Is there anything more romantic than a fairytale castle wedding? Our real wedding couple Alexandra and Gerland tied the knot in triumphant style at Luttrellstown Castle and local flowers helped evoke so many degrees of style and feeling. Their autumn wedding bloomed beautifully with everything from lush and refreshing foliage that adorned their ceremony to the boldly romantic blooms that coloured their ballroom reception. The bride oozed regal glamour in her incredible lace gown and she had a heartstring-pulling idea for her "something blue". Their big day had everything from vintage cars to a "thank you" statue that made it all the way from Dubai to Dublin! With soulful music and a sparkling fireworks display, it was an unforgettable celebration of love. Check out their stunning wedding day that was exquisitely captured by Dasha Caffrey below.

Let's begin by learning more about our newlyweds and prepare to fall head over heels with their love story. Alexandra is from New York and Gerland hails from Belgium. Alexandra tells us: "We met online. Within seven days of our first date, we went out five times. Gerland ran the New York City marathon at the end of that first week and kissed me at ‘Mile 17.’ That milestone has been special for us in all of his subsequent races."

Gerland dreamed up a romantic tactic to propose to Alexandra when they were celebrating Thanksgiving in the US in their favourite seaside town in Maine. "Gerland told me that he wanted to try to take our Christmas Card photo early Thanksgiving morning before anyone else was up and about. We went to their favourite hill overlooking the boats in the harbour and after trying to take the photos ourselves, I asked a nearby woman if she could help take a few photos on her phone."

Alexandra reminisces: "Little did I know, that woman was the photographer Gerland had hired to photograph the proposal. When I turned around, Gerland was on one knee, and the woman started snapping away on her camera. We have many beautiful photos of the moment as a result, and Thanksgiving became quite a celebration." Today they live in an old farmhouse from 1804 in Nanuet, New York.

Ireland was the perfect wedding destination as it meant that everyone's journey was somewhat equal. Alexandra adds: "It is also because Ireland is part of my heritage. Now, of course, the country has taken on a whole new meaning for us." As they were tying the knot abroad it meant they had to be "extremely deliberate" in their choices. "The end result was that our wedding and all of its details were very intentional."

Their destination wedding in Ireland was "extremely romantic, authentic, and full of love." They fell in love with Luttrellstown Castle instantly. "Its beauty really speaks for itself. We wanted a venue worthy of asking all of our guests to travel, and we wanted to ensure that the quality of the service, food, and accommodations were as high as possible."

"We are old world and old fashioned, so having our wedding at a 1000-year-old castle was an easy choice and guided the aesthetic." Local flowers were a cornerstone of their big day and they sprung up in a bounty of gorgeous iterations. They were cheerful for the welcome dinner, light and ethereal for the mass, and romantic and bold for the castle."

Having a religious ceremony was very important to them but they hit a bump in the road as their wedding was scheduled for a Sunday. "We contacted over forty churches in Ireland to see if anyone would permit us to hold a full mass. Luckily, we connected with a wonderful priest and parish in Kilmainhamwood, and it made every difference. A lovely priest presided over our wedding mass and helped make the marriage moment feel incredibly sacred."

Alexandra exuded timeless sophistication with her A-line wedding dress which had a dazzling floral lace top, a bodice and a full skirt. With her hair styled in a sleek by Hair By Martina King she accessorised with a lace floral edge veil and sparkling diamond earrings. Gerland opted for a dapper green three-piece suit which wonderfully married with the lush floral display.

80 guests celebrated their love and union on September 3rd, 2023. "We did not have a massive bridal party, but we each had our best friend as our respective witness." Sadly, the couple had lost their beloved dog Bear before their big day and his collar was Alexandra's “something blue” that held her bouquet together.

"There was a butterfly in church the entire time, and we noticed the same butterfly in the castle throughout the night. The priest said it was someone we loved who had passed away making their presence known. We like to think the butterfly was our Bear. It added to the foundation of love that underscored our big day."

