Megan & Jonathan's Luttrellstown Castle Wedding

A historic 15th-century castle nestled at the heart of lush private parkland, Luttrellstown Castle Resort was the stunning venue for the wedding of Megan Alvarez to Jonathan Burns on the 9th of August 2024. From a chance swipe to a sunlit Irish celebration, it was a day filled with heartfelt vows, joyful laughter, and timeless style, planned to perfection by The Event Design Company and by Anna G Photography.

The pair met during the height of the pandemic on a dating app. Due to social distancing, their dates mostly consisted of local food trucks, hiking, and exploring all of Oregon's beauty. Fast forward, Jonathan told Megan he loved her at Oahu’s Koko Crater Trail, and the two shortly moved in together to their 1-bedroom apartment in Hillsboro, Oregon.

"In May of 2023, Jonathan got on one knee and popped the question. He took me to one of his farm lands to see a pretty view and the promise of holding baby chickens. He suddenly dropped to one knee and confessed his love, and the answer was always YES! We couldn't imagine life without each other."

Megan didn’t really have a beauty journey as she was 8 months post-partum and was barely sleeping through the night. Her only priority was to find a fantastic makeup artist to help cover up her dark under eyes and any unwanted blemishes. "I couldn’t be happier with how natural and glowing I felt from Anne Marie’s magic makeup powers."

For her wedding day fragrance, she wore Young Rose by Byredo, a fresh, clean, dewy rose scent with notes of Sichuan pepper, damask rose and musk. For his fragrance, Jonathan went with a classic and wore Sauvage Eau de Parfum by Dior. A fresh, clean, and super versatile scent with notes of bergamot, Sichuan pepper (To complement Young Rose) and vanilla.

Megan found the perfect wedding dress while shopping with her cousin (her maid of honour, Brittany), her grandma, and mom. "I felt so lucky to have the most important woman in my life with me for such a special moment." She walked down the aisle in a floor-length, floral appliqued ballgown from Jenny Yoo with puff sleeves. "I truly felt like a princess, and it couldn’t be more perfect for the venue we picked."

Megan had four bridesmaids. Her cousin Brittany as her maid of honour, along with her college besties Sara & Carmel, and her sister-in-law Grace. "I knew I wanted their dresses to be butter yellow, I wanted something bright and cheery and was hopeful to have a beautiful sunny day in Ireland, and we were in luck to have perfect weather!"

"Jonathan and I wrote our vows, and being able to share them in front of all our friends and family is something I’ll cherish forever. I’ve never felt more at peace than in that moment—expressing my love to him and hearing his words in return. He spoke so eloquently, capturing the life we’ve built together, and for that brief moment, we were able to show everyone just how deeply we love each other."

Jonathan discovered Luttrellstown Castle, and from the moment he shared it with Megan, she had a feeling it could be the one. The two were fortunate enough to schedule a visit in August 2023, originally planning to tour a few other venues as well. But the moment they stepped onto the grounds of Luttrellstown, that was it!

"Jonathan took the lead on finding our band, and he landed on The Event Band. It was so important to us to have a live band as there’s truly nothing like the energy and good vibes they bring to the dance floor. We wanted music that would get guests of all ages up and dancing the night away!"