Sarah & Alish’s Darver Castle Wedding
There are some weddings that carry extra meaning, and Sarah & Alish’s celebration at Darver Castle was one of them.
They didn’t see each other before the ceremony. Instead, they sent gifts and love notes. The bridesmaids wore identical dresses with matching bouquets. The proud mothers arrived in spectacular hats, and the proud fathers tried and failed to keep the tears at bay during their speeches. Someone remarked in Alish’s house that morning how traditional the wedding felt, apart from the fact there were two brides. But in Ireland, that is the new tradition — one that began on 22 May 2015.
A Celebration of Love and Change
On that glorious sunny day in 2015, Ireland voted overwhelmingly to enshrine marriage equality in the Constitution, declaring that “marriage may be contracted… by two persons without distinction as to their sex.” Dublin baked in the sunshine, rainbow flags filled the streets, and the YES balloons carried us all into the night.
Four years later, in another unexpected October of sunshine, Sarah and Alish stood together at Darver Castle, surrounded by 150 family and friends. Watching them in love, watching tears of joy flow freely, listening to the toasts in their honour, it was hard to imagine there was ever a time when this was not possible.
A Darver Castle Wedding in the Autumn Sun
Darver Castle in Co. Louth was the perfect backdrop for their day. A restored 15th-century castle set on 50 acres of parkland, it gave the wedding both grandeur and warmth. The gardens glowed in the autumn light, and the stone courtyards echoed with laughter as guests celebrated late into the night.
If you’d like to see more castle weddings, you might enjoy Cherry & Edward’s Luttrellstown Castle Celebration or Aishling & Cormac’s Castle Durrow Wedding.
A Same-Sex Wedding to Remember
Sarah & Alish’s wedding was both deeply personal and part of something larger. A love story that began long before the day, celebrated openly and joyfully in a country that only recently embraced this possibility. For Annie and me, it was a privilege to photograph
If you’re planning your own same sex wedding in Ireland, or dreaming of celebrating at Darver Castle, I would love to talk to you about capturing it. You can explore my wedding photography portfolio or get in touch here.
