Irish Lgbt Weddings by April Drew

LGBT

IRISH

Issue 4 WINTER 2016 €4.95

WINTER WEDDING TRENDS

Weddings

Ballyheigue to Brooklyn and back

Don and Pascal’s Kingdom Wedding Ireland’s first same sex wedding magazine launched 10 days after Ireland’s YES vote

2009869025-03.eps NBW=85 B=20

Photo courtesy of Sonya Revell

From

LOVE

ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE Weddings at

T.1850 88 56 50

E.events@chcc.ie

w w w. C a s t l e k n o c k H o t e l . c o m

IN THIS ISSUE

Editor’s Letter

CONTENT

Hello Irish

7-10

Paula and Adeline - The key to success is love

15-18

Paul and Patrick - A custom made wedding

23-26

Eimear and Grace - Two sparklers, one wedding

31-38

Don and Pascal - A custom made romance

43-46

Breda and Melissa - A dinner date to remember

49-54

Mark and Kerwin - Commemoration leads to celebrations

57-62

Samantha and Karen - The perfect fit

65-70

Enda and Sean - A romantic castle wedding

73-78

Aine and Triona - A colourful day of festivities

81-84

Martina and Lynette - Perfect timing led to a perfect relationship

87-92

Lucille and Elaine - Scrabble-tastic autumn wedding

95-99

Laura and Tara - A love of football brought them together

Wedding Tips and Tricks Winter wedding favour ideas to wow your guests

The untraditional winter colour palettes

How to throw the perfect New Year’s Eve wedding

Top 10 wedding movies of all time to drive inspiration

What to do if it rains on your big day? Read our tips

Think outside the box and do it in style

LGBT

couples

It’s the season of dark evenings and chilly days and isn’t it beautiful. I got married in December and I loved everything about it. The super great thing about winter weddings, in my opinion, is you get longer out of your day. You get to start your ceremony an hour or two earlier than other seasons because you need to capture that light for pictures before it gets dusk so go for it guys and gals. This is my favourite issue so far of Irish LGBT Weddings. We are truly honoured to have celebrity fashion designer Don O’Neill and his adorable husband Pascal Guillermie gracing our front cover - and even got a shout out in Don’s recent interview on ‘The Late Late Show’. Don and Pascal’s love knows no bounds. They have spent 20 blissful years together and finally this past summer they tied the knot in Don’s native Ballyheigue in Co. Kerry in a star-studded affair. We love the level of detail each and every single one of our couples put into planning their wedding day. From jigsaw puzzle pieces to scratch cards and so much more in between you are thoroughly going to enjoy reading all our real weddings. There has been an abundance of weddings since legislation has passed to allow same-sex couples to wed and we are hearing that there are triple the amount of weddings planned for 2017. We are very excited here at Irish LGBT Weddings headquarters to be able to offer a platform to showcase LGBT weddings and offer those of you planning your big day an opportunity to work with some of our amazing wedding suppliers. Should you have any questions or need any help with your big day give us a shout on email or through our FB, website and we will do our level best to point you in the right direction. Have a lovely Christmas and stay warm for the Winter Grá x

FRONT COVER Newlyweds Don O’Neill and Pascal Guillermie Photographer Sonya Revell Location Ballyheigue, Co. Kerry

April Drew Founding Executive Editor and Publisher

Editor-in-Chief April Drew Assistant Editors Michaela Keating and Niamh Bartley Graphic Designer Peter O’Carroll Marketing and Sales April@IrishLGBTWeddings.ie Distribution EM News Distribution, Dublin Printers Walsh Colour Print, Castleisland, Co. Kerry Accounts john@bridesofireland.ie www.IrishLGBTWeddings.ie 085 8015278

FLOWERS FOR EVERY OCCASION

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve waited long enough! Now go for it and be happy. Whether you are two ladies or two gentlemen getting married we would be delighted to look after your floral requirements. We are so happy that you are and can get married now and whether you have decided to wed in a small intimate service or flamboyant affair in your chosen hotel, castle, marquee or garden we are here to help accordingly. Whether your wedding is indoors or outdoors we will be delighted to provide only the highest quality arrangements without breaking the bank.

At Ring O Roses we put you first. We listen and usually become involved in all the romance and excitement of the wedding. We guide you through the process but the decisions are all yours. Do you want a formal look, a relaxed meadow style look with garden flowers in abundance? You tell us, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what we are here for. We listen and then we do everything we can to help make your dream day as wonderful as you want it to be.

You can contact us on 061 411321 - info@ringoroses.ie Facebook Ring O Roses

Wedding photography that tells yoUr story

info@taradonoghuephotography.com

085 155 5060

The key to success is love f or P a u l a a n d A d e l ine Paula Fahey and Adeline Palma September 9, 2016

Killarney Registry Office & Dromhall Hotel, Killarney

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Tara Donoghue Photography

Paula Fahey met Adeline Palma when they were both young. The pair, both from Tralee, were friends for many years before a romance ensued. Paula and Adeline got engaged last year in the Maharees (beach) in Kerry, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I proposed to Adeline with a small single diamond stone after searching for the perfect one for a while, she thankfully said yes and the next week we got our engagement rings in Dingleâ&#x20AC;?, Paula remembered. The pair waited until April this year to set September 9, 2016 as their wedding date and it was planning central from there on out.

THE WEDDING DETAILS Adeline and Paula wed at Killarney Registry Office and later celebrated with 56 of their nearest and dearest at the Dromhall Hotel in Killarney. Adeline travelled to the registry office with her mother, father and sister Tania, while Paula made her way with her brother-in-law Brendan and sister Tina. After the ceremony, the pair were driven by Larry from the Dromhall who kindly offered some great marriage advice and being the gentleman he is, he shielded them from the rain with umbrellas. Before the newlyweds descended upon the celebrations they went for a ride on a horse and trap around Killarney National Park with a bottle of champagne. This gave them some time to themselves to reflect on the day before the mayhem of the hotel and guests ensued.

Both Paula and Adeline wore dresses bought in Vows, Blarney and they wore rainbow heels from Schuh in Cork. The coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friend Tanya gifted them with paper bouquets made from pages from Harry Potter books and their cake was seathemed from Cherub Couture in Waterford.

They danced the night away to DJ Big Jim and Adeline’s uncle, Pepe Marquez, was the videographer for the day. The invites were made by Optimal Print. The ladies had their hair done by Lisa Nolan from Fenit and makeup by Georgina O ’ Reilly from Tralee. “They were both so wonderful to have the morning of the wedding because they are both dead calm and funny,” said Paula. They chose to keep the guest list small so that they could spend time with everyone without too much pressure. They danced all night to nearly every song, from ‘Rock the Boat’ to ‘ Riverdance.’ “The love in the room from all sides was overwhelming and a feeling neither of us will ever forget.” Paula and Adeline jetted off on a romantic honeymoon to Spain, visiting Sitges and Barcelona. They booked it through Tracey in Sol travel, Tralee.

SPECIAL TOUCHES Some of the personal touches included Adeline’s father making flag stands with Irish, Chilean and rainbow flags for every guest to take home with them. They also had a frame full of keys entitled ‘Key to Success’ and every guest could take a key and write a tip for the couple. The wedding rings were designed and made by Niamh Utsch in Dingle along with necklaces and earrings for the day.

THE WEDDING TEAM

10 How was your experience working with Tara Donoghue Photography? “We cannot say enough good things about Tara and Dave. From the first meeting, it was all systems go and nothing was too much. When we said we wanted something different they didn’t hesitate to make it happen and organised for us to paintball and zipwire in our dresses in Killarney High Ropes. It never stopped raining the morning of the wedding and they got totally soaked but said nothing and when the sun came out for five minutes they whisked us away for more pictures. They kept the day rolling with great fun and smiles and we would do it all over again just to get some more shots with them.” www.taradonoghuephotography.com

Cherub Couture Cakes is a wonderful bespoke wedding cake design and bakery service, specialising in unique handcrafted creations, each one handmade and designed specifically to the personalities and desires of the wedding couple.

Anne-Marie is an expert in creating pieces that are tailor made to that special celebration. Whether its a sculpted elegant handmade sugar design, a whimsical wonderland or fun and funky, Anne-Marie can offer a service to you like no other, a literal work of art.

Apologies I have been out since Thursday, cani remove the exciting lavish updates bit and add the following instead: “The whole wedding team in this hotel deserve to win the highest awards. The team has been a pleasure to deal with right from the start. The whole experience made us very relaxed about the big day. Their attention to detail was fantastic, nothing was ever too much trouble, and they never say "No". The food on the day was beautiful. We had heard before the wedding from a guest at a different wedding that We create Bespoke Wedding Flowers to suit your Taste, Stylefood and Budget the meal in the Dromhall is the nicest they had Open 6 days - Mon to Sat tasted at any wedding. And it has been said to us Covering all of Kerry and beyond for weddings againContact from our guests since our wedding. The layout us for a free consultation of the room on the day was great. All of the staff were very friendly, which gives a great atmosphere to the hotel. If anyone is looking for a hotel to book for their wedding, then you really should look no further.” You can send invoice to me and I will get it to the Special accounts offerdept. … Book your wedding flowers with us and receive 10% discount with this voucher Offer ends 31st Jan 2017

2 Gas Terrace, Tralee 087 677 2866

info@kerryweddingflowers.ie | www.designerflowers.ie Find us on Facebook

The family owned & operated 4* Dromhall Hotel has been hosting weddings for over 50 years.

We’d love for you to come view our venue.

“We were made to feel welcome from the start at the Dromhall Hotel. The food, decor and staff on the day of the wedding were all fantastic and couldn’t have been better. No idea was too big or too small and we really couldn’t have chosen a better venue.” - Paula & Adeline September 2016

Registered venue for Civil Ceremonies. Weddings for All at the Dromhall.

