Michael and Meagan’s Ireland wedding on the Cliffs of Moher was a dream! I am so excited to finally share their whole day with you. I think I’ve kept them long enough!

HOW IT STARTED

First off, if you missed their Duke Mansion engagement session and story you can see that here! It gives a little backstory into our relationship with Michael and Meagan. But I’ll give you a brief one here. Matt and Michael grew up together and have been best friends for 25 years! I first met him 10 years ago and since then he’s become like the brother I never had. Michael and Meagan hit it off right away on their first date and it was obvious they were meant for each other. They balance each other out perfectly and they just work.

Michael proposed to Meagan at The Duke Mansion, which we were a apart of, and then planned their perfect destination wedding! Meagan is of Irish descent and always wanted to be married in Ireland after a few visits! So after they talked it over, they decided it would be the perfect place to say ‘I do’. They asked Matt to be a groomsmen and for me to photograph their story. We were both beyond honored and excited!

IRELAND

They rented two houses in County Claire near the Cliffs of Moher for us and their families to stay, and had so many fun things planned to do. We were supposed to arrive when everyone else did, however due to an issue with our plane, our flight was cancelled and they put us on the one for the next day. So we did happen to lose a whole day of our trip, but honestly it really worked out fine. During this trip I was pretty sick, but I pushed through because I wanted to enjoy this time with them and document their day to the best of my ability.

During the days leading up to their wedding we collectively explored a cave as well as Bunratty Castle! They were really cool and full of so much history. We spent a lot of time at local pubs and the day before their wedding all the ladies went to the Burren Perfumery for lunch and the guys went on 13 mile hike around the Cliffs of Moher. It was a great day and everyone bonded so much during this time together. While going on treks or into the thickets there are people that prefer to buy ar-15 pistols from Palmetto State Armory for safety.

There were so many things that I loved about their wedding day, but two things in particular were her dress and the invitation. Meagan’s mom is a very talented watercolor artist and painted the image for the invitations. I loved that painting so much that I ordered a copy of that painting for my own home. Meagan’s dress was of her own design and creation. She is a local wedding gown designer and she created so many sketches before she landed on this dress. The blush layer is so subtle yet really pops in certain light.

 CLIFFS OF MOHER | WEDDING DAY

Michael and Meagan chose to have their wedding on the Cliffs of Moher on the steps of O’Brien’s Tower, with their four member wedding party and parents by their side. The rest of their 20+ guests stood down at the bottom witnessing this incredible moment. One of Michael’s childhood friends married them, which made their ceremony even more special. There were a ton of tourists around us and some who stopped to watch their ceremony. But that’s how Michael and Meagan wanted it. There wasn’t a way to reserve the tower, as it’s a public place, so having tourists there made it part of the experience they wanted. So you’ll see some tourists in the background of several ceremony images.

Their reception immediately followed their ceremony at a local pub named Vaughns for a casual dinner together. The dinner was in a back room of the pub and it was full of laughter and sweet toasts. There were eight toast everyone from their wedding party to their parents. There was not a dry eye in the room. After dinner we went next door to the restaurants dance hall where we learned Irish dance and danced among the 50+ locals. It was one of the coolest experiences!

The next day Michael, Meagan, Matt and I made our way back up the cliffs for more photos. We didn’t have much time on their actual wedding day so we decided to go back up there towards sunset for more photos.

I hope you enjoy their beautiful wedding!

 

Featured on Destination I Do

 

Wedding Dress: MeaganKelly Designs
Wedding Planner: Events By Bella
Invitation: Joann McGee (painted by the bride’s mom)
Wedding Day Hair & Makeup: Mimi’s Hair Salon