A couple used a bird of prey as the ring bearer for their adults-only castle wedding, and the photos are going viral

Josh, TechCrunch's current editor-at-large, told Insider that he thought it was "a bit of a nerdy party," so he whisked Andee away to a nightclub that hosts "Tutu Tuesdays." 

Eight months passed before their first official date, which took place at a 200-person dance party by the ocean. 

"I had to leave for Barcelona the next day to interview Edward Snowden," he recalled. "I asked her to come with me, so that was really our second official date. It's been magic ever since."

Josh arranged for a string quartet to meet him and Andee at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco. 

As the string quartet played "Can't Take My Eyes Off You," Josh said he "danced around the lawn and proposed to her." 

"She made what seemed like a fairy tale possible," he added. "My destiny wouldn't be the same without her."

The couple immediately knew they wanted to tie the knot in Ireland, where both of Andee's parents were born. 

"Some of our friends have had the most spectacular Northern California weddings with the fairy lights and mason jars," Josh said. "They had done those so well, we knew we could never top them. So we wanted to do something completely different." 

"We're both tech people and spend so much of our time connected and floating from one thing to the next, so we wanted to really capture our friends and give them an excuse to escape and come live this fairy tale of a weekend." 

"I wanted elements to the wedding that felt truly unforgettable," Josh said. "So I had this idea that, what if the rings could actually be attached to the legs of a falcon and fly down the aisle with me?"

"I had practiced a little falconry at a retreat a few years back and really enjoyed it and loved the connection with nature and the feeling of fantasy," he added. "It gives me 'Lord of the Rings,' 'Harry Potter,' and 'Game of Thrones' vibes."

"We decided that we didn't want to have kids at the wedding," Josh said. "So what else are you going to do for a ring bearer if you don't have some adorable toddler to waddle down the aisle?" 

The couple told Insider that they offered babysitters to any guests who brought their children to Ireland but wanted to make sure their relatives and friends could enjoy the night without feeling like they had to leave early. 

"It was going to be a very late night," Andee said. "We wanted it to feel like a very adult experience." 

"The dance party went until 4 a.m. and we were still up with friends at sunrise," Josh added. "We thought, this is a time to bond with friends and we have plenty of time in the future to have lots of backyard barbecues and other celebrations with kids there." 

On the morning of his wedding, Josh and his best man got to meet the castle's falconry master and practice flying the birds back and forth to each other. 

"They're very well-trained, and just gorgeous animals," Josh said. "We really wanted to make sure it was done in a way that was safe for the animal, and that there was nothing about this that felt exploitative to them." 

"We thought it would be something that would really set the wedding apart," he added. "And make people think, 'Wow, I've really been transported back to the medieval era."' 

The falconry master used wind measurements to determine which bird would fly during the ceremony. 

On Josh and Andee's wedding day, a Harris's hawk delivered the rings.

Josh said the guests were immediately "awestruck" at the unexpected sight of the majestic creature. 

Josh was wearing a leather gauntlet, also known as a falconry glove, to protect his arm from the hawk's talons.

"It felt exhilarating," Josh added. "I was most nervous about the fact that, sometimes, they just don't feel like flying — they're animals, they're unpredictable. But it went off without a hitch." 

"As the photos show, I look extraordinarily excited and Andee looks a little pensive and uneasy," he added with a laugh. 

Andee told Insider that she had also been apprehensive about the idea at first, especially because the falconry does not offer insurance on wedding rings. 

"They said they've never had that happen before," she added. 

After the rings were retrieved, Josh said the hawk flew up to the spire at the top of the castle and watched over the rest of the wedding. 

On the final day of their wedding weekend, Josh and Andee hosted a slew of activities on the castle grounds, including archery and skeet shooting. 

Andee had the custom sword engraved with the following: "Poetry. Love. Adventure. Honor."

"We came in and greeted our guests on the rehearsal night and gave a toast to all our friends," Josh recalled. "And as we shared a kiss, I unsheathed the sword and thrust it into the sky." 

"We really made people feel like they were part of a royal court in the days of old," Andee said.

"If they were going to come across the world, we needed to make it really special," he said. 

The couple flew in DJ Dials — one of their favorite DJs — to keep the party going, along with 100 Levain Bakery cookies that they had a friend deliver from New York City. 

"We passed those out at 1 a.m. to keep people fired up for the rest of the evening," Josh added. 

"There was a running gag through the weekend to see if Andee would do more costume changes or I would give more toasts," Josh recalled. "I think we came out about tied."

"The night concluded with all of our friends surrounding us," Josh recalled. "Singing 'All My Friends' by LCD Soundsystem." 

• Read more:
• A couple got married in the middle of the California wildfires, and their photographer calls it the 'new normal for wine country'
• A couple's attempt to re-create a picture-perfect engagement photo with a bottle of Champagne totally backfired, but the result is going viral
• A wave crashed over a couple during their beach wedding photo shoot, and now the stunning picture is going viral
• A bride and groom ordered $450 of Domino's pizza for their wedding meal because they 'couldn't decide on food'