Orla & Ronan’s Wedding at Tankardstown House | Co. Meath

Some couples make a wedding day look easy. Orla and Ronan were those people. Relaxed, warm, completely in their element from the first moment of the morning to the last song of the night. the kind of couple where you find yourself thinking, I don’t think anyone has ever enjoyed a wedding day quite this much.

Their September wedding at Tankardstown House in Co. Meath was everything a day at that venue should be. And it started, as all the best days do, with someone jumping into a river.

Getting Ready — Boyne House, Slane (and the River)

Orla and her bridesmaids spent the morning at Boyne House in Slane. a great call. It’s only fifteen minutes from Tankardstown, the décor is beautiful, and the big sash windows flood the rooms with natural light that makes getting ready photography genuinely easy. Orla’s family had stayed there the night before, which meant the morning had that warm, unhurried energy you only get when everyone’s already comfortable and together.

Ronan and the lads, meanwhile, went for a slightly different approach to the morning. They jumped in the River Boyne.

I’ll give them this. it’s a memorable way to start a wedding day. Whether it was entirely voluntary I’ll leave to your imagination. What I can confirm is that it was September in Co. Meath, the river was cold, and they survived.

The First Look — Tankardstown’s Walled Garden

Orla and Ronan chose to do a first look in Tankardstown’s walled garden, timed about an hour before the ceremony. Orla was clear that she didn’t want guests to see her dress before she walked the aisle, so we used the walled garden as a private space just for the two of them.

What made this decision particularly smart was the knock-on effect. By the time we finished the first look, we had time to complete the couple portraits, family shots, and bridal party photos all before the ceremony had even started. That meant Orla and Ronan had the entire afternoon free to be with their guests, no disappearing act required before the meal, no rushed portraits during the drinks reception.

If you’re getting married at Tankardstown and wondering whether a first look is worth it, this is exactly why it is.

The Ceremony — On-Site at Tankardstown House

The ceremony was held on-site, which at Tankardstown in September is about as good as it gets. The grounds were at their best, the light was soft, and the atmosphere was exactly what Orla and Ronan had set the tone for all morning, warm, relaxed, completely genuine.

Orla put it well in her own words afterwards:

“We wanted to make sure we actually had time to enjoy the day, while still having beautiful photos — and boy did he make that happen. He is such a pleasure to be around, and had us laughing all day long. He truly captured all the emotions of the day.”

That’s all you really need to know about how the day went.

BTW, I went on to photograph Orla’s sister’s wedding at Tinakilly House. (Blog Post coming)

Planning a wedding at Tankardstown House? I’d love to hear about your day. Get in touch here → — I photograph weddings across Co. Meath, Kildare, Dublin, and throughout Ireland.