South Ripley grad shares experience of getting married in Ireland

(DUBLIN) - A South Ripley grad just married in Ireland! 

Kelly Sevier is the founder of two publications that are called Labyrinth Magazine and Venom Magazine, which focus on music, fashion and art. 

She was recently spotlighted by The 812 after interviewing Vevay resident Kat Von D. 

Her fiance, TJ, is the lead singer of the medal band Xero Hour. They were joined by family and friends for their wedding in Ireland earlier this month.

The trip began by visiting Tullagh Bay Beach which Sevier says is a remote area that is typically not a tourist destination. While there, they participated in the Irish Handfasting tradition. 

The couple then went to St. Columba’s Church ruins where their officiant held a ceremony that involved a rope intertwining their hands. 

“But we purposefully left out the official marriage ceremony as well as exchanging of rings, as this would be saved for our actual wedding ceremony at Skryne Castle, next to the Hill of Tara in Ireland,” Sevier said. 

They arrived at Skyrne Castle and she described it as a majestic view. 

“I could not believe that we had this entire castle and area all to ourselves. No other guests, not another soul in sight except for the horses and sheep that stayed roaming the fenced area of the grounds,” she said. 

They held the rehearsal dinner and bachelor and bachelorette parties at the castle as well. 

Prior to tying the knot, the couple also toured Newgrange & Knowth, which are sacred lands in Ireland where ceremonies were held as well as remembrances of loved ones during the Neolithic period.

“Returning to the castle and our guests, we quickly began to get ready for our wedding. Even though we had a small ceremony of 16 close friends and relatives, I still had butterflies in my stomach,” Sevier recalled. 

Kelly is sharing more details about the wedding and you can read what she submitted below:

Kelly shares more about the experience:

Grabbing the gorgeous bouquet of flowers that my friend had made for me, it was time to walk down the aisle. We opened the castle door and began walking to my husband-to-be. Desperately holding back tears, we both held hands and exchanged our rings, which were just as unique as us. During our engagement, TJ had gotten me a ring from the Shipwreck Atocha. So, I in turn felt that it was only fitting that I get him treasure back (which was an authentic gold Viking Warrior wedding ring from 850 AD). 

After saying "I Do" and with our new rings in place, we went to the Skryne Church ruins next to the castle for photos. The view was gorgeous, mixed with flowers made of heather and roses, and people off in the distance shouting "Congratulations!" Once our photos were complete, we headed back to the castle, where a bus was waiting for us to take everyone in attendance to our reception at La Caverna in Dublin. 

The reception was incredible. The venue's wine cellar was a perfect backdrop and matched our castle completely. Atop a table held champagne glasses for our toast, as well as a cake in the shape of a treasure chest (filled with gold coins and green emeralds since treasure hunting is a big part of our lives). Once we were finished with our meal, we travelled down the streets of Dublin, entering pubs and celebrating our special day with the people of Ireland. 

Our entire trip was filled with some of the most magical and vibrant memories that I will cherish for the rest of my life. BUT our story is not over yet- as we will continue to travel the world together on adventure after adventure - leaving pieces of our lives and treasure behind in the places that allowed us to call it home, even if just for a moment. So in Ireland, we have left treasure - real, authentic treasure. Before we left the US, we packed about 3 pounds worth of treasure that we had accumulated throughout our years during our treasure hunting (to include a vial of gold, silver coins, money from around the world, and most importantly a Roman coin of Caesar - since Roman coins were found at Newgrange upon excavation of the site). We placed it in an area for a lucky finder to stumble upon one day (maybe with some luck of the Irish).

It is not buried but in the open, and is on public land. We did not want people digging to try to find it. To make it easier to find, within the next 2 years, we will be publishing our own treasure book, which will hold clues to treasures that we have placed around the world in several different countries and locations. (Ireland being one that we especially hold close to our hearts). We hope that people will go out into the world and enjoy nature and hiking as much as we do, while appreciating the views and experiences along the way.

For now, we are enjoying the rest of our time in Ireland seeing this beautiful country, including areas like the Dark Hedges - where Game of Thrones was filmed, sacred grounds like the Hill of Tara, the numerous gorgeous waterfalls that sprinkle Ireland, and multiple hiking trails that will lead us to our next adventures. 

Not only was this a trip of a lifetime, but also where my family became whole. Ireland has solidified itself as one of the places that I will always hold closest to my heart.