Winter

wedding favours

Unique Christmas tree ornament

This is a great one for future Christmases, give your guests an engraved Christmas decoration that they can hang up for years to come and be reminded of your wonderful day. It’s a very personal gift so if you are inviting guests that wouldn’t cherish it as much as others maybe you could opt for something else on those tables. Either way it’s a lovely memento.

Handwarmers

You’ll definitely be popular with your guests with this one. It’s bound to be chilly on a winters day so it shows that you care about their needs and want everybody to have a great time, also they are super cute and can be cheap to buy in bulk. It’s a win-win really. Get them monogrammed with you and your intended’s initials and everyone will be delighted.

Pinecone fire starters

These are absolutely adorable and relatively inexpensive to make. You just coat pinecones in beeswax and put them in individual boxes for your guests with a cheesy love quote like ‘let our love warm your heart’. This will definitely be appreciated during the winter.

Mini bottles of drinks

Snow globes

Gingerbread biscuits

Candy canes

The adults at your wedding will definitely appreciate this one. You could go with baileys with a sachet of hot chocolate or coffee. It would be delicious the day after the wedding and it would definitely help cure the hangover from the wedding.

This is a super cute idea, have mini gingerbread men in suits or dresses at every place setting. They will make a fab predinner nibble for your guests and they stay with the gorgeous wintry theme.

White chocolate cake pops

This is a definite winner, guests will love the cute idea behind it and the fact that it looks like a snowball will make it even better. You could have them coated in sugar crystals as well giving it a glassy, icy effect. Either way they will definitely go down a treat and they will be small enough that your guests won’t be too full to enjoy the meal.

Snow globes are extremely popular and cheap to have made. You could even go DIY with them if you felt like it. You could put a small figurine of a couple getting married inside surrounded with glitter and fake snow. It is bound to be a crowd pleaser and a proper keepsake from your fantastic day.

This is a big one, who doesn’t love a candy cane at Christmas? It’s the perfect favour and it will give your table settings a pop of colour when your guests first walk into the room.

Assorted Christmas sweets

This one’s for the DIY brides, just get a load of cute mason jars and fill them with sweets you associate with Christmas. Those big boxes of roses and quality streets that are on sale around Christmas will come in very handy for this and make everything inexpensive yet still cute. You could have your printers make labels for your jars to make it extra personal.

Say I do to Crover House Hotel

M a k i n g M e m or i e s t h at l a s t a l i f e t i m e

All inclusive packages available from e45

Crover House Hotel, set on its own private shores at Lough Sheelin, is fast becoming one of the most prestigious, sought after wedding venues in Co. Cavan. Our picturesque hotel can host civil ceremonies and weddings that range from intimate to lavish affairs between 100-340 guests.

Karyn Seery, Sales and Marketing Manager, Email: Weddings@croverhousehotel.ie Tel: 049-8540206

We have guests travelling the world over to share their special day at Crover. The Arley suite is a real gem, boasting panoramic views of the splendid Lough Sheelin. In addition to our stunning facilities, we have a one wedding per day policy, thus guaranteeing an exclusive atmosphere, with a package to suit everyone.

Testimonial

I just wanted to say, on behalf of my wife and I, a great big wonderful thank you to everybody in Crover House with a special mention for Karyn as she made the day easy and stress free for everybody. Your attention to detail, your easy manner and comforting tones were a lifesaver to us all. The compliments and the positive feedback from all of the guests just added to our own experience and made our special day that much better. June 5th, 2016

croverhousehotel

www.croverhousehotel.ie

croverhouse

Hanako

Floristry inspired by nature www.hanako.ie

Image by: Paper Antler Photography

Ruthie Regular font Cochin

Samantha Harding Wedding And Event Planner t. 00353(0)86 171 5035 e. samantha@samanthahardingevents.com

www.samanthahardingevents.com

A custom made wedding f or P a u l & P atric k Paul Delaney & Patrick Reynolds September 17, 2016

West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Ted Murphy Photography

Paul Delaney, from Skibbereen Co. Cork, met the love of his life Patrick Reynolds from, Ballinhassig, on a night out in Cork City in 2009. It took a while before their friendship developed into a loving relationship but these guys were meant to be together. The pair relocated to Glandore, West Cork, after a decade of living in both Cork and Dublin.

THE PROPOSAL

Paul and Patrick got engaged in 2015 on a romantic break at Inchydoney Hotel and spa, Clonakilty. Patrick planned a carefully thought out proposal down to the last detail and had the whole hotel in on it. “He is such a romantic at heart and he made sure that everything was perfect”, Paul remembers fondly.

THE WEDDING DETAILS Shortly after, the date was set for September 17, 2016 and the couple began planning an elaborate affair, inviting over 260 guests. Paul and Patrick wed at The West Cork Hotel. They effortlessly converted an old warehouse beside the venue into a bright and colourful ceremony location. “It worked out perfectly, as we had two different venues, but positioned right beside one another,” shares Paul.

THE WEDDING TEAM On the day, both gentlemen wore matching three piece suits by Racing Green which were supplied by Debenhams in Cork. The suits were accessorised with matching red and orange bow ties beautifully handcrafted by their friend Claire Hallinan. The floral arrangements for the venue were created by Hanna of Hanako Floral Studio. The wedding cake was created with tender loving care by Paul’s brother’s partner, Evangeline Kingston. It was a beautiful three-tiered creamed sponge cake. Paul designed and created the invitations along with all the other graphics himself. The couple’s close friend Gillian Brady was the “amazing” celebrant delivering a ceremony that was heartfelt and personable. Music was plentiful throughout the day. Ceremony music was provided by the spellbinding Carrie McKeown, Sinéad McCarthy and Mary Jo Ryan. At the cocktail reception, the four-piece gypsy/folk band B Calvinists from Bantry had everybody in a celebratory mood with their acoustic set. Finally, everyone danced the night away to Route 66.

FAVOURITE MEMORIES “There were so many individual highlights throughout the day but I think what is most memorable about the occasion as a whole is the incredible amount of love and support we felt from all our friends and family. It served as an important reminder to myself and Pa of just how lucky we are to have such amazing friends and family, and how lucky we are to live in this amazing little country,” said Paul warmly.

SPECIAL TOUCHES

Hiring chiavari chairs helped to add visual impact to both the ceremony and the room. They also worked closely with their florist to utilise flowers that were in season and at their brightest. Some personal touches included doing up the warehouse to hold the ceremony which showed great results on the day. They also had their mothers make speeches that would usually be made by fathers. “My mam, Mary and Pa’s mam, Geraldine, spoke beautifully and I think they enjoyed being given the opportunity to speak. Our dads loved it too as it meant they were ‘off the hook’ on having to give a speech,” Paul recalled.

“It meant the world to us that we could have a day like that with our families. My mother and father, Mary and Jim Delaney, and Pa’s parents Ger and Geraldine Reynolds were very proud on the day. My only sibling James and his partner Evangeline were delighted to be there, as well as Pa’s two younger sisters Jennifer and Maria. We both had grandparents there, which was very special for us, and they loved every minute of it. We also had all our extended families - aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews present, along with all the amazing friends that we have the pleasure of knowing and loving.”

The newlyweds jetted off to America for their honeymoon, spending six nights in Miami, five nights in San Francisco and two nights in Las Vegas.

Tell us about your experience at the West Cork Hotel? “Everyone at The West Cork Hotel went above and beyond for us, not just on the day, but on the entire lead up to the wedding and I cannot commend them enough for all their hard work and enthusiasm. Christian Pozimski, the hotel’s head chef, is a truly gifted chef, and delivered such delicious food to an incredible standard to every single guest at the wedding. All the staff of the West Cork Hotel are amazing. They made everyone feel looked-after, relaxed and comfortable and they work tirelessly to make sure that everything runs smoothly and timely on the day. Nothing is too much trouble for them and they all helped make our day very special and very memorable. We cannot thank them enough for all they did for us.” www.westcorkhotel.com

WINTER Wedding

Colour Palettes This time of year is so colourful, you have hundreds of classic combinations available to you, but what if these have been overdone? Or what if your favourite colour doesn’t work? No need to worry, we have a list of less common colour combos that would look great on your big day.

SILVER, GOLD & CREAM Metallics are an extremely popular trend this year popping up everywhere from your local shop window to the Paris fashion week runway. You could decorate your venue with silver fairy lights and gold centerpieces with simple cream table cloths. Rose gold is another popular trend so you could swap it for the gold if you felt like it. Always remember, when it comes to metallics less is usually more.

GREEN, BLUE & SILVER This is a sophisticated colour combination that your guests won’t expect, it’s a far cry from the classic green and red and it will look fab on your wedding day. Try blue and silver centrepieces and lots of greenery around the room.

TURQUOISE & ORANGE This very unexpected colour combination works a treat in decorating a venue. These colours scream trendy and will make your venue super modern looking. It’s a fab colour scheme and definitely not boring. Try turquoise table runners with orange roses in the centrepieces.

RED, CREAM & WHITE This fab colour scheme will give a rich, wintry feel to your venue while still keeping peoples mind on the event itself, you don’t want your guests feeling like it’s all about Christmas. Try white table cloths, cream chair sashes and poinsettias or red roses as your main flower of choice.

RED, WHITE & GREEN This colour scheme is a

classic homage to the holidays and it looks absolutely gorgeous. There’s a reason it’s the most popular colour combo for this time of year. Try white table cloths and centrepieces, and dot the room with plenty of holly and mistletoe. You could use baby’s breath and red roses for the floral arrangements.

