A Romantic, Garden-Style Wedding at Dromoland Castle in Ireland
The Ivy and Grant met in Clifton, Ohio in 2019 through a mutual friend at a bar. Grant later proposed to Ivy on a private sunset cruise in St. John. But long before she got engaged, she visited Dromoland Castle while on a high school trip abroad and immediately knew it would be her future wedding venue. That's why when it was time to decide where to get married in the summer of 2023 the answer was easy.
Grant and Ivy wanted something intimate and reflective of their personalities, which in Ivy’s case, meant a lot of green in honor of her name and the Emerald Isle. Their wedding planner says, “The color palette was ivory, blush, and green. The couple incorporated a few Irish traditions during the wedding ceremony, such as music played on a Celtic harp [and] handfasting, and the bride carried an Irish linen handkerchief with a shamrock inside her wedding gown.”
And speaking of the dress, Ivy wore a Monique Lhuillier ballgown to complement the castle's look with its charming elegance and abundance of florals. She paired that with a cathedral-length veil and pale pink-colored Jimmy Choo shoes, along with pearl Tiffany earrings gifted by her groom-to-be. Grant wore a custom tuxedo by Q Clothier, a black Tom Ford bow tie and shamrock cufflinks and a green-face Seiko watch gifted by Ivy.
Since the venue didn’t need much in the way of decor, the wedding planner and florist decided to complement the space’s historic gardens, great hall and lovely color palette through a mix of “flowers, green taper candles, lux velvet green linens, crystal, green Wedgewood china, and custom stationery,” according to Eva Clark Events, to make the look more cohesive.
Inspired by the stunning castle grounds, the couple and their vendor team wanted to take advantage of the natural greenery. That's why the ceremony was outdoors in a “beautiful floral meadow,” says Eva Clark, where the couple exchanged their own vows. Ivy says one of the most meaningful moments for her and Grant "[was] when we spent the morning together reading letters from grandparents who couldn't be there with us to celebrate and letters from one another.” They even found a way to include other special loved ones into their day, with a signature cocktail sign that featured their dog, Lady. During the cocktail hour, guests mingled and enjoyed champagne and fresh seafood like royalty on the castle grounds.
The guests and newlyweds reconvened inside the castle’s great hall for the reception, where Eva Clark says they had “a flower runner that pooled at the bottom of the long reception table, large floral arches and centerpieces, as well as a staircase adorned with flowers.” The floral theme continued at the dessert table since their white, three-tiered cake was adorned with a waterfall of fondant pastel roses and greenery.
Guests sat at a long banquet table, keeping the reception cozy while they dined beneath an arched, high ceiling with the castle's history hung in picture frames on the wall. Ivy and Grant even included live entertainment, such as a harpist, jazz band and DJ to keep the intimate party lively. They also found a way to inject a bit of Éire tradition into their reception by having Irish dancers perform and serving late-night bites of fish and chips. As a thank you to their guests and nod to the wedding location, the to-be-weds gave bags––decorated with their custom monogram––bottles of Jameson. During the wedding exit, guests tossed flower petals over the happy couple, ending a night that Ivy recounts as “full of laughter, romance and naturally a lot of Guinness.”
And for any couple planning their own wedding, Ivy has a few parting words of wisdom: “Don't forget to slow down and savor the moment. Although planning can be stressful, it’s a special time in your relationship and is a time to be cherished.”