An Afternoon Tea Wedding at Killashee House Hotel

Discover an enchanting 'Wedding Afternoon Tea' celebration at Killashee House Hotel on April 13, 2023, with Sarah and Samuel. Experience elegance and romance in a fairy-tale setting.

A love story that began in University

Sarah and Samuel's love story began during their university days. After a series of unofficial dates, Samuel orchestrated a creative and heartfelt first date that left a lasting impression.

"We wandered around the national art gallery, followed by a scavenger hunt." says Sarah.

He spent time scattering 8 origami animals around the city. "We spent our afternoon collecting them all, and then sat in a bubble tea shop where he asked me to unfold them: they spelled out "I love you".

The Proposal

After four years of dating, Samuel devised a proposal filled with sentimental touches. He revealed a hidden message in the cards he had given Sarah over the years. "They were all numbered in the corner (which I never really thought too much about)." says Sarah culminating in the question, "Will you marry me?" He presented a bespoke vintage ring, and with joy in her heart, Sarah said, "Yes."

Discovering Heidi Hudson

Sarah visited numerous bridal shops and she was starting to lose hope of finding her dream dress. However, a visit to wed2b Dublin turned everything around.

With the assistance of Hannah, a wed2b bridal expert, Sarah found the Elora dress, and it was love at first sight.

"As soon as I had put it on, i instantly lit up and felt so comfortable and optimistic." says Sarah.

"Hannah kindly took the time to show me how I could customise the dress and really make it my own. I took my dress home that day and was thrilled with finally finding one that felt like me."

Botanical floral details

Elora is a fabulous choice, full of whimsical styling. The beautiful botanical and floral details, along with the scalloped hem, made it the perfect choice for Sarah.

"The dress is so soft and light, and it certainly had the twirl factor I was looking for!" says Sarah.

If you like this style, we think you'll also love these romantic A-line silhouettes and our favourite effortless dresses in delicate Tulle.

The dreamy wedding venue

Sarah and Samuel chose the stunning Killashee House Hotel in Kildare as their wedding venue on 13th April 2023. "We instantly fell in love with the place on our first viewing." says Sarah. The elegant manor house, surrounded by breathtaking gardens, captured their hearts.

A Beautiful Wedding Ceremony

On a sunny spring day, Sarah got ready in a beautiful old house suite overlooking the gardens. "The sun was shining bright and it was quite warm for a spring day." says Sarah. "My sisters were my bridesmaids, and we spent the morning drinking coffee and jamming out while getting ready."

Sarah's father walked her down the aisle to the enchanting tune of "Be Thou My Vision." The ceremony featured Bible readings, hymns, and beautiful musical performances by their friends. "We had our friends play violin, piano, and guitar for us, "Praise to the Lord the Almighty", "In Christ Alone", and "Great is Your Faithfulness"." Says Sarah.

Planning a wedding afternoon tea

After the ceremony, Sarah and Samuel enjoyed a private moment before joining their guests for an afternoon tea reception.

"My mam had put together a beautiful array of handmade traditional desserts..."

"...and our guests thoroughly enjoyed digging in!" says Sarah.

Later in the evening the couple enjoyed their wedding meal at Killashee House Hotel's renowned restaurant. "We had a lovely 5 course dinner in Ireland's best hotel restaurant of the year - best chicken supreme of my life!" says Sarah

"Our first dance song was 'Falling in Love' by Us The Duo- it's one of our favourite songs" says Sarah. "Samuel had previously used it to put together a very sentimental video for our 2 year anniversary. We practiced our first dance in the field in our wellies for weeks to perfect our dance moves- which we nailed on the night!"

Personal Touches and Wedding Themes

The couple's wedding was beautifully personalised with a sage green and dusty pink color scheme. "We chose sage green and dusty pink as our wedding colours- we had pink bridesmaids dresses, green on our invitations and programmes, lots of greenery around the venue." says Sarah.

Sarah had handmade green paper cranes scattered on the tables. "Samuel made a very impressive "Mr & Mrs" lightbulb sign to decorate our sweetheart table. I DIY'd mine and my bridesmaids flowers." says Sarah.

"After our first dance, we invited our guests to participate in a period drama inspired line dance." says Sarah.

"We had choreographed a waltz that our guests could quickly learn the moves to."

"It was a great opportunity to dance with some of our guests, and certainly got a lot of laughs and meaningful memories!"

The best bits…

"Sharing our vows in front of all our family and friends, it was just such a beautiful ceremony!" says Sarah.

"Just before we went into dinner and we're announced as "Mr and Mrs Stedmond," we had a private moment just the two of us. It was such a sweet moment just to take it all in and share in our joy in how it all came together."

Sarah's final key moment, "My sisters gave a really heartfelt and thoughtful speech. They followed this with a hilarious altered version of "Under the Sea," outlining our love story!"

And for other Heidi brides…

"Share the load with your partner!" says Sarah.

"I really appreciated having Samuel's input on all elements of the day, and it really helped bring us together in the run up to the day."

Sarah and Samuel's Dream Team

Photographer: Solstice Visuals, led by Ryan Hitchcock

Venue: Killashee House Hotel

Stationery: Digital Print Ireland

Photobooth: Pica Booth

Hair: Leagh Deegan

Makeup: Emyma Buliga

Cake and cake table: Lovingly made by Sarah's mother

Favours: Wexford Home Preserves

Groom's tux: Protocol Dawson Street

If you've loved reading about Sarah's wedding afternoon tea as much as us, then please sare you big day pictures too. We just love finding out how you've worn and styled your Heidi designs. Click here to share your story and photos with us and we’ll be in touch. You can see more free-spirited Heidi weddings here, too!

With love and laughter,

The Heidi Team