A Charming Wedding at Ballyseede Castle, Co. Kerry

Planning & Advice

“We will never forget driving up to the Castle and seeing our guests out in the garden enjoying the beautiful surroundings, music and drinks.”

The couple: Alma Kelly & David Considine
Length of engagement: 15 months | Wedding date: 16th May 2014
Wedding venue: Ballyseede Castle, Co. Kerry

Photographer: Sarah Connolly Photography

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We met… We grew up in the same parish in County Clare.

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Our proposal… was at Doonbeg Lodge in West Clare. My engagement ring was made by Gleeson Goldsmith in Ballycasey, Shannon.

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His suit… was a three-piece charcoal grey suit with a silver-grey tie from Patrick Bourke Menswear in Kilrush and Ennis, Co. Clare.

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My dress… Was Lucia by Anoushka G from Aibheil in Adare. It had a vintage feel with a modern twist. I had hoped to use my sister’s veil but when my dress arrived the veil was a slightly different shade of white to my dress, but SimplyVeils.ie replicated the veil to perfection. My headpiece (which I wore in the evening) was made by Jules Bridal Jewellery. Julie was fabulous to deal with and made a bespoke piece to my liking. It took one visit to her shop in Dublin and she popped the finished piece in the post.

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Our ceremony…Was at St. Brendan’s Church in Curraheen, Tralee, a beautiful country church facing the sea with mountains as a backdrop.

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Our wedding theme/colours… we went for vibrant colours as it was a May wedding but not straying too far from the traditional, we chose Tiffany Blue as the main colour. Our favours were sunflower and cornflower seeds for guests to sow at home to remember the day.

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We chose our photographer because… We met Sarah ( Sarah Connolly Photography) at a friend’s wedding in the Falls, Ennistymon Co. Clare the year prior to our wedding. She was so natural and subtle in her approach as a photographer that we thought she was a guest! We were impressed by Sarah’s attention to detail and eye for a good shot. We were delighted with Sarah on the day and her collection of photos afterwards.

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What our bridal party wore… The girls wore dresses by Dessy in Tiffany Blue from Ivory Lane in Limerick. The boys wore charcoal grey suits from Patrick Bourke Menswear.

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My hair and make-up… My hair was by Joelle’s Hair in Tulla Co. Clare and my make-up was by Alison Smith. Joelle and Alison travelled from Clare to Ballyseede for us.

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My favourite part of the wedding day… Aside from the wedding ceremony, the drinks reception in the garden at Ballyseede Castle was a memorable part of the day. We were blessed with a warm sunny day in Kerry. We will never forget driving up to the Castle and seeing our guests out in the garden enjoying the beautiful surroundings, music and drinks.

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Our honeymoon… We spent a week in Jamaica followed by a week in California spending time in San Francisco, Sonoma Valley, Yosemite National Park and Monterey.

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We chose our venue because…We wanted a venue that was both intimate and a real treat for our guests and Ballyseede Castle in Co. Kerry delivered on both. The quality of food was also high on our wish list. We had heard of Ballyseede Castle’s reputation for exquisite food and we weren’t disappointed. Marnie, Rory and their colleagues were lovely to deal with from beginning to end.

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Our menu… The starter was a choice of Warm Clonakilty Black Pudding or the Ballyseede Starter Plate. Next was soup of Roast Butternut Squash with Ardsallagh Goats Cheese or Tropical Fruit Sorbet. The main course was a choice of Pan Roasted Fillet of Beef or Roast Monkfish wrapped in Parma Ham, served with honey roast vegetables and a selection of potatoes. Plenty of helpings! The dessert was a selection of lemon tart, a brownie and marshmallow.

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My piece of advice for other brides… It’s cliché but do what you both want. It is your day after all! And make a list from early on. A friend gave us a wedding diary/planner in a ring binder style with pockets for keeping things and it was invaluable!