For those who dream of a romantic, intimate and absolutely timeless autumn celebration that does not take an overly autumnal route, today’s real wedding will provide so much stunning inspiration. Meggan and Christian celebrated their love in unforgettably chic style at Mount Juliet. Planned and styled by Infusion Wedding Concepts their dream day came to life in a spellbinding palette of muted hues including cream, nude, blush, rust, and gold. The style was simply superb with Meggan opting for a contemporary romantic bridal approach with not one but two jaw-dropping dresses while her leading ladies shone in glimmering rust-toned satin and the groomswear from Benetti Menswear was nothing short of dashing.
Their October celebration unlocked the pure magic of the Kilkenny venue from tying the knot in a marquee encased by beautiful scenery to toasting to forever with their drinks reception in the sumptuous manor house before their breathtaking candlelit reception in Hunter’s Yard. We know you will fall in love with every moment of their happiest day which was captured absolutely magically by SOSAC Photography. With thrilling entertainment, utterly dreamy flowers, heartwarming tributes to their family, a scrumptious and cake, there is so much to swoon over below.
Let’s get to know our fabulous couple a little more. Both hailing from Cork, Meggan is originally from Midleton and Christian is from Crosshaven. They have been based in Midleton since 2021, and in 2023 they were joined by their maltichon, Oliver, who they absolutely adore.
Meggan’s dad Liam sadly passed away before their wedding. They were immensely close but his spirit was kept alive in so many beautiful ways throughout the celebration. “We wanted to make sure that he was included in the day. Orlaith, Meggan’s sister, had a custom teddy bear made from one of their dad’s favourite polo shirts, so she could have a part of him with her on the day.”
Meggan always thought she would know when Christian was going to propose, but he caught her completely off guard when he popped the question. “Months before, Christian—who works in marketing—told me about a travel agent client (that didn’t actually exist) who might have some last-minute deals that may pop up in future. Christian told me he booked a trip to Edinburgh, scheduled for two days after I returned from Ibiza with my best friends. At the airport, as I queued to check in, he said, ‘You’re in the wrong line.’ I was so confused—but then he announced we were actually flying to Paris, he told me it was a really good deal he got from his client last minute.”
She continues, “Paris has always been a city I’d always wanted to visit, but honestly, after a week in Ibiza, I was exhausted so I didn’t suspect a thing. We arrived at the beautiful Marignan Champs-Élysées hotel, and I immediately pulled out my phone to snapchat the stunning view of the Eiffel Tower to the girls. When I turned around—there he was, down on one knee. It was perfect, so unexpected, and absolutely unforgettable.”
From the very beginning, one of the most important things for the couple was creating a celebration that felt very personal and true to who they are. Another top priority was ensuring their loved ones felt welcome, comfortable, and well taken care of. “We wanted our wedding to be a celebration filled with love, laughter, and lots of memorable moments shared with our closest family and friends. Christian and I absolutely loved the food at Mount Juliet, and we couldn’t wait to share that experience—along with plenty of drinks—with our guests. We just wanted to soak up every moment and celebrate all weekend long with the people who mean the most to us.”
Meggan was a breathtaking vision wearing the Fairmont dress by Jane Hill which she sourced at The White and Gold in Kinsale while Ballincollig-based designer Urata Designs created her tiered tulle skirt and veil. She accessorised with Vagabond tulle sleeves bought from Memories Bridal Boutique in Cork, Amina Muaddi Begum 70 leather slingback pumps, Jennifer Behr crystal drop earrings and a crystal-encrusted clutch by Olga Berg.
She tells us more about selecting the wedding dress of her dreams, “I’ve always been drawn to tulle — I love how it falls in soft, gathered layers, so I just knew I wanted it incorporated into my dress. We also had always envisioned a black-tie dress code as well as we just thought it complemented the overall aesthetic perfectly.”
