I was nervous when we left for Ireland the day after our wedding. Everything in the next 24 hours had to work according to plan, meaning no forgotten passports, no bad weather, no flight delays, and no car accidents:
6 pm CST: Depart from O'Hare
7 am local time: Arrive in Shannon, Ireland
8 am: Pick up rental car
8:30 am: Learn how to drive on the left side of the road
10 am: Arrive in Limerick
10:30 am: Get hair and makeup done
12 pm: Meet Magic in the hotel lobby
Maciej "Magic" Suwalowski was our photographer. My husband and I didn't realize it at the time, but we were about to have the most memorable two days with Magic.
It's hard to describe Magic, other than that he is the coolest person I know and will likely ever know. Insanely creative and adventurous, super professional and yet, incredibly down-to-earth and hilarious. As much research and planning as I did for our photoshoot, once we met Magic, we just went with the flow.
First: We took a stroll through downtown Limerick, and we started to realize just how kind the Irish really are. When it started to rain, a gentleman walked over and gave us his umbrella.
When we stopped for coffee and doughnuts, they gave them to us - as a wedding gift. I think I need to wear my wedding dress in public more often.
For three hours, Steve and I felt like celebrities. A drink at Charlie Chaplin's Pub? Free champagne at The Buttery? Sure, why not! As we walked around downtown, we heard countless congratulations and well wishes. Steve and I were on cloud nine.
Next, we drove to Killaloe and made a pit stop at Lough Derg, where Magic taught us to loosen up in front of the camera. Steve was a natural.
The last stop of the day, the pièce de résistance: the Cliffs of Moher at sunset.
The Cliffs are a two-hour drive from Limerick. Magic showed us a spot, away from the crowds. We parked our car at a farmhouse and followed a gravel road to the edge of the island.
After a rainy day, the sunset was well worth the wait.
DAY TWO: We were lucky enough to hang out with Magic for a second day and first hit up Ross Castle. These rowboats reminded me of a scene from Anne of Green Gables.
After Ross Castle, we made our way to Conor Pass. We stopped for lunch along the way and just soaked up all the beautiful scenery around us. Despite the grey and rainy skies, we still couldn't get over how blessed we were to have this experience and how surreal it felt.
When we arrived at Conor Pass, we pulled over along the edge of a mountain and climbed up to a lagoon. I kept expecting a mythical creature to jump out of the water, like a scene from King Kong or Game of Thrones.
We ended our day driving down Slea Head Drive, one of the most scenic routes in Ireland.
A complete list of our memorable pit stops:
Downtown Limerick
Funky Donuts
Charlie Chaplin's Pub
The Buttery
Lough Derg in Killaloe
The Cliffs of Moher
Ross Castle
The Junction Bar
Drove through the town of Adare
Conor Pass
Slea Head Drive
Dunquin Pier
The Sleeping Giant
Dick Mack's Pub in Dingle
All photos in this post were taken by Magic: https://www.magicweddingphotographer.com/home/
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”