From Minnesota to County Monaghan… This Castle Leslie wedding is fairytale goals! Embracing the sweetness of summertime, Michelle and Alex wed in an elevated garden party celebration that was “dripping with florals”. The aesthetic had an old-world European feel that complemented the architecture, history and otherworldly luxury of their breathtaking wedding venue. Michelle is a wedding videographer who is very accustomed to capturing all the divine details from her clients’ celebrations. She planned her own special day from start to finish which was of a downright dreamy calibre.
Featuring three make-your-jaw-drop bridal looks, romancecore stationery, a pretty pastel palette, including the bride’s favourite colour, soft pink, and canary yellow, fairytale florals courtesy of Yesca’s Flowers, a VIP horse (yes, you read right), a scrumptious cake, a dazzling sparkler photo, and stunning personal touches by the bucket load, so much magic awaits! Captured with flawless beauty by Sammy from Whims and Joy, strap in for oodles of summer wedding inspiration.
We adore the story of how Alex and Michelle met. They are both from Minneapolis and they have their mutual college friend, Mihir, to thank as they met at a ‘free bacon night’ while they were studying at University of Minnesota. “Alex had just graduated and Michelle was completing her final semester of her undergraduate degree. The night they met, Michelle went up to greet Mihir while out at a campus bar called The Library, and he happened to also be there that night with his best friend Alex. Michelle began (unknowingly) eating out of Alex’s basket of bacon while chatting with Mihir. By the time she had finish eating all of the bacon from the basket, they were introduced and she was informed that the basket she had been nibbling on was not Mihir’s like she had thought. Embarrassed, she apologised, but they laughed it off and began chatting. Immediately, there was chemistry a joyful connection. Shortly after that night, Alex asked Michelle on their first date and they became inseparable.”
We were swooning aplenty over the groom’s custom cufflinks which boasted etchings of their beloved dogs. While they weren’t able to be there due to the travel logistics “it meant A LOT to Alex and Michelle to have their special ‘fur babies’ there with them in spirit on the wedding day and to incorporate them into their wedding details.”
Alex planned a very special trip to Texas to pop the question in January of 2023. He proposed while they visited their dear friends, Hunter (who was Alex’s soon-to-be best man), and his wife Jo. “On the third day of the trip, the group visited the Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park, which has a massive, beautiful water wall at the center. Hunter instructed Alex and Michelle to stand by the wall so he could ‘take a picture’. Little did Michelle know he actually began a video recording and Alex turned to Michelle and proposed in front of the scenic, crashing water. Alex and Michelle had been dating for almost ten years at this point and Michelle was very excited for a proposal to happen!”
An actual dream! Michelle was breathtaking in her Vladiyan ballgown wedding dress which she styled with with custom sleeves by Sewing by Heather. “The bridal shop was able contact the designer and order more floral appliques to attach to Michelle’s sleeves. Heather, who was Michelle’s alterations specialist, was a wedding dress designer for years before shifting her business to focus mainly on alterations. Heather designed these sleeves exactly to fit Michelle’s vision for her ceremony look. Michelle joked that Heather was like a second mother to her during her process of altering three dresses on top of designing custom sleeves and all of the moral support and reassurance she gave through the process!”
Can we take a moment for the immensely stylish groom! Wedding videographer Michelle admits she was very excited to see her groom in a jacket that isn’t commonplace! “The baroque floral pattern in classic black and white complemented the old-world European vibe while still feeling summery and tying into the floral aesthetic.”
Michelle’s mum Marie had a sweet surprise up her sleeve for her before the first looks began. She knew that Michelle was about to exchange letters with her father and felt she wanted to share a few special words and moments with Michelle as well, so she wrote her a letter. “The two had a lovely moment in the suite where Michelle put on her dress and cried together and Michelle read the letter out loud. It was very special!” Michelle is also very close with her father Steve and there were so many cherished moments throughout the wedding day that were filled with tears and joy, from their first look, to the letters they read to one another, their trip down the aisle together, and their first dance.
