A Stunning Cabra Castle Wedding by Colin Colleran Photography

Real Weddings

“The sun was beaming in the sky from early morning and from then on, it all fell into place.”

The couple: Michelle Boyle & Conor Rock
Length of engagement: 19 Months | Wedding date: May 11th 2017
Wedding venue: Cabra Castle Hotel, Co. Cavan
Photographer: Colin Colleran Photography

We met… on October 6th 2008, we met in college through mutual friends in Dundalk. Nine years later, here we are.

Our proposal… was on the 25th October 2015 in Belfast. Conor proposed to me in a restaurant in Belfast, it was very romantic and I had no idea. It was very sweet I must say. It was very close to our 7 year anniversary.

My hair and makeup… My hair was by a great school friend Kim in Cameo Hair, Glaslough, Co. Monaghan. Kim is amazing at hair and from the moment I got engaged, I knew I wanted Kim to do my wedding. She is very professional and excellent at what she does. Makeup was by Face It, also based in Monaghan. Face It is the best in the business in my opinion and from trial right through to the wedding day, I was so pleased that I was able to have her. I couldn’t recommend both ladies enough.

Our ceremony… was at St. Mary’s Church, Glaslough, Co. Monaghan.

My dress… was a bespoke custom made dress. I had shopped around in a lot of places with my mam and sister. We went to Dublin/Belfast etc. and nothing tickled my fancy after trying on several dresses. I then decided I would design a dress based on what I liked from a few dresses and put it into one. I got the material just outside Belfast (on recommendations from a local dressmaker) and got the local Monaghan lady to make the dress. It was everything that I had wanted in a dress. It was made for me and it was just perfect. It really was my dream wedding dress which was made for me which made it very special.

His suit… was from Protocol for Men, Dawson Street, Dublin.

We chose our venue because… Cabra Castle was the first venue we looked at and we chose it because it was magical. It was everything we wanted in a venue and it fit in perfectly with our theme. We wanted timeless class and this was what Cabra Castle has in every way. Also, the staff and wedding coordinator Paul and Johnny made it so easy and nothing was ever an issue. They made us feel so welcome from booking right the way up to the day and afterwards. They accommodated our every need. We are very happy we chose the venue and couldn’t recommend them enough.

What our bridal party wore… The best men wore suits from Protocol for Men in Dublin and the bridesmaids dresses were from The Suite, Drury Street, Dublin.

We chose our photographer because… I knew Colin growing up. I had admired his photography style and when we got engaged in October 2015, I knew straight away I wanted Colin (Colin Colleran Photography) to do our wedding. I love his candid shots and natural photography. I looked at his work and myself and Conor thought he would capture our day really well. Initially myself and Conor met Colin in the Botanic Gardens for a pre-wedding shoot and having grown up with Colin, I knew of his calm, friendly and professional manner. Colin instantly made us feel so relaxed and at ease. His style of work and ideas are second to none.

Our honeymoon… We went to New York and Orlando, Florida. I organised it through Tour America on Abbey Street in Dublin. I had always wanted to go to New York and because Conor had been to Orlando, Florida, when he was younger, he wanted me to go and experience it also. It was without doubt amazing, I enjoyed it immensely. We went to New York for 5 days and then to Orlando, Florida for 8 days. We stayed in Fitzpatrick’s Hotel in New York and Cabana Bay Beach Resort in Orlando. We did all the tourist landmarks in New York – Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Circle line tour, Central Park, Top of the Rock, Broadway musical etc. We fitted a lot into our five days. Orlando was a bit more chilled but we did go the Universal Parks and Disney and went on a few rollercoasters etc. It was all great fun.

Our wedding theme/colours… We wanted an Old Hollywood theme, so black and white were the colours we chose. We both love Old Hollywood actors and actresses. We had wanted something timeless. Our table plan consisted of old Hollywood actors and actress rather than table numbers ( I wanted something different). I also chose Black and White table cloths for the room in Cabra Castle to fit in with the theme and I must say it worked well. We got our wedding stationery from Appleberry Press in Bray – they helped us pick stationery which also fitted in well with our theme.

My favourite part of the wedding day… I must be clichéd and say everything. From early morning waking up with my family and bridesmaids Carla and Karen that morning, it was all magical. The sun was beaming in the sky from early morning and from then on, it all fell into place. The church was magical. I really enjoyed walking down the aisle with my dad and seeing everyone we love in the church. It was so special. The whole day, the meal, speeches, photos, dancing was amazing. I think my favourite part was leaving the church and making the journey to Cabra Castle with my new husband Conor. We chatted about the day and it was all very surreal and magical.

Our menu… We had a cheeseboard on arrival. We then opted for a starter of Mushroom and Ham Bouche, followed by Potato and Leek Soup, Seabass, Beef and Chicken Supreme options for main course and his and hers dessert, Chocolate Profiteroles and Passion Fruit Cheesecake. It was all very nice and a lot of people commented on the great food so we were happy.

My piece of advice for other couples… My advice for any other brides going forward is to have everything done the week or two before. In doing this, you can relax and let it flow and fall into place. I was lucky because I had it all arranged in advance and had nothing to do the week before but enjoy it. Also, do not stress, I know everyone says that. I was very calm the morning of my wedding which shocked me. I think this was because I knew it would fly by and it did and I enjoyed every minute of it.