The ceremony and reception will be held at Killruddery House and Gardens, Southern Cross, Bray, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
The reception will be held in the Grain Store, a converted Victorian barn, which is part of Killruddery House and Gardens. It is only a couple of minutes' walk from the Orangery (where the ceremony will be held).
BUS from DUBLIN: We've hired a coach to take you directly to the wedding and back. Meet 2:00pm in front of Kilkenny shop on Nassau Street: https://goo.gl/maps/Toxm5pyMTTiCuc4U6. Please email us if you'd like a spot on the bus! Return to Dublin at 12:30am and 2:00am. They will also drop off at the Wilton Hotel if you're staying there. By car: Killruddery House & Gardens is 20km south of Dublin, just beyond Bray in Wicklow. Take the M50 southbound onto the N11 then take Exit 7, the Bray/Greystones exit and follow signs to Greystones. The venue is on the right near the end of the Southern Cross road leading from the N11 to the Greystones Rd. (Sat-Nav 53.184907, -6.102392) By public transport: Get the DART train to Bray, and from Bray Station get Fingegans Bus 184 or 84 to Lord Meath’s Gate. Killruddery House is a 500m walk from there. Walk up the hill and turn right: the gates are on the left-hand side of the road. Alternatively, take a 10-minute taxi from Bray Dart Station.
If you've never been to Ireland, we recommend you spend at least a couple of days in Dublin. Dublin will be closer to most sights and attractions in the city (see our travel guide here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aG6Zyai7foXSYqdSCgkgn-xJy_1XYQnM/view?usp=sharing). Our wedding venue about 10-15 minutes' drive from Bray, so hotels near Bray will be more convenient if you'd rather have a shorter journey. Kate and Tadhg and their direct family will be staying in Bray on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. See the 'Travel' section for our list of hotel recommendations.
It's often better to wait to book your flight for the best fares. If you're coming from somewhere in Europe and flying via Ryanair, we recommend that you use https://www.airhint.com which will indicate if the price is worth booking or waiting. From further afield, check Skyscanner and Google Flights to compare prices.
See travel page for some hotel suggestions.
It's up to you, but we recommend you arrive at least 3 days before the wedding day (July 31), so you have time to recover from jet lag and enjoy some of the many delights that Dublin and Ireland has to offer.
We don't have a dress code -- just wear something nice! The ceremony and reception will be held indoors, though there is a short outdoor walk from the car park to ceremony building, and to the reception hall. While the wedding is in August, please come prepared for the ups and downs of Irish weather! You might also want to bring a spare pair of flat shoes for exploring the beautiful Killruddery Gardens and farm (and for dancing!)
We are having a Humanist ceremony: this is a non-religious (civil) and legally binding type of wedding ceremony. The ceremony is all about how people can come together to support and love each other, and it should be fun too! For more information on what a Humanist ceremony means, you might like to read: https://www.humanism.ie/ceremonies-2/
There will be a drinks reception to toast our marriage following the ceremony, and wine will be provided with dinner. In Ireland, weddings usually include dinner, followed by a band and dancing until closing time. Financing a completely open bar in Ireland is a recipe for bankruptcy! Instead, we'll provide alcohol for the post-ceremony drinks reception and during the dinner service. From that point onward there will be a cash bar available.
We don't have a gift registry. Your presence at our wedding is an amazing present by itself, and we appreciate that many are travelling to spend the day with us.
Please let us know if you will be bringing your kids so we can count them in our final numbers. Kids are welcome and will really enjoy the gardens at Killruddery. There are lots of friendly chickens, pigs and alpacas to meet on the farm! Note that there isn't any official childcare at the venue so you would need to arrange this if needed.
Please do let us know of any dietary requirements as soon as you can. The venue will do their best to accommodate.
Yes, there is parking at the venue.
Well, thank you for the compliment! Kate and Tadhg designed these invitations at their home in London, before printing each one of them by hand, with love. You can see some pictures of us making the invites on the photos section of this website! The design is based on a Bauhaus font. Did you know 2019 is the 150th anniversary of the Bauhaus school of design?
We've created a big guide for everyone visiting and this is available to download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aG6Zyai7foXSYqdSCgkgn-xJy_1XYQnM/view?usp=sharing
We definitely recommend arriving early to explore Killruddery's walled gardens, long ponds, hedge maze and farm. Enjoy a leisurely walk in one of Ireland’s most renowned gardens, filled with beautiful planting and wooded areas, water features and distinctive outdoor “rooms”. There will also be a Farmer's Market until 3pm in the Grain Store (so you can even have a sneak preview of the barn before it is magically transformed for our evening reception!). All guests will also get free access to the gardens the day after the wedding on Sunday August 4, if you'd like more time to explore.
Almost certainly not. Canadians, Americans, Brits, EU citizens, and most other nationalities do not need a visa to enter Ireland. For UK citizens, there is currently no sign that this will change due to Brexit. You can check the Tourism Ireland website for more information on visa requirements: www.ireland.com/en-us/about-ireland/travel-information/visa-passport-and-embassy-information-in-ireland/