It’s the organic, effortless, little moments that will make your wedding day memorable.  Shannon and Darren never fancied a large traditional wedding.  Their hearts took them to Ireland, where they envisioned an intimate ceremony full of meaning with their dearest loved ones, exploring the gorgeous scenery and cliffs, then celebrating after in a low-key, super authentic style with local fare and lots of pure love.  We are completely blown away by Shannon’s look – we’ve never seen a cathedral length veil at the cliffs and boy did she not disappoint — her dress and that veil created the most incredible silhouette against the dramatic cliffs. By her side, her handsome groom Darren who looked smart in a tweed suit.  Gorgeous looks, model-level couple, fabulous scenery and venue and a sunny day on top of it is the perfect combination for this fairytale intimate wedding. Beautiful photos captured by Sean & Kate. Please enjoy.

 

   

   

 

   

   

   

Cosmic Coincidence and A Pub

Darren and Shannon met back in fall of 2013 in a pub called the Gingerman in Plano, Texas.  There was an instant attraction, and they dated for a few months when Darren announced he’d be moving back to his native Saskatoon in Saskatchewan, Canada to pursue his career. They briefly split when Darren reached out to Shannon in 2015, sparking a long distance relationship.  “Darren eventually convinced me to come visit him in Canada for the first time,” recalls Shannon, “and I got to spend a week with him and met his entire family. From that point on we couldn’t deny our connection any longer.”  Later in winter Darren planned a whirlwind trip down to Panama to spend the holidays together.  Shannon had mentioned a while back she’d loved this particular bed and breakfast tucked away in a volcanic valley called El Vaje, and Darren surprised her with a stay at the very same place.  After a day of exploring waterfalls and rain forests, Darren asked Sharron to take a walk with him in the garden. “There were tropical flowers and trees and fireflies everywhere, and the brightest starts were coming out in the sky,” says Shannon. He got down on one knee and asked Shannon to marry him. Of course she said yes! And they rang in the new year as a newly engaged couple.

Dreaming of Cliffs

Shannon always envisioned eloping to a cliff in Ireland to get married. “I don’t have a good reason for why, other than I’ve always been drawn to Ireland,” she says. The idea of a huge traditional wedding never quite appealed to them, so eloping to Ireland felt like the immediate, right choice for them.  After some preliminary research, the Cliffs of Moher quickly jumped out to them as their dream location. “Even the village of Ballyvaughn had this ancient peaceful energy I can’t quite put into words,” she says. “That tiny corner of Ireland will always have a special place in our hearts.”

The Details

Shannon and Darren were blessed with a beautiful, soft sunny day the morning of their wedding.  The overall vision was an “old world fairytale,” and Newton Castle certainly fit the bill. We are blown away with her stunning Martina Liana gown and overall look that included a pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes and Tiffany jewelry. But the cathedral length veil completely stole the show — absolutely stunning against the breathtaking backdrop of the cliffs! Darren made the ever-handsome groom in a classic tweed suit made in his Candadian home town. The traditional ceremony was heavily influenced by Irish spiritual tones, including the hand-fast, and the Irish harp helped set the perfect mood.  After taking pictures with their photographers and exploring a bit of the area, Shannon and Darren met their guests at the local pub for some cake and a drink.  Later, they all gathered at Gregans for a lovely multi-course dinner, drinks, and lots of good time spent together with loved ones.

The Highlights

“Riding in the car together, hand in hand, sipping on champagne and taking in the Irish scenery, waving at all the locals as they saw us coming down the road!” recalls Shannon as some of the best moments. “The whole day was our ‘favorite part” — we wouldn’t change a single thing about it!”

A Piece of Advice

“Trust that everything will be perfect, and it will be. Have fun and don’t forget to breathe and soak up the moments as they happen. Relish in the bliss. Also — have a special scent for the day that you can go back to and smell any time to instantly bring you back tot he  memories of that day!” We love that idea Shannon! Such great advice!

Congratulations Darren and Shannon! You both looked stunning and we love your low-key, effortlessly romantic day. The love between you is as clear and bright as the sunny day of your wedding, and certainly a future just as bright awaits you! Continued blessings to you both and see you in Ireland again soon!

CONTACT US today for more information on the talented vendors who helped bring this gorgeous intimate wedding to life and to get started on planning your dream day today!