Aimee Connolly and John Greene met at a bar in Dublin—on St. Patrick’s Day of all days—and joined their friend groups together over Guinness. “And that was it!” Aimee says. “We went on a date three days later, and we’ve been together ever since.”
They dated for eight years, while each was building their businesses. Both are entrepreneurs—John is the franchisor of a chain of Thai restaurants, and Aimee is the CEO of Irish beauty brand Sculpted by Aimee. Finally, though, the timing was right. On the first night of a holiday in Mexico, John surprised Aimee by getting down on one knee. “I was completely shocked, even though I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him,” she says. “I didn’t expect it to be right there—it was so magical.”
Knowing they were right for each other was the easy part. Wedding planning, less so. “I found the wedding venue selection quite difficult,” Aimee admits. “We had a lot of non-negotiables: We wanted to go abroad and [be able to] physically stay onsite, it had to be private, and we definitely wanted a pool for a day-two pool party for our guests.” Eventually, they found their diamond in the rough—Château de Varennes, a private castle in the Burgundy region of France. “In terms of aesthetic, I am so synonymous with pink because of my beauty brand, Sculpted, which is very much pink to its core,” Aimee says. “I didn’t want it to look like a Sculpted wedding celebration, so we added gorgeous, delicate hints of greenery and ivory, with very subtle hues of pink. The chateau itself was very green, with an ancient, vintage vibe to it.”
She was methodical in her dress selection, too. “Given my line of work and constantly attending events, people expected me to stick with my regular go-to style: a slip dress,” Aimee explains. “I wanted something a little different that still felt like me.” She landed on a stunning Eva Lendel dress from MK Bridal. “I got the balance right with the overall simple style but some added drama from the train, which I could detach for nighttime. It was the perfect fit.”
Beauty, of course, was important; Aimee did her own makeup using products from her namesake brand. “I opted for warm, peachy tones to bring out my blue eyes and complement my blonde hair,” she says. “I kept my neckline totally free [of jewelry] because I wanted to highlight my collarbones and shoulders. I emphasized them with my Sculpted By Aimee body glow, which we developed especially for my wedding day.” (She also developed a brand-new lip color for the big day.)
Joanne Kelly O’Hara provided the assist on hair, sweeping it into a chic low ponytail that felt “bridal, but still within my comfort zone,” Aimee says. “I wanted to feel very much myself.”
On August 18, 2023, Aimee and John were married under the trees on the château’s grounds. “We had a beautiful flower arch by La Maison Dautel around us, with a white carpet running up the aisle,” Aimee says. “It was really hot, but the trees kept us shaded; it felt magical under there.”
The reception was also outdoors on the grounds, in a separate space beautifully outfitted with rentals by Joli Bazaar. “I had the most amazing experience from start to finish, but my standout moment was walking from the drinks reception to the meal,” Aimee recalls. “It was such a buzz. The band playing with all of our guests dancing on the chairs is something I’ll never forget.”
Speeches were given, and fish was served, followed by a unique chocolate and honeycomb cake by K & Kakes. “After the meal, our seven-piece band, The Event Band, went straight into full swing,” the bride shares. “We had a dance floor inside and one outside, and we really did dance the night away.”
They kicked it off with a first dance to Coldplay’s “A Sky Full of Stars,” immediately followed by a dance remix version of the same song that got everyone on the floor—and kept them there until early the next morning. “We’re big fans of a party,” Aimee says. “We went from a band to a DJ and then a guitarist and a sing-song at the end of the night. We had some late-night food and buses that brought everyone out of the château up until 5:00 a.m.”
