Tankardstown House Wedding by DKPHOTO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY
Tankardstown House Wedding
“Superb experience working with Daniel from the initial correspondence to final delivery.
From the outset, Daniel was prompt and clear in all communication. Everything was handled with great efficiency, something that was carried through on to the Big Day itself.
Daniel is true gentleman. His preference for photojournalism ensures everything is done with minimal fuss and disruption.
I was particularly impressed by how seamlessly Daniel and our videographer worked alongside each other – recommend to check that page : https://www.dkphoto.ie/bride-guide/choosing-wedding-videographer/ .
There was great respect, space and synergy to the way everyone worked together. That is only possible where there is utmost professionalism.
The post ceremony photos were conducted again with the minimum of fuss and in good time. Finally, the delivery of the end product was everything we had hoped for.
From the exquisite detailing of the delivery package to the content itself, we couldn’t be happier.
I heartily recommend Daniel to anyone considering a photographer who can capture the essence and ‘feel’ of your day. The only difficulty you will find is choosing which photos to develop and display on your wall. Outstanding!”
Áine and Steve
Tankardstown House Wedding photos by www.dkphoto.ie
We met…
at work. (Steve) We both work in homeless services. Áine was starting her first day at work on the day of her birthday and I was the first person she met when she came through the door. I keep telling her I was the best birthday present she ever received. Áine still says it was a pair of Jimmy Choos.
(Áine) We worked together for two years before we went on our first date. I just remember laughing all night long. We haven’t stopped laughing since.
We no longer work together although we are both still in the same line of work but in different services. It is challenging work but it is good to be able to talk about those challenges with someone who understands.
Our proposal…
(Áine) Steve took me completely by surprise. He had me convinced that he was going to propose in Italy with little comments he had been making so it was all the more surprising when he got down on one knee on an old junk ship in the middle of Ha Long Bay under a million stars with the only sound being the lapping of the water against the old wooden hull. We had been blessed with weather in Ha Long Bay and had spent the day climbing and exploring the limestone karsts that make the area famous. It really was the most perfect end to a perfect day.
I can’t actually remember how I responded when Steve asked me as I was so shocked. I think I might just have laughed at him and told him to ‘Shut up’. You really have no idea what comes out of your mouth in that moment. I pulled myself together long enough to say yes though and I went upstairs to dinner on the deck with the perfect jewellery accessory to my dress!
Our wedding theme/colours…
(Steve) We had a Spring wedding so we wanted the theme to be fresh and reflect that. Our bouquet arrangements were soft pastels and were beautifully put together by The French Touch. Stephanie is a genius. We knew from the first meeting with her that we had made the right choice. We couldn’t have been happier with all of the arrangements.
My dress…
After a long look for the perfect dress, I ended up buying a Pronovious dress in Cameo Boutique Kilkenny. I knew I wanted a really long train and something fitted. However, I always said I would never wear lace, and guess what? I had lace on my dress.
My hair and make up…
I really had the best hairdresser and makeup artist for our big day. I don’t think I’ll ever feel as good as I did on my Wedding day. Carla rose did my hair in vintage waves and Kate McCormack did my makeup impeccably. They made my morning so relaxed and all the girls felt fabulous.
His suit…
(Áine) Steve is Scottish so there was no danger of getting him in a suit. It was a kilt or he was going to be waiting for me at the end of the aisle naked. I didn’t think the guests could cope with that image so I just left the kilt arrangements to him and his best man. To be fair, they did a wonderful job and chose a tartan that complemented the bridesmaid dresses perfectly while still looking dressy enough for the occasion. … And no… they didn’t :)
What our bridal party wore…
the bridesmaids wore Amsale designer dresses that we got in The Suite Boutique in Dublin. I loved the colour, it was called ‘ice blue’. I wanted the girls to wear different designs so they picked the dresses they loved and it has to be said they all looked so beautiful. The groomsmen were in Kilts from Debenhams.
Our ceremony…
(Steve) We chose a humanist ceremony, considered a church wedding but with so many of the wedding party arriving from Scotland and England. It was important that we had everyone together the night before our big day. We didn’t want people to have to travel on the day too. This turned out to be a wonderful decision and it was fabulous to have our wedding party and both our families together in Tankardstown the night before.
