A Wedding Booking That Almost Never Happened - Old Rectory Killyman wedding decor

Simon & Shannen at The Old Rectory Killyman, Wedding Decor

Some weddings stay with you forever — not just for how beautiful the day was, but for how the journey began. The wedding of Simon and Shannen at The Old Rectory, Killyman is one of those stories we’ll never forget.

This was the wedding booking that almost never happened.

From Storm Éowyn to a Wedding Fair in Belfast Castle

We first met Simon and Shannen at a wedding fair in Belfast Castle, and honestly, it feels like yesterday.

Storm Éowyn had recently hit Northern Ireland, and the couple had travelled all the way from Wales to view their chosen venue. Unfortunately, due to the storm, their venue cancelled the viewing. With time still to spare in Belfast, the couple did a quick search online and discovered that a wedding fair was taking place that very day.

That spontaneous decision changed everything.

If they hadn’t attended that fair, our paths may never have crossed.

They stopped by our stand, left inspired, and even took home a photo keepsake from our Glam Selfie Mirror. Days later, while looking back at that photo, they went searching for the supplier who had taken it — and found us.

And just like that, the rest is history.

The Vision: A Full Ceremony, Reception & Entertainment Package

Simon and Shannen booked our Ceremony, Reception & Entertainment Package, trusting us to bring their day together from start to finish.

One thing we didn’t realise at the time? Simon was leading the décor planning.

And honestly — this wedding proves that men absolutely can be trusted with planning a wedding.

Shannen later told us that when she walked into the ceremony space for the first time, she was completely in awe. She had intentionally left the décor planning to Simon and seeing it all come together was a genuine “wow” moment for her.

The chosen style was classic white floral décor — timeless, elegant and perfectly suited to The Old Rectory.

Styling the Ceremony: Elegant, Personal & Iconic

For the ceremony wedding decor at Old Rectory Killyman, we dressed the space with:

• Tall white floral pillars positioned at the top of the aisle

• Beautiful pew ends finished with large white bows

• Our Large Gilded Frame Mirror Welcome Sign greeting guests as they arrived

At the groom’s request, we added custom decals to the mirror reading:

“Welcome to Simon’s Wedding, Featuring Shannen”

Iconic.

Fun.

And a true reflection of a couple who didn’t take themselves too seriously.

It instantly set the tone for the day.

Photo Credit: Rashida Keenan Photography

Reception Styling: Thoughtful Details & Bespoke Design

As guests moved into the reception space, we continued the classic white floral theme with elevated, personalised touches.

We provided:

• A personalised seating plan, suspended from a gold frame

• Delicate florals and elegant candlesticks to soften the display

The seating plan itself was hand-designed to visually replicate the wedding florals — a detail we loved. This bespoke design was created by the incredibly talented Perfect Day Print, and it tied everything together beautifully.

For the tables, we created:

• Bespoke floral centrepieces

• Matching top table floral runners

We also repurposed our ceremony floral pillars, moving them into the reception space where they became the perfect backdrop for the wedding cake — a great example of making décor work harder across the day.

Photo Credit: Rashida Keenan Photography

Evening Entertainment: Glam, Music & Memories

When evening celebrations began, we set up our Glam Selfie Mirror Photobooth, which quickly became a huge hit with both the newlyweds and their guests.

With fun props and endless photo moments, it captured so many memories that guests could take home instantly.

We also provided our DJ service, delivered through the legends at Superstar Deejays, who kept the dancefloor full and the party going well into the early hours.

The Dream Team: Incredible Suppliers We Loved Working With

This wedding brought together some truly talented suppliers, and we’d love to give them a well-deserved shout-out:

• Blakey – Superstar Deejays, for keeping the dancefloor alive

• Danielle Barnes – Tie the Knot, the wonderful celebrant who married Simon & Shannen

• Rebecca – McBride & Groom, who took exceptional care of the couple’s fur baby

• Rashida Keenan Photography, who captured every beautiful moment perfectly

• The Old Rectory, Killyman, an absolute dream venue with the most professional team

• The Garage Project, providing videography services

• Eileen’s Cakes, for the stunning wedding cake

• The Reelers Band, performing Irish classics throughout the day

A Very Special Guest: Hunter the Newfoundland 🐾

We cannot talk about this wedding without mentioning Hunter — the couple’s fur baby, ring bearer and best friend.

Hunter is a Newfoundland, and he truly is a gentle giant. From the moment he arrived, he stole hearts.

He:

• Walked down the aisle as ring bearer

• Featured as table number signage, thanks to some creative tech magic

• Appeared on each table in a different outfit (including drinking a pint of Guinness!)

• Even had his own place setting at the top table, dressed in a tux

  
  

Meeting Hunter was magical — one of those moments we’ll never forget.

Moments We’ll Always Remember

There were so many unforgettable highlights from this day, but a few truly stand out:

• Meeting Simon and Shannen during Storm Éowyn — and realising this was our first elopement-style booking

• That iconic “Welcome to Simon’s Wedding, Featuring Shannen” mirror — a trendsetter if you ask us

• Maneuvering the large mirror onto the lawn for a stunning bridal party photo, with the couple reflected in the glass

• Hunter. Always Hunter.

• Experiencing The Old Rectory for the first time — from the glass ceremony room to the sweeping lawns and water features

And one funny moment we laugh about now…

Because Simon and Shannen live outside Northern Ireland, the first time we saw them again after the wedding fair was on their wedding day. We realised the couple’s height meant our Top Table Floral arrangements were slightly too tall.

No panic — we quickly restructured the top table layout to ensure full visibility, while still maintaining the beauty of the design. Problem solved seamlessly.

Kind Words From the Newlyweds

After the wedding, Simon and Shannen shared this testimonial with us:

“EVENTS BY Cassidy McCleans were one of the vendors for our wedding at The Old Rectory. They were amazing! From start to finish, helped out so much and were always making sure we had everything we needed. Would highly recommend them to anyone. They decorated the venue to perfection, everyone loved the photobooth and the DJ had everyone up on their feet. The staff were extremely friendly, and nothing was too much of an ask. Thank you for being a part of making our big day so special.”

A Wedding We’ll Never Forget

Simon and Shannen’s wedding reminded us why we love what we do.

From a chance meeting at a wedding fair during a storm, to a perfectly styled day filled with love, laughter, music and one very large dog — this wedding truly had it all.

Thank you, Simon & Shannen, for trusting EVENTS BY Cassidy McCleans with your day. 🤍