From a solemn church ceremony to a lively pub party in Cork

When Marilyn and Adam from Connecticut started dreaming of their wedding, they knew two things for certain: they wanted Ireland, and they could not imagine celebrating without the people they loved most by their side.

Rather than a traditional small wedding in Ireland for just the two of them, they brought a close circle of family and friends along for the adventure. What unfolded on a glowing May afternoon in Cork was a micro wedding in Ireland that moved seamlessly from a solemn Catholic ceremony inside a lakeside chapel to a heartfelt dinner at a country house hotel, and then into the kind of spirited pub night that Ireland does better than anywhere else in the world.

This is the story of a wedding day that was deeply personal, thoroughly Irish, and absolutely unforgettable.

Tucked along the shores of Gougane Barra lake in Cork, the chapel Marilyn and Adam chose is one of those wedding venues in Ireland that takes your breath away before you even step inside. Surrounded by dense woodlands and framed by rolling hills, the lone chapel sits in quiet, almost sacred stillness.

Its architecture is striking and unlike anything most couples have seen before — tall, dark triangular rooflines, rough unpainted stone walls, a heavy wooden door, and an intimate interior that feels made for meaningful ceremonies. It is the kind of place that does not need decoration, because nature and history have already done the work.

Marilyn and Adam had been engaged since June 2024, and from the beginning, they knew they wanted expert guidance to pull off their dream day from across the Atlantic.

Their destination wedding planner in Ireland handled every detail, from recommending and booking the lakeside chapel to coordinating the country house hotel for their dinner and accommodation, arranging transportation for all their guests, and even sourcing the live music for their pub celebration.

The couple had never visited Ireland before, which made the planning process all the more exciting — and all the more important to get right. With their planner taking care of logistics, Marilyn and Adam were free to focus on what mattered most: enjoying the experience.

The ceremony began at 4:00 PM, with guests arriving by minibus to the chapel on the lake. Marilyn and Adam have deep roots in the Catholic faith — the bride's father is a tenor in their church back home — and they were committed to honoring those traditions even while choosing a destination wedding.

A priest officiated the ceremony, leading the couple through a solemn and heartfelt mass. Family members took part in the Gospel reading, bringing a personal warmth to the formal proceedings. The interior of the chapel, small and hushed, made every word feel close and meaningful.

For a couple who wanted to feel both spiritually grounded and adventurous on their wedding day, this ceremony struck exactly the right note.

After the ceremony, Marilyn and Adam were not ready to leave the magic of Gougane Barra just yet. The couple and their guests spilled outside for photographs against one of the most breathtaking natural backdrops in all of Ireland — the glassy lake, the dense woodland, and the dramatic hills of Cork stretching behind them.

Candid moments of guests congratulating the newlyweds were captured alongside more formal group portraits. Then the couple slipped away for a quiet session alone with their photographer, wandering the water's edge and taking in the lush surroundings. Every image is a love letter to the Emerald Isle.

Marilyn and Adam's wedding fell on the 19th of May, and Ireland in late spring is something truly special.

The countryside around Gougane Barra was alive with vivid greens, wildflowers beginning to bloom, and that soft golden light that makes Irish landscapes look almost painted.

Spring weddings in Ireland offer a rare balance — the days are longer, the weather more forgiving, and nature is at its most lush and vibrant. For a couple experiencing Ireland for the very first time, arriving in May meant encountering the country at its most beautiful and welcoming. The season itself became part of the wedding's atmosphere.

From the chapel, the group made their way to a charming four-star country house hotel set in the quiet village of Ballylickey, where greenery seems to stretch endlessly in every direction.

The event room provided a warm and elegant setting for the wedding dinner, with the couple's loved ones gathered around a table full of locally sourced, beautifully prepared cuisine. Toasts were made, stories were shared, and the laughter came easily.

The combination of refined surroundings and genuine intimacy made it feel less like a formal reception and more like a celebration among family. Whether you call it a micro wedding in Ireland or something closer to having eloped in Ireland with your favorite people, this dinner captured the spirit of both.

What made Marilyn and Adam's wedding work so seamlessly was having one trusted point of contact throughout the entire process.

Our all-inclusive wedding packages in Ireland are designed for exactly this kind of couple — people who want a genuinely Irish experience without the stress of planning it from abroad.

From venue selection to vendor booking to day-of coordination, everything was handled with care. If Marilyn and Adam's wedding day has you dreaming of your own Irish celebration, we would love to help you plan it.