Real wedding couple Abigail and David tied the knot in fairytale style at a 17-century castle. They celebrated saying their 'I dos' at the enchantingly beautiful Castle Leslie Estate in Co. Monaghan. A crisp white palette meant their summer wedding oozed timeless and refined elegance from Abigail's spectacularly sophisticated wedding dress to the statement orchid bouquets and the stunning textured white wedding cake. Their special day was loaded with wonderfully personal touches, from how the father of the bride's business inspired the elegant mauve bridesmaids dresses to the cute edible wedding favours which gave a sweet nod to Abigail's career. Anna G Photography utilised her signature painterly and emotive style to capture their superbly stylish wedding. Let's check it out.

So let's being with Abigail and David's love story. They both hail from Armagh in Northern Ireland and they live there today. Their happily ever after began brewing after a chance encounter at a coffee shop on the north coast five years ago where they met through mutual friends. "We lived 10 minutes away from each other and had no clue the other existed."

Abigail was caught completely by surprise when David popped the question as she thought that they were heading out to do something entirely different that day. "I had no clue David was planning to propose. He had told me we were going to lift a piece of machinery and that we'd make a day of it. We ended up at the secret waterfall in Donegal where he asked me the big question." What a swoon-worthy location to say yes, right?

They dreamt of their wedding on June 9th, 2023, exuding "timeless elegance with a fresh and original feel". They wanted a simple, clean and sophisticated aesthetic and the results were utterly magical.

Ireland is blessed with many fairytale castle wedding venues, and they said 'I do' to the wonderfully unique, romantic and intimate Castle Leslie Estate as Abigail highlights: "From the very beginning Castle Leslie were exceptional in their attention to detail and in assisting us make the wedding day 'ours'. The architectural character, royal aesthetic and grandeur appeal of the castle was totally in tune with the desired outcome."

The luxurious estate holds a special place in Abigail's heart, making it an immensely special place to celebrate their most special day. "As a child, my family would have brought us to the Hunting Lodge and to see the horses at the equestrian centre. And so, the venue had an added sentimental value that was built on by our wedding day."

When it came to their priorities for their wedding day, it was very important that they celebrated their faith. "Our faith is very important to David and I. And so, we wanted that to be embedded in many aspects of the day, including the music, the vows and stationary."

Abigail looked simply sensational in her refined column wedding dress which included a square neckline, a gently corseted bodice and a flared train. She added a special touch to the back of her gown which dialled up the demure glamour even more. "I wanted to personalise my dress and so added a cowl back to my column dress to emphasise the feminine form with refined details." She accessorised with diamond drop earrings, a diamond tennis bracelet, cathedral veil and satin heels with knotted straps.

"I have a very close relationship with my granny and so wanted her to help me into my dress in the morning, she used to work with fabric and materials so I definitely was in good hands." Abigail wanted her wedding flowers to be sharp white and she opted for white orchids. "I loved how crisp white and clean they looked, embodying delicate femininity."

Those looking for mother of the bride style inspiration will want to take a page out of Abigail's mother's book. She was a beacon of grace and sophistication in her phenomenal dove grey cape sleeve dress which had a sparkling neckline which she styled with a fascinator with a birdcage veil. "My mum's outfit was inspired by the white Tom Ford cape dress Gwyneth Paltrow wore to the Oscars and she accessorised with a matching headpiece."

The couple wanted to involve their close family and friends in their big day as much as possible and they wanted to show their support for local businesses. Abigail paid tribute to her father's building stone business in Armagh by incorporating the signature muted purple-brown marble colour in their wedding colour palette.

Her bridesmaids dazzled in sumptuous satin off-the-shoulder gowns of the same marble shade. 160 of their loved ones joined them for their wedding ceremony.

Abigail's brother is studying to be an architecture and they included his stunning illustration of Castle Leslie on their invites and the Order of Service.

The couple took full advantage of the immensely beautiful surroundings for their sun-kissed wedding photos. Nestled on 1,000 acres of undulating Irish countryside, dotted with ancient woodlands and glittering lakes, the secluded estate offers a truly astounding backdrop for every kind of wedding celebration.

The couple wanted the vibe of their nuptials to be very relaxed and joyful for their family and friends and that it was a perfect reflection of their relationship.

"It was especially important to me that the day was a reflection of our personal style, that we'd look back 10, 20 years from now and still remember a day conveying us as a couple. Looking at the outcome, we were not disappointed."

From an ice cream cart to yard games, Abigail and David had many surprises planned for their guests.

Oozing old world grandeur and charming character, the rooms in the 17th-century castle wow from all angles.

Signage was elegantly presented on marble slabs and David's father printed and intricately placed the lettering on the welcome sign marble slabs and on the table plan.

The styling of their reception was driven by a fresh white palette of the blooms. With ornate chandeliers overhead and sparkling fairy lights, the space was refined yet uber-romantic.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to wedding favours and the couple gave a sweet nod to Abigail's job with theirs. "The favours were Tic Tac mints in glass bottles to look like tablets and labelled with directions. These were personal touch for me as I work as a pharmacist."

When it comes to wedding planning, Abigail has the following advice: "The run-up and organisation of a wedding can be immensely stressful, but it doesn't have to be by having the process be a joint effort and making a point of being grateful and present throughout the experience. The wedding day itself is a means of expressing yourselves as a couple but shouldn't be all-consuming. It's only page one of an exciting new chapter."

White wedding cakes are back in fashion and the couple jumped on the simple yet stunning trend as they chose a three tier cake which was adorned with stunning climbing sugar flowers. They had a second small and sweet one tiered cake which also boasted an impressive vein of sugar flowers too.

For their first dance, Abigail and David chose Coldplay's gorgeous and emotionally-charged track Everglow. They celebrated by jetting off to Australia and Bali for three weeks for their honeymoon. "It was a once in a lifetime experience. I'd recommend it to anyone and would definitely revisit."

Congratulations Abigail and David and thank you for sharing your elegant Castle Leslie wedding day with us! We'd like to say a big thank you also to Anna G Photography for sharing today’s celebration. Check out the gallery for even more incredible moments.

Tying the knot? Check out more stunning Summer Real Weddings and follow One Fab Day on Instagram for even more inspiration.