Years after Megan Grace & Albie decided to part ways after a meet-cute, fate drew them back together, when they bumped into each other at a Christmas party. From there, love blossomed resulting in a sweet proposal. She said yes, of course, and the pair began planning a fairytale destination wedding in Ireland which was 'very them'.
Lovers of all things whimsical and out-of-the-box, the couple knew they wanted to do something unexpected when it came to their wedding design. After falling in love with the magical Loughcrew Estate wedding venue in Co. Meath, the couple landed on a "woodland fairytale" wedding theme. The pair hired wedding planer and stylist Sandra of Infusion Wedding Concepts and briefed her on their ideal day-of—a bright ceremony in a historic setting filled with blooms followed by an alfresco reception filled with nods to their favourite Anime film. We love a couple who has a vision and isn't afraid to run with it! Let's just say everyone from Anime lovers to floral fanatics are about to be obsessed with their whimsical wedding day. From first look to first dance the talented Sasha Dove was on hand to capture all the dreamy details.
First things first, let's get to know our couple a little better, shall we? Bride Megan Grace hails from Birmingham, Alabama, and Groom Albie from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The pair first met in October 2017 at a kickball game, but never crossed paths again until December 2019 at a Christmas party where Albie says Megan Grace took his breath away. "Two months later he asked me out and I didn’t make him wait very long for a yes!," the bride laughs.
The couple now live together in Atlanta, Georgia, and it was on a day out at the Botanical Gardens in Midtown that the proposal happened. Megan Grace fills us in, "It didn’t go exactly how either of us had planned, since we had both planned to propose to the other that day. All in all, it was perfect since we both said yes!"
Once engaged, the couple starting planning a destination wedding in Ireland inspired by the couple's desire to create a Woodland Fairytale theme. The pair hired wedding planer and stylist Sandra of Infusion Wedding Concepts and briefed her on their ideal day-of—a bright ceremony in a historic setting filled with blooms followed by an alfresco reception.
The wedding aesthetic stemmed from the couple's love of a scene from the Studio Ghibli movie, Howl’s Moving Castle which features a bright, inviting flower garden with a magic twist. "We wanted to focus our vibe on the things that make us happy rather than being too concerned with what is in or out right now in the wedding world. To us the overall vibe needed to be relaxed, bright, and inviting."
And the perfect venue for their dream day? The magical Loughcrew Estate in Co. Meath. When asked what made it 'the one' for them, the couple say, "It was aesthetically exactly what we were looking for and it had all the amenities that we could need!".
They add, "We wanted our venue to have it all essentially: the ceremony in the ruins of a church, the reception in an old millhouse, and accommodations overnight so the wedding party would be able to spend the night and not have to worry about driving back to a hotel or to the city. We wanted everyone who had made the trip out to be with us on this special day to be able to enjoy it to the absolute fullest. Making sure we had it all in one place so that our guests didn’t have to worry about anything was the goal."
On September 9th, 2024, Megan Grace and her bridal party got wedding ready together in the bridal suite while hairstylist Claire Barry worked her magic, and the bride's sister applied the bride’s wedding makeup. "My sister, Melinda, did my makeup for me on my wedding day. She is so incredibly talented and it took us both back to when she did my makeup for my first prom, " The bride reminisces.
With the help of her best friend the bride slipped into her Martina Liana wedding gown, while the her mom fixed her veil. Her gown, a beautiful floral embellished design, was sourced at Ivory and White Bridal Boutique in Mountain Brook, Alabama.
She completed her look with a ruffle fabric block heel in a pistachio tone from Larroudé, a simple pair of sterling silver and pearl drop earrings.
Looking dapper in a tailored sharp black tuxedo by Jos. A Bank, Albie completed his wedding day look with Florsheim Postino Oxfords and Montblanc cufflinks.
Megan Grace locked arms with her father as they headed for their ceremony at the ruins of St. Oliver Plunkett’s Family Church in the grounds of the Loughcrew Estate. There, she made her way to meet Albie at the top of the aisle to the sounds of Flower Garden by Joe Hisaishi - a favourite piece of music from their beloved Howl’s Moving Castle performed by violinist Hazel Alexander. "This was the song that I walked down the aisle to and it could not have been more perfect at capturing my feeling seeing Albie at the end of the aisle."
Surrounded by 20 of their loved ones, the pair recited their vows with their friend Juliana officiating, before exchanging matching wedding rings, a Hitoe style ring from Niwaka. "We wanted to ensure that our wedding rings matched and were in a style that we both found interesting. Niwaka fit the bill in every way," the bride tells.
It's official!
Inside the reception space, beautiful blush table runners, pink taper candles and arrangements in soft pastel shades adorned the rustic tables, while swags of foliage intertwined with fairy lights hung overhead.
After travelling to have their destination wedding the couple decided to opt-out of having wedding favours, and instead gifted their guests with a sweet surprise after the festivities. "Our wedding favors were delivered long after our wedding was over. We picked our favorite photos of our friends and family and sent them with our thank you notes so they could have a memory with them of the trip that will hopefully last a lifetime."
Post dinner, the couple cut their wedding cake - a darling one-tier, cherry-topped Lamabeth wedding cake by The Cake Table.
Megan Grace and Albie shared their first dance to So This Is Love by Ilene Woods. The bride also shared a father-daughter dance to one of their shared favourite songs, Vincent by Don McLean. The bride says, "It was an unusual song to choose but while we danced it was so nice to hear my dad’s voice as we sang it together."
Looking back on their day, the couple say it was the presence of their loved ones that made it so special for them. " It was truly the people that were there with us that made the whole thing so special. We have never had all of these friends and family members together and with such a small group it was amazing to get to spend time with everyone and be in the moment with them. My sister was there to do my wedding makeup, Albie’s mom could fix his tie, my mom was there to adjust my veil while one of my best friends helped me into my dress. These are things we might have taken for granted if we had our wedding in the States. Those moments will now be cherished even more knowing that our friends and family had travelled so far to be a part of this day with us. It is something we will never forget."
After poring though all the details from their utterly fabulous celebration we asked them for their top piece of wedding advice. " Always start from what is most important to you. The top three things. Everything after that is “nice to have”. For us, we knew we wanted our photos to be organic to the day, our venue to have overnight stay, and our food to be delicious. Everything else followed."
Post wedding, the couple set off on an Irish road trip honeymoon. "We travelled down from Dublin to the Ring of Kerry, up to Galway and Connemara, and then back again. We would absolutely recommend taking the time to drive the countryside and make plenty of stops along the way!"
A very special thanks to our wonderful couple Megan Grace & Albie and Sasha Dove for sharing their incredible Loughcrew Estate wedding with One Fab Day! You can see even more photos in the gallery below.
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