Laura Linter of Two Little Words created their wedding invitations, menus and all of the signage, with the welcome sign boasting a delicate illustration of the manor house at the picturesque country estate.
They held their ceremony in a glass marquee in the walled gardens which offered wonderful views of the stunning grounds.
Jill Wild designed their as-dreamy-as-can-be florals which included asymmetrical arrangements for the ceremony. “We went with a muted palette of nude, blush, rust, and metallic gold tones, with lots of different textures – soft and romantic and not overly autumnal.” The florist also supplied the ribbon bows in sand and blush with long trails to the floor that were tied to the back of the chairs.
Delta String Quartet performed during their ceremony with Meggan making her entrance to Pachelbel’s Canon in D.
Sweetly, a seat was left free at the top of the aisle for Meggan’s father. Meggan’s sister Orlaith and Christian’s brother Graham both lit the remembrance candles for both Meggan’s and Christian’s dads, both named Liam.
They did a handfasting ceremony and they invited their dear friends and family members to bring up the ribbons to help them tie the knot: Lizzy Donovan, Shane Collins, Luana Morano, Emmet Hurley, Lisa McSherry, and Ashley O’Connor.
They walked down the aisle as husband and wife to Viva La Vida by Coldplay as they were showered by dried flower petals. What a magical moment!
Her leading ladies wore rust satin gowns with mix and match necklines from Six Stories with bow heels from ASOS.
Beautiful blush bouquet inspiration incoming. The bride carried a bouquet of cascading white orchids and blush roses with different grasses and textures tied together with a white ribbon. Perfectly complementing hers, the bridesmaids had upright style bouquets with a mix of blush, soft white and quicksand roses that were tied with rust ribbon.
What an immensely stylish grooms party! Christian’s top gents, which included his three brothers, Graham, Mark and Kenny, all wore three-piece black suede suits from Remus Uomo with shirts and accessories from Benetti Menswear. Christian’s godson Bobby was a truly adorable page boy wearing a suit and bow tie from Next.
They chose Mount Juliet as their wedding venue because it offered their dream blend of beautiful grounds and historic charm with a relaxed yet luxurious atmosphere. “It feels like such a special place. From the moment we visited, we could picture ourselves celebrating there with our family and friends—it just felt right.”
“Pinterest was a huge help in shaping the aesthetic—I created boards and folders to gather ideas and inspiration,” she explains. They wanted their reception in the McCalmont Suite to feel intimate and romantic with plenty of candles used throughout to create a soft and whimsical atmosphere. The tablescape styling included a camel satin tablecloth paired with blush napkins, nude and powder pink taper candles, and glass vases filled with a mix of roses in nude, blush, and sandy tones. Sandra from Infusion Wedding Concepts provided glass cylinders and gold-rimmed tealight holders along with a long gold-framed mirror that displayed the table plan and welcomed everyone to the main reception space.
Her top piece of wedding planning advice? Don’t forget to press pause! “Planning a wedding can be time consuming and stressful so go on dates, or nights away, do the fun things, and laugh through the chaos together. The to-do list will be still there tomorrow. In the six months leading up to the wedding, we made a conscious decision to take a night away or go out for dinner jus the two of us — with one rule: no wedding to-do list talk. Instead, we focused on the excitement of seeing our family and friends, and just enjoyed being in the moment together. It was such a lovely way to soak it all in.”
The couple always imagined getting married in autumn and they knew Mount Juliet offered the perfect sense of whimsical charm. “We just love that time of year: the changing light, the colourful leaves, and that overall cosy feel. Since our wedding was at the end of October, we knew it would get dark earlier, which made the idea of being surrounded by candlelight feel so romantic and intimate—which was the aesthetic we were aiming for. So once we booked the venue for October, everything started to fall into place.”
With music by Velvin Lamont, their drinks reception in the manor included a tailormade selection of their favourite cocktails and a whiskey and cigar bar.
