A Love That Glows: Donna + John F at the Castlecourt Hotel

From reading about Donna and John F’s heartfelt proposal to seeing their breathtaking wedding day unfold, we couldn’t help but fall for this couple and their magical celebration at the stunning Castlecourt Hotel.

Not many brides can say that they flew to Antwerp within hours of their proposal just to find their dream engagement ring, or that they got to dance under a tree surrounded family and friends holding glittering sparklers for the first dance. Sounds like a dream doesn’t it?!

Setting the perfect backdrop to this wonderful day was the Castlecourt Hotel in Westport. With picture-perfect settings inside and out you’ll be dreaming of your own Westport wedding. See Donna and John F’s day unfold with photos captured by Elizabeth Toher and their wedding video by Igor Stojanovic below and you’ll be falling in love too!

The Beginning

“We first met 6 years ago on a Sunday in November after I was at my cousin’s hen & he was at the stag. My cousin was getting married in December & John F was the groomsman! John F was shy it took till Feb for him to officially ask me on a date.”

The Proposal

“On Friday 25^th May 2017 he woke me up from my sleep at 6am to say how much he loved me & wanted to marry me. Me being half asleep thought he was gone mad. It wasn’t until he took a ring box out that I took him serious. In the box he had a yes & no piece of paper. I grabbed the yes instantly! Behind the piece of paper it said “you have one hour to pack”. John F said let’s go get your diamonds. He had booked work off for me & we were booked to stay in Antwerp for the weekend! We flew from Dublin that day & found our engagement ring by the end of that day! I was honestly swept off my feet!”

The Dress

“I got my dress in McElhinneys Donegal. I never thought I would go a princess dress but I did! My mother, sister in law & niece joined me. Their tears made me realise it was the one. It was my niece of 9 years who pushed me to try it on.”

The Wedding Venue

“We scrambled to decide where to get married for a while. You dream of your wedding day for so long and when it finally comes you want it to be absolutely perfect! John F said the Castlecourt Hotel from day one. We sat down with Vinny the wedding co-ordinator & were instantly blown away. Not only did he sell a magical day to us, he took any pressure we had on our shoulder & said he would take care of it. And that he did! Now I know why they have such a good repetutation!  We knew we were in good hands!”

The Venue Wow Factor

“The Castlecourt had been recently renovated so we were wowed by its fresh new look. The location was perfect for our guests & had so many little touches throughout the day to spoil our guests. We got amazing pictures under the tree  & had our first dance there also. It was the most magical day!”

“Our entrance song to the Dome was “Something just like this” by Coldplay & they had arranged spark stream machines as we entered the room. They also arranged sparklers for our first dance!”

The Photographer

“Elizabeth was lovely to deal with. She has such a great eye! Her husband is a gent also & they complement each other well on the day!”

Trends and Themes

“We stuck to sage greens & white throughout the day. Our florist Helena Moran made our flowers stand out! They were truly amazing! So much so that was the first thing I said to John F when I met him at the altar “the flowers are gorgeous!”

“We had a Gin Bar outside at the Castlecourt Hotel which went down a treat!”

Memorable Moments

“I did the first look with my Dad on the morning as I’m the only girl of 5 boys. That’s a moment I will always remember.”

“Our first dance was outside the Castlecourt under the Tree with our friends & family with sparklers. A moment that will stay with my forever!”

“I actually could go on & on here! I have so many!!!”

Special Thoughts

“Also our venue the Castlecourt was out of this world. I had nothing to organise with them! They took everything over. In all the planning that’s one thing that was always perfect. Never had to think about it!”

The Videographer

“Our Videographer, Igor Stojanovic!! Just wow! I have to send you our highlights!!! He blew us away with the most amazing video! He captured the day perfectly.”

Supplier Information

• Venue:

  Castlecourt Hotel

• Photographer:

  Elizabeth Toher

• Band:

  Recoil Band

• Bridal Shop/Designer:

  Mc Elhinneys Donegal

• Florist:

  Helena Moran

• Hair Stylist:

  Laura Gibbon, Westport

• Makeup Artist:

  Hayley Coleman

• Wedding Cake:

  Maeibh Mc Namara The Cake Queen

• Videographer :

  Igor Stojanovic