A Celestial Chic Station House Hotel Wedding

Offaly couple Shona and Eoin curated a marriage celebration that was unapologetically them. Their dreamy autumn bash at The Station House Hotel married the bride’s love for all issues celestial and eccentric with the groom’s ardour for heavy metallic. The Meath venue set a spellbinding stage for his or her autumn celebration because the couple exchanged vows in a romantic woodland ceremony with boho decor created by the mom of the bride which was adopted by an exquisite candlelit reception which included a swoon-worthy gilded cake. It is a private and heartwarming celebration you merely will not need to miss. Check out their divine pictures by Mairéad McDaid of Remain in Light Photography beneath!

Shona and Eoin share the beautiful story of how they met, “We met in a local night club (so romantic!) and Eoin had long hair (he was and still is a metal head) and I immediately knew I had to talk to him (I was also a little alternative gal, with bright pink hair and a septum piercing!). We exchanged numbers and it just so happened that he was (sadly) moving to Scotland the very next day for his college work placement through college. So, we spent weeks talking on MSN messenger, creating inside jokes and getting to know each other and when he returned home we immediately met up and kissed the minute we saw each other. And the rest is history!”

Eoin proposed on Halloween and Shona’s dad performed a candy function. “He knows it is my favourite holiday and knew it would make the day extra special to me for years to come. He asked my dad to distract me so he could decorate our apartment and prepare for the proposal. My dad told me he needed to check something over for me regarding my car (he is a mechanic!) and I went up to my home house, looking an absolute state. Leggings, greasy hair, the lot!”

Shona continues, “My dad did his job and when I returned home, I walked in the front door to a home full of fairy lights, music playing softly in the background and pictures hung up beautifully, from all the eras of our life together. I genuinely did not know what was happening, I started to think, ‘Is this… what I think it is?’ and then Eoin stepped out in a lovely shirt and looked so handsome. I don’t even recall what he said. I was in such shock! I was still taking in my surroundings and all the incredibly detailed work he put in to decorating the apartment. There was candles flickering and flowers on the table, it was beautiful. In true Eoin fashion, he had even made a playlist that played in the background the entire time. It was titled ‘Question Time.'”

Shona and her mom Emer made a variety of the decor for the celebration and it actually made their large day really feel further particular. “Not only did it bring my vision to life, but it also created memories for me leading up to the big day, my mother and I hot gluing pearls to white converse shoes for me to dance the night away in, sourcing items on Facebook Marketplace and upscaling them together. She created the woven macrame backdrop and chair backs for our ceremony. We had a crispy wall that was sourced on Facebook Marketplace and the wooden crescent moon piece was also sourced second-hand on Facebook Marketplace, it was a baby’s crib that a father had crafted by hand, we painted it and filled it with faux flowers and fairy lights. She weaved my handfasting ribbon and put such love and care into it, to me it is a new family heirloom, something special I can always look at and see the love and care weaved into its fabric.”

“We wanted a wedding that felt true to us, something relaxed and a little different,” she reminisces.

Shona dreamt of woodland fairytale ceremony like the marriage from Twilight. “The Station House Hotel had that vibe, with its outdoor wedding area, surrounded by trees and fairy lights, the private grounds and proximity to Bective Abbey (for photos!). Eoin and I both wanted to be married outdoors if possible and The Station House provided the perfect setting. It is a beautiful and private venue with the added bonus of being able to stay in the beautifully unique setting of The Signal Suite on the night of our wedding.”

The bridal get together strolling down the aisle to the whole lot from Paris Hilton to Metallica – how epic!

Their touching ceremony included a Celtic handfasting ritual. “From pagan handfasting rituals, ancient Irish castles and the heavy metal riffs, our day proved that magic happens when you stay true to yourselves,” she provides.

They walked down the aisle as husband and spouse to the theme track of The US Office. “Seeing the looks register on people’s faces when they heard the music and how happy it made everyone, really was a moment of pure joy.”

Shona wished a celestial bridal look that gave a nod to previous Hollywood glamour. She fills us in on the journey to discovering her jaw-dropping robe. “I saw my wedding dress on Pinterest and created a moodboard around it. It was my DREAM dress. I did my research and found that it was available through Folkster Bridal in Kilkenny, I couldn’t believe it! I emailed them and asked if they had it in stock and they did, but like a fool, I didn’t try it on immediately. I wanted to wait until we had a date and venue. Once The Station House was secure, I contacted Folkster to book an appointment and to my dismay, the dress was no longer in stock and was not in production anymore by the designer. They did have the sample dress left. However, there was another bride who was interested, and she had an appointment booked before me to try the dress on and was more than likely going to take it. I scoured the internet for second-hand dresses but could not find it anywhere.”

She was devastated however all hope was not misplaced! She was in work sooner or later and she or he was completely delighted to see an e-mail land in her inbox from Sarah at Folkster Bridal. “She informed me she contacted Anna Kara and found out that they had enough fabric in stock to make ONE more dress. Sarah told me she couldn’t stop thinking about me and how it was my dream dress, so she had to find out if it was possible to source another dress, but she ended up doing one better and getting me a custom made dress from the designer! Wow. To say I was over the moon is no pun intended! I tried the dress on and it fit like a glove. I found the perfect star headpiece to go with it (even Sarah was shook that it was from Shein!) and I did a FaceTime call with my mom’s sister Maureen who was ill with cancer at the time. She got to see me in my dress in its full glory. It was a special moment as she passed away before my wedding and I am so glad she got to see me before anyone else did.”

Their dazzling celestial marriage ceremony cake was created by Shona’s extremely gifted maid of honor, Michelle Brereton.

We love Shona’s recommendation for {couples} planning their large day, “Do it your way, you won’t regret it! And take it all in. A friend gave me great advice beforehand, to stop, take a mental picture and just be in the moment. It all goes by so fast and you are being pulled in many different directions on the day, it is important to actually savour the day and be present when you can.”

“I think weaving our personalities into the day really helped make it extra special. Eoin has a huge love of music, and we curated our music around songs that meant a lot to us and reminded us of good times,” the bride displays.

Their desk plans had been devoted to their favorite bands and their entrance track was Crazy Train by Black Sabbath which was tremendous energetic and enjoyable!

The stunning speeches had been a real spotlight of the day. “We did them after dinner, so our guests were happy and relaxed! Eoin’s speech really moved me deeply; he put words together so beautifully and spoke of our bond in a way that had everyone in the room tearing up. Our best man, Adrian gave a speech that was the perfect blend of love and humour, making us laugh happy tears as well as emotional ones. I defied tradition and gave my own speech on the day. I always said that it isn’t fair that only the men get to thank their loved ones and express themselves. I am so glad I did it, it was important to me to let those I love, know how much they mean to me.”

The dancefloor was hopping all night time because of the energetic and versatile band Top of the Popz – it was a celebration they’ll always remember.

Their visitor guide was made up of previous vinyl data that had been sourced from charity retailers. The sweetest memento from the big day…

The couple went to Santorini in Greece for his or her honeymoon and so they had an absolute blast. “We absolutely loved it! Such an incredible place. Our travel agent recommended booking an Adults Only hotel and it was the best advice ever. The TUI Blue Meltemi in Perissa was ideal, with a private pool and in a wonderful location with access to transport across the island.”

Congratulations Shona and Eoin! The warmest thanks to our wonderful couple and to photographer Mairéad McDaid of Remain in Light Photography for sharing this stylish celestial marriage ceremony at The Station House Hotel with our readers!