Yellow is the couple’s “happy colour” and the joy-inducing shade featured prominently in their loose and elegant floral displays by Yesca’s Flowers. “It was also important to us to incorporate lush Irish blooms and greenery native to the area, so our amazing florist actually foraged and harvested around her home and gardens and incorporated it into our flowers.”
“Before the wedding, Steve had said that he envisioned Michelle in a ballgown but never thought she would choose one to wear. When he first saw her, Michelle exclaimed, ‘It’s exactly what you thought I’d pick!’, which was a sweet moment.”
Michelle and Alex got married on their 11th year dating anniversary and they kept their guest list to 48. “We think that all wedding sizes can be extraordinarily beautiful and wonderful. That being said, we were very happy that we kept ours to under fifty people. Anything more than that might have felt a bit overwhelming for us personally. We were able to dance, hug and speak with each of our guests and truly enjoy engaging with them.”
Their top priority for their destination wedding was ensuring that their guests had the most wonderful time as they celebrated together, they wanted the atmosphere to be friendly, joyful, and stress-free with no expectations attached. “All of our guests are based in the US, so we didn’t want to place any pressure on people travelling so far and paying for flights, accommodation, etc. if they weren’t comfortable doing so. We told our guests that if they had the desire to take a trip to see Ireland, we would love to have them stop by our wedding, but if not, we completely understood. We ended up having many more guests than we originally thought would make the long trip! We were over-the-moon ecstatic to have so many cherished friends and family at our special day!”
The bridal party style couldn’t have been more stunning, from the pastel perfect mix and matched bridesmaid dresses to the most adorable flower girl dress crafted from frothy tulle.
Reflecting on their guestlist, the bride says, “The first part of our day that was so special was that every single guest travelled across ocean to be there with us. We could not be more appreciative of the efforts our loved on made to be there and experience our day with us. We prioritised having our ‘core’ people there with us on our day. We did not extend invitations to people we didn’t know well or who didn’t know us as a couple. We loved knowing every guest extremely well and didn’t want to be introduced to a stranger on our wedding day just because it was someone who we thought ‘should’ be invited. Be picky with your invite list and advocate for yourself and your wishes if you’re met with resistance. If you’re an introvert, you’ll appreciate this piece of advice!”
Michelle made her beautiful entrance to an orchestral version of Young and Beautiful by Lana Del Rey. “This moving piece has been a favourite of hers for years and loves the meaning behind the lyrics – knowing your partner will love you even during the times your soul may ache and as you grow older into new phases of life. The portion of the lyrics, ‘Hot summer nights, mid-July, when you and I were forever wild’, really felt authentic to how and when we met and then were subsequently married.”
They got the perfect lighting for the run up to the ceremony and just as Michelle began to walk down the aisle with her dad, it began to rain softly. “Rain is Michelle’s absolute favourite weather, so she felt like it was a bit of a nod from the universe that this was her special moment. Guests said that the sparkles in Michelle’s dress and veil sparkled even more with the drops of rain that fell on them. It was truly such a magical moment.”
While the weather was very mixed, nothing could dampen the spirit of pure joy. “Over the course of our thirty-minute ceremony, we had just about every kind of weather you can think of – rain, bright sunshine, clouds, a gentle breeze, and then very high wind gusts. Our florist was an absolute superstar and created tethers for our floral arches keep them from blowing over. The Castle Leslie staff also stepped in and selflessly held up our arches from behind during the entire ceremony. They were very quick to pass out umbrellas to guests, and one of our amazing coordinators from that team Max stood behind us and our officiant, shielding us from the rain! It only gently rained for the first two minutes of our ceremony, and then the clouds opened up to drench us in bright sunshine!”
