Some of our most favourite weddings are at home affairs. They have a certain charm and relaxed feel that can’t be beat. And today’s real wedding couple Olivia & CJ’s stylish spring destination wedding in Ireland is set on the grounds of CJ’s family’s historic Irish home, making it even cooler. The sense of home, the hard work of family and friends, the personal touches of decor from their family’s collection, the feeling of relaxed togetherness and the elegant style of this pair all made it a day of sweet celebration for Olivia & CJ as they promised forever. Celebrating alongside 120 of their guests who travelled to Ireland from all over the globe, it’s a modern destination wedding in Ireland done SO so right, with steal-worthy details that would fit just about any style of wedding. Photographed wonderfully by the talented Claire from Studio Brown it’s pure eye candy and we can’t wait for you to dive in!
The couple included a custom illustration of their venue on the invitation suite along with hand drawn calligraphy on the stationery and event signage.
First things first, let’s get to know today’s couple a little better. Today’s lovebirds are bride Oliva from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Groom CJ from New York City. The pair are currently based in Houston, Texas.
CJ and Olivia met in late 2019, when Olivia lived in San Francisco and CJ was living in NYC but doing consulting work in San Francisco several times per month, often staying multiple weeks in a row and / or thru weekends to maximize travel. CJ and Olivia connected on a dating app not realizing they lived in different cities (Olivia thought CJ lived in San Fran, CJ thought she lived in NYC). They decided to meet – despite being on different coasts – and had an instant connection.
From there they continued to meet when CJ was in town for work (continuing to take advantage of as many long weekends as he could). They discovered during initial dates that their worlds were smaller than they realized, as Olivia was from NYC with family still living there, and was also in the same class in college as CJ’s sister.
CJ decided to take a leap of faith and pursue a new career opportunity in Houston in the Spring of 2021. About a year after CJ’s move, Olivia moved to Houston where they moved into their first apartment together and began a whole new journey which included hosting family and friends, exploring Houston together, getting their first pet, a foster-fail cat named Yoshi (which disproved CJ’s prior claim that he was allergic to cats). All the while CJ was waiting for the right time to pop the question. In parallel, they also began to look for a house. After careful planning of the engagement details, CJ surprised Olivia with the engagement on a rainy Friday in April 2023, which included a second surprise of Olivia’s sister, Victoria, coming into town to celebrate with them and capture the moment in photographs. CJ had originally planned to propose in a local park but moved the proposal into their apartment due to the rain. He enlisted friends to help stage the scene with flowers and candles and got Olivia out of the apartment with an open house viewing. The engagement ended with a beautiful rainbow following the rain and a few months later was followed by a house purchase in June!
Rather than exchanging custom vows, CJ and Olivia exchanged handwritten cards the morning of the wedding, which they read while getting ready. Such a sweet idea.
After getting engaged, the pair determined that the most important things to them for their wedding day were togetherness and celebrating with the people that they love. “We really wanted our friends and family to enjoy the celebration and have fun with us!”, the couple tell us. “To that end, having a great band and good drinks – that didn’t require standing in line to get – were important. We also wanted to pay homage to Ireland and CJ’s Irish heritage by having all local vendors and serving local favorites (like Irish beef and unlimited Guinness!).”
And the perfect spot for their Irish destination wedding? CJ’s uncles beautiful historical Georgian country home in Co. Galway. CJ had visited with his family a number of times prior and Olivia had joined them there for Thanksgiving in 2022. Both CJ and Olivia loved getting to know the property, its history, caretakers, and animals. The uncles put a lot of care into maintaining the property and Olivia in particular loved the cat (Snuggles) and donkeys (Molly and Maude). CJ’s three siblings had all considered Ireland for their wedding but ended up staying stateside so CJ was the last sibling with the opportunity to take advantage of the property!
The property itself showcases an enchanting Georgian aesthetic with classic architectural elements. The home has a grand entrance and winding staircases with high ceilings, ornate cornices, and elegant period furnishings, creating a sense of timeless sophistication. The surrounding grounds have beautiful gardens, mature trees, and grazing horses. The historical charm and natural beauty really defines the unique aesthetic of the house.