Christian’s timeless and sophisticated wedding ensemble included a burgundy velvet jacket from Benetti Menswear which was the perfect option for their elegant autumn celebration. He styled it with a waistcoat and patent shoes also from Benetti, slim black trousers from Remus Uomo, a dress shirt from Marcella, a black velvet bow tie, and a Black Tommy Hilfiger watch.
Their florist also created stunning hanging floral installations on the wooden beams which featured asparagus fern, grasses, miscanthus, hydrangea, dried flowers, and trailing amaranthus.
While their beloved pooch couldn’t join them on the big day, they made sure to mention him during the ceremony and he got a special shout out in the speeches. Awww!
The newlyweds entered the reception to Jubel by Klingande with a thrilling medley of saxophone and drums. “It was electric and such a fun moment with our bridal party.”
Meggan, Christian, Meggan’s sister and maid of honour Orlaith, and Meggan’s mother Noreen all included tributes to her dad Liam in their speeches.
Tracy Desmond Bell created their dazzling white wedding cake with a ruffle design. Two tiers comprised of a raspberry and white chocolate biscuit cake and a milk chocolate biscuit cake and were arranged on one stand and the third tier, which was a lemon drizzle cake, was showcased separately on its own stand.
She reflects on how they picked their first dance song, Until I Found You by Stephen Sanchez. “One night, we put on some of our favourite songs and tried to figure out which one felt right for our first dance. We attempted a bit of a waltz around the living room—wine in hand—and just had a laugh with it. It turned out to be such a lovely little moment in the middle of all the planning.”
Later Meggan changed into a show-stopping second wedding dress by Rosie Etienne with a cat eye neckline and a romantic and oh-so-trendy dropped waist.
Their guests left messages of love and joy on an audio suitcase style guest book and the couple recorded a personalised voice message for them. Their celebration also included a white floral backdrop, a vintage photobooth and they had scrumptious favours for their guests as they put together sweet bags filled with their favourite treats that were divided into ‘His Favourite’ and ‘Her Favourite’ selections.
They couldn’t recommend their bands, Riff shop and Love Sensation, enough. “They were just incredible. We loved them so much. When we were booking music for our wedding, we went straight to Riff Shop — we knew we wanted to throw a party and celebrate the whole weekend, and they were the perfect choice to make that happen! Once Riff Shop started to play their sax and drums, the mood shifted from romantic and whimsical to a proper party vibe. It was one of the best decisions we made having them there for our weekend. We had Riff Shop play again for our day two celebrations in Bridies Bar in Langtons Hotel Kilkenny.”
Reminiscing on their dream day she says, “We truly can’t recommend enough the amazing team of suppliers who made our day so special and seamless, from Shane, our photographer, Gavin, our videographer, Jill, our florist, planner Sandra, music Riff Shop, and everyone else involved, and of course the wonderful team at Mount Juliet Estate.”
They wanted their honeymoon to be soaked in sunshine so they waited until the new year to jet off to Italy which had always been on their bucket list. “We booked our holiday with Trailfinders which we found to be extremely helpful and their hotel recommendations were amazing. We spent the last three weeks exploring the north of Italy, Venice, Verona, Lake Como, and down to the south, Florence, Sorento and Amalfi, it was beautiful and the food in Italy is just delicious! We rented a car from Florence to Sorento which was lovely as we stopped off in little villages along the way. In May it is counted as their off season so it wasn’t as busy as it normally would be and the weather was in the mid to late 20’s so it was perfect for us. We loved exploring each of the cities we visited in Italy, but being by the coast—especially in Sorrento and Amalfi—was definitely one of our favourite experiences.”
Congratulations Meggan and Christian! A very special thank you to our lovely couple and SOSAC Photography for letting us take a peek inside this absolutely magical Mount Juliet wedding, check out the gallery for even more beautiful images below.
Planning your special day? Check out our Real Wedding archive for gorgeous celebrations from around Ireland!
