The Fairy Tale Wedding!

The Wedding of Shane and Meara Ivins

The ceremony for Meara and Shane had many very traditional elements while also being totally different and representing the couple! I originally met them at a wedding show and I knew right away I wanted to do their ceremony. I told Meara when she approached our booth “I’m going to marry you!” Well two years later, that is exactly the privilege I had.

During the planning process, they talked often of their love of and the support they had received from their mothers. We decided to include the mothers in the ceremony by presenting to them a bouquet of their favorite flowers. This was preceded by talking about how one person had loved them even before laying eyes on them, even though they made her sick to her stomach and kept her up at night. The mothers were very touched by the recognition of the important role they had played in this love story.

Many love stories begin with “They met in high school and have known from the beginning they were meant for each other”, others begin with “They locked eyes across a smoky bar” or “It all started on a dare”. This love story is unique, just as Shane and Meara are unique.

It all began at a campground where they had gone for a live action role playing weekend. While Shane was a seasoned veteran of these gatherings, Meara was a newbie. She noticed this man kept watching her every move, looking at her constantly. So, as any surly teenager would do, she approached and asked him why he was looking at her!

He responded honestly, “Because I think you are pretty!” That one sentence was the beginning of the love story we celebrated on their wedding day.

Their love story is filled with touching sweet moments as well as funny times. Things like, Shane invited Meara to go with him to the dock where they sat in the mystical, magical mist and talked for hours. She was honest with Shane that she was seeing someone else and did not want to begin a new relationship until she could be honest and upfront with that person. She asked Shane to wait for her and he did! One small problem arose. They forgot to exchange contact information! Fortunately, they were able to reconnect at the next gathering.

The proposal is often on of the most personalized and touching parts of the love story, reflecting their interests and personalities. After a couple of years, he worked to plan a proposal. He put together a card game just for the two of them. During the game, he managed to draw just the right card. It said, “Ask a Question”. So, he did! We know what her answer was or we would have been out Christmas shopping instead of at a wedding.

Shane and Meara decided to utilize elements from ancient customs to reflect their love and commitment to one another. A four-cord hand-fasting was the center of their ceremony. As was evident throughout the entire day, family and friends played a significant role in this. Meara’s mother, Clare, made the cords that were used for this ceremony, the detailed embroidery on the cords was evidence of her love and support of this relationship. While their hands were bound, they repeated words from one of Meara’s favorite authors, Gothinius. The poem “Twist and Twine” was meaningful to her and they used the first verse as their vows during the hand-fasting.

The wedding ring exchange was also unique for them. They wrote their own ring vows and shared them.

As the ceremony drew to a close, they shared their first drink of wine and first bite of bread together. The wine was made by Lars, a close friend, just for this occasion. The drinking horn Shane and Meara used held special significance to Shane, while the bread they ate was made by Meara.

This couple left no detail to chance, from start to finish, their wedding was indeed a reflection of their love, their beliefs and their interests.

Wedding Ceremony & Reception | Castle McCulloch

Officiant | All Faiths Officiants

Catering | Castle Catering

Wedding Cake | Meara, The Bride

Invitations | Gwen Ivins Design – gwenivinsdesign@gmail.com

Wedding Dress | JoEllen Elam (Firefly Path) – info@fireflypath.com

Spiced Wine | Nog Wines – nogwines@gmail.com

Hair & Makeup | French Twist Spa

Cake Topper | White Hart Creations

Custom Designed Rings | Wexford Jewelers