Catherine & Carter's Luttrellstown Castle Wedding

Spanning 567 acres of lush private parkland, Luttrellstown Castle was originally built for gracious hospitality and entertaining, a tradition which continues to this day. Dating back to the 15th century, the breathtaking venue hosted the wedding of film and TV producer Catherine Hagedorn to client relations analyst Carter Henderson on August 25, 2024. A dreamy castle backdrop, styled by Waterlily Weddings, Bridgerton-inspired bridesmaids' dresses, and some truly gorgeous moments captured by Anna G Photography made this destination wedding unforgettable.

The pair met on the beach in Malibu. Carter was visiting Los Angeles from DC, and the two hit it off. But when Catherine asked him when he was leaving, it turned out that Carter was due to depart the next morning. "I told him to cancel his flight and take me on a date, and he did!"

In a move reminiscent of an early 2000s James Marsden rom-com, Carter took his bride-to-be back to the beach in Malibu, where they met and proposed at sunset. Then, to make the moment extra special, he had arranged for a few of Catherine's best friends to fly in and surprise her!

"I was very picky about making sure that my makeup wasn’t overdone. I wanted to look like myself, but the best version possible. I spent a considerable amount of time searching for vendors for hair and makeup. I was so lucky to have found Ailbhe Lynch and Aiden Darcy. They truly made me look and feel like a princess."

"It’s kind of a crazy story. Before I was even engaged, I saw a dress on Instagram and sent it to my best friend, Jordan. As soon as I got engaged, she suggested we go try it on. I ended up trying on many other dresses as well, but ultimately went with the first one. It was meant to be."

Carter had his tuxedos made custom from a tailor in Hong Kong. For the ceremony, he wore a traditional black tux and changed into a white dinner jacket for the reception.

For her bridal party, Catherine had four of her dearest friends by her side: Jordan and Elizabeth as maids of honour, and Carissa and Whitney as her bridesmaids. In the hunt for the bridesmaids' dresses, Catherine was sure that she wanted something in line with the castle's aesthetic. "When V Chapman came out with the dresses we chose, it was a no-brainer. The beautiful gowns felt like they came straight out of an episode of Bridgerton." Thus, the girls walked down the aisle in the Lucetta Dress in Chambray Blue Baroque.

"Our ceremony was a perfect blend of tradition and playfulness. I walked down the aisle to the string quartet playing the theme from The Lord of the Rings as a nod to both my husband and father (It’s their favourite movie)."

"My favourite part was a total surprise that Carter had planned with our officiant, Rebecca. Before he started his vows, he had sneakily arranged that all of our friends would stand up in the crowd at different points and sing “I Say a Little Prayer for You.” Just like they did in the movie MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING, it was hilarious and special, and I couldn't help but cry."

The couple viewed a lot of venues in Ireland, but were pretty sure from the get-go that Luttrellstown was where they wanted to get married. "The proximity to Dublin for our guests was a huge plus. The staff was beyond accommodating and friendly, and the venue truly feels like you stepped into a fairytale. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect setting for our wedding."

"Music was probably one of the most important decisions we had to make. In our mind, music can make or break a wedding. If the band doesn’t have everyone on the dancefloor all night, you’ve got the wrong band. Fortunately for us, we found Jo Petit and the Dreamband! They kept the party going all night. They had that perfect blend of oldies and modern songs to keep all generations excited and engaged. We got so many compliments on the band afterwards, too!"