Their wedding was officiated by their dear friend and groomsman Patrick McCann. “He worked diligently on the words he’d share with our family and friends at our wedding. Alex was also the best man at Patrick’s wedding, and they remain extremely dear friends of ours to this day.” They did a hand-fasting which is a symbolic unity ritual in which a couple stand face to face as their hands are tied together – hence the phrase, tying the knot! “Our dear friend and groomsman Dan Wical learned to tie this elaborate knot perfectly and surprised us with how much he had practiced such an intricate and beautiful design!”
Another unforgettable moment came as the bride’s sister Beth read their favourite reading of all time, All I Know About Love by Neil Gaiman. “It highlights the perfection in the imperfection and the uniqueness of everyone’s love. No love is the same, and life takes unexpected turns, and throughout this uncertainty, you find the other to reach out for your hand.”
This petal confetti moment is… Everything!
Alex and Michelle had known for years that they wanted to have a destination wedding and while they had considered countries such as Italy and France they felt it would be a bit too far for their guests to travel. Ireland had been at the top of their bucket list for a while and the first venue they came across in their internet sleuth was Castle Leslie. They fell head over heels in love when they saw the drone footage and photos of the estate. “Its architecture was the gorgeous, old-world aesthetic we wanted, coupled with rich history and expansive grounds to explore. We knew we wanted to be married outdoors if possible, and there were plenty of locations around the grounds to select from for that. Michelle is an avid equestrian, so when we discovered that there was a world-renowned equestrian center and horses on the estate, that was a huge plus as well! There were also many activities offered by the castle that our guest could enjoy in the days before and after our wedding such as horseback riding, falconry, fishing, hiking, etc. in addition to the small town of Monaghan to explore within five minutes of the Castle Leslie grounds.”
In the days before the wedding the bride and groom and their family and friends rode horses from the estate and they were joined by a very special VIP for their wedding photos, Bumble who is a superstar in the Castle Leslie equestrian programme! “Because of Michelle’s deep love of horses, it was so fun to be able to have the Castle Leslie staff bring Bumble up from the stables who was sweet as pie and starred in so many gorgeous shots! Incorporating that amazing memory of their beautiful horses meant a lot to us on our wedding day!” Their florist even repurposed their beautiful floral garland for their head table into a wreath for Bumble. “She even went so far as to measure how long the garland would have to be on her neighbor’s horse before the wedding!”
When it came to crafting their aesthetic, they were inspired by flowers, summertime, the verdant beauty of Ireland, and throwing a garden party at castle! “Michelle is a huge fan of the live-action Cinderella movie, so the idea of getting married in the enchanting gardens of a castle amidst a scenic backdrop in a ballgown was a dream come true!”
The Castle Leslie team did not disappoint at all when it came to treating the couple and their guests like royalty. “Many of our guests stayed on the estate more than one night and could not stop raving about the food, service, and care that the Castle Leslie team provided them with. We were blown away by the detail-oriented venue coordinators and event planner.”
Happy tears flowed when their guests took their seats for dinner as the couple had wrote personalised long-form thank-you notes. “In them we wrote about what each of their relationships meant to us and how thankful we were for them.”
Another reason why they adored their castle wedding venue was because they could utilise the smaller space to make the celebration feel more intimate. “We held our wedding dinner in the long gallery room as opposed to the large tent because we wanted it to feel more like a close, family dinner. Our dancing was held in the Billiard’s Room to keep things more intimate with our guests as well. We absolutely loved that our wedding wouldn’t look or feel anything like a wedding in the United States – we don’t have castles at home!! We also loved that our guests could stay overnight at the castle and/or on the Castle Leslie grounds and not have to worry about travelling or driving anywhere else at the end of the wedding night.”
Your wedding guest book is one of the mementos you’ll have to keep long after your big day. Their photo guestbook was such a huge hit with their loved ones!
Michelle’s bridesmaid Halie and dear friend Andi helped her with a ‘hair change’ before her reception entrance and her beautiful tresses were pulled into a chic updo. “Michelle loved spending this additional time with her friends to relax and sit down as they worked their magic before the reception activities took place.”
