Ashley Park, Nenagh
April 2018
Steph & Dan had their simply wonderful wedding day in Ashley Park in April. Its just an amazing venue, and suited the guys to a tee, its beautiful, relaxed, charming and stylish, just like Steph and Dan ! With having the ceremony in Ashley Parks new boat house, it meant that they were able to spend more time with their guests. This is something that I really try to help couples with, as I tell them all the time, its your wedding day, not a photoshoot. So with plenty of food, drinking, fireworks and some serious dancing (its not often you hear the Cars for a first dance), here is Steph and Dans beautiful wedding in Ashley Park.
WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE TWO OF YOU, HOW AND WHERE DID YOU MEET?
I was having drinks with my friend Joanne at the Shard in London (in all our finery), when our other friend Dave arrived to meet us. Dave was stopped at the door as the doorman believed he didn’t have the ‘correct footwear’, having arrived straight from work. Rather than leave Dave out in the cold, we decided to go to an alternative bar. Joanne suggested a nearby little pub where her brother was having drinks with some of his work colleagues. In we walked, and there Dan sat up at the bar (he was one of the colleagues). Dan had a boot cast on his leg, and his crutches leaning against the bar, so he couldn’t run from me even if he’d wanted to. We bonded over my first proper game of darts (I won but he still disputes this victory), and we still thank Dave for wearing the wrong shoes that night.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE PROPOSAL?
We visited Paris for the first time in April last year, and Dan proposed at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I genuinely did not expect a proposal as I had planned the Paris trip, and we joked that Dan would only propose once he had trained our dachshund Jeff to go down on one knee.
WEDDING CEREMONY LOCATION?
The new ceremony room on the lake at Ashley Park House in Nenagh.
WEDDING RECEPTION LOCATION?
Drinks reception on the lawn, followed by dinner in the glass pavilion at Ashley Park House in Nenagh.
DID YOU HAVE A CERTAIN THEME OR STYLE FOR YOUR WEDDING?
I think we veered more toward a rustic style, but we borrowed from different ideas where we felt they suited our style or personality.
TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WEDDING DRESS AND ANY ADVICE YOU HAVE FOR OTHER BRIDES LOOKING FOR THEIR PERFECT GOWN?
I got my wedding dress from The Attic in limerick (despite living in London, this was the first place I wanted to try, as I had seen pictures and read great reviews from other brides). My advice to other brides is – Pinterest is great for getting an idea of what style you want before physically going in to a shop. I had some ideas in mind, and I was shown how certain styles of dresses could be tailored to match those ideas.
WHO DID YOUR HAIR AND MAKE-UP WHAT LED YOU TO THE STYLE YOU CHOSE?
I am lucky to have a stylist in the family (Kristina Byrnes), who has worked on modelling and bridal photoshoots, and has a lot of experience in wedding hair styling. My makeup was done by Emma Sheehan, following a recommendation. i’m quite fair and decided from the offset to embrace this rather than attempting to tackle sunbeds or spray tans. Emma did a great job of perfecting a natural look that lasted into the late hours of the night.
FLOWERS/BOUQUETS SUPPLIER?
My flowers were from Ring o Roses in Limerick. I knew from the start that I wanted sunflowers, but was told by many that this could not be done in April as they would not be in season. Ring o Roses got me sunflowers!
WEDDING CAKE SUPPLIER?
Cake was made by Rosie from Fat Fairy Cake Art in Tipperary. I cannot recommend her enough. This is a relatively new, small business, but Rosie is incredibly friendly and professional and delivered on everything we asked and more.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PHOTOGRAPHY PART OF THE DAY?
The photography was natural, and really captured the feelings on the day. Looking through our wedding photos I can see there is so much laughter. And happy tears!
WHAT LED YOU TO CHOOSE PAUL DUANE PHOTOGRAPHY FOR YOUR DAY?
A recommendation from a good friend of mine, who must have the record for most wedding attended, and therefore, who I consider to be an expert on all things wedding related. I believe her words when I asked for advice on photographers, were “if I was getting married tomorrow and could pick my dream photographer, it would be him”. That was good enough for me!
MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT FROM THE DAY?
The ceremony – we planned every detail of this and it was very personal to us. I believe we were one of the first ceremonies to be held in the ceremony room on the lake at Ashley Park house also, and we had the added benefit of beautiful sunshine.
HONEYMOON DESTINATION?
We spent three weeks travelling around South America, visiting Peru, Chile and Argentina. We packed a lot in as neither of us had been to South America before. In hindsight, I wish I’d learned more Spanish beforehand!
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ADVICE YOU COULD SHARE WITH BRIDES/GROOMS TO BE?
Before the wedding – Plan! Plan! Plan! Don’t leave anything last minute. Orlaith at The Attic (where I got my dress) said aim to get everything sorted a week before the wedding date, as you will need to catch up on as much sleep as possible the week of the wedding – this was solid advice. Our family did comment during the week of the wedding that we did not seem stressed – this was because we were organised.
On the day of the wedding – delegate! When you invest so much time trying to plan the perfect day, it can be difficult to switch off and just enjoy it. My bridesmaids were fantastic on the day of the wedding at making sure I did not have to worry about anything.
IF YOU HAD THE CHANCE TO REDO THE WHOLE THING AGAIN, WOULD YOU CHANGE ANYTHING?
I don’t think so. I think we stayed true to who we are as a couple throughout the planning of the wedding, and kept everything from music choices to menu options very personal.
ANY OTHER SUPPLIERS YOU WANT TO MENTION:
Our band The Kickbacks. Their set list was so different from other wedding bands we looked at – hence why we booked them. They really delivered on the night. Also want to mention how great the service was at Ashley Park on the day of the wedding, and the following morning. Staff there are very friendly and helpful.
Suppliers Links
Venue – Ashley Park House
Band – The Kickbacks
Dress – The Attic Limerick
Hair – Kristina Byrnes
Make-up – Emma Sheehan
Flowers – Ring O Roses
Cake – Fat Fairy Cake Art
