Tinakilly House Wedding: Catherine and Chris’s Destination Wedding in Wicklow
Tinakilly House wedding film – Catherine & Chris, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow
A Tinakilly House wedding in Co. Wicklow
Catherine and Chris travelled from the United States to get married in Ireland, and they chose Tinakilly Country House in Rathnew, Co. Wicklow – a Victorian country house set in mature gardens overlooking the Irish Sea, just over half an hour from Dublin. It was a destination wedding with a true Irish country-house feel: an outdoor ceremony in the garden, harp music, a handfasting and a dance under the festoon lights at the end of the night.
As their wedding videographer, I filmed the whole day. Here is a look at their Tinakilly House wedding – and a few ideas for anyone planning a destination wedding in Ireland.
About Tinakilly House
Tinakilly was built for Captain Robert Halpin, the Wicklow-born mariner who commanded the Great Eastern – the ship that laid the transatlantic telegraph cable linking Europe and America in 1866. Fitting, then, for a couple who crossed the Atlantic to marry here. Today the house is a country house hotel with landscaped gardens, ivy-covered walls and views towards the sea.
Getting ready
Catherine’s dress hung in the tall window of one of the period rooms, while out in the garden Chris had his buttonhole pinned on under the festoon lights.
An outdoor ceremony in the garden
The ceremony took place in the garden at Tinakilly, with rows of white chairs on the lawn, white flowers lining the aisle and tall columns of white roses framing the couple. A harpist played as the guests took their seats, Catherine walked down the aisle with her dad, and the two of them sat side by side facing their celebrant, with the house in the background.
A handfasting
During the ceremony Catherine and Chris’s hands were bound with a braided cord in a traditional handfasting – a beautiful Irish touch for a couple who had travelled so far to say “I do” here.
Portraits in the gardens and a dance under the lights
After the ceremony we explored the gardens – the stone steps with their white urns and clipped yew, and the ivy-covered front of the house, already turning red. When night fell, Catherine and Chris shared a dance on the garden path under the festoon lights, one of my favourite moments in their film.
Planning a destination wedding at Tinakilly House? A few tips
Plan from abroad with a local team. Coming from the US, it really helps to book suppliers who know the venue well – it makes planning from another time zone much easier.
Have a plan B for the weather. The gardens are made for an outdoor ceremony, but the Irish weather can change quickly, so agree an indoor option with the venue.
Add an Irish tradition. A handfasting or a harpist brings a touch of Ireland to your ceremony that guests from abroad will remember.
Save time for the gardens. The steps, urns and ivy-covered house give you beautiful portraits only a few minutes from your guests.
Looking for more weddings in Wicklow and beyond? See Olivia and Hugo at Rathsallagh House, Jennie and Craig at Farnham Estate and Peris and Trevor at Darver Castle. You can also watch more of my wedding films or see my wedding packages. Planning a destination wedding in Ireland from abroad? See Sarah and Patrick at Waterford Castle, who also travelled from the USA.
Wedding suppliers
Venue: Tinakilly Country House, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow
Videography: Michael Black Wedding
Planning a wedding in Ireland from abroad? I would love to hear about your plans – get in touch and let’s chat over Zoom.