A charming 300-acre country estate overlooking Kenmare Bay, Sheen Falls Lodge was the five-star venue for the wedding of lawyer Meagan Kelly to hedge fund analyst Zachary Spickard on May 10th 2025, featured in the Summer issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL WEDDINGS. Shot Studio Lordan and planned by Amy Daunt Events, if you're on the hunt for effortlessly cool decor inspo and a stunning custom gown, this is the wedding for you!
The couple met seven years ago, entirely by chance. While out with her girlfriends one night, Meagan got separated from the rest of the group and accidentally ended up walking into someone’s birthday celebration. "At first, I thought maybe I had just wandered into the wrong corner of the bar, but by the time I realised it was actually a full birthday party, it felt far too awkward to turn around and leave. Not knowing whose party I accidentally crashed, I asked the man next to me whose birthday it was." He smiled and told her he wasn’t sure, and the two ended up talking a little while longer, when suddenly everyone started singing “Happy Birthday” to him! Little did Meagan know she was going to marry the man whose birthday party she had not-so-gracefully crashed!
"Zachary proposed on the sweetest night in December in London. It was early December, and that day gave us the first snowfall of the year. The city was so perfectly blanketed in snow that it looked almost like a movie. Everything felt incredibly quiet and calm, which made the moment feel even more special. The proposal was quiet, just the two of us, with the snow all around. We ended the day by seeing the Christmas lights around the city and having hot cocoa by the fire."
Meagan's beauty journey was fairly simple, with a focus on finding the right routine in the year leading up to the wedding. "As my makeup artist can attest, my skin is quite sensitive, so I stuck to my own skincare products and foundation the morning of the wedding. Keeping things consistent really helped avoid any surprises in the lead-up to the big day."
"My signature scent was Estée Lauder Beautiful Magnolia. With notes of lush Magnolia, solar Gardenia, warm Woods and luminous Musk, it felt perfectly suited to the day. It had a softness to it that worked beautifully for the setting, and it felt special enough to mark the occasion. Now, whenever I catch a hint of it, it immediately brings me back to that day in Kenmare."
Meagan always knew she wanted a ball gown, but struggled to find one with the big, princess-style puff sleeves she preferred. "A lot of the dresses I tried on had beautiful shapes, but the sleeves just weren’t quite right. To get exactly what I envisioned, I bought a strapless ballgown with a bodice I loved from Essence of Australia and had the sleeves customised to fit the dress. The designer had no problem sending me the extra fabric to match the dress, and the sleeve construction took no time at all! It was such a relief to realise that the dress could be easily adapted to match what I had always imagined. Once the sleeves were added, the whole look finally felt complete."
"When it came to Zachary’s suit, I gave him (and his dad) full control. It was important to me that he be comfortable in what he was wearing. Unbeknownst to me, Zachary had his tuxedo customised with our initials embroidered onto the sleeve and our wedding date under the collar. It was such a thoughtful detail, and those personal touches ended up meaning a lot."
For her bridal party, Meagan asked her three incredible sisters and two best friends. It was important to pick a silhouette that every bridesmaid could feel their best in, so she made a point of getting input from everyone and went with a one-shoulder A-line gown. It was a deep evergreen colour to match the rest of the wedding colour palette. "Seeing them all together on the day was perfect. They were such an important part of the whole experience from start to finish."
"We had a small Catholic ceremony at Dawros Church in Kenmare. It is the most beautiful little church with a gorgeous archway entrance that played host to my favourite decor piece - our flower arch. The flowers framed the entrance so beautifully as guests arrived. The most special part of the mass was that our priest from home, who flew all the way from the States, married us. Having someone who knew us so well officiate the ceremony made it feel incredibly personal."
Sheen Falls is truly a magical place, and one that Meagan's family has loved for many years. When her parents suggested it as their venue, the pair knew it was the place. "It is quiet and refined, filled with understated luxury. I wanted guests to feel comfortable while still enjoying a 5-star experience. What I love most about Sheen Falls, though, is the staff. They go above and beyond, and are truly so kind. From the moment we arrived, they made everything feel effortless. They anticipated things before we even had to ask."
"We had a few musicians throughout the day, but our evening band was the Bentley Boys. They were incredible to hear live and kept us going the whole night! For the ceremony, we had the Delta String Quartet, Carys Ann Evans, the harpist, and Eve Stafford. At our happy-hour celebration, Arundo performed traditional Irish music. Everyone was incredible. It created a lovely atmosphere throughout the day."
"I cared a great deal about the quality of food we were serving to our guests. And it paid off! Zachary and I worked with Sheen Falls to curate everything (even down to the sauces!) to be exactly how we wanted. Even now, our guests still come back and tell us it was not only the best food that they’ve had at a wedding, but some of the best food they’ve had, hands down. It meant a lot to us that people enjoyed that part of the day so much."
"Not trusting my wedding planner sooner! My wonderful planner, Amy Daunt, was truly a superwoman. If I had let go of control way earlier in the process, I would’ve saved myself a lot of stress! Looking back, she had everything completely under control the whole time."
- Gráinne