A summer real wedding with enduringly stylish accents. Chris and Caitlin’s Cork wedding had a modern, elegant and deeply personal air. Their nuptials at the historic manor house venue Castlemartyr Resort had a palette which included pops of emerald green and toffee while the blooms were delicately whimsical. A sentimentalist at heart, Caitlin wanted to incorporate nods to their home, family and friends throughout their special day and we know you’ll be swooning when you find out how they did. We can’t wait for you to see the exquisite wedding photos from Kathy Silke Photography too, so let’s get started!
Caitlin is Irish and Chris is from London, but how did their love story begin? The couple met online in 2020. “Our first date was when there were still restrictions and a curfew so everywhere was closed by 10pm. After our first date we stood outside together continuing chatting.”
Chris chose a stunning location to propose to Caitlin, he popped the question while they were camping in Wales for a week. “The first couple of days the weather was a bit windy and unpleasant but on the first sunny day we went hiking in Snowdonia. We were on a trail just by ourselves overlooking the valley when Chris proposed.”
The grooms party were dashing in navy suits which were complemented with bow ties in shades of mint and forest green.
Caitlin and Chris imagined tying the knot abroad. “Since we both live in London, I convinced Chris a wedding in exotic Ireland is still a destination wedding,” Caitlin says. Finding a venue with a brilliant indoor ceremony space was important to them in case the weather didn’t play ball, “We really loved both the outdoor and indoor ceremony options at Castlemartyr. The staff were so kind and lovely every time we went back to the venue as well.”
Caitlin exuded modern sophistication in the off-the-shoulder Mila Dress by Grace Loves Lace and she wore strappy heels by the Australian bridal brand too. She wore a selection of special accessories, more on that later!
Their ceremony space had a lush edge as the aisle was dressed with vases holding foliage such as Tasmanian blue gum eucalyptus. Family played a huge role in their ceremony. “We had my brother-in-law be our celebrant which was very special and made the whole ceremony relaxed and personal.” Caitlin’s grandmother, who is 93, penned and read a poem about them especially for the occasion.
The couple did a handfasting ceremony, a Celtic ritual which sees the couple’s hands bound together as they recite their commitment to each other. “We plaited the ribbon with colours from the flags of where all our families are from and our mums tied the ribbon for us.”
“What made the day truly special for us was having everyone travel over to share our special day with us,” they share. Friends and family joined them from around the country and flew in from Australia, Corsica, Indonesia (including Chris’ 93-year-old grandmother), the UK and the US.
We just adore this confetti moment – pure joy!
Caitlin adores green so it coloured many facets of the styling from the invitations to the bridesmaid gowns with flutter sleeves. As for the aesthetic of the day, she explains, “My wedding dress changed the overall look as it was more of a classic elegant look as I originally wanted to go more boho with the decorations. I have to thank Flicky of Howe Hill Flowers for making our vision come to life.”
Caitlin’s wedding day accessories came from many important ladies in her life. Her mum’s necklace was her something old, she borrowed her veil from her close friend Niamh and she wore something blue earrings which had been a 21st birthday present from her grandmother.
A very significant accessory within Chris’ wedding wardrobe gave a nod to his heritage. His wedding ring was made in Indonesia where his mum’s family is from.
Their reception styling included flowers and foliage picked from the garden at Caitlin’s family home. Her father made wooden boards for the tables from trees from the family farm too. Taper candles in tonal shades of brown and brass candlestick holders were also included in the décor.
We can’t get enough of the joy-filled pictures from Kathy Silke Photography. The newlyweds had to make a pit-stop by the castle ruins, of course!
After planning their own big day flawlessly, what words of wedding wisdom do the couple have? “We had the best time but the day just flies by. The day goes by so quickly, make sure to carve out some time just the two of you that’s not taking photos or doing something else.”
Caitlin’s mum and sister made the beautiful single tier wedding cake which was adorned with flowers. “It was carrot cake, our favourite.”
Wanting to include as many Irish elements as possible, they had a traditional ceili in the evening. They wanted a first dance song that sounded classic but with a modern twist and they chose Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez. “We were the last to leave our reception and we danced to our first dance song again before we went to bed at 5.30am, I think this is one of my favourite memories.”
Congratulations to Caitlin and Chris on their stunning day. A special thank you to Kathy Silke Photography for the utterly gorgeous images, there are even more in the gallery below be sure to stop by!
Tying the knot? Check out our extensive Irish Real Wedding archive and Pinterest for even more inspiration!