Real Weddings: Stephanie and Patrick’s stunning Luttrellstown Castle celebration
Stephanie and Patrick celebrated their wedding in unforgettable style at the breathtaking Luttrellstown Castle, where every detail felt effortlessly in harmony with the historic setting. Drawing inspiration from the rich hues of autumn, their October celebration was filled with warmth, romance and personal touches, from a heartfelt ceremony officiated by Stephanie’s brother to a lively reception adorned with stunning seasonal florals and candlelit elegance. With traditional Irish music, incredible food, and a packed dance floor that carried on into a high-energy after-party, their day was a perfect reflection of their love: joyful, meaningful and full of life.
THE COUPLE
Stephanie Wilderink, medical device sales, and Patrick Casserly, firefighter.
THEY LIVE
In San Francisco.
THE VENUE
PHOTOGRAPHY
Anouska Proetta Brandon, Anouska Love Story.
THEY MET
We officially met on a dating app, but we realised we both went to college at the same place and graduated the same year. Before our first date, I sent a screenshot of Patrick’s profile to one of my sorority sisters, who immediately told me I had to go on a date with him because he is the sweetest guy! On our first date, we realised we had a ton of mutual friends and our paths had crossed so many times in college, but we had never met.
THE PROPOSAL
Patrick proposed at the Cliffs of Moher on a trip to Ireland in December 2023. I had an inkling it was going to happen on the trip, and when he was adamant that we go to the cliffs on a specific day, I was pretty sure. It was foggy and windy, but it felt perfect, like we had brought the San Francisco fog with us to Ireland. Later that night, he had made dinner reservations in Galway, and when we walked to our table, both of our families were there to surprise me. I was in shock!
THE WEDDING ATTIRE
My wedding dress was the Moe dress by Dana Harel. I saw a photo of the dress, maybe a year before we got engaged. I sent it to my mom and maid of honour and said this is my wedding dress! I just knew from the moment I laid eyes on it. After we got engaged, I went to Jin Wang in San Francisco to try it on, and it was absolutely perfect.
Patrick’s classic black tuxedo was from Suitsupply.
THE CEREMONY
My brother officiated the ceremony, and we wrote our own vows that we read in front of everyone. There was so much laughter and love throughout the ceremony. It felt so true to us and our relationship. One of Patrick’s childhood friends, Brandon, also played the bagpipes after the ceremony and led everyone to the drinks reception.
THE RECEPTION
Oh my gosh – Heather from Flowerpop and Nessa, our wedding planner, absolutely smashed it with the reception. The flowers and decor were better than I could have imagined, and the florals on the fireplace took my breath away. The food at Luttrellstown just blew everyone away. We were so impressed, and all of our guests couldn’t stop raving about it.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
Asgards, an Irish trad music band, set the tone for the welcome party. We wanted the guests to experience traditional Irish music to kick off the weekend. Then we had D-Strings for the ceremony and drinks reception music, and Prestige Band for after-dinner music. They were so incredible and got everyone on the dance floor. So many guests told us how much they loved the band, and it really set the tone for the reception. After the fireworks, we wanted the night to transition into more of an after-party vibe. We wanted it to feel like a club, and DJ & Sax did not disappoint!
THE DECOR
I really wanted the wedding decor to work hand in hand with the castle itself. Like everything belonged and it was meant to be there. We got married on October 3, and I just absolutely love the fall colours and changing colours of the foliage on the castle, so we wanted to bring all those rich fall hues into the flowers, stationery and decor.
THEIR TOP TIPS
Get the planner! We worked with Nessa Loves Weddings to plan our wedding, and we cannot say enough good things about her. She was my sounding board, and we feel like we gained a friend through the whole process. I love design and decor, so I had a really clear vision. She was able to bring that vision to life and also keep me sane at the same time.
Also, choose the vendors with whom you connect the most. We felt so lucky to be surrounded by such incredible people on our wedding day, who made us feel so comfortable.
THEY WISH THEY HAD
Absolutely no regrets! We only wish it could have lasted longer.
THEIR BEST MOMENTS
First look. Wow, this moment was so special. When I saw Patrick standing there on the stairs with his back to me, I could not hold it in. Poor guy had to wait until I could pull myself together and stop crying. Then, when he turned around, we both couldn’t hold our tears in!
The ceremony and notes to our guests. Instead of placecards at the dining tables, we had the idea to hand-pick photos with each guest and write notes on the back about how much they mean to us. Most of our guests were flying all the way to Ireland from California or other parts of the US, and we wanted to make sure they all knew how much we love and appreciate them.
The fireworks. We surprised all our guests with these! We had the band announce we were doing a champagne toast to get them all to the patio, and when the timing was right, the fireworks went off. I wish I could relive that moment – especially when Brendan whipped out the bagpipes again and started playing while we watched the fireworks.
Just all the little details on the day. We wanted the wedding to truly reflect us, our relationship, and just be so personal to who we are. The people, the notes, our vows, the music, the entertainment, the decor, I think it all spoke to us perfectly. We had custom hats made through a manufacturer I found – I fully designed the hats and had Luttrellstown Castle embroidered on the front. Nessa put them all on a rolling cart that she rolled out on the dance floor. I can’t explain how fun it was to pass out the hats and see all of the guests put them on – even the band and castle staff put them on! Even to this day, friends send me photos wearing the hats. It’s such a cool memory and keepsake.
FIRST DANCE SONG
Live Forever – Noel Gallagher acoustic.
THE CREW
Venue: Luttrellstown Castle Resort. Videography: Nonfiction Love. Wedding planner: Nessa Loves Weddings. Florist: Flowerpop. Wedding dress: Dana Harel Design from Jin Wang. After party dress: Palm dress by NEWHITE. Make-up: @suebrophy_makeup. Hair stylist: @_daniellewhelan_. String quartet: D String. Band: Prestige Band. DJ: @djandsax.ie. Irish trad band: Asgards. Stationery: @freshsqueezeddesign. Cake: Ms Cupcake Cork. Fireworks: Emerald Fireworks.
See more photographs from Stephanie and Pat’s wedding below.
Photography by Anouska Lovestory
Want to see your Real Wedding on IMAGE.ie? Email shayna.healy@image.ie with the subject line ‘Real Wedding’.
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