21 Family Owned and Managed for 46 years, The 4 star Keadeen Hotel has recently carried out extensive refurbishment of the ceremony and reception rooms. The new Wedding Suite now boasts a total of 5 rooms including Master Bedroom (ensuite), Sitting Room, Dressing Room (ensuite), Master Bathroom and Breakfast Room and accessed by a private landing. Coupled with a beautiful secluded wedding garden for outdoor ceremonies or wedding photography it is the perfect venue for your big day.

Curragh Road - Newbridge - 045 431666 info@keadeenhotel.ie www.keadeenhotel.ie

Rock those

Metallics

Metallics have proven themselves to be huge in weddings this year, they can be versatile in how they’re used and many couples have opted to have them as a part of their celebrations. From the cake to the accessories, we have put together a list of the different ways they can be used in your dream winter wedding.

The cake Your wedding cake symbolises your love for your partner. It’s also one of the things guests are most excited to see and so you want it to look exciting and definitely unique. If you don’t want to spend a fortune having your cake laced in liquid gold, put some edible flowers or berries on it and have them sprayed in edible gold and silver paint. It will look fantastic and your guests will be very pleased.

Stationery 22

Have metallics play a part in your wedding stationery, from your invites to your guest book you could have matching gold monograms as a symbol of your big day. It adds a touch of elegance and it makes it look as though you spent a fortune. A classic gold pen or silver earrings would also work a treat as a gift for the groomsmen (Bridesmen) and bridesmaids (groomswomen), sticking with the theme of metallics.

Venue décor Decorate your venue with metallics from centrepieces to floral arrangements. Silver is partcularly good for winter weddings as it adds a nice contrast to the deep colours associated with winter weddings. Metallics also go really well with most colour schemes especially Christmas colours; red and green go with gold and silver very well.

Wedding party Make your bridesmaids or groomswomen shimmer in gold sequin dresses or your groomsmen or bridesmen shine in silver ties. This is clearly the easiest way to incorporate metallics into your big day. You could even have your hairstylist put matching gold or silver hair accessories in your bridesmaid’s hair or have them wear matching jewellery to make the trend pop.

Drinks You could have a signature drink topped with edible gold or silver glitter at your drinks reception, it looks super cool and having a signature drink is a major trend for 2017. Your guests will love the pop of colour, you could even opt for colourful metallic glitter in any one of your main wedding colours.

Two sparklers, one wedding a n d a who l e l ot o f l o v e Eimear Walshe & Grace Lynch November 18, 2016

Hotel Doolin, Co. Clare

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of The Tilted Tripod

Garda Eimear met her perfect match, Grace a healthcare assistant, online in 2012. They were both swept off their feet by one another and coincidentally planned proposals for the same week in 2015. Luckily Grace beat Eimear to the punch with a romantic proposal at Two Mile Gate, Killaloe but they both received a gorgeous sparkler to show off (Eimear had already gotten a ring for Grace)

The lovebirds got planning and chose to celebrate their day at the Hotel Doolin in Clare on November 18, 2016. They invited 95 guests to their rustic themed celebrations and everyone had the best day.

THE WEDDING DETAILS Grace got her dress in Amore Mio, Killaloe. Eimear was kitted out by the excellent team at A Hand Tailored Suit in Dublin, with a bespoke three-piece suit. The brides went with simple floral arrangements with bouquets for themselves and their mothers. The cake was designed and made by Sarah’s Cakes in Kildysart, Clare and the cake topper was made by Bernie McCullough of Treats in Newport. Their Invites were created by On Silver Pond Invitations, Adare and the couple were delighted with them.

Teresa Quinn from the County Registrars Office officiated the ceremony. She put the brides at ease and performed an excellent ceremony. Some of Grace’s friends provided traditional music for an hour in the evening and were then replaced by The Busker, Christine Keane and Paul Fahy. “They were brilliant and had the dancefloor packed all night,” Grace remembers.

They had Ciara McCullough of The Tilted Tripod capture their day perfectly and the couple were absolutely delighted with the end result and her dedication to the job. “ She was amazing to deal with, and did much more than take photos. Words don’t do justice to how much she helped us, from taking the photos to dressing the bridal party, to giving her flats to Grace for the night,” Eimear remembers.

The brides share the same favourite moment from the day; seeing each other in their wedding outfits. “When I saw Grace in her dress, my heart stopped,” said Eimear. “When I first laid my eyes on Eimear in her stunning suit, all my dreams came true,” gushed Grace.

The ladies decided on a few days of relaxation in sunny Lanzarote for their honeymoon which they booked through Lynda in Falcon Travel.

How great was it working with The Tilted Tripod? “Ciara was amazing. Our mothers want to adopt her! She could not have done more for us. She deserves every award going. She was just flawless, and really put us at ease.”

spectacular

New Year’s Eve

inspired ideas New Year’s Eve is a fantastic night to have a wedding; everybody is in the mood to celebrate and what better way to ring in the New Year than with a brand new husband or wife. We’ve put together a list of the best New Years Eve wedding ideas from across the globe.

Glitter

dd a touch of sparkle to your wedding day. Whether you’re going big or small, glitter is definitely in for New Year’s Eve weddings. Whether there’s a light dusting of it throughout the day or it’s thrown in your face as you walk down the aisle, glitter is always good when it comes to New Years Eve. You could even glitz up your bridal party by adding glitter to buttonhole flowers and the wedding party attire; it could even reach your bouquets or buttonholes.

New Year’s Eve inspired wedding favours

ou could give every guest a pair of ‘2017’ glasses or a hilarious party hat. There are so many options to choose from when it comes to wedding favours, you might as well play on the fact that you’re having your wedding on the biggest night of the year. Think outside the box and set the tone high for 2017.

Prosecco at midnight

his one definitely depends on your budget, but it would be lovely to have a prosecco toast as the clock strikes twelve. Have the bar serve all your guests with a complimentary glass of prosecco at about half 11 and they will be absolutely buzzing for the countdown.

New Year’s resolutions

ut up a huge poster with clips on it and have all your guests names and table numbers on it, ask them to take a photo in your photobooth or have a cameraperson there to take a snap. Then they can write their resolution(s) on the back of the photo and swap it for their name on the clip. It’s a really simple idea that will definitely get people thinking; plus you can have fun with your new husband or wife reading the cringeworthy resolutions.

Clock biscuits

his is a super cute idea; give all of your guests a biscuit that has been decorated to look like a clock striking 12. Everyone will appreciate the gesture and it stays with the theme of New Years Eve. It will make for some adorable instagram worthy pictures for sure.

Balloon drop

his is a great idea for when the clock strikes twelve. Have a load of balloons drop onto the dance floor to turn your wedding into a New Year’s Eve party. Have your videographer take in the whole room and then zoom into the new years kisses happening on the dance floor to make for an amazing wedding highlight video. It will definitely be a memorable moment and it will keep everybody in the party mood.

A huge rendition of Auld Lang Syne

aving your whole room of guests serenade you with the classic New Year’s Eve ‘Auld Lang Syne’ would be the cherry on top of an excellent New Year’s Eve wedding.

YOUR WEDDING DAY WITH THE PARK HOTEL

The Park Hotel is licensed to to hold Civil Ceremonies.

The Park Hotel has plenty of fantastic wedding packages to choose from: ALL INCLUSIVE WINTER WEDDING PACKAGE

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For further information contact: The Park Hotel, Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Ireland. T: +353 58 42899 E: sales@parkhoteldungarvan.com

www.FlynnHotels.com

The Park Hotel is a marriage of style, luxury and flawless service. Our dedicated wedding specialist will ensure that your expectations are exceeded, thus guaranteeing you a perfect day.

Why have a

winter wedding? W hi t e wedding If you’re lucky enough to get a bit of snow on your wedding day, then you will have the perfect scene for your wedding album. It would look beautiful and you will be so delighted with the end result.

E v ery t hing is earlier You’ll get less sunlight in the evening which isn’t necessarily a selling point of the winter season, on the other hand you’ll get to start the party that bit earlier which means you get longer to enjoy it. Also, the light at dusk could make for a magical photo opportunity.

S a v e a b i t o f m o ney A lot of suppliers would give discounts in the winter time so tap into that. Some suppliers are super busy all year round but certainly shop around to see who would do you guys a good deal in the months like January and February, especially if you are going for a weekday wedding.

M o re a v aila b ili t y You have a much better chance of getting the venue of your dreams during winter simply because there is less demand. It is also much more acceptable to have a midweek wedding during the winter as people will find it easier to get off work, provided it’s not too close to Christmas.

Perfect

songs

to play on your

winter wedding day

1 Winter Song – Sara Bareilles

7 Mirrors – Justin Timberlake

This could be a great choice to play at the ceremony, its slow pace and gentle lyrics would be perfect for a church or civil ceremony.

The tempo and lyrics of this song would suit any wedding at any time of the year. It reflects the love of two people, exactly what you would want to play at your wedding.

2 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – Sam Smith version This version could be fantastic for a slow dance with your new spouse.

3 All I Want For Christmas is You – Mariah Carey

H o neym o o n g o als You will get much better honeymoon rates in Winter than you would at other times of the year. Resorts will be less crowded with families because there will be no school holidays and everything will be generally cheaper, flights, accommodation, everything!

Not the best for keeping your mind off the cold, but if you guys are any good at singing you could belt out a few bars of this gorgeous duet.

If you are looking for something a little bit fun but still romantic this is the song for you.

9 Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee

S eas o nal par t y If you have your wedding in mid November or late January your day will be anticipated greatly by your guests. Chances are that most of your guests won’t have too many huge events like a wedding in between summer and winter and if you have it in late January it will give people time to recover from Christmas.

8 Baby it’s Cold Outside – Dean Martin

4 Yours – Ella Henderson A really romantic slow paced song, perfect for the first dance or the ceremony.

5 Four Seasons ‘Winter’ – Vivaldi This could be fantastic to walk down the aisle to; its beautiful melody would set your day off to a great start.

