Jenn & Gary’s Intimate Irish Elopement
In 2019 I was fortunate enough to perform two beautiful elopement ceremonies in Loughcrew Estate.
The second of these was for a couple, Jenn & Gary, who travelled here from the U.S. They planned to have a big family celebration back home but they wanted to do something just for them.
They are both amazing people, working in very demanding jobs. Jenn works in the emergency medical services and Gary is a fire-fighter. Their days are spent saving people’s lives. And working in professions such as these, time alone is not something that comes around often. So they decided to elope to Ireland.
The Venue
Jenn took charge of the planning and she picked Loughcrew as the venue. Gary’s surname is Plunkett, a name shared with St. Oliver Plunkett, whose family church stands in the grounds of Loughcrew to this day. Now a beautiful ruin, it was the perfect space for this romantic and intimate ceremony.
Getting Jenn and Gary on a Skype call was difficult due to time differences and their work schedule but we eventually made it. Most of our correspondence had been done in advance by email so when we did get to chat it was more just to put a face to the name.
The Photographer
They needed a photographer so I recommended Sophia Travers who I had worked with several times and had done a styled shoot with in Loughcrew previously. They liked Sophia’s style and booked her. Making recommendations and helping source other vendors is part of the service I offer to overseas clients. Booking the right people can be difficult, especially with time differences to consider and not being in the country. So it is important to me to help where I can, and if I am able to make a recommendation I am always happy to do so. I knew Sophia would do a great job.
The Ceremony
The historical significance of the location was important to them, as well as the link to the name Plunkett so when writing the ceremony I made sure to include some Irish history and a bit of background on St. Oliver Plunkett. They wanted to celebrate with a hand-fasting, a traditional Celtic wedding ritual where the hands are bound together using a braided cord. They asked to incorporate the colours red and blue into the cord as these represented the fire department and the medical services. I created a braided cord of red and blue ribbon, woven through with Irish lace. In the past, Irish brides would often wear braids in their hair, woven with lace and ribbon. The cord symbolised their professions, their home country, as well as the Irish influence and the history they had travelled here to discover.
The sun shone down on us as they exchanged vows and rings, and the love and admiration they felt for each other was written all over their smiling faces.
Their decision to elope to Ireland gave them the intimacy and connection of being on this journey together, just the two of them. Two remarkable people who give so much of their lives to helping others, it was beautiful to see them just absorb themselves in the moment and enjoy the time together.
It was an honour to have met them and to have been a part of their adventure together.
Venue: Loughcrew Estate
Photographer: Sophia Travers Photography
If you have decided to elope to Ireland and don’t know where to start get in touch, I am happy to help make your Irish adventure a beautiful reality. Contact me here.
About Yvonne Cassidy
Yvonne Cassidy is a wedding celebrant and florist, based in Dublin Ireland. Yvonne works with couples from all over the world, helping them create bespoke personalised ceremonies and beautiful floral designs.
