One of the last great Irish Castle estates still in the hands of its founding family, Castle Leslie Estate in County Monaghan, was the romantic venue for the wedding of makeup artist Michaela McDonnell to excavator operator Donagh McGuigan on May 16th 2025. Captured by Peter Carvill Photography and featured in the Winter issue of SOCIAL & PERSONAL Weddings, every detail of this day was absolute perfection, from the champagne tower to Michaela's custom Moira Hughes Couture dress!
Donagh and Michaela are the definition of young love, having met in 2011 at different nightclubs, then moving on to talking frequently on BlackBerry Messenger and finally making things official in August of 2013.
"On our 10-year anniversary, we were doing a road trip to different areas in Tasmania. On the second day, we were visiting Dove Lake at the foot of Cradle Mountain. We were stopped along the stone path, taking in the views of the lake and the massive mountain in the background, when Donagh asked me to turn around, gave a speech about our last 10 years together, and then got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was incredible, not to mention I got the ring of my dreams! I then turned around, and a man dressed as a hiker was taking pictures of us; it turned out he was a photographer booked by Donagh to capture the whole thing!"
"As a makeup artist, I know how important it is to have a good skin base for your makeup to sit on and look amazing on the big day. I have problematic skin, so I bought an Omnilux LED Red therapy light to help with breakouts, reduce pigmentation, and help the skin look more even and plump. I kept my makeup on the day very similar to how I usually wear it; I wanted to look like myself. My aim was a radiant base and a stunning eye look to make my blue eyes pop. I did a little bit of everything on the base, including bronzer and blush, and used MAC Crème Cup lipstick and Makeup Forever Universal Earth Lip Liner as my lip combo."
For her wedding-day fragrance, Michaela bought Gentle Fluidity from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, a light, fresh, angelic scent. "I started to wear it when doing bridal tasks, like looking at wedding rings and attending dress appointments. So I didn’t go for anything different for the big day, I knew the scent would always make me think of my bridal era."
While searching for her dream dress in Australia, Michaela was lucky enough to come across the bridal dress designer, Moira Hughes, and together they designed a traditional lace dress with detachable sleeves for a second look. "With an hourglass shape, I knew I needed support around the bust, so Moira crafted the dress around a French corset that, when worn, moulded to your body. It was honestly the most comfortable thing I've ever worn, and I've never felt more beautiful than when in that dress."
"Donagh went for a black tuxedo. We both agreed that a black tux adds a regal, timeless vibe to any wedding. He looked so handsome; his jacket was a slim fit, and he paired it with a slightly larger dickie bow, which then made the rest of his groomsmen stand out a little bit more. We also had a black-tie dress code for the wedding, and it was one of my favourite elements of the day; our guests all looked incredible."
Blessed to come from such a large family, Michaela had no shortage of wedding party members; her four sisters were bridesmaids, and four brothers were ushers. "I actually ordered their dresses on the same day that I came home from saying yes to my own wedding dress! I knew from doing wedding party makeup in the past and seeing lots of bridesmaids in my time that less is always more." She chose a simple yet stunning design from Six Stories: a powder-pink gown with a high neck and a cowl-back drape.
"My ceremony was at my local chapel. I am big into love songs, and choosing music was very important to me. I really wanted a man singing me down the aisle, so I asked Conor McGinty to do our music, and he was incredible. I also had Neal Laverty on the bagpipes as guests entered and exited the ceremony, which had everyone entertained. My favourite part was my daddy, the first love of my life, walking me down the aisle to the second love of my life."
Castle Leslie had been a dream venue for our bride since she was a teenager. "It had everything I wanted: a grand castle exterior, well-maintained rooms that still retain the Castle's original character, a beautiful event room for weddings, and, of course, the setting on the lake. I had enquired at a few places, but once I heard back that Castle Leslie had availability for us in May 2025, we knew it was meant to be." The couple booked the castle before they saw it in person, after a Zoom viewing while still in Australia. The next time the twi came home, they made a stop in Glaslough and were bouncing with excitement, knowing it would be their wedding venue.
"We had the amazing D-strings placed in the gardens of Castle Leslie so that when guests came to the drinks reception, they could sit in the sunshine and listen. We were blessed with one of the best days of the year weather-wise, so this was a big hit."
"Donagh and I decided that we wanted a DJ for the reception with some sort of entertainment beforehand. That's when we came across the iconic DJ Maggigs. He started from the moment the dessert was finished, MC’d our speeches, and then launched into the funniest comedy skits/karaoke combinations ever, my face sore from laughing. He included guests from all corners of the room and got everyone involved in games and singing. We had so many people saying it was the best entertainment they had ever had!"
"The best decision was doing my own makeup in peace. I listened to music we, as a couple, have loved over the years, and I got so excited about what was about to unfold that morning. I was slightly nervous but also excited to get married. I don’t have one thing I would change from the day. It went perfectly."
- Gráinne