6 Winter Winds – Mumford and Sons We could imagine this playing at any stage of a winter wedding. It would sound phenomenal.

This one is great for keeping everyone on the dancefloor all night. A classic upbeat Christmas song.

10. Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens This has to be one of the most popular Christmas songs of all time, who would not love to hear this at the end of the night?

A custom made romance in the cit y o f l o v e Don O’Neill & Pascal Guillermie

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Sonya Revell

“

A custom made romance in the city of love was just the beginning for fashion designer Don O’Neill and floral designer Pascal Guillermie

”

By Michaela Keating

Despite the attraction of the Eiffel Tower and The Louvre Museum, there is something far more alluring about the city of Paris; its ability to make you fall in love. A claim that many can confirm to be true, including Co. Kerry native and Creative Director of THEIA, Don O’Neill and his handsome French husband Pascal Guillermie, floral designer and owner of Fleur de Pascal. Rewind to 1993. Don, from the small Kerry seaside town of Ballyheigue, was working as a costumier in Paris. Pascal was a dancer in Karine Saporta Dance Company. Both worked on Baroque Opera ‘Phaeton’ for the opening of the new Jean Nouvel Opera De Lyon. A flurry of sequins, pleá’s and an obvious instant attraction would begin the first chapter of their love story.

THE BEGINNING... Don fondly recalls one of his first close encounters with Pascal, whom he assumed was straight at the time. “One afternoon he stormed over to me quite exasperated and took me by surprise. ’This costume doesn’t work’ he said. My French at the time wasn’t very good and Pascal’s English was equally limited. He was wearing gold sequin biker shorts (this was 1993) one of his many costumes for his role as Phaeton. Being a baroque opera, which are very fantasy driven, he was suspended from a bungee rope in a leather harness strapped to his crotch so that he could bounce across the stage in giant skyward leaps. I couldn’t understand this very troubled, very cute French man who was pointing to his crotch,

trying to explain his issues. Suddenly the shorts were pulled off, revealing his ‘leave little to the imagination’ dancers thong. His leg went straight up in the air as only a super flexible dancer could do to show me his inner crotch where the jagged sequins on the Inside seam allowance had cut in to his skin and he was bleeding! My heart skipped all sorts of beats. I blushed red, redder than my hair! My heart raced as Pascal went on and on and at this stage I don’t think I was capable of hearing anything. The room seemed to be spinning. He darted over between the many racks of costumes to find another pair of shorts. I followed him and the only thing I wanted to do was take him in my arms and kiss him on the lips there and then. My heart was beating 100 miles an hour. I thought ‘get a grip of yourself Don, this man is straight, plus I don’t think I would ever be that brave or impulsive.” Little did Don know that Pascal felt the same way about this Irish export when he first laid eyes on him. After much speculation about Pascal’s sexuality and an out sourced investigation by a friend, Don decided it was time to make a bold move. “One day I had my modelling portfolio as I was going to a casting and as I was showing off my book, Pascal pointed to one small picture and said “I love that one”, I made a mental note and was delighted by his remark,” recalls Don. The THEIA creator later passed the picture on to Pascal’s friend to make sure he got it and with the romantic gesture, Pascal invited Don to come out dancing. There and then the start of their love story began.

THE PROPOSAL Fast forward twenty years and half a life together. Don decided to mark their twentieth anniversary with one big question. An elaborate proposal was planned involving an airplane banner on South Beach, Miami.

“My emotions get the better of me, as I tell him how much I love him, I start crying and he thinks something is terribly wrong. In tears I tell him to look up as the plane was now behind me, its beautiful banner announcing “Pascal Je T’aime, will you marry me?” As he reads it, I open the red leather ring box and presented him with the ring. Overwhelmed with emotion, Pascal said yes with tears streaming down both our faces, hugging and kissing each other. Everyone on the beach around us erupted in cheers.”

THE BIG DAY In a blissful haze, the pair began to plan their dream wedding with Pascal taking on the role of wedding planner. The wedding date was set for June 11, 2016. Ballyheigue Castle, Co. Kerry would be the location, facing the majestic sweeping views of Ballyheigue Bay and 224 guests were invited to join in the celebrations. The reception was held in a custom built glass marquee created by Pavilion Marquees and Venue decor, Galway, which was strategically situated on the driving range of Ballyheigue Golf Course, adjacent to the castle with spectacular views of the bay and mountains. Masterchefs Hospitality Limerick catered the event providing a spectacular 5 star dining experience. For Pascal, the planning process was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. He wanted to create a fabulous three day event for his husband to be. “We both had a clear vision of what the three day celebration should be and I choose June 11 as the date as it would be Don’s fiftieth birthday on the June 12. He loves celebrating his birthday so I wanted to be sure the wedding weekend celebrations would be the best party ever for him.”

TAILOR MADE - THE DETAILS Personalising their day was the most important aspect for the couple, along with ensuring their loved ones were taken care of. “Pascal and I are known for taking care of those we love. The wedding weekend was about making sure that all our guests felt loved and taken care of and that every detail of their weekend would feel magical. From the invitations, to hotel accommodations, their flights, tours around Ireland, the setting etc., every detail had our stamp on it, nothing was overlooked, so that the experience for everyone was seamless, and utterly magical.”

Don and Pascal’s vision for their wedding day was one that married rustic and elegance together. Tapping into the natural beauty surrounding Ballyheighe, they held the ceremony at the castle, allowing guests to arrive along a sweeping driveway through old world ruins. “To sit in front of it (ruins) on rows of white chairs, facing out with views over the magnificent bay, views that sweep for miles and miles was magical,” shared Don.

The pair undoubtedly utilised their many talents, with Pascal doing the main portion of the planning, designer Don was also working on an extremely important task; creating their wedding attire. “It was probably one of the most difficult design challenges I have ever faced. These had to be special, magical, unlike anything anyone had ever seen, I wanted my Pascal to look like Prince charming, the magic maker I believe him to be. I knew I wanted them to be Nehru jackets in a very specific shade of blue grey, which took forever to find. The embroideries were similar and were hand made by a couture studio in Mumbai, using micro antique silver glass beads, zardozi wire and Swarovski crystals. I drew the embroidery patterns, which had my signature Celtic spirals, intertwined with fuchsia. Pascal’s jacket had two regal seahorses, his favourite creature, as it’s the only male to give birth to its young. My jacket had the Celtic gryphon from the Book Kells Chi-Rho page. The zip front jackets had silk charneuse linings with fuchsia pink piping. Underneath

the jackets we wore white shirts which had fuchsias embroidered on the tips of the collars and cuffs. Halfway through the first dance we unzipped each other’s jackets to reveal a very special embroidery on the back of each of our shirts. The seahorse from Pascal’s jacket and the Celtic gryphon from mine were now united, together on our shirts in a heart shape, intricately hand embroidered in Antique silver glass beads and crystals,” shares Don. The ring bearers were, Don’s niece Aoife Mahony who wore a one shoulder, hand embroidered, crunchy sequin THEIA gown in Azurite blue and Pascal’s brother Laurent, stunned in a Hugo Boss tuxedo with a hand tied silk bowtie. While the grooms looked spectacular, the newlyweds were blown away by the style of their guests. Pascal made sure there would be 50 THEIA dresses to go with the theme of celebrating Don’s birthday, some of the ladies already owned dresses, other’s went and got them. It was a high style wedding.

TALENTS IN ABUNDANCE

BLOOMING BEST BITS Their day was threaded with cherished moments, including Pascal’s mother Sylviane walking Pascal down the aisle first followed by Don and his father Donal. Don’s sister Deirdre stunned the crowd with her beautiful voice as she sang throughout the ceremony. Together with Eleanor’s Flowers in Tralee, Pascal and Eleanor decked the reception venue out to the highest of standards. “I made a drawing of the centrepieces and all the details of the set-up of one of the 32ft long table and emailed it to our dear friend Eleanor Groves. She recreated everything on the wedding day to perfection. I wanted the whole wedding with only one kind of flower, the Irish Fuchsia which was Don’s late mother Mim’s favorite flower. This way, everywhere we were, she would be there with us as well,” said the Frenchman.

EXCEPTIONAL ENTERTAINMENT

Irish folk band Spailpin entertained the guests at Friday night’s welcome dinner at Flahives charming Beer Garden, catered by Padraig Dennehy and more trad music was heard during their cocktail reception the next day. Their first dance was performed by renowned Irish musician Frances Black (This Love Will Carry) and her daughter, Aoife Scott performed her hit single “The Wild Atlantic Way”. The Bentley Boys played for the rest of the evening and DJ Ray Stack had the floor full right into Sunday morning.

Eleanor’s FLORIST

Wedding Flower Specialists North Circular Road, Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland. E sales@eleanors.ie T 066 7121139 W www.eleanors.ie & www.eleanorswedding.com

AMAZING CAKES

For Pascal, the pivotal ‘I do’ moment was a turning point on the best day of his life. “The moment our amazing celebrant Lynne Glasscoe from Ceremony Ireland said “I now present all of you a couple in love as husband and husband and Don you may kiss your Pascal …” I didn’t give her time to finish her sentence, nor gave Don the time to kiss me. I just jumped into his arms and for the very first time after 23 years together, I kissed the love of my life as my husband,” recalls Pascal.

MAGICAL MEMORIES Don thoroughly enjoyed the 10-minute walk from his parent’s home to the castle. They stole these precious 10 minutes together, excited about what was to come, and floated red balloons overhead. When their guests saw them (they had no idea the guys would be on foot) there was a rapturous applause and cheering outside the castle. And just like that, an instant attraction became a perfect Happily Ever After of the most romantic kind.

