True Love Tuesday Catherine and Shane... - Getting Married in Northern Ireland Magazine

After meeting through Shane’s cousin, Catherine and Shane McKillion were together for seven years before they finally tied the knot in March.
Eighteen months before the wedding day Shane proposed at the top of the Mourne mountains in County Down on the 12th September 2015.
Catherine remembers, “It was raining that morning and I was skeptical about going but Shane persuaded me as it was always something I had wanted to do.
“It was an absolute shock when he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was in a wonderful bubble, so much so that I actually dropped the car keys at the top where he had proposed.
“Shane had to start to walk back to search for them but thankfully a lovely couple stopped him as they had found them.
“My engagement ring is stunning, and very much my taste – Shane obviously knows me well. It is rose gold with diamonds on the band gathering to a cluster in the middle. Shane got the ring in Ellisons in Belfast.

The Tyrone couple soon got into the planning of their perfect day choosing Cabra Castle in Co. Cavan as their reception venue.
Catherine found her stunning Nurit Hen Couture dress in Forever Bridal on the Lisburn Road after her Sister Ciara had mentioned seeing the stunning dresses.
“I made the journey with my Mummy planning just to have a look but the first one I tried on was the one. I fell in love and that was it.
“The whole experience was amazing. Leondra, Hayley and Patricia were absolutely fantastic; they made me feel so special. They were so professional and gave second to none customer service. I could not recommend these ladies enough; they looked after even the smallest detail when Patricia sewed a blue bow under my dress to give me something blue, so very thoughtful.”
Hoping to give her four bridesmaids an ‘unusual, sophisticated and elegant’ look, Catherine had them made by Maryrose McGrath in Belfast.
“I loved how Maryrose and her wonderful assistants brought my vision of jumpsuits with a train detail to life. Each one of my bridesmaids looked beautiful and had many compliments throughout the day. “For my wee flowergirls, or princesses as I like to call them, I got their beautiful dresses from Verona bridal in Magherafelt. Their capes came from Debenhams and my best friend and bridesmaid Lori Muldoon made their hair bands. The girls looked so cute and loved wearing their dresses. They twirled and danced all night to show them off.”

The couple then looked to set a theme for the day, choosing to focus on opulence and glamour. Catherine explained, “Our colour scheme was white, cream and gold. This was followed through from the wedding invites and flowers, to the table covers and bridal party’s outfits. We chose this theme as we wanted a classy and luxurious look. Thankfully everything looked amazing and we got the vision we imagined.”
With 220 guests invited, the couple tied the knot on Saturday 18th March, 2017 in a ceremony in St Patrick’s chapel in Donaghmore.
Talking about the day Catherine said it was ‘perfect from start to finish’ and ‘thankfully everything was smooth sailing’.
“We both thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! Cabra Castle is an amazing venue. Our entertainment didn’t disappoint either. We had Infinity as our band who kept our guests on the dance floor all night. We also had the Irish house ceili band who introduced an Irish traditional feel to the evening. It was amazing and the dance floor never emptied.”
However, there were special highlights.
“One highlight of my day was saying ‘I do’ in front of our family and friends. The highlight of Shane’s day was seeing me walk up the aisle and also enjoying the entertainment with our family and friends.
“Another best part of the day was walking up the aisle and seeing Shane at the other end. We were totally traditional before we got married, in fact Shane stayed in his own home house for the week leading up to the wedding, so we barely seen one another.
“I got quite emotional as I started to walk up the aisle and saw all the people Shane and I loved, our family and friends. When I got to the top of the aisle and saw Shane I was so happy and it instantly calmed me.
“Another highlight was our flowergirl Allies-Jane’s poem. I was Allie-Jane’s auntie Allison’s flowergirl when I was the same age as Allie-Jane. Allison sadly died of Motor Neurone disease a few years ago. Allie-Jane recited a poem which was all about Allison and I. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house and it definitely kept Alison’s memory alive.”
They also added a special touch by having a modern video taken. “We had Marryoke doing our videography and chose the Bruno Mars song ‘Marry You’. It was amazing; all our guests took part and we can’t wait to see the finished result. It was so much fun.”
Looking back they wouldn’t change a thing but Catherine admits that, “The most stressful element was the table plan. My sister Ciara and Shane’s sister Clodagh helped me with it. We were at it for hours, and despite all that, it had to be changed 24 hours beforehand to accommodate extra attendees or remove guests that couldn’t attend!”
And they would advise, “future bride and grooms to take time out for each other even if it’s just for five minutes, to enjoy each other’s company and take it all in.”
“They were both totally different holidays but each equally amazing. We got to meet our friends Sheila and Ronan in Nashville too and we haven’t seen them in years, so that was amazing and a lot of fun.”

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