As some know, I was invited to a fabulous wedding event in Lisloughrey Lodge which took place throughout last weekend. I had never been to Mayo so as you can imagine I packed my bags excitingly on Friday evening and headed west! And what a wonderful weekend this wedding venue had in store for me and the engaged couples attending.
Upon arriving at the Lodge myself and my girl friend learned each room is named after a wine or champagne, what a nice touch I thought! We stayed in ‘Moulis’ a beautiful room featuring black white and silver decor and paisley wallpaper. After enjoying a restful nights sleep and a delicious breakfast off we set on board the Corrib Cruise. Brothers Patrick and David took us to water where we along with the brides and grooms to be enjoyed stunning views of the 377 islands on the lake. The Corrib Cruise is the perfect activity to plan for the day after the wedding, The fresh air and breeze on board will certainly awake you and your guests!
The afternoon was made up of tutorials by wedding hair specialist Helga Kempff of itsfabulous.net and freelance make-up artist Aisling Kelly. Needless to say the grooms left this part to the brides! Both ladies proved very helpful to the bride answering their questions about all things bridal beauty and sharing tips! We were then treated to a selection of cake tasting by Goyas Bakery and Prosecco by Febvre. I have a love for cupcakes and I can promise you Goyas’s were some of the tastiest I have ever had!
Before I knew it, it was time to gather for the drinks reception in the Harbour Bar before the highlight of the weekend, the Soiree De Marriage. The ballroom was decorated as it could be on your wedding day and featured some sample wedding cakes by Goyas (they almost looked too good to eat!) as well as beautiful wedding flowers by Ardilaun Florists. The fashion show opened with a collection of wedding dresses from Loves Legacy Bridal Wear, modeled by the ladies of the Catwalk Agency in Galway. This was then followed by guest wedding wear from Brown Thomas. We were then served up a scrumptious five course wedding dinner. If I remember correctly, every person at my table cleaned their plate!
The second half of the fashion show commenced with the most unique hats from Mark T.Burke Millinery, guaranteed show stoppers at any event. The show’s finale exceeded all expectations as the models took to the floor wearing De Stafford Bridal Wear’s 2013 collection. We got a sneak preview to a number of dresses, each one very different meaning there was one to suit every style bride. While the show ended the night continued on, everyone got a chance to mingle and enjoy the welcoming atmosphere throughout the venue!
Sunday morning myself and my friend awoke and made the most of our last few hours at Lisloughrey Lodge. As we packed up our belongings, we promised that we would return before long. The location, the venue and the welcoming staff all contributed to making the wedding weekend such an enjoyable experience. I am hoping I will be lucky enough to attend a wedding in this fabulous venue in the future!
{Images by Martina Regan}
