It's always special when a wedding has a sense of place, if the venue or location tells a part of a couple's story, and for today's real wedding, it's Monaghan through and through! While Roisín & Shane's relationship has taken them across the world, it was Monaghan where they grew up and first met. (Shane even drank his wedding morning tea from a Monaghan Harps GAA mug!). So it was only fitting that the couple chose an iconic Monaghan venue, Castle Leslie, for their glamorous wedding day. Captured by Corin Bishop Photography, be inspired by Roisín's stunning Berta wedding dress, the bridesmaids' pretty purple gowns, the guys' dapper black tuxes, the elegant white roses throughout, and this gorgeous pair who are quite clearly, head over heels!

Both Monaghan born and raised (Shane in town and Roisín in Clones), the two met in a local hotspot! “We met on the top floor of The Forum Nightclub in Monaghan town in the summer of 2006. We were introduced through a mutual friend. We became friends on Bebo and the rest is history.” Ah, Bebo!

How pretty are these mixed height lanterns outside the church? Especially paired with all the gorgeous white blooms.

But it was a long way from Monaghan town where Shane popped the question nine years later, “We got engaged on Hamilton Island in Australia in July 2015. We were travelling around Australia and New Zealand at the time,” Roisín tells us, “Shane arranged for us to go to a cocktail bar at sunset. It was located at the highest point of the island overlooking The Whitsundays. After a few cocktails, Shane suggested we go for a walk to have a look at the view and surprised Roisín by getting down on one knee and asking her to be his wife.”

Roisín and Shane have three words to sum up their day, “Classic, relaxed and elegant.”

Roisín's sisters wore mix and match lilac wedding dresses with white flowers in their hair - aren't they gorgeous?

The couple had someone who played an important role in their relationship as their wedding singer! “Our mutual friend, Louise Casey, who introduced us back in 2006 sang at our wedding mass which was very special to us.”

We love a good hurling team guard of honour!

The couple chose a famous local landmark for their reception, “The location of the venue was very important to us as we are both from Monaghan and we were keen to have the wedding in our native county. Good food, service and music were also very high in our list of priorities,” says Roisín, “After viewing Castle Leslie, we immediately knew it was ‘’the one’’. The picturesque grounds, beautiful castle, stunning marquee overlooking the lake and the welcome we received from the staff from day one.”

Let's just take a moment to swoon over Roisín's wedding dress, shall we?

The bride and groom say their guests made the day so special, “Having friends and family travel from America, Canada and other places around the world and Ireland meant a lot to us. Roisín had her three sisters as bridesmaids which was very special, whilst Shane’s Godson and niece were the page boy and flower girl.”

The couple say, with such a stunning venue, they didn’t need to add much decor, “We added fairy lights to the ceiling of the marquee to add to the atmosphere. Our florist did a fantastic job with the flowers both at the church and in the marquee.” We have to agree on the venue, what a spectacular room! 

The couple shared memories of their travels with a photo display, and named their tables after their favourite spots around the world.

“Be organised well in advance, book suppliers that you feel confident in,” Shane & Roisín advise other couples getting hitched, “Enjoy the process, try to have everything done the week before the wedding to enjoy the build-up and don’t forget to live in the moment and make time for each other on the wedding day.”

After all the excitement of the wedding, this pair had a well-earned rest, “We went on our honeymoon two days after the wedding. We spent a week in Dubai and ten nights in Mauritius.”

Such an elegant affair, thanks so much to Roisín & Shane for sharing their day with us, and of course to Corin Bishop for capturing it so beautifully!