Olivia stunned in a timeless, off-shoulder satin Louvienne ballgown which she sourced at Lovely Bride in Houston. She completed her elegant bridal look with blue floral print low-heeled sandals from Bella Belle and a romantic full-length veil which she sourced on Etsy.
Describing the look and the overall vibe for the day, Olivia says it was “Romantic Irish countryside – I really loved the idea of an elegant countryside wedding.” She adds, “The vibe was cozy and joyous with warm fairy lights in the tent and colorful centerpieces with local green foliage.”
The ceremony introduced guests to what would be the first of many beautiful design details, including the warm blush, cream, yellow, peach, baby blue and sage colour palette brought to life by Kristine Hayes Wedding Design.
Olivia walked down the aisle to Haley Reinhart’s version of Can’t Help Falling in Love. The bride telling, “The song is so beautiful and perfectly captured the feeling of the moment when you’re about to marry your best friend and life partner.”
Olivia had both her father and stepfather walk her down the aisle together which was a nod and note of recognition to the impact they both had in raising her.
“At the ceremony at St. Cuan’s, the priest made quite an impact by breaking out his Irish flute multiple times. This was such a unique experience, many guests commented on what a memorable experience it was to watch him play. He also brought a lightness to the day and made sure that the photographer was able to capture the perfect first kiss on camera” the couple tell us.
It was important to incorporate their love for family and one another, Irish heritage and family heirlooms into the wedding day. The couple had fun incorporating personal and family heirlooms including CJ’s family crest – which was added to napkins and other decor – as well as Olivia’s stole which belonged to CJ’s great aunt and a pin which belonged to her great-grandmother and was added to her bouquet.
CJ looked oh-so-dapper in his wedding day ensemble which featured a suit from J. Hilburn, loafers from Del Toro, a tartan bowtie from Bow Tie Club and tartan scarf from Brooks Brothers.
So many pretty spots for wedding portraits throughout the home, right?
Olivia’s bridesmaids rocked mis-matched bridesmaids dresses in shades of light green which complimented the spring vibes perfectly.
The couple’s personal touches continued to make a statement during their cocktail hour with signature his and hers drinks.
At the reception, guests were treated to a garden wonderland inside the marquee tent. The palette was a fresh and romantic melody of spring shades.
Planning a spring wedding of your own? Feast your eyes upon this…
So stunning! The spring arrangements and crisp linens paired alongside the dark wooden chairs really channeled their Irish countryside in the spring wedding theme in a modern, romantic way.
The most beautiful tented reception!
The pair have the following sage advice for couples planning their big day at home, or abroad, “Do your research with who you hire and get referrals if you can – we loved all of our vendors and felt they really cared about our day. We had so much trust in them and it really all came together so beautifully on the day of. Also, guests truly won’t notice if something goes wrong so as much as you can, go with the flow, trust the process and the people surrounding you, and soak in all the moments you can on the day of!”
The pair have the following sage advice for couples planning their big day at home, or abroad, “Do your research with who you hire and get referrals if you can – we loved all of our vendors and felt they really cared about our day. We had so much trust in them and it really all came together so beautifully on the day of. Also, guests truly won’t notice if something goes wrong so as much as you can, go with the flow, trust the process and the people surrounding you, and soak in all the moments you can on the day of!”
The couple are currently planning their honeymoon in Portugal with stops in Porto and Lisbon which has been a long time bucket list destination for the couple who have had many friends recommend it as a destination that is vibrant and affordable with great food and wine.
Olivia and CJ had their romantic first dance to Starting Over by Chris Stapleton surrounded by their loved ones. CJ and Olivia had seen Chris Stapleton live in Houston a few times and fell in love with the song, which fit in perfectly with the Ireland destination with the lyrics, “I can be your lucky penny, You can be my four leaf clover”.
They danced the night away with friends and family to their live wedding band, and had a romantic sparkler exit.
A huge thank you to Olivia & CJ for sharing their exquisite destination wedding in Ireland with us. A special mention also goes to Claire from Studio Brown for these amazing photographs. There are plenty more in the gallery below if you want some more dreamy Irish destination wedding inspiration.
Are you planning your own Destination Wedding in Ireland? We have an extensive Irish Real Wedding archive for you to peruse!