The cakes (all chocolate biscuit) were inspired by THEIA gowns and created by Don and Pascal’s friends, Katherine O’Leary, Mairead Keating and Diane Keating. Served Sunday for Don’s Birthday Brunch, fabulously catered by Mozart’s Tralee, once more at Flahive’s Beer garden.

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A dinner date to remember l e a d s to a h a ppi ly e v er a f ter Breda Murphy & Melissa Kelly August 22, 2016

Crover House Hotel

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of DMC Photography

Breda Murphy, a site manager, locked eyes with Melissa Kelly, a care assistant, when they met in Griffithâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Barracks in 1998. The girls, originally from Finglas, had spoken about marriage many times before Melissa finally proposed in 2015.

The Proposal

They were out for an intimate dinner when Melissa made her romantic proposal. Shortly afterwards a date was set for August 22, 2016 at Crover House Hotel. They invited 122 of their family and friends to celebrate. It was the best day of their lives.

THE WEDDING TEAM Flowers for the day were provided by The Flower Basket Ballyjamesduff and the couple’s cake was made by Valerie’s Cakes, Virginia, Cavan. The band Cozy & Phil played at the reception before DJ Billy came on to keep the crowd entertained for the night. David McLean of DMC Photography captured the day fantastically and the couple are delighted with their wedding album. Grainne Johnston Crosskeys Hair and Sarah Keogh Makeup had Breda and Melissa looking radiant for the day itself and Brendan Clarke’s cars transported the brides to their destination. “From start to finish the whole day was amazing; every moment was special” they both echoed.

PERSONAL TOUCHES

The couple’s personal touches included the use of the pride flag in their name cards, buttonholes and inside the wedding cake. They also had a photo collage of all the people they had lost over the years along with a memory plaque, this went beside the cake. The pair jetted off to Lanzarote for a romantic honeymoon in the sun. Breda and Melissa now reside in Ballyjamesduff, Co. Cavan with their two dogs, Charlie and Harper.

Tell us about your experience at Crover House Hotel “The hotel and staff were excellent, the views were amazing which was perfect for our wedding photos. The staff went out of their way to make our day special. Our wedding guests were impressed with the way the staff organised everything from the ceremony to the finish.” www.croverhousehotel.ie

Tell us about your experience with DMC Photography â&#x20AC;&#x153;What can I say, David is a super guy and a tremendous photographer, David made Mel & I so relaxed and also our guests were very impressed with his work. On the day David printed a photo of us both and framed it using it for all our guests to sign. He captured every special moment of our amazing day.â&#x20AC;? www.dmcphotography.ie

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Commemoration leads to celebrations f or M a r k a n d Kerwin Mark White & Kerwin Villalobos February 19, 2016

Dublin City Hall and Trinity City Hotel

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of David Stephenson Photography

Mark White, a hairdresser, met Kerwin Villalobos, a Venezuelan dancer, on a night out in Dublin in May 2013. The pair, who now reside in Cabra, quickly hit it off and a whirlwind romance led Mark to propose the same year. They went on a romantic getaway to Paris and Kerwin was taken by surprise when Mark got down on one knee at the ever so romantic Eiffel tower. Planning was in full swing and these two lovebirds wed on Feb 19, 2016. The ceremony took place at Dublin City Hall and they joined 50 of their closest friends and family at Trinity City Hotel for celebrations.

THE WEDDING DETAILS

The couple chose to wear 1916 attire to commemorate the 1916 rising and to recognise how far Ireland has come since then. The flowers were orange roses and white crests to complement their army green suits. The cake was a 1916 proclamation which was designed by NuMu bespoke cakes. The music for the celebration was a mixture of karaoke and classic Venezuelan music. Photographer David Stephenson captured the day perfectly and the couple are delighted with their wedding album.

51 Mark and Kerwin’s wedding was chosen to feature on RTE’s ‘Don’t Tell the Bride.’ Their wedding and the lead up to it played out in front of hundreds of thousands of people and the guys were a big hit with viewers. Because they only had three weeks to plan the wedding there was no invites, just messages through Facebook and phone calls. The couple chose the 1916 rising as a theme so that they could recognise how far Ireland has come in the last century, especially since the marriage referendum, “I think initially people’s reaction was that our theme didn’t make much sense but after explaining why I chose this avenue people could really see what we were going for. So, I suppose thank you to all the good citizens of Ireland for letting us have this opportunity.”

THE WEDDING TEAM Giulianna Vozza and Mark White did hair and makeup on the day and Philip Byers officiated the ceremony. Their wedding car was a 1940’s convertible army jeep from the 1916 museum. The boys had pictures printed out from the time they have spent together and used them as table decorations to add a personal touch. They also put out scrolls with a poem on them to thank their guests for attending and supporting them on their special day.

FAVOURITE MEMORY

Mark’s favourite memory of the day was finally getting to see Kerwin after three weeks apart. Mark invited Kerwin’s mother to be a surprise guest at the wedding, “Kerwin had not seen his mother in nearly three years, so I arranged for her to be a surprise guest at the wedding.”

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Absolutely fantastic, all the staff at Trinity City Hotel were so accommodating especially the manager Adam, who bent over backwards to make sure our day was perfect from start to finish. The venue itself is quite opulent vintage and fit perfectly with our theme.â&#x20AC;? www.trinitycityhotel.com

What was your experience like at Trinity City Hotel?

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A Beautiful Ceremony Ltd Beautiful Ceremonies are our life. We really do love what we do and hope you will too!” E romy@abeautifulceremony.ie M +353 (0) 87 66 22 306 FB abeautifulceremonyltd

www.abeautifulceremony.ie

Romy & Gabrielle from A Beautiful Ceremony are celebrants who write and officiate ceremonies with an absolute passion. They have many years of experience, understanding, extensive resources and knowledge – and the know-how and skill to create a very personal ceremony for the most special day of your lives. Your ceremony will be fun, fabulous and sincere. They offer seamless delivery with an engaging and heartfelt manner. Before you get started, it’s really important that you and your celebrant work well together. Romy & Gabrielle always suggest that you meet – in person, over Skype or even just chat over the phone – so you can get to know each other, and to make sure that you’re happy with what they can do for you both. At the end of the day (well, on THE day!), their celebrant will be the person standing in front of you, your family and your friends – representing both of you, as you both say the most important promises to each other. So you need to know your celebrant, and be comfortable and have good feelings about them! That’s where Romy & Gabrielle come into their own. Their role is to help and guide you both to create A Beautiful Ceremony. Romy says; “The amazing ceremony, that you are about to start planning, is the beginning of a new part of your lives together. There will probably be lots of thoughts, ideas, hopes and dreams which you both have. So sometimes it can be a little tricky knowing where to start. The planning of your ceremony should be easy and stressfree. A happy and enjoyable time for you both to put together the ceremony which everyone will say is “so you!” Once we get into the “putting together” part - we have a multitude of examples and ideas for elements which you can include in your ceremony. Gabrielle & I will listen to all your likes & dislikes, and make suggestions on how we can incorporate all your plans into the day. When the big day arrives, we always arrive at your venue nice & early (because we’re really excited to be there!) and we can check to ensure everything is set up ready for what you have planned for the ceremony.

If you are already at your venue, we’ll come and see you and make sure you’re happy and ready for the ceremony too! We chat with all your participants to make sure everyone knows what they’re doing during the ceremony – that includes other suppliers like your photographer or musicians. So you can rest assured, knowing that everything is going to run as smoothly as possible. We really love what we do. We are professional, dedicated, reliable and honest celebrants. Beautiful Ceremonies are our passion! All of our ceremonies are created and written with absolute love. There is nothing that compares to the amazing feeling that we have being asked to be a part of such an important time in peoples’ lives. In our ceremonies, there is emotion – we do get emotional! There can be tears, laughter, even a bit of banter. We perform ceremonies – but nothing about our ceremonies is a performance. We are here to support and work together with you to include your ideas, beliefs and way of life. Guiding you with our experience and expertise to make your beautiful ceremony unique, personal and completely unforgettable. Beautiful Ceremonies are our life. We really do love what we do and hope you will too!” Romy & Gabrielle have had the pleasure of working all around the country, including Northern Ireland. They travel wherever you would like them to be for your day. They hold a strict policy of only one ceremony per day – so you know that you have exclusivity of their time and expertise. They work to your schedule – not rushing off to another booking! It’s YOUR day! To get in touch with Romy & Gabrielle for more information contact; A Beautiful Ceremony Ltd E: romy@abeautifulceremony.ie W: http://www.abeautifulceremony.ie M. +353 (0) 87 66 22 306 FB. www.facebook.com/abeautifulceremonyltd

Samantha and Karen, the per f ect f it ! Karen Byrne & Samantha Cummins October 21, 2016

Bunratty Castle Hotel

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of New Age Photography

Karen Byrne met Samantha Cummins in Quinn’s bar, Limerick in 2002. Their eyes locked from across a crowded bar! It was love at first sight. Karen’s first reaction was “I am going to marry her” and after a few years of friendship the couple eventually got together and subsequently tied the knot. They now live in Cappamore, Limerick with their three children Amy, 15, Joshua, 6, and Oscar, 4.

THE PROPOSAL

Karen proposed to Samantha at the top of the Rockefeller Centre in New York but was met with a ‘no’ from Samantha. This quickly changed to ‘yes’ when she realised Karen was being serious. Shortly after a date was set for October 21, 2016 at the Bunratty Castle Hotel, Co Clare. They were joined by 180 guests for a humanist ceremony, officiated by Bridget Carlin, and celebrations at the hotel.

