church wedding Archives | Tara Fay Events

Clodagh & Benjamin’s Elegant Cashel Palace Wedding with Old-World Charm

October 28, 2025July 16, 2025 by Harmony Walton

Clodagh and Benjamin’s Cashel Palace wedding was a beautiful fusion of timeless elegance, heartfelt Irish traditions, and warm personal touches. Although they live in New York City, this dynamic couple chose to host their celebration in Ireland, where both families have roots and Clodagh’s side enjoys a long-standing connection to the countryside. From the start, they envisioned a wedding weekend that felt more like a country house party than a formal event – warm, gracious, and effortlessly elegant. The weekend unfolded at Cashel Palace in County Tipperary, with guests travelling from around the world. For many it was their first taste of Irish hospitality, and what a welcome they received!

Cashel Palace is a restored Palladian manor house that offers historical beauty balanced with modern, five-star hospitality. It was only the second venue the couple visited, but once they stepped foot on the grounds, they knew it was the one! Having booked out the property for the weekend, Clodagh and Benjamin treated their guests to a range of country activities, including fly-fishing, golf, kayaking, archery, and walks to the nearby Rock of Cashel. The wedding weekend began with a rehearsal dinner at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, The Bishop’s Buttery. This was followed by a welcome party with spritzes from an Aperol tuk tuk in the walled garden.

The venue also featured heavily in the stationery for the event. The invitation suite featured artwork from Cashel Palace, and the itinerary booklet featured an antique etching of the Rock of Cashel. A floret used throughout the paper goods was also recreated from the decal utilised throughout the venue’s ballroom.

In true Irish form, the day of the wedding delivered four seasons in one, with a bit of rain just before the ceremony for luck, followed by bursts of sun, dramatic clouds, and golden afternoon light. The ceremony took place in a nearby church, styled with formal arrangements of white flowers and trailing greenery. Clodagh arrived in a 1930s-style Brenchley convertible, wearing a bespoke Phillipa Lepley gown and a lace-edged chapel-length veil. Her classic chignon and pearl-and-diamond earrings completed the look.

The couple also added some special touches to the ceremony itself, including a traditional Irish ring warming. The rings were passed through the pews before the bride’s arrival so that each guest could imbue them with their well wishes. It was a heartfelt moment that made the vows feel all the more meaningful. After the ceremony, guests joined the newlyweds for a joyful procession through the town, led by a piper. Locals came out to cheer them on – one of those delightfully spontaneous moments that only happen in Ireland.

The couple portraits included a detour through nearby cow fields, where the couple posed at the magical 12th-century Hore Abbey, with the Rock of Cashel rising behind them. The dramatic setting, combined with a few good laughs and a bit of mud, resulted in some of the couple’s favourite moments of the entire weekend.

The reception décor was inspired by Irish and English gardens, a mix of formality and wild, organic beauty. The Tara Fay team transformed the ballroom space so that it evoked an orangerie with trees and lavender bushes scattered throughout and a custom stage backdrop of 18th century pastoral murals. Taking their cue from an old world dinner party, the long tables were dressed in pale blue cloths with cream floral detailing. Napkins embroidered with the couple’s custom crest were tied with duck egg blue velvet ribbons with hand-calligraphed names. The florals were lush arrangements of blooms, with moss and fruit spilling out onto the tables. Tall tapered candles cast soft tree shadows on the walls, heightening the illusion of dining in a garden. Each table number featured a vintage botanical print of a flower representing a place significant to the couple’s story, with fun facts on the back for guests to discover.

The couple’s love of good food and thoughtful hosting was woven throughout the weekend. One of the highlights was the oyster and Guinness bar during cocktail hour, as a nod to Clodagh’s family’s home in Waterford, which overlooks an oyster farm. Later in the evening, guests were treated to a wedding cake made of stacked wheels of cheese, beautifully decorated with fresh fruit and set on a moss-covered table. The dance floor opened with a classic first dance, followed by a night of music and merriment. The best kind of country house celebration!

It was a true joy to bring Clodagh and Benjamin’s Cashel Palace wedding to life. From the wild beauty of the Irish countryside to the quiet elegance of their details, every moment felt like a page out of a storybook. Wishing them many more adventures together!

Slán go Fóill,
Tara

You might also like:

How to Create the Perfect Invitation for your Destination Wedding
Country House Weddings in Ireland: Best Manor House Wedding Venues & Locations
Cheese as a Wedding Cake – A Luxurious Twist

How to Dress up Your Church Entrance

June 25, 2024April 17, 2024 by Harmony Walton

Dressing up a church entrance is a great way to welcome guests to your ceremony and provide a picturesque spot for wedding day photos. One of the ways I love to dress up the entryway is through stunning floral designs that envelope the archway or stand on each side of the beautiful front door.

