The beautiful Meath countryside was the perfect setting for our real wedding couple, Marley and Alex's storybook wedding, as they celebrated their marriage in the wooded gardens of The Station House Hotel. Your hearts will melt for the bride and groom's many personal touches on their special day, from flower grandparents and first looks, to childhood teddies and sparkler fun, these are just a few of the unique wedding inspiration ideas! Many thanks to Nice2Look, who captured every tiny detail, which is sure to inspire your. Keep reading...
Alex and Marley first crossed paths in March 2018, not long after he arrived in South Korea, as the new English instructor in the small rural village of Cheongyang. Marley, who skipped his welcome meal to attend a K-Pop concert, was known by Alex as the pink-haired girl obsessed with Korean boy bands. When they did eventually start hanging out as friends, they engaged in some good-natured teasing and mutual flirting, which led to a first date dinner of French toast—Marley's favorite dish—and endless episodes of their shared obsession, Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Alex proved that he was perfect boyfriend material, and the next day they were formally made "official."
As for the romantic proposal, Alex explains: "Marley and I both love escape rooms, something that Marley introduced me to even before we started dating. During our victory photo for escaping from “Tomb Explorer” at Escape Room Pittsburgh with Marley’s mom and sister, I got down on one knee, much to her surprise!" The bridal party enjoyed a very special afternoon tea during the morning preparation. What an seriously scrumptious idea to ensure everyone was well fuelled for the big day,
Prior to delving into every exquisite detail of this wonderful day, we asked the newlyweds to describe their wedding day in their own words: "A romantic, fairytale wedding that matched us perfectly. The venue and flowers combined with Marley’s bright red hair and magical dress made getting married in front of those we love all the more special."
The perfect pastel blooms, handtied by the ever-so-talented A Room in Bloom are soft and elegant, with a touch of wildness, that suits the forest setting. Contrasting with the bridesmaids in emerald green, it's a match made in floral heaven! Marley added a beautiful personal touch to her bouquet by adding a charm to remember her loved ones.
There is something undeniably special about witnessing a couple share their first wedding look. Before the ceremony Marley made her way to her husband-to-be Alex, as he waited in the gardens. For those who may have not heard of a first look, it is usually for the couple who want to skip the big reveal at the altar, and instead opt for a private moment before the ceremony. If you wish to exchange gifts or a letter, this also makes for a perfect moment!
The venue that stole our couple's hearts was The Station House Hotel situated within acres of picturesque countryside and encircled by enchanting gardens. They explain what made it the one: "The walk through the wooded area leading to the ceremony location was lined with warm lights and candles, which creates an absolutely beautiful and magical feeling. Additionally, the entire staff of The Station House Hotel were leagues above the rest in both personality and passion." The turntable, where the ceremony took place, and the tree-lined walk leading up to it at The Station House were what sold Marley immediately. "We really loved the outdoor setting, especially with flowers and greenery all around. Additionally, the personal touches were very important to us: the favours, table numbers, and even the seating charts were all done by us to make sure our personalities, our love, and our lives together were really showcased."
The sunny June wedding day made for a wonderful outdoor wedding ceremony, given the wow factor with a breathtaking moongate made up of an abundance of purple hued florals. Floral pew ends and a red carpet awaited Marley as she made her way up the aisle on the arm of her father.
Marley and Alex's ceremony readings were also deeply personal. Alex's sister did a reading of Just to Be Beside You is Enough by Gabriel Fitzmaurice whilst Marley's uncle did a reading from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte which was so lovely. "Our harpist also played an absolutely beautiful and magical version of the Lord of the Rings theme as I walked down the aisle," says Marley.
The beautiful ceremony was penned and led by Mairéad of Celebrant Moments who is known for her memorable, meaningful, and personalised ceremonies. The couple decided to include a hand-fasting ceremony as a symbolic unity ritual.
The woodland surrounding the wedding and the violet floral tones were complemented by the dashing emerald green wedding party. The bridesmaids in gorgeous detailed halterneck gowns whilst the gentlemen were styles in elegant three-piece suits and matching ties.
Grab the tissues, because this next image is one you're going to want to try yourself - a picture-perfect moment to be cherished for decades. Marley's maternal grandparents were included in the wedding party as flower grandparents!
We have to give a special mention to Marley and Alex for including their teddy bears. "Mine is a bunny named Honey Bunny from my paternal grandparents (who have since passed) and Alex’s is a St. Bernard named Gummy from his parents. The plushies, wearing their very own flower crown and bowtie, were walked down the aisle with our mothers and had their own photoshoot. They were also the inspiration for our signature drinks, and even got a poem written about them by our celebrant that was read during the ceremony," explains Marley.
Our Kilkenny-born groom, Alex, looked very sharp in his groomswear. He complemented his three-piece suit with a floral tie, a waistcoat accented with emerald tartan, and a sophisticated buttonhole created by A Room in Bloom.
Marley, our dazzling bride, who hails from Pittsburgh USA, chose an A-line gown, embroidered with floral detail seen throughout the fairytale skirt. She paired her look with a simple hair accessory of lace florals that sat amongst her beautiful copper waves.
The Station House Hotel was the heart of inspiration for their wedding aesthetic: "The venue matched our aesthetic before we even knew what our aesthetic was, we both just knew we loved it. We happened to get some artwork from an Etsy artist around this time using colours we liked and she gave us a mood board of sorts. We gave this to our wedding florist and from there, the rest just came together. Lots of searching on Instagram and Etsy helped too."
Cute bridal sunglasses and customised Converse trainers - this bride is not afraid to stand express her style! We love it!
Of course their pets also made a guest appearance. Cats Molly, Mino, Cali, Sooty, Phoebe, and dogs Minnie, Buster, Joey and Ruby were were used as the table names and seating chart. "For props in the photo booth, Alex also photoshopped adorable flower crowns, bowties and other wedding accessories onto a picture of each one of the pets, so that our guests could pose with them. Other than that we did a lot of things ourselves from the photo welcome sign and favours, to the petal toss cups so they all had our personal touches!"
The chosen wedding cake was a cool naked cake, a beautiful choice for a rustic wedding. Decorated with more blooms and topped with an adorable cake topper which was an homage to their famous childhood plushies!
As for words of advice, the couple said: "Decide on what your theme or vibe is as early as possible and stick to it. Don't spend hours debating on small things, it will exhaust you. Just learn to compromise on the less important stuff."
Although Alex and Marley have no honeymoon plans as of yet, Australia and New Zealand would be their dream travel destinations after they are settled in the US together. It would also be great to return to Japan and Korea, they add.
After they shared their first dance as husband and wife to one of their favorite Korean songs, No Makeup by Zion.T, they made their way outdoors under the twinkling lights and stars to create a magical sparkler tunnel moment.
A very special thank you to Marley and Alex for sharing their magical wedding day with us at One Fab Day and to Nice 2 Look for capturing it so beautifully.
Are you tying the knot during sunshine season? We have so many Summer Real Weddings for you to pore over!
