With soft colours and natural textures at the fore, Katie and Ben wed in fairytale style at The Millhouse. Bathed in glorious sunshine, they celebrated with 143 of their favourite people at the picturesque country house venue located on the banks of the Boyne in Slane. With a relaxed and rustic aesthetic, sweet ‘something blue’ accents were threaded through their spring fete while glowing bride Katie enchanted in a glittering LuceSposa gown.
From Ben’s elegant groomswear look with a Batman twist to their Disney ceremony music and their fun-filled Tayto challenge, this warm and intimate celebration was loaded with fabulous personal touches. With natural and modern wedding photography by Francis Meaney, we can’t wait for you to check out all the dreamy details below.
So how did true love bloom for Dublin lass Katie and Belfast man Ben? They met at work where Katie was a research scientist and Ben was there as a tradesman. She tells us, “One day, because the usual car park was closed, I had to park elsewhere, right beside him, though I didn’t notice. I was running late, as usual, and rushed straight inside. But he must have spotted me. Later that day, when he finished work, my car was still beside his. So he grabbed the envelope from his payslip, wrote a note with his number, and left it under my wiper. You’d think I’d have spotted it immediately but no. I drove home in the wind and light rain, completely oblivious. It wasn’t until the next morning, while I was about to defrost my car by throwing water all over it, that I finally saw the note. I had no idea who had left it, so I did what I always do when I don’t know what to do, I messaged my best friend Justine, who was my maid of honour. And in typical Justine fashion, she said, ‘Well, we have to find out who it is.’ And thankfully she did, we got married on our six-year anniversary.”
We know you will absolutely swoon when you hear their engagement story which took place in Florence. Katie reminisces, “On our first evening, we walked up to Piazzale Michelangelo to watch the sunset. Ben had imagined a quiet, secluded spot… but instead we were greeted by crowds, school trips, tourists, musicians, the works. We eventually found a place at the edge just as the sun dipped into a golden glow. Then Ben took my hand and went down on one knee. A circle formed around us, the whole crowd suddenly silent. When he asked, ‘Will you marry me?’ I said yes—of course I did—and the entire piazzale exploded into cheers, applause and congratulations. A crowd of total strangers ended up sharing one of the most magical moments of our lives.”
Ben’s elegant suit was from The Bank Menswear at The Wedding Centre but the star of the show was his sophisticated dark blue velvet tux jacket with a fun Batman twist from Focus Menswear.
Katie and Ben wanted their spring wedding to reflect their personalities and love story from beginning to end. “It was all about creating a day we genuinely enjoyed and getting all our family and friends together to celebrate with us,” she says.
We were absolutely blown away by Katie’s bridal look which included an ethereal wedding dress by LuceSposa which she sourced at MK Bridal. Adorned with glistening crystal and pearls, the A-line tulle gown also boasts sheer cape sleeves and she accessorised with a beautiful veil, ballerina flats and a delicate necklace.
Emma K Creative Styling created her timeless waves while Laura O’Hare Makeup was behind her beautiful radiant beauty look.
Also adding to the whimsical vibe on the style front was the bridesmaids who wore sky blue chiffon gowns with flutter sleeves from Azazie.
Their ceremony took place in the Old Mill with exudes rustic charm boasting original brick work and dazzling chandeliers. Their oh-so-dreamy ceremony backdrop comprised of diaphanous blush tulle curtains and lace drapery which was adorned with florals designed by Charlottes Web Floral Studio.
They found their dreamy wedding venue by accident! Katie explains, “One day, while trying to avoid M50 traffic on the way to a friend’s house in Meath, we got completely lost and ended up driving through Slane. We passed over the bridge, spotted The Millhouse and thought it looked really cool, so we took a few photos. We didn’t even know what it was at the time. I showed the pictures to my mum later, just thinking we’d come across an interesting old place. When we finally started venue hunting about six months later, Ben sent me a venue he’d seen on Instagram that he liked. When we drove up for the open day, we both realised it was the exact same place we’d stumbled across by accident. It felt like a full-circle moment, and that’s when we knew it was ‘the one’.”
Their gorgeous ceremony readings included Tell Me by Ms Moem. “It felt extra special because it was read by my only brother, Chris and the words really suited Ben and me perfectly.”
They both love Disney so they had to include songs they adored in their ceremony track list. “One of the most beautiful moments was the violin acoustic version of Colours of the Wind from Pocahontas while we signed the register. As I grew up on all the classic Disney films, it felt like the perfect, personal touch to the day.”
She reflects more on the aesthetic of their stunning spring celebration, “Our wedding was a relaxed, rustic fairytale with lots of natural textures, soft colours and personal touches throughout.”
“The whole day felt easy, warm and intimate, exactly the atmosphere we wanted. Day two was a laid-back family BBQ with kids running around, lots of laughter and a really easy, fun atmosphere,” she adds.
Katie’s stunning ‘something blue’ bouquet included roses, daisies, trailing orchids, tweedia, and sweet pea.
Their celebration included a vintage photo booth, green post box for guests and a Tayto crisp wall. “One of the things that made the day feel really personal was our Tayto challenge. Because Ben’s from Belfast and I’m from Dublin, we set up a ‘Southern Tayto vs. Northern Tayto’ crisp wall. I designed a poster featuring the two of us and even customised the crisp packets. The guests had to vote for their favourite using stickers shaped like the packets. Ben actually prefers Southern Tayto but felt he had to stand by the Northern ones for loyalty’s sake! Southern Tayto won in the end, obviously! But to be fair, it was a pretty close race.”
“My biggest piece of advice is; don’t get hung up on the small stuff,” she says to those planning their special day. “In the run-up to the big day there are so many decisions to make and it’s easy to overcomplicate things. Honestly, you won’t notice on the day whether your menus are cornflower blue or spring blue. Just pick a light blue and it’ll be grand! Also, try to be as present as possible on your big day. It goes by so fast and it’s so important to just go with it, enjoy every moment and take in as much as you can.”
They held their reception in the pavillion which lies in the beautiful sun-trapped courtyard. The tablescape styling also minimalistic table number signs with romantic cursive font, menus with dainty hand-drawn illustrations, wooden accents, and Chiavari chairs.
Their wedding favours were customised beer koozies from the US, how cute!
The groomsmen brought the house down with the scroll joke!
Their refined white wedding cake was created by a family friend and it was topped with darling cake toppers bearing their initials.
Katie and Ben were on cloud nine as they shared their first dance to Runaway by The Corrs.
They continued to soak up the magic of their celebration with a honeymoon in Sorrento. “Italy has always had a special place in our story, so it felt only right to go there to celebrate our first trip as a married couple. Sorrento is such a beautiful and romantic place, you can do everything from relaxing by the pool to taking day trips to Capri. It has everything you could want for an amazing honeymoon: stunning views, incredible food and delicious cocktails. We absolutely loved it.”
We want to thank Katie and Ben for letting us share their gorgeous day and we wish them every happiness for the future. A special thanks to Francis Meaney who captured their wedding at The Millhouse wedding so beautifully. Head to the full gallery to see more from this breathtaking wedding.
Planning your own spring celebration? Check out more Real Weddings and get inspired here.
