Katie and Matthew
Today we have 2019 November wedding at the Kilronan Castle and the ruins of the Franciscan Creevelea Friary on the outskirts of Dromahair, Co. Leitrim Ireland. Both places are full of history. The castle hotel seamlessly mixes the elegance, sophistication, and tradition of the past with the luxury and comfort of the modern era. The friary of Creevelea is about a ten-minute walk through a wooded area from Dromahair village. Thank you, Katie and Matthew, for having me with you to capture does special moments and be part of it, had so much fun & laughter working with you 🙂
…Matthew has been building the dream for us long before we met. He sold a house three years prior and decided to invest in a diamond since he had the cash on hand, and was just waiting to find Mrs. Right to have a ring made for the diamond…
How you met & when?
We are a blind date success story. My uncle and my husband’s previous boss were neighbors and over a few backyard discussions they set the two of us up on a blind date where we attended an NHL Hockey Game. Honestly, it took a few more dates after this one for us to determine we might be a match.
Naturally, Matthew is an excellent gatekeeper. He’s friendly, but only let a few in, and those who pass are well-vetted and quality. I remember driving home after we spent one afternoon together feeling uncomfortable and maybe a bit intimidated.
It was the feeling of someone pushing you out of your comfort zone, to work harder, to grow, not because you aren’t enough, but because they want you to be your best self. This quality is what truly drew me to him and lead us to commit a lifetime together almost a year to the day that we met.
The Proposal
With a beautiful Colorado sunset as the backdrop, a small audience of mountain goats and a few novice photographers, Matt asked me to spend the rest of my life with him on top of Mount Evans, one of the tallest mountains in the state at 14,000 feet.
Matthew has been building the dream for us long before we met. He sold a house three years prior and decided to invest in a diamond since he had the cash on hand, and was just waiting to find Mrs. Right to have a ring made for the diamond. The engagement happened exactly 9 months after we met at the end of the highest paved road in North America. I can’t imagine sharing that moment with anyone else, but mostly I’m so proud to be his wife!
Wedding Planning
We found Aine Conaghan with Peach Perfect Weddings in an online search and she truly was the key to making our wedding day fall perfectly into place! When my husband and I made the decision to elope in Ireland, we first thought we would just look for a photographer that could help guide us to some nice locations and do a simple exchange of vows.
Though I’m sure this may have worked out, we are so glad that we went a different route and hired Aine! We had a phone call with her and shared that we wanted to experience the raw elements of Ireland’s countryside. She nailed the venue, Kilronan Castle, by finding a true hidden gem and in less than a month she found the right people, most magical places and offered support like a dear friend throughout the day.
The money spent on our wedding planner was worth every cent as she created an experience of a lifetime for us!
Venue
We stayed and prepared for our wedding at the Kilronan Castle Estate and Spa. This 300-year-old castle sits on a 40-acre estate that was once owned by the Tenison family for many years. The castle has since been restored offering modern luxuries but maintained a medieval soul that added to our fairytale Irish setting. Once ready we headed to the ruins of the Franciscan Creevelea Friary on the outskirts of Dromahair, maybe a 30-minute drive for us in a 1949 Bentley.
Our wedding planner shared that many locals are unaware of these beautiful destinations and they truly offered a wonderful location for an off the beaten path wedding destination!
Attire
When planning our trip, it worked out for us to tour Ireland for a week prior to our big day. We had brought the main parts of our attire, but as we made our way up to Dromahair we stopped at many shops along the way. I & Matt met a jolly gentleman in a suit shop in Kilkenny that sold us one of Matt’s favorite pieces to his wedding attire, his hat! We also came across a charming jewelry shop that sold us a pearl bracelet with matching earrings. And up in Galway, we found Matt’s tie clip. It was these little pieces that made our attire special to us and also unique to our Ireland elopement!
Favorite Moments of your wedding day
The choice to elope with just the two of us was bittersweet. We were able to make the day truly just about us and eliminate lots of stress that often comes with planning events for family and friends, but at the same time we missed out on sharing this moment with our family and friends. Perhaps unexpectedly, we both welcomed the company of our wedding planner, photographer, and videographer. Their personalities complimented each other so well and the entire experience was so enjoyable with lots of laughs and with people who truly wanted our day to be special. After spending only 5 hours with these three we both felt like we had spent our time with really great friends, maybe ones that we will get to come back to Ireland and meet with again!
Exploring the ruins of the old monastery at Franciscan Creevelea Friary was certainly a highlight. Just the history of the old building was special and finding a perfect place to exchange our vows was an adventure. We all got a good laugh as a small little spider decided to drop in during the ceremony and start crawling around Matt’s beard too.
Share your experience with the photographer
Nerijus made our day fun; making us laugh and laughing with us all while capturing fantastic memories behind the lens. He was available last minute, he was professional, and he delivered artwork that will be hung in our families’ homes for many years. We would love to bring our family back to Ireland for another photoshoot with him in the future! A big thank you to him for being part of our magical wedding experience!
Thank You so much for sharing your story…
