Alex Prager—the L.A.-based photographer and filmmaker known for her cinematic sets—and creative consultant Simon Dargan’s initial encounter sounds straight out of a rom-com: She was a bridesmaid and he was a groomsman when they first crossed paths at their good friend’s wedding at a castle in Ireland. “I was doing a talk at Silencio in Paris three weeks later so I asked him to come meet me,” Alex remembers. “We ended up spending a week in Paris together, and that’s where we fell in love.”
Ireland was also the setting for the couple’s engagement five years later. While they were there visiting Simon’s family, they stopped at The Little Cheese Shop in Dingle and bought food for a picnic, then they drove up to the Cliffs of Moher, walked until everyone was far away, and laid down in a heather. “After 45 minutes, I got up and put my boots back on,” Alex says. “But Simon wasn’t getting up and just when I was beginning to realize that he was looking up at me from one bended knee, he popped the question.”
Of course, given their courtship, the two felt compelled to get married in Ireland. In looking for a venue that could accommodate the family and friends who would be flying in from the States, Alex and Simon came across Longueville House, in Cork. “It really exceeded our expectations,” Alex says. “It’s an old manor house that grows all of their food on site, has stunning flowers, orchards, and a creek. It was an absolute dream!” Once they’d settled on the location, they quickly called upon event planner Martina O’Riordan to handle all of the logistics. “She was a godsend,” Alex says. “Because we were planning the wedding from Los Angeles, where we live, it was difficult to be certain we were going to arrive to the same thing we had been planning all of these months. Martina was so helpful at understanding my vision for the day and making sure that everything went as planned.”
The itinerary started with a big group excursion the day before the wedding, which had guests hiking to a waterfall and picnicking in a fairy fort. The night ended with drinking and dancing at the local pub Connolly’s of Leap, which is owned by one of Simon’s friends. “The fish basket there provided the best fish and chips anyone had ever had, and Simon’s dad serenaded everyone on bodhran,” Alex laughs.
The next day, Alex started getting ready while Simon went fly-fishing. For her ceremony look, she worked with her friend and longtime costume designer Callan Stokes. “She helped me try on a ton of dresses,” Alex admits. “Ultimately, I found this handmade dress from a designer from the ’60s called La Roche of Beverly Hills.” Her feather and crystal veil by Jennifer Behr was the perfect accessory alongside her Vera Wang shoes. She finished off the look with a loaned Tiffany & Co. diamond necklace and earrings. Her bouquet and all the flowers were by Jill Wild. Meanwhile, Simon wore a vintage Gucci suit.
“In the hours leading up to the ceremony, I felt extremely nervous,” Alex recalls, “which surprised me as we already have a kid together! When I was driving over to the ceremony with my dad, I remember thinking how much fun I was having being all dressed up with my dad looking so sharp too. But when I got up there and stood facing Simon, I was still nervous! It was so beautiful, and everyone we love was there, so I was really trying to take it all in and be present.”
The couple’s oldest friend, Chris, officiated the service in an apple orchard on the property at Longueville House. “I knew he would set the perfect tone,” Alex says. “We wanted to focus on family and tradition. Chris actually cried during his introduction and around halfway through the ceremony my sister read her poem and everything after that felt calm and so beautiful.” They did an ancient knot-tying ceremony, and despite the threat of rain all day, the weather ended up being perfect. The sun broke through right at the moment when Alex and Simon started reading their vows.
Afterwards, everyone walked the 10 minutes from the orchard to the Rose Garden near the house for cocktails, while Alex and Simon had a private post-ceremony moment together over a glass of Champagne in the Walled Garden on the other side of the property. “Longueville House has a remarkable garden, and they grow and raise everything on-site,” Alex explains. “They even make their own apple cider and brandy—which was a huge hit all weekend!” The newlyweds greeted their guests in front of the wildflower field for photos and then led everyone into the conservatory for the banquet portion of the evening. There, the four-course dinner started with smoked salmon or spiced lentils and brie for the appetizer; a roast leg of Longueville lamb or seared hake for the entrée; and brandy parfait with caramelized apple and candied lime sauce for dessert.
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During dinner, everyone was entertained by the toasts. “We had a million because we got so caught up dancing the night before that we’d pushed the traditional reception speeches,” Alex explains. “Simon’s father and sister said wonderful and welcoming words. My parents both toasted. Phil—our best man who helped coordinate a lot of the adventures in Ireland while we were in Los Angeles—thanked everyone for coming, then my sister gave a speech that left everyone in tears. We had a few of our other best friends toast as well because at that point, why not? We laughed, we cried, we were embarrassed, it was everything I’d hoped.”
After dinner, there was dancing, which ultimately led to guests relocating to the basement of Longueville House late at night. “At the rehearsal dinner, we had musicians play Irish music while a dance instructor taught everyone traditional steps,” Alex explains. “So on the night of the wedding everyone was already used to that music and understood how to move to it. It set the stage for some good solid dancing before we switched to DJ Stevie G who played R&B and hip-hop for the last three hours of the night.”