Confession: stone circles (especially this one) keeps a special place in my heart [my husband and I renewed our vows here for our 10 year anniversary — first time to my knowledge since Celtic times]. They are breathtakingly beautiful — often set in the most spectacular landscapes — and really have a sense of serenity and ancient spiritualism about them that’s almost impossible to describe. Johanna and Alex chose one of Ireland’s stone circles to serve as location for their ceremony. Taking in the incredible natural beauty of the area plus some Irish traditions rounded out the theme of their elopement for the day. Beautiful photos (and areal shots!!) by the uber-talented Sean & Kate.  Please enjoy…

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Nature and Adventure

Johanna and Alex met at a gym after Johanna had moved back home. The gym would put on events for people to get to know one another and some friends introduced Johanna to Alex — the connection was instant. Johanna loves the mountains so when it came time to pop the question, Alex rented a cute cabin up in the local mountains. After exploring the cute town for a bit, they returned back to the cabin and made their way inside. But Johanna forgot something in the car. She entered the cabin and there was Alex down on one knee with their dog Kovi, waiting. As wedding planning got into full swing, Johanna and Alex had trouble finding the right fit back home. “Nothing really spoke to us,” they recall.  They’d already planned to honeymoon in Ireland after their wedding, so out of curiosity they googled “elopements in Ireland” and just knew it was the perfect fit! They originally envisioned an elopement at the Cliffs of Moher but were concerned with the amount of people that may be there — they really wanted a private ceremony as much as possible but one that still had a breathtaking view and drew heavily on nature and Ireland’s landscape. “We looked through the different pictures on Waterlily’s Instagram account and the stone circle drew our attention.” Being on private land the location provided them with the seclusion and intimacy they were looking for — so we took care of booking all of the logistics to make it happen!

The Details

The traditional-humanist ceremony took place at the stone circle and included meaningful readings, personal vows, and the handfasting tradition. Johanna is Latina and incorporated the arras coins into their bespoke ceremony to reflect her heritage. They also had a “secret vow” they worked in: “The night before, we each wrote one, super-important promise to each other that goes beyond the traditional vows,” Johanna explains, “and the next day during the ceremony, we’d reach the promise the other wrote down. Funny thing was… we wanted the same thing!”

The celebrations commenced after a gorgeous portrait session with their photographers, centered around just taking in the local Irish culture and traditions. They stopped in a local pub for a pint and good whiskey (their fave) and later shared a romantic private dinner with wine.

We love the personal touches Johanna and Alex incorporated into the day. The arras coins were their “something borrowed” from her mom and step-father’s wedding. Johanna’s veil was Alex’s mom’s from her wedding. An ankle bracelet with a blue pendant was gifted by her sister for her “something blue” and her jewelry served as her “something new.” We love their looks — Johanna was radiant in her BHLDN dress and Alex in his Indochino suit. Love the plaid wrap for some of the photos too!

Favorite Moments

“Getting to the location — we saw pictures for so long and then waited to see it on the day in person! It was so real! Our vows, the first look was very romantic — it helped calm our nerves and welcomed spending the rest of the day together. Also loved our time at the pub hanging out with Sean and Kate, and a surprise from Alex’s mom at dinner!”

A Piece of Advice

“Have fun and don’t get caught up in the small details. The beauty of hiring a team of professionals is that they are there for you. Trust them. Accept their advice. Location is everything — Kenmare is beautiful, secluded, romantic, and has the most amazing people. Focus on getting there and having the time of your life because it comes and goes and you will be back wishing you were in Ireland all over again!”

 

Johanna and Alex — we wish you a lifetime of happiness as bright as the sun and your smiles on your wedding day! We know you’ll have many more adventures in Ireland ahead!!

For more information on the venues, details, and talented vendors who helped bring this dream elopement to life, contact us today!