Alicia and David's Castle Leslie wedding had that added je ne sais quoi. In October 2022, our real wedding couple became husband and wife with a reception held at one of the finest luxury estates in the country. 160 of their nearest and dearest made the journey to the lavish four-star wedding venue in Monaghan for a truly beautiful autumn celebration. Their Irish country nuptials had a French theme and it was imbued with gorgeous personal touches and sweet family symbolism that will warm your heart. Re-live their magical nuptials with the gorgeous imagery from Michelle Prunty Photography.

First off, let's learn about Alicia and David's love story. They both hail from Dublin and now they live in Paris. Their "happily ever after" began on their home turf as they had their first date in an Italian restaurant, Osterio Lucio, and their chemistry was instantaneous. The night didn't end after the bill was paid as they proceeded to do a bit of a pub crawl around the city centre!

They adore their dog Rosie and she played a very special role in their engagement. During lockdown, they were both working remotely in Dublin and they decided to register to foster a dog with their local Dog’s Trust. They fell head over heels with the pooch from the moment she arrived and within a week they were blessed with a litter of eight adorable puppies. It caught everyone by surprise, including the vet, who was only expecting four! Then, when the pups were six weeks old, they helped David pop the question! He planned a proposal in the kitchen at home and they were all there when he got down on bended knee. Alicia had no idea he was going to ask her to marry him and she was shocked and absolutely delighted.

When it came to walking down the aisle, Alicia had always dreamt of wearing a voluminous gown but she wanted something that she could party the night away in as well. She worked with Kathy De Stafford to bring her dream dress to life. The end result was an elegant column gown crafted from brushed silk that had very delicate straps and a sweetheart neckline. She wore a detachable A-line over-skirt throughout the day which flowed gracefully. Lori Muldoon created Alicia’s cathedral-length silk tulle wedding veil which was trimmed with delicate French Chantilly lace. Her veil was personalised to give a beautiful nod to their families. Her and David's initials were hand-stitched onto the veil along with the emblems from their family crests. The bride accessorised with pearl earrings and a gold leaf headband. Her bridesmaids chose their own dresses in an autumnal shade.

Nothing melts our hearts more than a gorgeous first look moment. It's not surprising that for Alicia and David it was their most memorable moment. "It was so emotional seeing each other for the first time, just the two of us. We met under the columned corridor at Castle Leslie at the most beautifully sunlit time of day. Our first look helped to settle our nerves before arriving at the cathedral to greet all of our family and friends. We will cherish the memory of that moment together forever." Rosie joined them for the unforgettable moment too.

The day was laced with beautiful family symbolism. Alicia’s rustic bouquet was adorned with her great-grandfather’s Truce Commemoration medal from the War of Independence. David wore a very special pair of cufflinks that belonged to his grandfather. He wasn't the only one in his family to wear them to exchange vows, his brother wore them on his wedding day too! For the exchange of coins, they used the same silver wedding coin that had been passed down for three generations in Alicia’s family.

We can't resist a wedding doggo!

The couple exchanged vows at St Macartan’s Cathedral in Monaghan.

Alicia is a violinist so she relished the challenge of choosing the perfect music to act as the soundtrack of the biggest day of their lives. It was a labour of love! The music in the ceremony included some of the couple's favourite music performed on strings. Sweetly, the bride's brother Theo prepared an arrangement of ‘Friday I’m in Love’ by The Cure for their recessional in the cathedral. While it was described as a "happy and jubilant moment" we have no doubt there were tears shed during it too.

They reflect on the moment that will forever remain etched in their minds from their ceremony: "We will never forget that feeling of walking down the aisle seeing the faces of our loved ones there to celebrate our marriage with us."

It was their love ones who made the day as truly special as it could be. They say: "We had a wonderful bridal party, who made our day so special. Their love and support means so much to us. David’s best man Ian and Alicia’s maid of honour Gilly were by our sides every step of the way. Having Alicia’s granny Yvonne and David’s grandfather Larry there to celebrate with us was particularly special."

We're also quite partial to a Vogue-style bridal party portrait!

The Mr and Mrs-to-be viewed three wedding venues virtually during lockdown. Ireland is home to many fairytale castle wedding venues and the couple fell head over heels for the "beauty and splendor" of Castle Leslie. Speaking of their Castle Leslie wedding, they explain: "We knew that it would be a perfect choice for an autumnal wedding, with so many beautiful deciduous trees around the estate. We wanted a venue that could accommodate many of our guests on the grounds, and we loved that the mews cottages were dog friendly."

While it was their special day, welcoming, hosting and entertaining their guests was the couple's top priority. "Welcoming our family and friends and setting the tone for a joyful celebration full of laughter and fun was extremely important to us. We invested a lot of time in planning our wedding so it would feel refined yet relaxed, with lots of subtle and personal touches throughout. Our memories and connections with France were woven into the day through our styling, music and speeches."

Speaking of the inspiration for the aesthetic of their Castle Leslie wedding, they highlight the importance of: "Autumnal colours and seasonal flowers, classic and simple design, beautiful materials and quality craftsmanship." It was a black-tie event and the wedding of uber-stylish French-British influencer Camille Charrière also served as inspiration! While we have an extensive list of wedding table names ideas, and we love Alicia and David's. "Each table was named after a chateaux we had visited together in France, where we had created many happy memories." 

A real sweet note was made to Alicia's musical passion on their wedding day. Two of the instruments that she learned to play with when she was younger sat on the top wedding table, La Tour Carnet. With a nod to the seasonal celebrations in October, they also had hot cider and masquerade masks over the wedding weekend to celebrate Hallowe’en.

Reminiscing about the favourite parts of their Castle Leslie wedding reception, the couple shares: "We couldn’t wait for the speeches, and they didn’t disappoint! Every speech was incredibly special and the emotions in the room were palpable. Tears of joy and laughter all around! We spent the evening toasting our nearest and dearest, celebrating our families joining and looking forward to a bright and happy future ahead. Every love story is beautiful, but ours is our favourite."

Alicia and David are wine and cheese lovers and if you can't treat yourself to your favourite goodies on your wedding night, then when can you? The couple, along with the help of David’s mum Maria, worked with the venue coordinator to select wine from a vineyard that they had loved visiting in France. The wedding party toasted to the couple with delicious wine from Monconseil-Gazin near Bordeaux. They also decided to buck the traditional cake trend with a fabulous cheese-tier cake. "There was so much left over, we gifted delicious comté and Cashel Blue to our friends and neighbours after our wedding."

Alicia and David chose a romantic classic as their first dance song: ‘The Way You Look Tonight’ by Frank Sinatra. They admit that they needed a bit of practice before they hit the dancefloor for the all-important dance so they signed up for two dance classes.

The couple's top wedding planning tip? Delegate and prioritise! "We found it helpful to split the tasks between us, as we each enjoyed planning different elements of the day. David loved picking the wine and menu choices, while Alicia enjoyed designing the stationery and DIY’ing the wedding accessories, with the help of her mum Michèle. Letting your bridal party and vendors take control over various aspects of the wedding can relieve you of a lot of unnecessary stress on the day, so you can enjoy your special moments together as a couple."

We want to say a massive thank you to our gorgeous real wedding couple Alicia and David for sharing their special day with us that was lensed beautifully by Michelle Prunty.

Thinking of having an autumn wedding? Check out our seasonal inspiration for flowers and cakes.