It was a beautiful day in the heart of East Cork…
Fun and celebration were the top priorities for this relaxed couple as they set in motion the plans for their big day. Maxine and Ross met at the Galway Races, had their first proper date in Dublin and later became engaged (earlier than Maxine had anticipated) while on a romantic beach walk in Cobh.
They had no doubts their wedding day would be in good hands, as they chose a venue with close family connections to the bride. From the staff to the food, Ballymaloe House was a shoo-in for perfection. With plenty of emphasis on creating an enjoyable day, the bride and groom were able to create an atmosphere of pure happiness. Take a peek at their festive celebrations, captured by Malachy Harty, complete with a Brass Band and a second dress for the beautiful bride!
The Beginning
“Ross lived in The Netherlands and Germany as a child, and then moved home to Dublin with his family during primary school, he studied at UCD and went onto work in Food buying. I grew up in Cork and studied business in college – I had always loved helping with my mum’s food business, which I went on to join after college.
We met at The Galway Races in 2013, I approached Ross. Luckily I was in Dublin the following week for the RDS Horse Show so it suited nicely to organise a proper date.”
The Proposal
“Ross proposed while out for a walk along the beach in one of our favourite places to go in Cobh while we lived there. It was a lovely warm July evening. It was so much fun telling my family and friends the next day. It was a big surprise to me as I thought we might be waiting another few years to get engaged.”
The Dress
“I got a really simple dress that I loved in Covet in Powerscourt Shopping Centre, the dress shopping was a breeze with the fun and creative Aleana. For the 2nd half of the dancing I changed into a short and fun dress made of white feathers.”
The Venue
“I have a family connection to Ballymaloe House – a place where I had 100% confidence that the brilliant staff would look after our guests so well, that it would look beautiful – from the grounds, the buildings and the beautiful flowers they always have there. And of course, delicious food was a certainty!
There were several aspects such as the openness of the team at Ballymaloe to do various things, such as the cocktail station for the drinks reception, help sneak in the surprise brass band at the end of the ceremony (Rebel Brass) & provide some extra platforms for the guests to dance on, but the number one wow factor is the warmth of the staff and how well they treated us and all of our guests.”
The Photographer
“This was easy for us, our photographer was Malachy Harty who is really easy going, just like us. We didn’t fuss too much about the photos and just asked for lots of photos of our guests to be taken. Our Videographer was Daniel C Films – really fun and excellent editing.”
Trends & Themes
“Our theme was fun, we put our energy and budget into making sure people had good fun, nice cocktails, good music and dancing. We preferred to focus on the fun over the look and décor of the day.”
Memorable Moments
“Definitely when Rebel Brass surprised all our guests at the end of the ceremony, such a great bunch of students, that set a tone of fun for the day.
My wedding cake was a surprise gift from my cousins, it was decorated beautifully with daffodils and tasted great too.
Our wedding Band was the Ian Hendricks Band who are absolutely brilliant to keep a crowd entertained.”
Special Thoughts
“Special thanks to my work colleagues for surprising me with a limousine! And to the Ballymaloe Grainstore and House teams for a wonderful venue and care.”
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Supplier Information
Venue:
Ballymaloe HousePhotographer:
Malachy Harty photos@malachyharty.comBand:
Ian Hendricks BandBridal Shop/Designer:
Covet BridalFlorist:
Maura – Petals Floral DesignHair Stylist:
Cathyanne KelleherMakeup Artist:
Christine O’ConnorBrass Band:
Rebel BrassWedding Cake:
Ballymaloe Cookery SchoolWedding Car :
Cara Limousines
