“The ceremony was very personal to us and a special hour of our lives.”
The couple: Catherine Corcoran & Matt Benson
Length of engagement: 10 Months | Wedding date: 24th July 2015
Wedding Venue: The Anglers Rest, Castleknock, Dublin
Photographer: Julie Photo Art
We met… on Plenty of Fish! Quite the popular meeting point these days. We went on our first date to an Asian fusion restaurant on Capel Street and then on to the cool ‘Hacienda’ bar nearby. I think our first date was a good indicator that we would get on well, we both love our food a lot and had a feast and a few drinks afterwards.
Our proposal… we were out partying in a club in Dublin and it wasn’t a proposal as such, more like a good decision was made! It got forgotten about due to lots of crazy dancing until the next day – we asked each other shyly… “are we actually getting married? And yep that still stands!”
My look… my dress was by Catherine Deane and was from Emporium Kalu in Naas. I found this Irish designer online and fell in love with her collection. My hair was by Louise from Zinc Hair and Beauty, Kilmainhan and my makeup was done by Sugarcube Makeup artist Audrey O’ Brien. I can’t recommend these girls enough, they were a joy to work with.
Our ceremony… was a traditional Catholic church ceremony in St. Mochta’s Church. The mass was celebrated by my two Uncles from Australia. It was a really personal affair with lots of personal details put into it.
We chose our venue because… The Anglers Rest was perfect for the traditional rustic/country style wedding we wanted but still in the city. We wanted an old world style that takes you back in time. We booked this place without even setting foot in it as we were going abroad for a few weeks but we knew that it was right for us. When we got over to see the venue, one step into it and we were assured that there was nowhere else we could have our reception. They were very easy to deal with also.
What our bridal party wore… the two bridesmaids wore pink dresses that I found online and we added a satin belt to them.
We chose our photographer because… we found Julie (Julie Photo Art) online and loved the sense of life, colour and imagination that she brings to the pictures. We were delighted working with her – she was very laid back and accommodating but highly professional.
Our wedding theme/colours… we had no wedding colour/theme as such, we just wanted a relaxed day, a traditional feel to the event and lots of fun and dancing most importantly.
Our menu… The Anglers Rest has a good choice of wedding menu on the day as there is a restaurant downstairs so it’s more flexible. The food is incredible there to say the least – I think we satisfied the many foodies among us!
Starters: Beef Carpaccio, Confit Duck Salad or Soup as a hidden option for the unadventurous…
Mains: Beef Fillet, Roast Monkfish or Pan Fried Breast of Chicken
Desserts: Cheesecake and Apple Crumble
My favourite part of the wedding day… we enjoyed the ceremony despite the nerves. Having my uncles celebrating the mass and our friends and family participating with readings, poetry, prayers of the faithful, it was very personal to us and a special hour of our lives. I think Julie captured that fun side of a serious time really well in her photography. I think Matt might add that his first pint of Guinness after the ceremony might be a close second… we danced the evening away, we enjoyed that too!
My piece of advice for other brides… be true to yourself. Have the type of wedding that you both really want, one that obviously matches the budget you have. And then after that, try to keep the important people in your life as happy as is possible as the day is special to them too. My advice really is don’t take on too much of the wedding preparation handiwork yourself if it puts any stress on you both. i.e. pay someone to make wedding booklets and wedding invites! Life is too short and wedding organisation is too stressful!
Suppliers
Photography: Julie Photo Art (Julie was so amazing on the day, she really blended in with my family in the morning and just got on with taking beautiful photos throughout the day. Brilliant) | Vintage Car: Classic Car Hire, Rathfarnham | Wedding Band: A Few Good Men – Our wedding band were class!!!! And provided the DJ afterwards. Worth every penny and lots of praise for them. Music was important for us (no cheese was allowed) and the band obliged. | Church Musicians: Sinead Stone and Gerard Farrelly. They were amazing!!!! | Flowers: Justin’s Flowers in Blanchardstown were brilliant for providing the church flowers which I shared with the bridal party the following day.