THE WEDDING TEAM Karen wore a beautiful dress from The Little White Dress Bridal Salon, Limerick. Bridesmaid’s dresses were bought in Be Fabulous boutique. The bridesmen’s suits were from Club Dangan, Ennis while Esquire Formal Menswear provided suits for the pageboys, Joshua and Oscar. Ring O Roses provided the floral arrangements for the day. “Pat was a pleasure to deal with, very polite, efficient and professional and made some beautiful wedding day flowers for all the bridal party and for the ceremony room on the day.” Orla Kennedy O’Brien created the wedding cake and really captured Karen and Samantha’s characters in a creative and fun way. Mad Hatters band provided music for the evening and had everyone up off their seats all night long. Ciara Meade sang at the end of the ceremony and again at the canapé and prosecco reception. She sang ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)’ by Stevie Wonder as the couple signed the papers and ‘I’m a Believer’ by the Monkees as the girls left the ceremony. She also sang ‘Ireland’s Call’ for Samantha and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ for Karen. Ciara also took the time to learn a new song that she hadn’t heard of before, ‘The Story’ by Sara Ramirez.

Their daughter’s best friend, Laura Flanagan, sang their entrance songs. She sang ‘The One’ by Kodaline for Karen and ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’ by Elvis for Samantha. She also sang ‘How Long Will I Love You’ by Ellie Goulding. “At fifteen years of age she sang like a professional with fifteen year’s experience. To have Laura, a long time addition to our family, sing at our wedding made our ceremony more personal to us.”

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Bernard O’Brien of New Age Photography captured the day fantastically in both photos and a video for the couple. Lisa Shanahan and Carina Laur did the girl’s hair and makeup. They had a jigsaw theme because of their shared love of jigsaw puzzles and “we have always said we are the perfect fit for each other so it seemed fitting”, said Karen.

FAVOURITE MEMORIES

Karena and Samantha’s favourite memories of the day was spending time with their friends and family and experiencing all of the different emotions of a wedding day with them. Their kids were also heavily involved in the wedding; they included a special sand ritual into their ceremony, “We had five jars of different colour sands, each jar of sand was to symbolise the essence of each individual and the attributes they bring to our family. Each of us poured our sand into a personalised vase, the swirling colours were to signify that we are all distinct and that it is our different personalities that add beautiful colour to the tapestry of the family.”

PERSONAL TOUCHES From start to finish Karen and Samantha wanted to inject some fun into their wedding day. The invitations they sent out were in the style of a court summons so they had people in a panic before they realised what it was. Then they decided to add a pop of colour, so they bought matching rainbow shoes and umbrellas for the day. They also had Orla Kennedy O’Brien make the top tier of their cake (rainbow coloured on the inside.) Their entrance song to the dining room was ‘Maniac 2000’, which got all of the guests in a great mood to party.

The girls had a jigsaw piece engraved on both of their wedding rings as well as their knife set by Matthew Stephens Jewellers. Some personal touches Karen and Samantha made to the day included using significant dates in their families history as their table plan. Each table began with a different year, beginning with their grandparents wedding dates and a photo of them on their wedding days. Each photo was held on a clip attached to a jigsaw piece. The brides made the clips themselves. They also tried to keep the kids involved as much as possible on the day. Samantha had a sign made for Oscar to wear up the aisle ahead of her as a surprise for Karen. It read ‘Mammy are you ready? Here comes mommy’. “Karen told me afterwards that she loved it and Oscar was delighted getting a job.”

All three of their kids did a reading. Their daughter Amy was a bridesmaid, and the two boys even handled the rings which made the day even more personal for the couple. “Apparently in every Irish wedding someone drops something and someone falls, our youngest Oscar covered both by dropping the ring and falling off the stage but it was all taken in good fun and gave everyone something to laugh and smile about including himself!”

Samantha and Karen jetted off on their honeymoon to Basel, Switzerland to take in a tennis tournament and then went to Lake Como, Italy to relax and unwind for a few days in the sun.

What was your experience like at the Bunratty Castle Hotel? “Five star, and we would give 10 if possible. David Shelly, General Manager, is an absolute credit to the hotel. There was nothing we asked David that he did not do. He was on hand from start to finish and was fun and an absolute pleasure to deal with. We would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Bunratty Castle Hotel to anyone for any event. His staff were amazing on the day and were praised around the room by many people. The chef, Donna, had her talents put to the test as we brought our son with a nut allergy, vegetarians, vegans and vegans with food allergies. The food was incredible and she could not have been more accommodating and helpful. We could not, if we tried, find fault with this venue, David, Donna and the staff at the hotel ensured we had the most memorable day imaginable. “ www.bunrattycastlehotel.com

THE The

MIDWEST

Bridal Bridal EXHIBITION Exhibition Midwest

2017

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th January 2015 Saturday 7th & Sunday Sunday 8th January, 2017 Saturday 9th & 10th January, University of Limerick Sports Arena, Castletroy, Limerick 2016

Limerick Mid-West Bridal Exhibition2017 2015 Limerick Mid-West Bridal Exhibition Limerick Mid-West Bridal Exhibition 2016 University University of of Limerick Limerick Sports Sports Arena, Arena, Castletroy, Castletroy, Limerick. Limerick. Doors Open at 12pm until 6pm. Admission €10.00

“Over 100 exhibitors showcasing the best of hotels, jewellers, stationers, photographers, videographers, wedding cars, hairdressers, make-up artists, beauticians, wedding cakes, DJ’s, bands, bridal wear, grooms wear and dress hire, mother of bride/ groom, guest at the wedding wear, novelty ideas…

Winter Wedding trends 2017 Winter is finally upon us and if you’re planning a winter wedding, we have been keeping up to date on all the latest trends and have made a list of all our favourite ones just for you!

Velvet shoes and accessories

People thought the velvet trend died in the ‘90s were definitely wrong, it’s the perfect material for winter wedding accessories especially in dark colours such as maroon, plum and navy. Bold colours are big in winter weddings as they warm up your look.

Non-floral centrepieces

Candelabras with fairy lights hanging off them and even potted plants have reached the centre of wedding tables across the world this year. Alternative centrepieces look just fantastic and the couple can choose exactly how they would like them. Floral pieces are slightly outdated and even when they are used they are usually changed up a little bit from the norm. This trend is defintiely going to keep going strong this year. You could also mix floral pieces with other centrepieces to make it look authentic and different.

Naked cakes

These exquisite creations have definitely gained traction among engaged couples the world over. They are fantastic, rustic looking cakes usually topped with decadent fruit or flowers to make them look elegant. They are basically cakes that have not been iced on the outside, they look stunning and are still uncommon enough that they would stand out as different for your wedding.

Action shots – photography

More and more couples are choosing to have the photographer take pictures that tell a story. Gone are the days of the classic wedding photos, it’s popular to have your photographer capture really personal moments, like the first time your parents see you in your dress. These are the pictures that tell a story and it is definitely a great trend to be part of.

Just the highlights

Having the videographer cut all of the footage into one small video is becoming a huge trend for weddings. We live in an age where everything is so easily accessible and shareable that couples often choose an easy to share version of their wedding video with just the best bits of the day. This gives the guests a chance to relive the day without watching the entire thing again.

What to do if it

rainS

on your wedding day

We can’t all be lucky enough to get a crisp and dry winters day for our wedding, so if you want to be prepared for what you could be facing then here are a few tips to keep the rain from spoiling your day!

Embrace it No matter how hard we try, we cannot control the weather, so if it’s going to rain it’s going to rain. The best thing you can do is get some fantastic candid photos of you and your hubby splashing in the puddles and enjoying yourself on your special day. Photographs are guaranteed to look gorgeous in overcast weather because the light saturation will look amazing in comparison to that of a blindingly sunny day and you can have a bit of fun picking out matching umbrellas in the days coming up to your wedding.

Be prepared The easiest way to let the weather put a downer on your day is being unprepared. Even if you’re in denial that it could rain, you’ll regret not going welly shopping when the day finally arrives. There are tons of ways to incorporate rain into your day and no; it is not a sign from the gods that something will go wrong. Bring a pair of stylish wellies for pictures, so you don’t wreck your brand new Valentinos and bring an umbrella, everything else will work out.

Pictures Pictures can be tricky on a wet day but talk to your photographer and I’m sure they will have many ideas that will make your wedding album one of a kind. If you’re feeling super adventurous and you have a few umbrellas then take outdoor pictures, they will be completely unique and you’ll look back on them so fondly in years to come. Just have fun in the rain.. it’s possible you know!

Indoor activities This is an obvious one but it’s so important, some of your guests might not be as keen to stay out in the rain as you are so be mindful of them. Provide umbrellas at the ceremony or remind everybody to bring their own and don’t have your wedding anywhere too open to the elements. Ask your venue when they will be ready to receive your guests and organise transport to the venue from the church at that time.

A romantic castle wedding f or E n d a a n d S e a n Enda Harte & Seán Murphy July 29, 2016

Belleek Castle, Ballina, Co. Mayo

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Eamonn O’Boyle Photography

Page 66- What’s the best way to a man’s heart? Well in Enda Harte’s case, it was through his adorable dog Bruno. Enda, from Sligo asked Mayo native Seán Murphy out on a date after a few weeks of flirtatious messaging over the internet, Seán showed up with two tennis balls to win Bruno over and didn’t stop with him. The couple now live in Sligo with Bruno and their second golden Labrador, Harvey.

THE PROPOSAL On New Years Eve of 2013 the pair were out partying in the local nightclub with some friends when Seán took Enda to a quiet place and asked him to marry him. Of course Enda said yes and they rang in the new year as an engaged couple.

Shortly after the pair got planning and set their date for July 29, 2016. “When it came to setting a date we chose July 2016 in the hopes the referendum would have occurred and gone through by then,” Enda recalls. They settled on Belleek Castle for their celebrations and never looked back. Their day was shared with 209 guests who all had a fabulous time celebrating with the couple.