The couple arrived at the luxurious wedding venue in serious style in a red 1961 Bentley S2. As they are real music lovers, getting the soundtrack to their big day note perfect was a huge priority for the couple.

"We orchestrated multiple musical acts throughout the evening (actually starting with our welcome dinner the night before for all of our guests which was, of course, at a local Irish pub). Their string quartet worked diligently with us and curated the set list heavily for our specifications and were consummate professionals."

As guests mingled during the drinks reception, they were treated to a stunning setlist of jazz and soul. "We were thrilled that Dana drove down from Northern Ireland to perform. She is incredibly talented and an absolute delight to work with."

They enlisted the help of their loved ones to bring unforgettable touches to their wedding day. Alexandra's father's company made their glamorous wedding favours which were personalised make up brushes with our names and the date of their big day. "My brother-in-law, Quentin Desmit, is an artist in Dubai, and he designed a beautiful sculpture that we gave to my parents as a 'thank you' gift. The fact that the sculpture arrived in one piece from Dubai and then New York is incredible in and of itself!"

The couple held their reception in the light-filled ballroom which was given an amorous injection of colour with the incredible floral display. Flowers in rich shades of pink, purple and red rang down the tables and adorned the fireplace mantle.

A macaron tower makes such a lovely wedding cake alternative. Not only did they have the feminine and romantic sweet treats but a phenomenal tiered cake too.

Lambeth buttercream wedding cakes have been rising in fierce popularity in recent years and their cake channelled the kitschy and oh-so-cute trend. "All of our guests (regardless of language, country of origin, etc.) sat around one table together."

"We loved how intimate each moment of our wedding was, and we think that was a result of the smaller size and the fact that the focus of the wedding was not so much fanfare and details, but just us. All of our families and friends worked so hard to make the trip work, and some even extended their stays in Ireland and toured the country. That was so wonderful."

Reflecting on the service at the five-star wedding venue, Alexandra highlights: "The staff at Lutrellstown provided impeccable service, and the food was spectacular. We were also able to host our entire family with us at the castle during our wedding night, which made the evening that much more special."

They have plenty of wise advice for couples who are planning a destination wedding: "Before you dive into planning, have a conversation with your partner about priorities and how you want to navigate communication and trouble shooting. You and your partner will invariably have to compromise on your aesthetic preferences and financial choices, but having a united front is the biggest favour you can do yourself as a couple."

"Honour your wedding budget as much as you can and cut corners where you have to—but not on your dress, your photographer, or your videographer. Those are non-negotiable, and you will be thrilled with the results. I certainly am! If a wedding planner is part of your vision, choose one that you think will advocate for your interest."

For their reception, the couple altered their ensembles with Alexandra swapping her lace top for opera gloves while Gerland sported a tux with a white blazer.

Their wedding planner was their "fearless advocate" in every aspect when it came to bringing their wedding day to life. "She facilitated all of our communications and reservations and also stepped in to manage crises that were beyond us (e.g. when our champagne was confiscated by Irish Customs because the winemaker forgot to pay the import tax and we were all the way in New York, Angela handled it)."

"Knowing that we had such an ally in every aspect of the wedding was just invaluable. She stayed with us for the entire wedding weekend and ran the show behind the scenes so that my husband and I could be guests at our own wedding. I can’t imagine having the wedding without her!"

Their first dance song made us swoon. They chose Elvis Presley's beloved ballad Can’t Help Falling in Love and their niece Malou Harel who is a singer in France did the honours and performed it for them.

The dancefloor was teeming all night as their swing wedding band served up a winning medley of hot jazz and swing.

They finished off the night in dazzling style with a surprise fireworks display. As for their honeymoon, the couple would love to see the Northern Lights and they may jet off to Norway to do so. We've no doubt it will be magical.

A huge congratulations and thank you to Alexandra and Gerland and Dasha Caffrey for sharing their wonderful Luttrellstown Castle wedding with One Fab Day.

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