Fernando and Gary's big day was a fusion of elegant sophistication and disco-inspired fun. Highlights of the night included Riverdance, a string quartet, a disco-inspired dancefloor, personalised pints, florals galore and possibly the best dressed guests in Ireland.
THE COUPLE
Fernando Klein, general manager at Trinity Townhouse Hotel, and Gary Quane, private banking.
THEY LIVE
in Dublin 8. We bought an old boys’ school built in 1795 and recently converted it into a number of luxury city centre gated townhouses.
THE VENUE
Adare Manor.
PHOTOGRAPHER
Under The Veil.
THEY MET
I moved to Ireland 16 years ago in 2007 from my home city of Porto Alegre in Brazil. I came to Dublin primarily to learn and study English but from the moment I arrived, I fell in love with the country and felt right at home. Gary grew up in a small area in County Limerick called Caherdavin, he studied at the University of Limerick before moving to Dublin, where he also worked in hospitality.
We met on a night out in Dublin at the famous LGBTQ+ nightclub ‘Mother. Gary approached me, we got chatting, exchanged numbers and the rest is history.
THE PROPOSAL
It was the summer of 2022 on our outdoor terrace when Gary got down on one knee to take me by surprise with a custom diamond-encrusted Cartier Love ring from Paris. It wasn’t long after that we set a date for the wedding. With Gary’s roots in Limerick, it was an easy decision for us to book one of our favourite venues, Adare Manor.
Friday, October 27, 2023, marked exactly 16 years to the day that I moved to Ireland and so the wedding date was set.
THE SUITS
I flew to New York to be fitted at the Tom Ford atelier for my bespoke ivory tuxedo jacket and contrasting black wool trousers, which I paired with black patent leather Christian Louboutin loafers. For the evening, I changed into a second look, a full Valentino ivory suit with a sheer black top underneath and embellished Jimmy Choo loafers to finish the look.
Gary wore a black wool mix made-to-measure Tom Ford tuxedo with a satin jacket lapel and trouser side stripe complete with a pair of lace-up Christian Louboutin loafers. A gold and diamond brooch heirloom passed down by his late grandmother was worn inside his jacket.
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony took place in the ballroom at Adare Manor. Guests were seated on either side of an ivory-carpeted aisle lined with fresh flowers and floating candles leading up to a bespoke built ivory stage with a draped silver suede backdrop. The stage was set with tall floral arrangements on top of white plinths that gradually increased in height to meet a collection of glass vases and candles in the middle.
Gary stood at the top of the room watching as I walked down the flower-lined staircase and up the aisle with my mum Rejane. Gary’s aunt Karen was our celebrant – she led the ceremony while Gary’s brother Brian performed on a baby grand piano alongside his cousins Lucia and Billy, who sang renditions of Feels Like Home To Me and You’re Still The One. Our page boy Conor and flower girl Olivia delivered the Tiffany & Co wedding bands before the ceremony came to a conclusion and the recessional played out.
THE RECEPTION
The drinks reception took place in the beautiful Maigue Suite. Guests enjoyed champagne, cocktails (margaritas, caipirinhas, cosmos), pints of Guinness with the F&G wedding logo printed on top and a selection of canapés, as Nova Quartet played classical strings with a modern twist in the background á la Bridgerton. Guests found their names on the large antique gilded mirror table plan towards the end of the reception, each table was named after one of our favourite hotels from around the world.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
After the meal and speeches, there was a special Irish dancing performance by Riverdance. It featured some bespoke choreography with a performance of Kylie Minogue’s Padam Padam. This was a spectacle, especially for the guests who travelled from Brazil and abroad.
After dinner, The Event Band kept guests dancing for the night. We also wanted an element of pride to be visible and so, the outdoor terrace was decorated with soft furnishings and lighting in pride colours.
In the later hours of the wedding, guests could choose from two social media/photo moments – a 360-degree camera which captured guests in slow motion as a cannon shot out gold confetti and a static photo booth capturing chic black and white images that guests could print out or send to their phone.
THE DECOR
During the drinks reception, the ballroom was transformed from the earlier enclosed ceremony space to a fully opened-up room for an evening disco-inspired soiree. The staging and lighting were enhanced for the theme, a full 3D mirror dance floor that was ferried over from London was laid and a ceiling rig with dancing gold and mirror disco balls was installed.
The guest tables had a mix of tall and low centrepieces featuring a colour palette of white, champagne and dusty pink florals with accents of gold along with lots of candles in varied heights and a sign showcasing a watercolour visual of the facade of each hotel table name. Mini paper scrolls with gold calligraphy were used for the guests’ place names and each setting contained a French blue folio menu with a gold foil Adare Manor illustration on the front, closed with an F&G logo wax seal.
The ballroom was fragranced with ‘Baies’ by Diptyque and the bathrooms featured Chanel toiletries and essentials for every eventuality. There was a refined sophisticated mood for the ceremony and drinks reception then a definite disco party atmosphere for the evening.
THEIR TOP TIPS
Trust the process and your wedding planner! They have the experience to bring your vision to life and handle any challenges. Communicate openly, share your ideas, and let them take care of the details so you can enjoy the journey to your big day.
THEY WISH THEY HAD
We had everything we ever wanted and more.
THEIR BEST MOMENTS
The entire wedding – the venue, glamorous dress code, excited guests, cocktails, entertainment and themed decor made for a very chic celebration. Guests were calling it the “The Gay Wedding Of The Year”.
THE CREW
Wedding planner: Colin J Fagan of c/o Creatives. Grooms’ suits: Tom Ford. Grooms’ shoes: Christian Louboutin. Best men’s suits: Tom Ford. Matrons of honour’s dresses: Retrofête. Flowers: The French Touch. Set design, build & lighting: Gorilla Design.
Celebrant: Karen Dunne. Stationery: Lettering by GRG & Lantz. Band: The Event Band.
See more photographs from Fernando and Gary’s wedding in the gallery below.
Photography by Under The Veil.
Want to see your Real Wedding on IMAGE.ie? Email shayna.sappington@image.ie with the subject line ‘Real Wedding’.
Also Read