THE WEDDING DETAILS Berenice Farrell officiated the ceremony and they had a sleek black, gold and canine theme running through the wedding. Despite not knowing what kind of outfits they were going for, the guys set out to find some eyecatching suits for their big day and they were in luck when they came across SuitRepublic in Galway. Seán went for a chocolate brown three-piece suit and Enda chose a blue tweed three-piece. Seán found them both fantastic handmade buttonholes on Etsy to compliment the suits. They had a witness each who both wore pink dresses from Oasis.

The lovebirds entered the ceremony to Little Mix’s rendition of ‘I Will Wait’ and they exited to an acoustic version of ‘Defying Gravity’ from the musical Wicked. They entered the reception to Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t Stop The Feeling.’ Their band was Blue Moose, an easy choice as the gents had come across them many times in a local bar. Eamonn O’Boyle photographed their wedding day, Darragh Kerrigan Creative, a local graphic designer, designed their invites.

Belleek Castle provided center pieces for the tables and Seán designed and made the decorations for the top table. He also made the table numbers with bottles painted black with a gold rim to fit in with their theme. They had black and gold place cards as well as a canine on their invites and cake. The three-tier chocolate biscuit cake was designed and made by a friend of the pairs and was topped with two Labrador figurines.

MEMORIES Enda’s favourite memory of the whole day is when Berenice, their celebrant, pronounced them husband and husband, “when our celebrant Berenice introduced us officially as husband and husband, it sunk in, we did it. Sean’s sister made reference to Ireland saying Yes in May 2015 when she made her speech after dinner, this also reminded me of how far we came as a country,” Enda remembers.

The grooms went for a roast pig on a spit for their midnight food and it went down a treat with guests.

ADVICE

“From day one we wanted our day to be about us. While it’s great to receive suggestions and input from people, we based all decisions around the mantra “Our Day, Our Way”. Anything that didn’t feel right or we felt wasn’t us, we decided against. Once you set a date, book the celebrant, venue and entertainment. Make sure to build in break times, as you will both be exhausted chatting to everyone and smiling for the camera. This will give you both time to reflect on things as they happen throughout the day. “

What was your experience like at Belleek Castle Hotel? “When we viewed the hotel we just knew this was very us. It had so much character and we could just picture our nearest and dearest celebrating our big day with us. Every interaction with the staff was a joy from the initial viewing to subsequent meetings with Maya the manager or Stephen the chef. Nothing was too much trouble, advice and suggestions were there if needed. The food was out of this world and the wine was perfect for the day. We cannot recommend the venue highly enough for their personal service and attention to detail. “ www.belleekcastle.com

for a unique and intimate wedding

Looking for something a little different for your special day…a magical venue with gothic styling’s…great ambiance & and most of all, an unforgettable experience for you and your guests? Then Belleek Castle Hotel is the venue for you. The elegant Castle, set in the beautiful Mayo countryside enclosed by ancient woodland, brings to life a true fairytale theme. Enter the Castle and find a unique and atmospheric structure, renovated and restored to its former glory by Marshall Doran. We have a number of options for your wedding; we cater for small groups in the charmingly constructed Tween Deck or larger parties of up to 200 guests in the distinctive Mediaeval Banquet Hall. Civil Ceremonies can be celebrated in the castle with options also available. Belleek, on the outskirts of Ballina Town, is only 40 minutes drive from Knock Airport, lots of amenities including world class fishing, golfing, shooting and scenic walks and historic sites to be found in the region. We offer our guests fine dinning from master Chef Stephen Lenahan who has AA Rosette awarded for the last number of years. Our wedding team will work with you ensuring we create your dream day and a magical experience to be cherished for life.

Ballina, Co. Mayo, Ireland | Tel: +353 96 22400 weddings@belleekcastle.com | www.belleekcastle.com

EuroToques

A fairytale setting

Staying warm on

your big day Winter weddings are some of the most beautiful of the year, the crisp, bright daylight makes for stunning photo opportunities and the cold weather makes it much more acceptable to snuggle up to your brand-new hubby/wife. Sadly the downside is the temperature, you don’t want to miss out on the fun of the day because you’re shaking and you certainly don’t want to be uncomfortable on your big day! We have some ideas that might help keep you and your guests cosy for the day that’s in it.

Gloves If you’re cold, the first place you’ll feel it is your fingers. You won’t want shaky hands to take away from your special day. A pair of elegant gloves will add a certain regality to your wedding look and they can be removed for some pictures. Overall gloves are much more stylish than blue fingers. Another way to incorporate gloves into the wedding is to offer them to guests as wedding favours, you could have them monogrammed as a memento of your day.

Hot drinks Hot chocolate with marshmallows or a mulled wine will go down a treat with guests on a winters day, so why not serve these beverages as part of your drinks reception before your meal. You could have them served alongside some warm winter themed canapés, especially if your wedding is before Christmas Day.

Tropical props If you don’t feel like playing on the Christmas theme you could always have some summery bits and pieces to take your guests’ minds off of the cold. A photobooth with a tropical background could give your guests a great laugh and could make for some hilarious wedding day moments.

Choose the right venue Venues with lots of glass walls or windows will feel cold on the day, try choosing a venue with lots of carpet and a warm light backdrop will keep you and your guests nice and cosy for the evening that’s in it.

A colourful day O F f esti v ities f or Aine a n d T rion a Aine Genockey & Triona Reilly May 27, 2016

Avon Ri, Blessington

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Ronan Shaw Photographie

Despite an interest from Aine Genockey’s friend Sandy in the lovely Triona Reilly, fate intervened and these Dublin natives finally took the plunge to start dating in November 2008. When Triona went back to America, where she was studying and playing football, Aine missed her so much that she kindly asked Sandy’s permission to ask Triona out. “We spoke for hours on MSN and phone and she was the first person I really came out to,” Aine recalls fondly.

THE PROPOSAL

On Christmas Day 2014, the pair were on their way to visit their nephews and Triona took a detour to Phoenix Park, a place frequently visited by the couple. Aine felt as though Triona was acting weird and her suspicions were right, she was hiding something. “After a short walk she got down on one knee with the most amazing ring and asked me to be her wife,” Aine remembers. A date was set for May 27, 2016 at Avon Ri, Blessington. A festival themed day was subsequently organized with 120 of their nearest and dearest family and friends attending.

Both brides wore gowns from Berketex Bride and the staff went above and beyond to make sure that Aine and Triona didn’t know each other’s dresses (or didn’t choose the same one). Flowers were provided by The Flower Factory in Clondalkin. They went for rainbow roses and yellow gerbera for the bridesmaids and rainbow rose buttonholes for their dads and brothers. They wanted a lot of colour and including the pride colours was a no brainer. The bouquets they carried were made with purple and white fuschias. Their cake had rainbow bunting going around each tier to reflect the festival theme and was made by Cake Creations in Gorey.

THE WEDDING TEAM The music was provided by the band ‘Pump Up the Jam.’ Ronan Shaw captured the day flawlessly and the couple couldn’t be happier with their wedding album. Their invites resembled festival tickets, created by Splash Graphics. “Oona was amazing, she really put our personalities into the invites,” Aine recalls. The whole bridal party was beautified by Venus Hair and Beauty, Clondalkin. The ceremony was officiated by Vanessa Livesey whom the brides describe as “a beautiful woman who put our nerves at ease.”

THE WEDDING DETAILS

FAVOURITE MEMORIES Both brides gushed over each other, recalling their favourite moments as “seeing Triona walk up the aisle,” for Aine, and “seeing how beautiful Aine looked”, for Triona. They shared their first dance to ‘Everything’ by Michael Bublé. The girls made their day about everything they love, their guest book was Aine’s guitar and they had vinyl records as their table numbers, with all of the bands they have been to see together. “We had the most amazing day, we have been fully supported by our family and friends and to us that’s all we needed. We want to thank everyone who was involved in making it the best day of our lives.”

Aine and Triona jetted off on a romantic honeymoon to Cancun and Orlando, when all the celebrations were over. The pair currently live in Whitehall with Triona’s dad and are hoping to start a family of their own in the near future.

outside the box

LGBT couples are well known for injecting fun into everything they organise. To capitalize on this take we have put together a list of things you can do to make your wedding stand out as one of a kind.

Circular ceremony

Have your loved ones seated around you while you get hitched, it makes for an intimate ceremony even if there is a large crowd and everyone will get a good view of the nuptials. You could also bring this style into your reception by getting rid of the top table and just having a circular table for you and your wedding party. With this table in the middle of the room, everybody will get to see you and it makes you much more approachable than you would be at a classic top table.

Scratch card wedding invites

These are a super cute way of inviting people to your wedding. Create a scratch card so people can have fun unveiling the date of your big day; it’s a super fun and even DIY option if you are so inclined. Write something cheesy like ‘lucky in love’ on them and your guests will love it, everyone’s a winner.

Alternatives to cake

Cake isn’t your cup of tea? No problem, there are tons of different confections to sink your teeth into on your wedding day. Try donuts or pastries instead to give your guests something unexpected. If you are getting married around the same time as some of your friends who will have a similar guest list, it might give your guests a much needed break from the traditional wedding cake. Talk to our confectionery suppliers for their advice on this and together you can come up with some wonderful ideas. Desert tables will also be the biggest thing to hit the sweet scene for 2017.

An old post box is perfect for keeping your wedding cards Just set up a funky looking Irish style post box in your drinks reception area or at the top of the room during the meal so that you don’t have to worry about minding your cards throughout the day and you can take them away at the end of the meal. For safekeeping, it would definitely add to your venue décor.

