C & M // The Millhouse
This wedding is extra exciting for me to share today because the bride is actually an old college friend! But even without the bias, I think this is just one of the prettiest weddings - and I think you’ll all agree! Cliona’s lace dress, the rustic venue, and those beautiful blooms! There’s just so much to love!
After meeting on their travels a few years ago, the couple settled and are now based in Canada with their cute pug Morty. But once they got engaged, the lure of the Irish countryside drew Cliona home.
“We saw The Millhouse in Slane, Co. Meath when we were home for Christmas in 2017. We fell in love with it right away. They made us feel so at ease about planning from abroad. The space was also so special, with so much personality and charm. The river running alongside the venue was a huge selling point, as was and the “castle” in the distance (Canadians think everything old is a castle). We knew immediately that it was the right venue,” she says.
One of my favourite parts of this wedding was the colour combination and texture of the floral displays. That was the handiwork of the couple’s close friend and florist, Dayna Armstrong, who styled the day alongside Cliona.
Cliona’s gown was the ‘Haldisa’ by the designer La Sposa. Both it and the veil were bought at Belle Mariée Bridal in the bride’s hometown of Athboy. Her shoes were Steve Madden , and her headpiece came from the amazing online store, Olivia The Wolf. Along with that, Cliona wore earrings gifted to her by her mother in law. They were bought in London in the 1970s. A sweet sentimental touch!
To maximise their time at the drinks reception, we did most of the portraits before the ceremony. We started with an emotional and touching first look in front of the old manor, and then utilised the pretty magnolias in bloom and the rustic textures around the venue as backdrops.
The bridesmaids wore the ‘Mackenzie’ dress from Name of Love, and the flower girls’ dresses were custom made by Lucie June. The entire wedding party looked amazing, and the tones of their outfits were so wonderful to photograph. The groomswear was also custom made by The Dirty Inc, Toronto. It’s so refreshing to see a groom in a light-coloured suit, I love to see something a little more adventurous & the lighter tones are perfect for my style of photography! Cliona’s gorgeous engagement ring is from Mociun, and both wedding bands are from Blue Nile.
The ceremony was on-site in the old mill, and was stunningly decorated. “We were so lucky that one of our closest friends is an INSANELY talented florist and we also have wonderful musicians as best friends. We told them our vision and then handed the reigns over. Being able to fully trust the people involved makes your life so much easier and lets you enjoy the process so much more. Trust your vendors! Find people whose vision you love and trust them”.
Speeches, dinner & dancing kicked off the evening in the Pavillion, a beautiful light-filled mirrored space. The room is a perfect blank slate, decorated in warm, natural tones and with stripped-back wood flooring and a draped fabric ceiling, it was enhanced even more with the colourful styling and flowers.
“For our first dance, we picked a song that Marko introduced me to when we travelled in Peru. There is actually a picture of us on a beach, him with his iPod in hand playing the song. It was ‘Laundry Room’ by The Avett Brothers. It was perfect,” Cliona recalls.
“The lead singer of our band, The Mixtape, honestly made the night! He made sure the dance floor was full all night long. Even at the end of the night, when their system went from a drink being spilled on their sound board, he jumped into the crowd and started a sing along on the dance floor. Seeing all of our mix of friends from all over (Canada, Ireland, The UK, The US) all belt out ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ on the dance floor was pretty fun.”