Billy Hutchison was the celebrant. He did a wonderful job of explaining the reasons why a humanist perspective was so important to our celebration and ensured the ceremony was formal without feeling stilted. The humanist ceremony allowed us to put our stamp on the day with our choice of music and readings and we worked on the script with Billy for several weeks in the lead up to the big day.
(Áine) We even had our dog Bailey included in the procession. I don’t think my sister Mary will ever forgive me for asking her to walk up the aisle with our dog – she was terrified he was going to cock a leg on someone’s dress – but Bailey behaved impeccably for possibly the first time in his life and it all went off without anyone getting wet feet!
We chose our wedding photographer because…
(Steve) in keeping with the relaxed and easy feel of the day we wanted a photographer who could record everything in a photojournalistic manner. We wanted him to capture the feelings and the emotions of the day more than simply record who attended through a series of staid, posed shots.
Daniel did this perfectly and worked brilliantly alongside our videographer- recommend to check that page : https://www.dkphoto.ie/bride-guide/choosing-wedding-videographer/
It is lovely to walk around our home now and see Daniel’s shots and remember the emotions anew.
We remember how it felt. How we felt on the day.
You can check some testimonials here: https://www.dkphoto.ie/testimonials/
We chose our wedding coordinator because…
she came with the hotel! But we couldn’t have been happier. Eve was an absolute Godsend. While we fell in love with Tankardstown from the off, the venue is never decided until you have that first conversation with your co-ordinator. Eve helped us feel comfortable with our gut reaction to the venue with her warmth and her eye for detail. She was magnificent.
We chose our venue because…
Wanted an 18th-century manor house that we could have to ourselves and we wanted a space where we could have our families in the evening beforehand. We wanted the whole wedding to feel informal and for people to feel at home. Tankardstown House lends itself to this while still ensuring the level of service that you would expect from the finest hotels in the country elegance and luxury Tankardstown.
The staff were so accommodating but we couldn’t have known that when we first arrived to look at the venue. What we did feel immediately though was that sense of relaxed refinement. Both of us knew while sitting in the lobby waiting to meet our coordinator that Tankardstown House Wedding looks always amazing and was already ticking most of the boxes we had in mind.
We love courtyard cottages suites, cottage suites, walled garden
Our menu…
The head chef at Tankardstown House has won a number of awards and the restaurant on site, Brabazon is extraordinary. The food was important to us…
Our honeymoon…
(Steve)
Sri Lanka for our honeymoon!
We looked at so many options but we wanted somewhere that would feel like a once in a lifetime trip and that would provide lots opportunities to do things other than just lie on the beach. We love immersing ourselves in new experiences and cultures. Sri Lanka offers so many options. You have high mountains, sleepy coastal fishing villages, some of the best safari experiences anywhere in the world and of course, so much culture and history. It really did live up to expectations.
My favourite part of the wedding day…
(Áine) Getting ready in the morning in the room with everyone around me was magical. I’ll never forget the look on my dad’s face when he saw me for the first time in my dress. Walking up the aisle by his side toward Steve was definitely the highlight of the year.
My piece of advice for other brides…
You might visit a dozen shops when deciding on your dress and it is probably one of the biggest decisions you make on your day. You might have an idea of what you imagine your dream dress will be but keep an open mind. Don’t be afraid to try on suggestions that you think might not be for you. Most importantly, remember how you feel in the dress. Don’t take photos of you in the dress. Just remember the feeling.
On the day itself, try and steal ten or twenty minutes for just you and your husband away from everyone else. We went back up to the room for fifteen minutes while the guests were being called into the dining area just to take it all in.
Finally, don’t wait to book your suppliers. As soon as you have your date, start booking your suppliers. You will be amazed at how quickly suppliers are booked up!
Tankardstown House (Venue)
DKPHOTO (Photographer)
The Swing Cats (Music)
Cathal Farrelly (Videographer)
French Touch (Flowers)
Carla Rose (Hair)
Kate McCormack (Makeup)
Pronovius (Wedding Dress)
Appleby (Rings)
Amsale (Bridesmaid dresses)
Debenhams (Kilt Hire)
Maria Fitzgerald/Dublin String Quartet (Ceremony Music)
Derval Finnegan (Harpist)
Sheridans (Wedding Cake)
Aidan Kavanagh (DJ)
Michael Maher (Piper)
Áine’s ( BRIDE ) Blog – https://theporcelainrose.com/
Tankardstown House Wedding by www.dkphoto.ie
