Brett Skirkanich and Jocelyn “Jos” White got married at Killruddery House in Bray, Co Wicklow with a hand-fasting ceremony performed by their Wedding Planner Tara Fay. See every detail…
The Couple:
Brett Skirkanich and Jocelyn “Jos” White
Brett Skirkanich and Jocelyn “Jos” White first met in 2016. By 2018, Jos had purchased a ring and was ready and waiting to propose to Brett. For a whole year, with twelve international flights in between, Jos kept the ring on his person, just waiting for the right moment to propose, until one day, when he and Brett were at her family’s home, he found the perfect moment. There was no fuss and pomp, he proposed and she said yes. It was perfect.
The couple didn’t post about it on social media and instead spread the happy news the old-fashioned way by telling their friends and family in person. “It was wonderful to do it this way to really celebrate the engagement,” Brett says. “This kicked off the feeling of something very intimate and special, each guest invited heard the news in person from us or our parents as needed.”
The couple had to change their date three times due to the pandemic but they say Killruddery was very accommodating. “It was important to Jos that we were able to bring all of our guests to the place where his grandmother and all of her ancestors had spent so many happy days,” said the bride. And so it was decided that June 4, 2022, would be the perfect date.
The Style:
The wedding festivities kicked off with a Friday pub lunch, followed by a dinner. That day the groom, Jos, dressed in a Ralph Lauren Purple Label and accessorised with the Patek Philippe watch his bride had given him for the wedding. Brett had consulted Over The Moon’s styling team, especially stylist Anny Choi, and put together an Eleanor Balfour Valencia top from Over The Moon with John Paul Ataker pants and Aeyde heels. Jos completed the look with Bulgari bracelets given to her by Brett’s mother. Brett wanted to be able to move during the evening and was mindful of the impromptu colour scheme of blue and white that they seemed to have created.
For her wedding dress, Brett wanted something classic but unique to her, and she found that with a Monique Lhuillier Bloom Gown. “I loved my dress that I picked on my first day dress shopping with my mom close to her home in Florida,” says Brett. She went on to make it her own by customising it with the Ambrosia fabric, detachable sleeves and buttons along her back. Her mother gave her large pearl drop earrings which were pinpricked with diamonds. As for shoes, they weren’t an issue as Brett walked barefoot around the grounds of Killruddery house to her wedding ceremony!
“On the morning of the wedding ceremony, Jos’s mother loaned me the veil that she had worn for her wedding. It was also the veil worn by generations of women within her family and is so delicate, it is stored in acid-free tissue paper in the dark. The veil was handmade and so personal, I loved getting to wear a deeply meaningful piece of Jos’s family history.”
The Hair and Make-up:
David Cashman styled her hair in a tousled updo, and Christine Lucignano applied her glowing make-up. (Editor’s note: David and Christine will be sharing their tips on creating the perfect bridal hair and make-up looks at The Gloss Magazine’s Wedding Salon at the Merrion on Saturday March 23 2024. Book now.)
After the wedding ceremony, guests headed to the Killruddery House and Garden orangery for dinner and dancing. Brett changed into a two-piece outfit by Tadashi Shoji, which proved perfect for dancing into the night.
The A Team:
Wedding Planner: Tara Fary / Tara Fay Events
Photography: Barry McCall
Videography: Story of Eve
Hair and Make-up: Christine Lucignano and David Cashman
Flowers: Mark Grehan / The Garden
Celebrant: Tara Fay
Bridal Styling: Over the Moon
Venue: Killruddery House and Gardens
Stationery: TPD Stationary
Entertainment: London Essentials
Wedding Cake: Clare Anne Taylor
The Ceremony:
The wedding ceremony was held in the amphitheatre in Killruddery Gardens. Ceremonies are normally held in the orangery, but when Brett and her wedding planner Tara Fay walked the gardens a few months before the ceremony, they knew the amphitheatre was perfect.
