A Romantic Kilshane House Wedding with a Swiftie Soundtrack

Bebhinn and Darragh tied the knot in the most timeless style at Kilshane House. Exuding laid-back old-world glamour, the effortlessly luxurious Tipperary venue set a spectacular stage for their modern wedding that was brimming with heartfelt touches. The couple planned, styled and coordinated their wedding weekend themselves and they placed their family at the heart of their celebrations. It was the sweetest full-circle moment as they tied the knot on the eight anniversary of their first date!

Coming to life in an elegant palette of ivory, burgundy and blush, the style exuded refined glamour and as the bride is a huge Swiftie fan there were plenty of Taylor Swift hits to go around. From their sun-kissed ceremony in the conservatory to their romantic candlelit reception, every moment was laced with undeniable magic and very lucky for us photographer Pawel Bebenca was on hand to capture every unmissable detail. With a simply stunning Love & Liberty wedding dress, stationery designed by the bride, bridesmaids in burgundy, a stunning photoshoot along the glorious grounds, a fantastic fireworks finale, and so much more, it is our privilege to bring you this joy-filled celebration.

Before we dive into all the dreamy details let’s find out about how our wonderful couple met. Bebhinn is from Dublin and Darragh is from Kildare and like many modern love stories it started with a swipe! Bebhinn tells us, “We went on our first date to Clement and Pekoe on South William St where we sat on a bench outside people watching and talking like old friends. Despite never having met before it felt like catching up with someone you’d known your whole life but hadn’t seen in a while. It was obvious straight away we were on to something special and it didn’t take long for us to become completely inseparable.”

They got engaged in June 2023 while they were in holiday in California. Bebhinn reminisces on the magical day, “While on a road trip down the coast through Big Sur we pulled in at Rocky Creek Bridge to admire the view when Darragh asked the all important question. Afterwards we stopped at The Big Sur River Inn to have a toast on some deck chairs in the middle of a gently flowing creek. We spent the rest of the day strolling around Carmel by the Sea. Setting an alarm for 2am that night to ring our family back in Ireland with the good news was a memory we’ll never forget.”

The couple dreamt of a romantic and personal celebration where they could make memories to cherish forever with all their favourite people. “Our guests made the day truly special for us. Our family and friends travelled from all over Ireland and beyond to celebrate with us. We had guests come from New York, Nevada, Atlanta, Switzerland, The United Arab Emirates, Denmark and the UK so we were just blown away and beyond grateful to everyone for making so much effort to celebrate our wedding with us. Bebhinn’s grandparents Tommy and Mona were able to travel down to Tipperary for the wedding which was so special. They’re both turning 90 this year.”

Elderwoods curated the floral arrangements which included blush and burgundy blooms such as Quick Sand Roses, Arabian Night Dahlias, Astilbe, Ranunculus and Wax Flower. “They stunned everyone with their fabulous arrangements. We broke down the arrangements at the end of the weekend and everyone got to bring some home.”

The wedding began for Bebhinn in the elegant bridal suite where laughter endlessly rang through the air. “Getting ready in there with the girls with the sun streaming in was magical.”

Absolutely breathtaking! Bebhinn’s wedding dress of dreams was a refined satin fit and flare gown with a square neckline by Love & Liberty which she sourced at MK Bridal in Navan. “I was really going for a timeless look. Caroline was incredible. I gave her the vaguest description ever and she picked my wedding dress on her first try.” She accessorised with a pearl-dappled veil Abrazi, gold and pearl crystal earrings from Azure and 3D floral and pearl kitten heels by Bella Bella. “These were sooo comfy. I lasted all day in them,” she says.

Her stunning look was completed with jewellery that was sweetly gifted to her on the morning of the wedding which included a three-strand natural pearl necklace by Atelier Lilac from her husband. “Each piece is handmade to order. My bracelet was from Monica Vinader, it was a gift from my bridesmaids and it’s engraved with our wedding date. It was such a thoughtful gift and it’s definitely something I’ll cherish forever.”

The bride carried a simply stunning bouquet of creamy white playa blanca roses. There are so many special ways to remember loved ones on your wedding day and her bouquet included a beautiful tribute to her late father. “My bouquet had a brooch with my dad on it so he could be with me as I walked down the aisle with my older brother. It was gifted to me by my brother Fintan and sister-in-law Sinéad.”

The couple tied the knot on the 25th of October and they were joined by 130 of their loved ones. “Convenient that it fell on a bank holiday Saturday. What excellent timing!”

Catherine Lewis was their celebrant and she crafted a deeply personal and moving ceremony. “Omg what an angel. Our ceremony was so personal that guests were asking how long we knew her and if we’d been friends before the wedding planner. She made us feel completely at ease. One of our suppliers had to cancel at the last minute due to extenuating circumstances and Catherine was able to use her local knowledge to find us a replacement at the eleventh hour. Talk about going above and beyond.”

Their ceremony in the conservatory was bathed in gentle sunlight with music from Elaine Hogan Harp. “Her harp carried beautifully through the conservatory, charmingly accompanied by the resident cockatiels, who like to sing along whenever they hear music. We chose not to include a singer, as the harp is such a beautiful instrument that truly speaks for itself. The unaccompanied harp gave the ceremony an intimate, ‘unplugged’ feel.” The soundtrack for the celebration was certainly Swiftie coded and the bridal party made their entrance to Love Story.

“Also, need to give a mention to the incredible weather we got on the day. It was dreary and rainy the days before and after the wedding but the wedding day itself was sunny and mild, with Darragh and I sitting in our own little patch of sunlight during the ceremony. We couldn’t believe our luck, it was so dreamy.”

