This Bronze Age (!), Irish stone circle wasn’t originally on the list, but it ended up being the perfect location for this couple’s pagan ceremony.

Why an Irish Stone Circle

Irish stone circles aren’t common ceremony locations—most people don’t even know they exist or where to find them. Or if they do, they’re (sorry) a little unimpressive, and have a lot of other people about. But for a pagan wedding, there’s really no better setting. These stones have been here since the Bronze Age, marking time and seasons and something bigger than any of us. The energy of the place is different.

And it was exactly what Megan and Aaron were looking for.

They’d originally set their sights on a castle, but when the options I dug up for them didn’t quite fit, we got on a call to get at the heart of what they really wanted. They’d heard about “thin places,” places where the veil between the spirit world and ours is thinnest. They wanted to feel that sense of spiritual connection during their ceremony, and after they described this to me, I said, “how do you feel about…stone circles?”

The Ceremony

Megan and Aaron worked with a pagan celebrant to write the ceremony, but they performed it themselves. (Big shout out to Liv, she’s amazing)

The ceremony included handfasting with a cord they’d made themselves, incorporating elements that represented their loved ones. They shared a loving cup (a quaich) with whisky blends they’d made a few days prior, called upon the elements, and spoke their personal vows. Every detail had meaning—even their jewelry was made up of family heirlooms, pieces that carried their own histories.

It was deeply personal and incredibly moving. And having the stone circle there as their backdrop, “watching over” the ceremony, as it were, pulled it all together.

From Ancient Stones to a Pub with Trad Music

After the ceremony, they headed to a pub in town for traditional Irish music, where they performed a song together. Both involved in theater, this was an important consideration in choosing a location: was there a pub nearby that did trad music on Tuesdays in October? They really wanted to mark the occasion in this way and make that memory.

Megan also pulled a pint of Guinness behind the bar!

What Made This Irish Stone Circle Elopement Work

Some couples want a ceremony that looks a certain way. Others want one that feels a certain way. This was mostly the latter, but they got both.

Everything about their day was intentional: the location, the pagan elements, the handmade handfasting cord, the heirlooms. Nothing was there just because it’s “what you do” at a wedding. It was all chosen and meaningful.

If you’re considering a pagan ceremony in Ireland, Irish stone circles are out there, and they’re extraordinary ceremony locations. You’ll need to do some research (or work with someone who knows where they are), and you’ll need flexibility since weather can be unpredictable. But if you want a ceremony space that feels sacred and ancient, it’s hard to beat standing stones that have been marking the earth for millennia.

What I loved most about this elopement was how seriously they took their ceremony without taking themselves too seriously. There were both tears and giggles, and I consider myself very lucky to both have been there and to have met these lovely people.

Details

• Season: Autumn (late October, with all the beautiful colours)
• Weather: Moody skies, clear (no rain!)
• Guest count: Just them
• Locations: Bronze Age stone circle (ceremony), pub with trad music
• Special elements: Pagan ceremony written with a celebrant and performed by the couple, handfasting with a handmade cord incorporating elements for loved ones, loving cup (quaich), calling the elements, personal vows, heirloom jewelry
• Timeline: Single-day elopement
• What made it unique: Full pagan ritual at an ancient stone circle, both have theater backgrounds and performed a song together at the pub
• Vendors:
  • Photography/planning: Solar Rose Elopements
  • Ceremony script: Let There Bee Love