They had a wonderful game planned to ensure they get a photo with all their guests. “We did a ‘photo dash’ right after our grand entrance where our goal was to get a photo taken with each guest within the time frame of one song. It can be really difficult to get a photo with the couple and each guest on a wedding day, so we were extremely thankful we incorporated this fun little moment and now we have photos documenting each guest to cherish forever! This was so fun to dash around the table to a fast-paced song, and guests clapped along and cheered with us as we made each stop.”
Castle Leslie is famed for its fabulous food and their guests were so impressed with the food at dinner that they gave the chef a standing ovation! “We loved every morsel of food the Castle Leslie team prepared throughout our stay, and could not be happier that we were able to offer it to our guests as our wedding meal. We had a five-course meal, which you simply NEVER have at weddings in the US (limited two-courses typically), so we were extremely happy that we could provide our guests with that differentiated experience.”
The couple chose a first dance song that was very special to them, Something Just Like This by Coldplay and The Chainsmokers. “While not your classic, more romantic first dance song, the lyrics mean a lot to us. The song really embodies how important it is to accept someone how they truly are and that neither need to be perfect or a hero to be loved. It felt very authentic to us, and that was a big priority.”
Michelle has loads of excellent wedding planning tips, “Breathe and be fully present and do not incorporate things that you aren’t excited about just because you think you ‘should’ do them – time is precious on your wedding day, and you should spend it in the way that is most meaningful and authentic to you as a couple! Hire BOTH a videographer and a photographer. These are entirely different medium that capture and document your day in their own unique ways. I deeply treasure the first look I had with my dad, and hearing his reaction and cries as he told me he loved me is simply priceless (which I wouldn’t have been able to hear again without audio from our videographer). We had the best photographers and videographers we could have dreamed of, who really captured everything we could have hoped for and more! We shared with them the things that were most important to us to capture, such as our guests, sentimental moments, and the joy of the day, so that nothing was missed.”
She continues, “Trust your vendors and let them do their jobs! If you try to exert too much control, it can really inhibit their creativity and talents that they SO desire to bring to your day!! Once you have selected your vendors, trust them to do their jobs and relax. We are so thankful that we had Sammy (our photographer) alongside us, guiding us throughout the day and keeping us on track, all while taking the most gorgeous photos. We trusted her and her expertise from day one and could not be happier with the results. Same goes with every one of our other vendors!”
For Michelle it was so important that she and her husband could remain present throughout the day and soak up every magical moment. “If things were to happen to ‘go wrong’, we really didn’t want to sweat the small stuff. The most important thing celebrating the love we share with one another, and anything else that goes ‘right’ is a bonus! Your wedding day is very likely the only day that this specific group of people will all be together with you, and worlds will collide in that specific way, embracing how beautiful that is was our top priority. We didn’t add any events or do certain things just because we thought that we ‘should’ (which sadly can happen at many weddings these days). We wanted our day to feel like an accurate and authentic representation of our relationship and the love that we were celebrating.”
The couple travelled around the country and further across the water for their honeymoon. “As we were already away from home in Ireland for our wedding, we stayed on the estate for two days after our wedding recovering and exploring before we made our way to Northern Ireland (visiting Belfast, Giant’s Causeway, etc.), and then we hopped over to Scotland and London for a week. Our wedding trip and honeymoon combined were about two and a half weeks. It’s so wonderful getting married at a new destination because you can just continue to explore after your wedding day and don’t need to deal with too much travel for a honeymoon if you are tired! I highly recommend a day of rest instead of travelling the day after your wedding!”
Michelle and Alex, a huge congratulations on your beyond dreamy special day. A very special thank you to Sammy from Whims and Joy for sharing today’s stunning Castle Leslie wedding with One Fab Day! You can find even more gorgeous images in the gallery below.
Want to party like royalty on your special day? Check out 27 Fairytale Castle Wedding Venues in Ireland!
