Today's real wedding set in the ornate surrounds of Markree Castle oozed refined elegance. Elizabeth and Benny are naturally drawn to a more classic and traditional style and their celebration was a masterclass in how simple styling can stun! After a beautifully heartfelt ceremony the couple partied like royalty in the magnificent Sligo venue surrounded by all those they cherish. There is so much to swoon over in their summer celebration which included a timeless-as-can-be lace wedding dress, all-white blooms, a breathtaking ballroom reception, and the dreamiest first dance in the courtyard.

Elizabeth is from Dublin and Benny is originally from Galway where they live today. They met while they were skiing in Val Thorens in France.

Benny's proposal spot was such a sweet one: Omey Island on the western edge of Connemara in County Galway where they go for walks often.

They adored the character of Markree Castle, it provided the most breathtaking backdrop for their celebration that there was no need to overcomplicate things. "Benny actually chose Markree Castle! We loved how beautiful the castle was and how little we needed to do to it. We didn't want to go overboard with flowers or decorations, and Markree really speaks for itself. The staff were also absolutely amazing, which made the whole experience so easy and enjoyable. It was exactly the kind of setting we wanted, traditional and elegant without needing lots of extras."

When it came to their wedding day priorities they wanted to spend as much time together as they could as well as having plenty of time with our family and friends. "We'd heard so many couples say their wedding day flew by and that they barely saw each other, so we really wanted to avoid that. We wanted to be present, enjoy the reception and have the chance to chat to everyone, and thankfully we felt we managed to do all of that."

A timeless beauty! Elizabeth sourced her off the shoulder lace wedding dress by Made with Love from Pearl Lane in Galway which she accessorised with Debenans shoes and jewellery from Ór in Galway.

Something blue bridesmaid dresses couldn't be sweeter! Her bridesmaids wore soft blue satin gowns from Azazie which perfectly spoke to the elegant summer theme.

The couple exchanged vows at the Church of Assumption in Collooney on 3rd August 2026. Benny's local priest from Galway travelled up to Sligo to marry them which meant so much to the couple and made the ceremony feel even more personal.

Music was such a huge part of the day and harpist Padraic Collins helped make their celebration absolutely unforgettable. "Pauric was absolutely brilliant and created such a lovely atmosphere throughout the ceremony. One of our favourite moments was The Voyage by Christy Moore. Pauric actually sang it while playing the harp, and it was absolutely beautiful. I walked down the aisle to Can't Help Falling in Love, played on the harp, and we walked back out to Runaway by The Corrs, also on the harp. We loved having those songs played on the harp, and the music made the ceremony feel really personal and special. Pauric was absolutely incredible, and the music was definitely one of our favourite parts of the day."

"Having all our closest family and friends together was definitely the most special part of the day," the bride reminisces. "With 70 guests, it felt really personal, and we were able to spend proper time with everyone."

The sophisticated tuxes were by Coreless in Galway. So dapper!

Their photographer Paula Donnelly put them right at ease as she captured all the magical moments of the day. "Neither of us is particularly comfortable in front of the camera, so having the right photographer was really important. Paula Donnelly was brilliant. She understood that we didn't want to spend hours posing for photographs or miss out on the day. She captured so many lovely candid moments, which was exactly what we wanted."

Elizabeth's radiant beauty look and gorgeous half-up half-down hairstyle was done by Keira Smyth.

Their wedding tip is to try not to get too caught up in all the little extras, especially towards the end of the planning process. "I found myself ordering things online at the last minute and then realising we didn't actually need any of them! I think it's easy to get carried away trying to make everything perfect, but you can end up creating unnecessary stress for yourself. Stick to what you originally wanted, and don't feel pressured to add things just because other people are doing them. You really don't need to overcomplicate things. For us, keeping everything relatively simple meant we could relax, spend time together and properly enjoy the day. I'd also say to make sure you actually get to spend time with each other. It's so easy to get caught up in everything that's going on, but some of our favourite moments were just being together and enjoying it all."

The Flower Shed in Sligo curated the romantic white blooms which included ruffled hydrangeas and sprays of baby's breath.

Their reception was full of moments the couple cherish including happy tears-inducing speeches. "The speeches were another real highlight. They were all amazing, and my sister wrote a really lovely, personal poem, which was such a special moment."

The couple's first dance to At Last by Etta James in the courtyard was absolutely magical and later DJ and Sax filled the dancefloor into the wee hours.

The couple travelled across Tuscany in Italy for their honeymoon for two weeks visiting Chianti, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Siena, and Florence. "We spent our time visiting vineyards, drinking lovely wine, sightseeing, exploring the beautiful towns and just relaxing. It was a really nice mix of doing things and having time to ourselves. We actually went away straight after the wedding, which was lovely because everything was still so fresh and we could spend ages chatting about the day and reliving all the little moments. Tuscany was absolutely beautiful, and we'd highly recommend it. It was the perfect place to unwind after the wedding while still having plenty to see and do."

The warmest thank you to Elizabeth, Benny and Paula Donnelly Photography for sharing today's magical Markree Castle wedding with our readers!

Check out more spectacular Castle Weddings at the link in bio!

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