When it comes to floral décor for church entrances, each is unique in its own way. From the flowers and greenery chosen to the overall shape, there are ways to make each special. Here are some of my favourites to inspire how you dress up your church entrance:

Green and White

A traditional green and white wedding can stun and this floral entryway shows just that. Something I love about floral decoration is that it can truly be anything you want and any shape you can dream of.

Add a touch of natural beauty by having your florals and greenery crawling up the archway of the church door in a way that makes it seem almost as if the carefully curated decoration grew there!

Autumnal Selection

One way to make your floral arrangement on your church entryway stand out is by going with the season. For obvious reasons, it is best to source flowers that will grow in the season you wed in. But for aesthetic purposes, it can also add to the mood of the season.

Along with this, work in some colours that are indicative of the season itself. Like in this case, pops of warm oranges bring out the feeling of Autumn in the air.

Wildflower Wonder

A fun way to incorporate the place you’re holding your wedding is by including wildflowers from the region. If you’re aiming to have a pop of every colour, start with a base of greenery and then piece in flowers in each of the tones you want.

Something Blue

A stunning floral piece like this is a great way to design a simple but elegant look for a church entrance. Along with this, the two-pillared shape makes for a floral frame for each of your guests’ wedding day photos.

The saying goes: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” And an entryway like this certainly pays homage to something blue.

Will you have a floral-decorated entrance at your church ceremony? Dress up your church entrance in a way that is fitting to your personality, and remember to enjoy every moment of your big day!

Slán go Fóill,

Tara

Images by Story of Eve , Anee Atelier and Greg Finck

Formal Winter Wedding at Mount Juliet | Esias & Sheena

December 19, 2023January 3, 2024 by Harmony Walton

Working with Esias and Sheena to plan their wedding with a theme focused on a winter wedding at Mount Juliet was a delight and turned out beautifully! After hearing about the proposal from Sheena, I knew we had to match the romance and personality of this wonderful couple. My suggestion for the venue was Mount Juliet, which I have featured in a previous post highlighting the top 10 country house wedding venues in Ireland, but the bride initially had her mind set on a few other locations which ended up being unavailable. In the end, after seeing Mount Juliet, she agreed that it was a great location that checked all the boxes she was looking for – being close to Dublin, available accommodations for guests, food options, etc.

To describe a bit more about why I suggested Mount Juliet, it is nestled within the verdant Irish countryside, it is a breathtaking wedding venue that offers an idyllic setting at a majestic Georgian Manor house, set on a sprawling 500-acre estate. The bride described to me that she had always dreamt of a winter wedding and this venue seamlessly blends historic elegance with modern luxury, providing an enchanting backdrop for the ultimate fairy-tale winter wedding. Surrounded by meticulously landscaped gardens, ancient woodlands, and the tranquil River Nore, Mount Juliet is the epitome of romance and charm.

After walking down the aisle lined by beautiful floral arrangements, one touch which made the decor of the reception area stunning was a large hanging centerpiece. As described by the bride, “the room felt like a fairy-tale as a result of the intricate and magnificent floral arrangement. It was the most stunning arrangement I’ve ever seen and added a real wow factor.”

As for the rest of the wedding day decor, she expressed to me that she wanted a theme of a wintery wedding which included white florals and an abundance of greenery with navy and gold accents throughout highlighted by flickering candlelight. This idea was at the forefront during the planning process and I was able to incorporate a medley of white roses and lilies interspersed amongst the many different fragrant white blossoms, the lush greenery adds depth and texture, creating a harmonious balance between vibrant colours and verdant foliage. The floral arrangements were further illuminated by hanging candle votives, their warm, flickering glow casting a soft, romantic light that danced across the flowers and leaves.

The hanging centerpiece and other design elements created an ambiance of a warm, wintery wedding and were not only an awe-inspiring centerpiece but also a testament to the love and commitment shared by the couple on their unforgettable day.

The reception was not only beautifully decorated, but the guests had a great time listening to speeches, eating dinner, listening to a live band, and the night even featured the first dance sung by the Bride’s Uncle. While Mount Juliet wasn’t the bride’s first choice, she admitted that the other venues not being available were a blessing in disguise as the wedding went well, the location provided a stunning backdrop, and everyone had a great time.

Slán go Fóill,

Tara

Photo Credits: Under the Veil, Mount Juliet