On June 4, 2022, the bride walked down the aisle barefoot, with her brother while Mamisa Strings strummed. “I walked on my brother Jack’s arm to the strains of “You and Me” being played by string quartet. It was so important to Jos and I that our friends and family were able to enjoy the surrounds so we served a glass of champagne on the way to the ceremony. Jos’ sister and Brett’s sister-in-law Alyssa, read a piece called the Art of Marriage, and Tara Fay welcomed everyone with a piece called Real Love.”
Ahead of the big day, the couple met with several local celebrants but wanted someone who knew them personally to conduct the short ceremony. They immediately thought of their planner, Tara Fay, and were delighted when she said yes. She led the ceremony, which followed Celtic tradition, and bound the couple with hand-fasting.“The tying the knot phrase comes from an old Celtic tradition of when a couple’s hands were bound together by rope. We used the same blue from our invitations for our hand binding (hand-fasting) ceremony,” says Brett.
Along with the ceremony booklets designed by TPD Design House to match their stationery, they also gave all of our guests little bells tied with our blue ribbon. The tradition of ringing bells at a wedding to ward off evil spirits actually comes from Ireland, so all of the guests got involved with the ringing of the bells in this mystical setting.
“In Ireland, it’s not really a tradition to say you may now kiss the bride,” Brett notes. “However, as we were making our own traditions, we added this part to our ceremony.” Sealed with a kiss, they were pronounced husband and wife.
“At the end of the ceremony, we walked down the aisle to the sound of our quartet playing and the sound of bells ringing. Still no shoes on, Jos and I strolled towards the cocktail hour leading our guests to the champagne.”
The Reception:
The reception was held in the garden orangery at Killruddery House and Gardens. The couple were able to walk from the amphitheatre and lead their guests there. “Both Jos and I were eager to get to our cocktail reception and have fun with our friends and family,” says Brett.
“We had a champagne tower with the same champagne that Jos’s sister had at her wedding and his parents brought over from their home in France. We had London Essentials serenade our guests during the cocktails and dinner.”
The Decór:
The couple’s florist, Mark Grehan of The Garden, was very mindful of the local landscape in Wicklow where there were ferns around, and this was reflected in the ceremony florals.
“Initially I wanted an all-white invitation as Jos’s surname is White, and we thought white on white. However, our save the date was white and both my mom and I love this color of blue. TPD Design House created an invitation set (see in gallery below) to mirror the cutwork in the gates in Killruddery and to pay homage to the citrus plants growing in the orangery where we were to hold our dinner,” says Brett.
The orangery in Killruddery is a rustic location, which has often been used in films and TV series, such as Camelot, The Tudors and The Winx. There are small orange trees growing there, so the couple worked with Mark and Tara to create an homage to their white-on-blue theme with elements of citrus and blue. Both Brett and her mother wanted the table to be resplendent with fruits and florals. “If you look closely you may be able to spot some of the ceramic white swans that Mark and Tara incorporated into the table design along with the fruits that were abundant on the estate.”
The Atmosphere:
As the light dimmed in the orangery, the candlelight from the many hand-dipped candles made everything more romantic and dreamy. The wedding party danced into the early hours.
The Details:
The couple loved the toasts and words from their nearest and dearest, they were very special to them and were interspersed with some singing and dancing from London Essentials. The design for their cake by Clare Anne Taylor was inspired by the ruffles and softness of Brett’s dress.
The Post-Event Celebrations:
For their Sunday post-wedding day brunch, the couple wanted to have a champagne and lobster brunch, somewhere with a sea view. Their wedding planner, Tara Fay, found a privately owned polo club in Wicklow, where their guests were able to watch a warm-up polo exhibition while enjoying cocktails and more entertainment from London Essentials and a DJ who eased all of our guests back into dancing mode. The event was catered by Claire Hanley.
Brett wore a long Emilia Wickstsead top and cropped blazer by Mônot. “My Sunday look for polo was bridal but casual. I wanted it to be a bit fashion-forward but also reflect the setting and event.”
“The cocktails for this day were the perfect antidote to the late night of the wedding party where our guests danced well into the early hours,” says Brett.
Click into the gallery below to see the guests and every gorgeous detail …
Photographer: Barry McCall.
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