Sponsored
Real Weddings: Katie and Nick’s Irish fairytale at Kilronan Castle Estate and Spa
Sponsored By
Having been together since college, Katie and Nick chose to return to the country of their engagement to begin their next chapter with a truly fairytale celebration at Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa in Co Roscommon.
THE COUPLE
Katie Garrity, audiologist, and Nick Vestal, secondary school teacher.
THEY LIVE
In Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
THE VENUE
Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa, Co Roscommon. The team at Kilronan was instrumental in creating our perfect wedding weekend. Our wedding coordinator, Sinéad Gormley, was incredible to work with! She listened to us, supported our decisions, and made sure that our wedding day was absolutely perfect. Outside of the phenomenal staff, the beauty of Kilronan, both inside and out, is absolutely breathtaking.
PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY
Our photographer was Adam from Wild Fern, and our videographer was Ronan Quinn of Amare Stories.
Both Adam and Ronan were incredible to work with. While they are not a duo, they made a fantastic team on the day of our wedding. They made us feel so comfortable and took away any pre-wedding jitters we had with their relaxed but confident attitude. It was clear that they were pros, and we were in good hands.
THEY MET
We met in college as student-athletes – a swimmer and a wrestler – running on little sleep, lots of coffee and packed schedules. What started with early mornings and long practices turned into seven years of growing together. We’ve cheered each other on through undergrad and grad school, career changes, and even a move nearly 1,000 miles across the country. No matter the challenge, we’ve always been on the same team, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
THE PROPOSAL
In August of 2022, it was our first trip back home to Ireland following the pandemic and Nick’s first ever trip to Ireland. We were back for my cousin’s wedding at Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa; she inspired our wedding. A week later, we took a trip to Sliabh Liag, one of my favourite places, with my aunt, uncle, and mom. During our walk up the cliffside, Nick got down on one knee and proposed in front of the incredible scenery. We FaceTimed our family and spent the rest of the day and week celebrating!
THE DRESS AND THE SUIT
My dress was from Casablanca Bridal from Boca Raton Bridal South, and Nick’s suit was from Ted Baker.
THE CEREMONY
We were so fortunate to have weather that allowed us to have our ceremony outside on the lawn overlooking the lake at Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa. The Sligo String Quartet was playing a list of hand-selected songs special to us throughout our ceremony. Our celebrant, Medbh Boyle, from Soulful Ceremonies, created the most beautiful and personalised ceremony. We worked with her for months leading up to the big day, so she got to know us as a couple and designed a ceremony unique to us. We had readings from close friends and family, a handfastening ceremony, and a water blessing of our rings. It was emotional, intimate and felt so special.
Filled with so much love and laughter, the ceremony felt incredibly relaxed, and the sun shone brightly the entire time. To cap it off, we exited to the song Bombaleo and were immediately handed two glasses of prosecco before taking the time to greet each of our guests individually.
THE RECEPTION
Following our ceremony, we had a beautiful drinks reception with a gin, prosecco, and beer bar on the patio with the sun shining down. The adults were mingling, and the kids were running and playing on the lawn.
The guests were ushered inside with the dinner bell, and Nick and I were able to take a moment together to just breathe and reflect on how special our day had been thus far. After some time together, we were escorted into the ballroom with Abba’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! blasting in the background and our guests cheering our entrance. This was the first time we saw the ballroom fully decked out, and all I can say is that it took our breath away. It was better than we could have ever imagined.
We had our speeches before the meal. My mom and dad, Nick’s father, my maid of honour, and my four best friends/teammates from college spoke. The speeches were emotional, but so special and a memory we will always cherish.
We had the most incredible meal with Kilronan’s staff running the evening seamlessly. There was not one moment when Nick or I had to think about anything during our evening. Everything was already taken care of.
THE ENTERTAINMENT
Bridal Wave Wedding Band, led by Fergal, were with us for the evening, playing live for over two hours and then headed straight into a DJ set for another two. The band kept the energy electric and had all of our guests on the dance floor.
In addition, Snap Magic Photobooths provided us with our custom wedding sign, a photobooth with props and a flower wall background. This was a little bit of a last-minute add-on, but it was one of the biggest hits of the night. All of our guests, of all ages, loved going over to the photobooth and leaving with a little memento from the night.
THE DECOR
We had the most incredible crew for our wedding, and I truly think we couldn’t have worked with anyone better! The phenomenal team at Kilronan and our amazing florist, Feehily’s Florist, worked to create an incredibly stunning ceremony and reception for us.
THEIR TOP TIPS
Plan as far ahead in advance as you can! We had the luxury of time, so I was able to take my time researching every vendor, which allowed me to see who I would connect with best. Planning early also allows you to take breaks when you need to. Wedding planning can be overwhelming, especially when you are planning from abroad.
My biggest piece of advice would be to be as present and in the moment as you can on the day of the wedding. The planning is over, and now you’ve finally made it to your big celebration. Enjoy every moment of it.
THEY WISH THEY HAD
We truly could not have hoped for anything better for our wedding day; it was even more special than we could have ever dreamed.
THEIR BEST MOMENTS
I don’t know if there is one identifiable best moment. Our entire wedding weekend was the culmination of three years of planning, with almost two hundred guests who travelled from around the world to celebrate with us. We were so lucky to have a full wedding weekend – our guests stayed with us at Kilronan for three days, which allowed us to really connect with everyone who made the journey. It is really an indescribable feeling to witness the love of friends and family who would travel thousands of miles just for us. We truly couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding day or weekend.
THE FIRST DANCE SONG
Hunger by Ross Copperman.
THE CREW
Venue: Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa. Wedding Dress: Casablanca Bridal from Boca Raton Bridal South. Suit: Ted Baker. Florist: Feehily’s Florist. Videographer: Amare Stories. Celebrant: Soulful Ceremonies. Ceremony Music: Sligo String Quartet. Wedding Band: Bridal Wave Wedding Band. Hair: Martina Garrihy. Make-up: Sarah Keogh. Bridesmaids’ Make-up: Eimear Carley. Photobooth: Snap Magic Photobooths.
See more photographs from Katie and Nick’s wedding in the gallery below.
Photography by Adam from Wild Fern.
Want to see your Real Wedding on IMAGE.ie? Email shayna.healy@image.ie with the subject line ‘Real Wedding’.
Also Read
