Countryside Romance: Sam + Conor At The Abbey Hotel Roscommon

Now, this is a love story some people only dream about…

Just after moving to New York this Irish boy met an American girl on a blind date….and as they say, the rest is history! This beautiful pair has been smitten ever since. After an adorable proposal in front of their Uber driver, Conor and Sam decided to wed back in Ireland at the stunning Abbey Hotel Roscommon. With its breathtaking backdrop, the whole group was glowing with love and excitement during Sam and Conor’s romantic wedding day. This is one wedding story you’ll want to look at over and over again…trust me it was difficult enough deciding on what photos to use!

Did I mention Sam’s dress?! This gorgeous gown was a custom fit and its long train and soft flowing fabric made this gorgeous bride the picture of traditional romance and modern elegance. Take a long look at this truly romantic wedding day for the ultimate dose of #weddinginspo!

The Beginning

Conor is from Curraghboy, Co. Roscommon. He moved to New York about 4 years ago. His first night in New York, he met Sam’s sister who set Conor and Sam up on a blind date. After that first date, Conor and Sam have spent every day together since!

The Proposal

“We spent the evening at my favourite restaurant in NYC called the Little Owl. It was a cosy, romantic dinner; just the two of us. I had no idea the proposal was going to happen. Conor was so nervous I suppose because he drank the entire bottle of wine by himself! When we finished up dinner, we walked around the block and thought about walking all the way home, but it was too cold so I called an Uber to pick us up. Conor didn’t realize I had called the Uber yet and while we were walking, Conor got down on one knee and proposed! I was so shocked and stunned – I couldn’t believe it and I couldn’t speak. The Uber driver drove up and honked and cheered at us – haha. I finally composed myself enough to say YES! We called our parents immediately when we got home, but they were sad to know that our Uber driver was the first to know about our engagement!”

The Venue

“The Abbey was exactly what we were looking for in a wedding venue. I (Sam), being from America, really love the beautiful Irish countryside, landscape, and greenery. And I also always wanted a destination wedding – so Ireland was an easy decision. We took a trip and drove all over Ireland (literally! From Cork all the way up to Monahan) searching for the perfect venue. After our three-day tour of the country, we hadn’t felt like we found the perfect place. Conor’s family is from Co. Roscommon so we were staying in the area and his mother drove us by The Abbey Hotel just to pop in a take a look without an appointment. The moment we walked in, we knew! It was beautiful, romantic, and perfect for the wedding we had in mind. Against ALL advice due to the never-ending chance of rain, we really wanted an outdoor ceremony, overlooking the stunning Abbey ruins. The ballroom was regal, yet warm and inviting at the same time. The staff was incredible, making sure we felt completely comfortable every step of the way, during the planning and, more importantly, on the wedding day. Lisa made us feel like we were the most important wedding she’d ever been a part of!”

The Venue Wow Factor

“There were many, many things that impressed us and our guests. Besides the beautiful ambience and décor, we were really wowed by the service. They made everything incredibly easy. Everyone was so professional. From the moment I spoke with Lisa about the wedding, she really understood exactly what we wanted for our special day. Countless guests raved about the reception dinner – both the service and the food!”

The Photographer

“Our wedding photographers were amazing. Because we were planning from the US most of our vendors were found online. The moment we saw Butterfly Photography’s portfolio online we were eager to get in contact with them to see if they were available. We were so excited to find out Ash and Dan were able to shoot the wedding! Ash was very excited as well, mentioning that her grandparents were from the area so she knew her way around very well. This was so important when coordinating, it made communicating so smooth and easy! Ash spent the morning of the wedding capturing the ladies’ preparation and Dan spent the morning with the gentleman. Those are some of my favourite photos! Ash also suggested a “first look” prior to the wedding, so that we could really take in and enjoy seeing each other for the first time on the biggest day of our lives. We spent that next hour taking our couple portraits and spending the morning with each other.”

The Wedding Theme

“Because this was an American and Irish wedding, we decided we wanted to take the best aspects of both cultures and combined! A shorter, outdoor, civil ceremony, and a long and entertaining reception. For the American’s, something new was the traditional Irish music and dancing. For the Irish, the father-daughter dance was new. Some other wedding trends we incorporated was the selfie mirror with props! This was really fun for guests all ages!”

The Wedding Attire

The wedding dress was by Carol Hannah based in New York City. Sam chose the Coralia – a unique and bohemian, but modern feel. It was a custom fit process from the first fitting. I loved the long train and soft texture and movement of the fabric.

Conor’s tuxedo was also a custom made set from Indochino in New York City. He was able to pick out the specific shawl collar he wanted, the number of front buttons. He also customized the lining with his name sewn in and a paisley fabric!

The bridesmaid’s dresses were from an online website called JJHouse – all different silhouettes, in chiffon fabric and the colour dusk.

The groomsmen’s tuxes were from Eddie Murphy Menswear in Athlone – shoes, tuxes, cuff links, bowties, all customized to size and available for rental.

Special Moments

“It’s so hard to pick the most special moment of the day. Everything was so perfect and special. As mentioned previously, spending the morning together for our first look was ideal. It gave us a chance to get rid of our nerves and spend the morning comforting each other. It was brilliant and special and we will both never forget that time spent together.”

“Second would have to be the ceremony. We had a good friend of ours officiated the ceremony. It was so personal for us. It was beautiful, full of sunshine, in front of our friends and family, with magical music from Ruth Corry playing in the background. It was like a fairy-tale.”

Supplier Information

• Venue:

  The Abbey Hotel Roscommon

• Photographer:

  Ash & Dan, Butterfly Photography

• Band:

  Macy South Band, Roscommon

• Bridal Shop/Designer:

  Carol Hannah, New York

• Florist:

  Weddings Couture, Roscommon

• Hair Stylist:

  Shelly Walsh, Powder Room Girls, Dublin

• Makeup Artist:

  Paula Callan, Callan & Co, Dublin

• Harpist :

  Ruth Corey, Belfast

• Cake:

  Victoria’s Heavenly Cupcake, Dublin