Derry and Mikey tied the knot in the stunning surrounds in a light-filled, colourful and incandescently joyful wedding at The Johnstown Estate. They wanted their October celebration to feel like an extension of their relationship and their sun-kissed day was warm, intimate, and authentic. From the fairytale flowers to the glamorous decor, the Dublin-based couple chose a colour palette brimming with soft pastel pride colours which reflected their journey in life together.
They wanted to ensure their A-Lister guests could be surrounded in luxury as they mingled, laughed and danced the day away. As you will very soon find out, it was an ultra-stylish party to remember! Except, sensational suiting, a ceremony in the majestic Grand Ballroom, an absolutely magical sparkler photo, a scrumptious cake bedecked with bright macaroons, and not to mention a few dazzling surprises. Not only will you get to pore over all the heartfelt and unforgettable moments in their beautiful wedding photos from Limelight Wedding Films but you’ll also get to watch their stunning wedding film too!
Before we get into the sweet details let’s find out about their love story. Derry is from Kerry and Mikey hails from Tipperary and they met 19 years ago online on a dating website. They tells us, “There were a lot of camera sessions, some that ran on for hours just laughing and getting to know each other. When the time came to meet in person for their first date Mikey had this trick that he used to do which was from his apartment on the third floor of a building in the middle of Dame Street in Dublin he would arrange to meet his date by the phone box. He would then look out the window and if he felt they were worth coming down the stairs for he would come down to meet them. If he didn’t like the look of them… He wouldn’t! Safe to say he didn’t always come down the four flights of stairs but when he saw Derry waiting that night he ran down from his ivory tower to claim his prince. And we’re still together and so very much in love today. Derry kissed Mikey at their first date in Dakota Bar.”
Fast forward to the proposal and they tell us, “Mikey got sick of waiting for the ring which hadn’t appeared by year 12 so decided to take matters into his own hands. Booked a lovely engagement surprise on the one night that the snow shut down every hotel in Dublin (typical). So the engagement, much to his frustration, had to be moved to the following week. It was funny trying to ask them in the hotel to create a diversion so he could set something up in the room without sounding like he was trying to plant a bomb – as it really did come across that way! but it all worked out beautifully to a gorgeous proposal and Derry said yes and they have been blissful ever since.”
The dashing grooms exuded timeless elegance in black tuxes from Protocol Menswear. “e wanted to stand out in the crowd, it was our first time wearing them and we felt fabulous in them for the day.”
“We did a lot of planning for the day, we wanted our guests to be enthralled and entertained all day long,” they say. Finding the perfect venue, food, photographer, videographer and band were their top priorities. “We wanted to choose the best of these vendors. We wanted stunning wedding rings also, and we chose the best in Paul Sheeran to deliver two gorgeous rings to us – we will wear them forever.”
They held their ceremony in the light-filled Grand Ballroom and they made their entrances to walked into Allie Sherlock’s acoustic version of One Life. “It was sung so beautifully by Mairead and played by Ewan. We got lost in picking a song that gave us chills, but we listened to this, and it was just so simple yet delivered impactful meaningful words.”
The floral design by Absolutely Fabulous Flowers brought a delicate and heart-flutteringly beautiful burst of colour to the celebrations.
Another immensely moving moment came as their two chosen poems were delivered beautifully by Derry’s godchild and Mikey’s sister.
“It was a beautiful event where our families and friends who attended were there to wish us well to get married in the backdrop of the sumptuous and elegant surroundings of the Johnstown Estate. Having all our close families, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends surround us was the most special gift,” they share. “We wore pride badges – and the wonderful staff in Johnstown did also! We also gave all our guests one to take away.”
They reflect on why The Johnstown Estate was undeniably ‘the one’ for them, “The Suites at the Johnstown Estate are newly rebuilt, it’s a stunning setting to get married in. Our wedding coordinator Amelia and the team were amazing from start to finish, no question we asked felt too much and we always got positive answers. The venue we felt would surround our guests in luxury. We got some taster nibbles on our first visit too, and they were delicious, we knew the food on our big day would equally be delicious – they did not disappoint. The venue is also close to Lucan where we live, which was important to us, we (the grooms) didn’t want to travel too far. Every time we visit the Johnstown running up to our wedding, staff knew us, they made us feel so welcome, they run a super super operation there onsite, having a Spa, Gym and Pool onsite for our guests was also a big plus, as they were able to relax themselves also, mini holiday for them.”
One non-negotiable vendor was a magician for the drinks reception. Kristian Grey left their guests spellbound. “We saw him at the RDS Wedding event and he bamboozled us both, we booked him right there and then, he is an absolute gent. It was an amazing decision, they still speak about him.”
“Our guests also loved Singer Secreto who got the party started early for our guests after dessert with 6 upbeat songs and our surprise singing chef,” they reminisce.
While they didn’t have a wedding party they had a friends top table, what a fabulous idea. The grooms gave speeches each and they set themselves a five-minute time limit!
After poring over the details of their joy-filled autumn celebration of course we wanted to glean their top wedding planning tips. They say, “Know your budget limit and also the number of guests attending will dictate venue choices, so it’s important to start with rough guest numbers. Pick a time of year you’d like to get married, we wanted to get married in autumn. Above all try not to stress about it. Track everything on spreadsheets. The food, venue, and entertainment is what we believe our guests will appreciate and remember. We had great photographers and videographer (+drone) and it’s something you should definitely have, without question, to capture your day and encapsulate that memory forever.”
Their jaw-dropping blush wedding cake by Oriel at We Do! Wedding Cakes was adorned with pastel blooms and flecks of edible gold. The piece de resistance was the tower of colourful macarons which captured their fun side.
They had one dazzling surprise up their sleeves for their guests as they delivered a custom dance routine! “It was choreographed by the fabulous Sarah Moloney – a mash up of Gaga, Abba, Kylie and Madonna. It went down a storm as we also changed from our tuxedos into white jackets, braces, cropped trousers and runners.”
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Watch Derry and Mikey’s Wedding Film Now:
A huge thank you to Derry and Mikey for sharing their timeless The Johnstown Estate wedding with us, and of course to Limelight Wedding Films for capturing all the magic in such a stunning film and joyful photos.
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