The ceremony was the highlight of their celebration and it was brimming with heartfelt details chosen by the couple. It featured a series of gorgeous rituals including a handfasting and Bebhinn made all six handfasting cords by hand. The love stories that came before theirs were woven into the ceremony as they exchanged coins that were handed down to them by their parents from their own wedding ceremonies, one of which was an American silver dollar from 1860 which has been passed down through the generations.

“All of our immediate family had roles in the ceremony, whether it was being in the bridal party, lighting the unity candles, doing a reading, participating in the hand fasting or being a witness. Not to mention our adorable nieces and nephews acting as flower girls and page boys,” the bride shares.

The couple wrote their own vows and they selected their own ceremony readings, there was not a dry eye in the house when Deborah Mulcahy read All I Know About Love by Neil Gaiman. Every detail was lovingly curated right down to the pen they signed their paperwork with that they had specially engraved with their wedding date.

They chose a joy-soaked song to walk down the aisle and into their forever as husband and wife, Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root.

The couple wanted a one-stop-shop venue for their wedding weekend and Kilshane House not only offered a picture-perfect backdrop but it was . “We wanted to host an intimate family dinner the night before, a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony (without having to depend on being outdoors) and somewhere we could have a Day 2 party. Kilshane being exclusively a wedding venue that’s closed to the public was a massive factor as well. Once we arrived on Friday evening we didn’t have to leave at all until Monday morning. It felt like an amazing weekend-long house party with all of our nearest and dearest. Kilshane also has ample accommodation with the ability to sleep 100+ people.”

They continue, “Kilshane House has so many amazing spaces. We had our pre-wedding dinner in the wine cellar, our ceremony in the conservatory, our dinner in the orangerie, our BBQ on the terrace and our trad sing song in the QT Bar. Even though you’re in the one venue all weekend it doesn’t feel repetitive.”

Beautiful in burgundy! Bebhinn’s leading ladies wore lustrous satin red gowns with mix and match necklines which were not only perfect for the winter celebration but they married exquisitely with their bouquets.

So timeless! Dashing groom Darragh wore an elegant green velvet tux jacket and black tuxedo trousers by House of Cavani from CT2 Suits in Blanchardstown. “It was a look that felt both classic and contemporary which is very true to Darragh’s personal style. Highly recommend this amazing family business, ask for Janice!” His accessories included a Rotary watch with a classic black leather strap which was a gift from Bebhinn on the morning of the wedding along with a pair of Claddagh cufflinks that were gifted his brother and best man Conor. He also wore a gold Claddagh ring that Bebhinn had gotten him after the engagement as all of the men in her family wear them.

Bebhinn’s bridal beauty look exuded effortless elegance. My makeup artist Glamour by Dawn was an absolute joy to be around and made everyone look and feel like their best selves, AnneMarie from Tie the Knot Bridal Hair absolutely nailed everyone’s hair. I got two days out of my slicked back bun, it didn’t budge!”

Bebhinn and Darragh

Once they pictured their ceremony in the light-filled conservatory, they knew they had found ‘the one’ they put their wedding date on hold with the wedding coordinator before the end of the venue tour! “Kilshane House is simply stunning and it ticked every box.”

The most stylish duo!

After the ceremony, the newlyweds and their guests enjoyed an elegant drinks reception perused the elegant country house and Niall set up in the conservatory during the reception doing amazing portraits of our guests. It was a real talking point of the day.

Bebhinn designed and and printed all the stationery herself which exuded relaxed glamour including the invites, menus, table names and place cards. “Each place card had a burgundy satin ribbon on it that I tied by hand myself.”

They held their reception in the Romantic lighting, soft drapes, and candlelit tables are all included – no detail is overlooked.

They had a cute and creative idea for their table names. “We named our tables after board games as Darragh and I love having board game nights with our friends.” How sweet!

“Kilshane do this really lovely thing where they bring you into the sitting room for 15 minutes before the dinner, giving us a precious window of time to be alone and let it sink in… we got married! Sitting by the fire toasting our new status as husband and wife with some champagne was an unforgettable feeling.”

They have the following wonderful wedding planning advice for engaged couples, “Start planning early, book your key partners in as soon as you can to avoid disappointment if there’s someone you have your eye on. It’s also never too soon to start thinking about the small details even if they don’t need to be planned until a lot closer to the time. It’ll really make the planning process more manageable and will make the weeks leading up the day way less stressful so you can just focus on being excited.”

Not only did Taylor Swift get a shout out during the best man’s speech but Bebhinn and Darragh had their first dance to her massive hit Lover.

Bebhinn changed into a second stunning dress to dance the night away, a tea length midi from House of CB. “It was completely unplanned as my bustle broke so unfortunately there’s no pictures of it but you’ll just have to trust me that it was fab.”

Their breathtaking celebration included a a romantic sparkler photo and a dazzling fireworks display which they managed to keep a secret from absolutely everyone including their parents and bridal party. “That moment was so special.”

The festivities did not end there, as they kept the celebrations going with a fun-packed day two. “We hosted an Afternoon Tea in the conservatory accompanied by two vintage gramophones operated by Trevor from The Gramophone Social. That evening the terrace of the orangerie was set up with one big long table for 60 of our family and friends to enjoy a BBQ buffet. We moved down to the QT bar afterwards for a seisiún ceoil hosted by the incredible The Ceólminers, which quickly escalated to a sing song!”

To say they are excited about their honeymoon is an understatement. “We are going to Thailand this year, starting Bangkok, travelling to Chiang Mai and finishing up in Koh Sumai.”