“We visited Mount Juliet the previous August and it was like walking through a chapter of a Jane Austen Novel.”
The couple: Samantha & Barry Murphy
Wedding date: 13th August 2016
Wedding venue: Mount Juliet Estate, Kilkenny
Photographer: Kevin Morris Photography
We met… In the Wexford institution that is the Centenary Stores many moons ago.
Our proposal… It took place in Barry’s favourite city Galway where we had gone for the weekend to celebrate his birthday. We spent the afternoon in true rock n’ roll fashion (in our hotel suite with a couple of bottles of bubbly and countless games of gin-rummy). Just before we went downstairs for dinner, Barry went down on one knee and the rest as they say is history.
My hair and makeup… was by the fantastic team at McCauleys Beauty Salon in Wexford and my hair was expertly pinned by the lovely Therese McEvoy who slaved away from the crack of dawn to ensure every hair was perfectly in place for the big day. As she is practically family (she’s my brother’s girlfriend), she was attending the wedding herself and was on-hand throughout the day for touch-ups and to help remove my veil etc.
What our bridal party wore… The girls were in JJ House with pearl accessories and shoes by Debut and they looked effortlessly stunning. The boys were in suits by B Corcoran Menswear with Avengers cufflinks to complete their epic ensemble.
His suit… was by B Corcoran Menswear in Wexford and he looked ever-so-dashing in the charcoal three piece with timeless tails to add that extra touch of class!!
Our ceremony… took place at St. Alphonsus’ Church Barntown, Wexford which is one of the most beautiful churches in the country and luckily for me, my parish church. Fr. Aodhan Marken presided and put everyone at ease with his friendly and witty way. Readings and Prayers of the Faithful were by close friends with Seamus Heaney’s Scaffolding serving as the Reflection. The ceremony started with a bit of fun as the theme song to Jaws rang out as I pulled up outside, which got a few laughs. The remainder of the music was slightly more formal and was thanks to the fantastic local talents of Ciara and Aoife McCormack.
My dress… was Provonias and I fell in love with it instantly! It was a slice of fairytale fun with a satin bodice and a full tulle skirt. The girls in B Couture Bridal Boutique made my appointments lots of fun and catered to my every whim adding a bow and buttons to the back to customise the dress for me.
We chose our photographer because… Kevin (Kevin Morris Photography) had previously photographed Barry’s brother Stephen’s wedding in 2012 and more recently my sister Michelle’s wedding in 2016 so we knew he would do an amazing job. He also has a relaxed and friendly manner that puts you at ease instantly resulting in some gorgeous natural photos that you’ll struggle to choose between for your wedding album.
We have to mention that we also had the fantastic Martin Healy as our Videographer for the day and the finished DVD is truly wonderful. He captured so many special moments and arranged them beautifully, thanks to him we can always revisit this super special day whenever we want.
We chose our venue because… it’s gorgeous. We visited Mount Juliet the previous August and it was like walking through a chapter of a Jane Austen Novel. We were taken on a tour of the house and grounds by Des (who’s knowledge of the estate is encyclopedic) and by the end we were hooked.
Our wedding theme/colours… The theme of the wedding was butterflies as they’re super pretty and a symbol of positive change and growth. We tried to incorporate these wherever we could, including the flowers, invitations, mass booklets and cake. Each of the bridesmaids had a different pastel coloured dress as we wanted to get as much colour into the day as we could and this allowed a lot of freedom with the flowers and colours that could be included.
Our menu… was delicious! Honestly the food was incredible and a true testament to the efficiency and talent of Alma Creed and the team at Mount Juliet, that the quality when catering to 160 people was every bit as meticulous as if it were just a table for two in their award-winning Lady Helen Restaurant. We had duck to start which truly melted in your mouth. Main course was a choice of beef or seabass and dessert was a scrumptious lemon and vanilla flavoured assiette. The fab wines also should get an honourable mention!
Our honeymoon… was one on both our bucket lists. We did spent 10 days in Peru where we visited the capital Lima before taking to the great outdoors on the Inca Trail. The scenery was out of this world and no photos that we took could honestly do Machu Picchu justice. Following this, it was on to Mexico for two weeks in the Cancun Riviera in the Secrets Hotel for some well earned relaxing where our days were spent chillin’ by the pool/beach, cocktail in hand.
My favourite part of the wedding day… We can’t choose, we honestly loved every minute.
My piece of advice for other couples… enjoy what will be the best day of your life – and get a videographer.
Suppliers
Wedding Venue: Mount Juliet Estate, Kilkenny | Photographer: Kevin Morris Photography | Videographer: Martin Healy | Wedding Dress: B Couture, Arklow | Groomsmen Suits: B. Corcoran Menswear, Wexford | Cake: Bernadette Kennelly, Navan | Flowers: Rosaleen’s Flowers, Wexford | Car: Vintage Cars | Church Music: Ciara and Aoife McCormack | Reception Music: Colin McClean | Band: Bentley Boys
