R&F | Gorgeous Destination Wedding at Horetown House

“When Rachel and Fionnan were gearing up for their Horetown House destination wedding, they had a simple but giant goal: make it unforgettable for everyone. And guess what? They totally nailed it with the help of their fantastic vendor team! Picking the charming country house as their venue for the three-day lovefest was just the beginning. Their choice of a garden vibe, sprinkled with wildflowers and a fresh color palette, took the romance to a whole new level. It was truly a magical celebration of love that they pulled off effortlessly.

Nestled in the serene Irish countryside, the pair chose the beautiful stone mansion surrounded by rolling hills and lush birch trees for their special day. The ceremony unfolded in The White Room overlooking the gardens. Transitioning to the reception, they transformed the dining room into a magical, textural forest by incorporating vines, clusters of blooms, and lots of greenery. They added beautiful linens, colorful candles, and delicate sprays of flowers and fruit, turning their celebration into a fairy tale of romance and charm.

Bringing their loved ones together for such a special occasion was a big deal for them, and they wanted the love they felt to shine through every moment of the celebration. If you want to see the beauty of every moment and get inspired by their wedding journey, just take a scroll through these amazing photos captured by Wild Things Wed.”

Text taken from Rachel & Fionn’s feature in Junebug Weddings

The Team

Photography – Wild Things Wed
Second Shooter – Joseph Carr Photography
Event Planning – Grace & Saviour
Venue – Horetown House
Floral Design – The Irish Flower Farmer
Officiant – Creative Ceremonies
DJ – Boutique Bands
Live Music – Pump Up the Jam
String Quartet – Inishlacken Strings
Videography – Best Day Productions
Invitation Design – Katie Rodgers
Makeup Artist – Anita Conroy
Hair Styling – Dominique Kane
Wedding Dress – Theia
Reception Dress – Reformation
Bridal Accessories – Charlotte Olympia + Twigs & Honey + Lelet NY + Antonio Melani x Nicola Bathie + Converse + Bebetheory/Etsy
Wedding Party Apparel – ASOS + Hemant & Nandita
Flower Girls Attire – Ivy & Lily
Groom’s Apparel – Suit Supply
Groom’s Accessories – Jimmy Choo
Tapestries – Tiny Crafts by Bay
Favors – Broadsheets Newspaper Club

“There’s no right way to do the wedding prep, so don’t give into the “as seen on TikTok” pressure. I did not want the busy bridal suite with matching pajamas, loads of champagne, and photoshoots. While I love that for others, I knew I needed to feel centered to be present during the ceremony. I asked my bridesmaids to help me keep the room quiet, clean, and calm, with lots of natural light and only a few people in the room. I thought I was making a mistake at first, that I would regret not having those types of photos and memories, but the photos are just as wonderful and captured intimate moments with my bridal party and parents.”

“We made the ultra-romantic, pragmatic decision to do a first look to get the portraits out of the way before the ceremony. Still, it was one of the most unexpected emotional experiences. We were both happy to have some of the nerves diffused and to have had that quiet, grounding moment together because everything is a blur once the ceremony begins. For us, wedding planning felt oddly peripheral until the moment you got to be with your person, and it began to feel real.”

“We trusted Horetown House for great food but also cared a lot about how everything looked and felt on our wedding day. I discovered Fionnuala Fallon, the Irish Flower Farmer, in the Irish Times gardening column, and I liked that she used local wildflowers. Even during planning pauses, knowing she was growing the flowers felt special. Since guests were staying for three nights, we wanted each space to feel different on the wedding day. Fionnuala and our stylist, Grace Campbell of Grace & Saviour, turned the dining room into a magical forest with vines, blooms, and greenery. They even transformed the poles into trees for a cozy, green feel wherever guests sat.”

“How Guest Mingling Defined Their Wedding Experience

We prioritized mingling between our guests—assigning our families and wedding parties to get American and European guests chatting before we even arrived in Wexford. We arranged carpools from Dublin, set up a weekend Whatsapp group (dutifully moderated by our groomsmen), and ensured every event had mixed seating arrangements to keep people talking and hanging out.  Our friends still talk about the relationships formed during our weekend. Seeing so many offshoots of our collective and separate lives collide has been the most beautiful experience. We’ve also been told many times how much the wedding felt like “us,” which is the most we could have hoped for. We wanted the weekend to feel as much a getaway as it did a celebration.

DIY Book Bar and Personalized Bookplates and Bookmarks

Grace found a vintage bookcase, and Fionn and I picked our favorite titles to stock the shelves with used books from World of Books. We also included titles by some of our guests (including bridesmaid Meredith Goldstein, Sara Farizan, Neil Swidey, and Fionn’s brother Cethan Leahy), and it was so fun to watch people having their books signed at the afterparty. To make each book special, I made silk-tassel bookmarks featuring Fionn’s father’s artwork to tuck into each book. Grace had custom bookplates, designed by Katie, featuring our names and wedding date imprinted on the inside covers.”