I spent hours trawling the internet and linking with our