Pauline and Paul

Our Story

A little bit about you both:

I am a Mayo woman and Paul is from Longford but we have been living in Wexford now for 4 years with our three children - an eight-year-old boy, a six-year-old girl, and a four-month-old baby girl. We were introduced by mutual friends 19 years ago when I moved to Dublin after college and got together a year later. I think we both knew from the start that we would be together forever.

Tell us a bit about the proposal:

In 2012 Paul said he was taking me to afternoon tea in Ashford Castle in Mayo for my birthday. He knew the grounds there were one of my favorite places to be and suggested we go for a walk before going into the castle. We were at the back in the castle near the old boathouse and he suddenly got down on one knee and popped the question! Eight years and three kids later we have finally gotten around to getting married.

What suppliers did you work with?:

I wanted our invitations to be from our children and Oona Herraghty from Splash Graphics in Athlone did a fantastic job in designing them. Our cake was made by my fantastic sister-in-law and the flowers were supplied by Hollywood Flowers. All the decor was supplied by the hotel and I don't think it could have been any better. Live entertainment was not allowed due to COVID regulations but my brilliant nieces and nephews started an impromptu singsong which made the night for us.

The beauty parade:

The groom and best man's (my 8 yr old son) suits were from Next and they looked so handsome on the day. My 6 yr old girl was Chief Bridesmaid and also wore an outfit from Next, with her baby sister in a matching dress. My dress was from Smart Bridal in Portloais and was altered to fit me perfectly by Sew Perfect in Gorey. Hair and makeup were by Keira Smyth.

Something Old, Something New:

At 41 my son is always referring to me as old! Our 4-month-old baby girl was something new. The handfasting ceremony ribbon was borrowed from the groom's sister and my bridesmaid wore blue!

The Big Day:

The ceremony was held in the absolutely beautiful Poulaphouca Suite in Tulfarris Hotel with the reception afterward in the equally gorgeous Russborough Suite. The hotel allowed us to use the Manor House for photos as the weather was not playing ball that day. The food was stunning, every one of our guests commented on it. The staff at the hotel were fantastic, they couldn't do enough for us.

Why did you choose Tulfarris?:

When we first got engaged a friend mentioned that they had been at a great wedding in Tulfarris, We decided to pay a visit and fell in love with the grounds and Poulaphouca Suite. When we got around to planning the wedding seven years later we would not find anywhere else we loved as much. Honora was an expert in guiding us through the whole process. We had to postpone the wedding from 2020 due to COVID and again Honora was so helpful with this. Every staff member we met was extremely nice and very welcoming. The food and service were outstanding.