Hangover help kits

These will be a lifesaver for those guests who get a bit carried away during the celebrations. Just fill a bag with all the things you need to kick a hangover. Guests will most definitely thank you for them the next day and if they don’t use them straight away they are sure to need them at some stage soon.

Photo stand ins

Instead of the usual photo booth opt for a funny photo stand in to be set up in your drinks reception. A super fun idea sure to give your guests a great laugh.

Stop the LightS

Irish music & song for great occasions

Phone: 086 1918 164

Think

things that annoy wedding guests By Kelly Hynes

Your wedding is undoubtedly your day, and your guests should respect your wishes and do everything in their power to enjoy their day. However it’s not unusual for couples to fear the idea of their guests having a bad time. If you’ve been a wedding guest yourself you know exactly what we’re talking about! We’ve collected some of the most common wedding elements that annoy guests. Read on to discover what gets on people’s nerves as you strut down the aisle. When the couple are ridiculously late to the ceremony You have to be forgiven for being slightly late, between getting ready and the photographer getting those perfect shots before you rush out the door, it’s impossible for everything to be punctual. It’s when you tread over the fashionably late stage to the excessively late stage that you’ll quickly learn that people hate waiting. They’ve probably done their level best to get to your ceremony on time so it’s highly appreciated when you’ve done the same. Your groom’s nerves will be all the better for it. A huge gap between the ceremony and the reception. Did I mention that people hate waiting? They hate it even more when they’re hungry. If you’re planning to head off to a scenic spot with the photographer for a while, you could look into providing entertainment for your guests back at your reception, between magicians, dancers and candy carts-the options are endless and Irish LGBT Weddings can help you out with this. You can also ask the wedding coordinator at your venue about the refreshments that are included for guests when they begin arriving at your reception. Most venues provide music and plenty of canapes and sandwiches for your guests to nibble as they wait for the meal, guaranteed to keep them happy. Long speeches Sometimes the most effective speech is the one that’s kept to “a few words”. Speeches with endless toasts or inside jokes will eventually result in your guests tuning out and turning towards their wine glass. It is daunting enough to perform a speech in front of all your wedding guests, without the discouragement of people yawning in response to you. So be mindful of what you plan to say and the length of time it takes to say it!

Accommodation Most guests will want to stay overnight, but may not have the financial means to stay at your wedding venue. Not to worry, as there’s nearly always another cheaper option within close proximities. When choosing your venue, it might be wise to see if there are B&Bs or self-catering houses within close distance of your venue, this will prevent annoyance from your guests and save you some bother trying to sort out taxis for everyone when you should be dancing your heart out. Trying to pack too much in I recommended looking into entertainment options above, but I should also warn you about going overboard with this one! Entertainment is great-in small doses but your day shouldn’t resemble a circus (unless you are going for a carnival theme). Watching performers all evening can irritate some of your guests who can’t wait to just chill out and mingle with long lost friends. Entertainment can sometimes delay your band/DJ and annoy them too. So before you book your fire breathers followed by Irish dancers and then some fireworks to finish, remember that sometimes less is more.

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Perfect timing led to a per f ect re l ationship f or M a rtin a a n d Ly nette Martina McHugh & Lynette Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien July 15, 2016

Conyngham Arms Slane

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Cormac Crowley Photography

Martina McHugh, from Crumlin, met Clondalkin native Lynette Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien through a mutual friend while celebrating Pride in 2011. Both had just come out of long-term relationships and fate brought them together.

It was a whirlwind romance for the girls, Lynette even suggested marriage after a month because they were both so happy, but it was not decided until Lynette made an extremely romantic proposal in December 2012. Shortly after that the date was set for July 15, 2016 and everything fell into place for these two lovebirds.

THE WEDDING DAY

They chose to celebrate their love with a spiritualist ceremony officiated by Sandra Losty at the Conyngham Arms Slane. “We wanted our wedding to be all about the love so we had love hearts everywhere. We also wanted our guests to feel it too so the ceremony was done in a way that got our guests involved. We had our family circle us and our spiritualist passed our rings around in a circle and asked our families to put a good blessing on our wedding rings. Sandra also asked our guests to send up their good wishes to our rings,” remembers Martina.

The wedding was black tie. The bridesmaids wore fabulous dresses from Debenhams and suits for the groomsmen and dads were hired from Formal Wear in Tallaght. Martina got her dress from Fiona Toddhunters in Tallaght and Lynette got her dress from Ruben Bridal in Kildare.

THE WEDDING TEAM The gorgeous floral arrangements were provided by a friend of the couple’s mother and a cousin, Celine Martone and Caroline Norton. Amazing Cakes Bray did the cake. Cormac Crowley Photography captured the couple’s special moments perfectly. John Redmond filmed the day making sure not one moment would be missed and the girl’s invitations were made by Hierographics Print. Martina’s sister Sharleen did the brides’ hair and they had their makeup done by Flaw Less. Tropical Strom entertained the wedding guests for the evening.

FAVOURITE MEMORIES “I will never forget our ceremony, it was so personal and you could just feel the love in the room from everybody, it was amazing. My wife looked absolutely amazing and it was the proudest moment of my life,” recalls Martina. “I also loved before the meal our Wedding Planner Louise from the hotel brought us up to our room and had two Heinekens sent up to us. It was a lovely quiet moment where we both took time together to grin from ear to ear. ‘

PERSONAL TOUCHES “Instead of having a signing frame or book we had Jenga pieces for everybody to write advice on. The prompt sign read “Help us build memories, please sign a Jenga Piece” We have our Jenga pieces now on display in our house. Our main aim for the day was for everyone to have fun, to be well entertained and to be well fed, so instead of having cocktail sausages for evening food we had mini burgers, chip cones and fish and chip cones. We both mentioned the referendum during our speeches and thanked our guests for making our special day happen.”

Neither Lynette nor Martina believed in marriage prior to the referendum but they did know from the moment they met that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with each other. “We are both normally very private gals but we only realised during the referendum how much was at stake. When the result for the Yes vote came through we can honestly say it was the second happiest day of our lives. Our country did us proud that day and to feel fully accepted by your country, to feel like you belong is a feeling I will never truly be able to describe,” shares Martina.

Tell us about your experience at Fiona Todhunter Bridal? “Fiona was very personal, she gave her suggestions without being too over powering and I felt that she cared about my wedding day and that I was not just a number. I would highly recommend Fiona Todhunters. I also thought it was a nice touch for her to send me a text on the day of the wedding wishing all the best to myself and Lynette on our big day.” www.fionatodhunter.com

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Lucille and Elaineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s scr a b b l e -ta stic a u t u mn we d d in g Elaine Grange & Lucille Furlong September 18, 2016

Leixlip Manor and Gardens

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Elaine Barker Photography

Elaine Grange, from Dublin, met Kilkenny native Lucille Furlong through mutual friends a number of years ago. They currently live in Lusk, North Dublin with their two sons Caodhan and Senan. Elaine is an operations manager with Three while Lucille is a stay at home mom.

THE PROPOSAL Lucille proposed to Elaine while she was pregnant with their youngest son, Senan. She used scrabble tiles to spell out ‘Will u marry me’ on top of their mantelpiece because it is one of their favourite games to play together. “That day I had Caodhan help me, we set it up on the mantelpiece and waited…..we had to wait a while for her to see it, even with Caodhan asking her to look at the mantelpiece it took a few seconds for her to realise what it said. Obviously,she said yes,” said Lucille.

A date was quickly set for September 18, 2016 at the Leixlip Manor and Gardens.

THE WEDDING DETAILS Once the venue had been settled, it was time to choose outfits for the day. The pair both got dresses from Memories Bridal, Dublin, and had them altered by Sarah Foy Couture, who also made Lucille’s headpiece.

Elaine’s step-mother, Catriona, did an amazing job putting together artificial flowers for the day. The couple’s son, Caodhan, has bad allergies so real ones were not even considered.

They had Creative Cakes make a four-tiered ivory cake with roses on the front and a superhero theme on the back. “Elaine’s mum and my dad are both dead, and we lost three babies, so we wanted these to be part of our big day. We asked Michael to include five coloured roses to represent each of our loved ones, the colours were very subtle and complemented the ivory icing on the front.” The superhero part was a fun way for the couple to include their kids in the creation.

THE WEDDING TEAM Marvin and the Grooves were the band for the evening. Elaine Barker captured the whole day fantastically and IMA Designs created the invites to set the tone. The brides had their hair done at Kieran O’Gorman Hair Studio and makeup was done by Laura Gaughran Makeup.

WEDDING THEME

The wedding theme was classic vintage with superheroes included to involve the two boys. The cake and the table plan were both part of the superhero theme, and everything else, from bird-cage centrepieces to the homely atmosphere, was classic vintage. “We wanted people to feel like they were in our house, we wanted everyone to know we wanted them there, that it was important for us to share this beautiful and important day with the ones we love.”

FAVOURITE MEMORIES

Favourite memories for Elaine and Lucille were the quick ten-minute coffee break they had as a family before the ceremony. Another cherished memory is when they first saw each other and the magnitude of what was happening hit them. The pair included their son Caodhan in the first dance and went for a walk, just the two of them, when the night came to a close, to soak up what had happened and be deliriously happy together that they were finally married.

PERSONAL TOUCHES Elaine and Lucille chose to forego wedding favours and instead donated a sum of money to charity Bumbleance. They also had a friend make Malteser trees for each table and a Forrero Rocher tree for the top table. Other details included family pictures. “We printed out photos of all our family and friends and framed them. On each frame, we put scrabble tiles with words that explain what the people meant to us like, love, family, clan, kin etc. It was a lovely touch and everyone told us it made them feel very special and very included in the wedding.” Lucille’s bridesmaid, Michelle, created crosswords about Elaine and Lucille and each guest got one at the beginning of the meal. “It was funny to see how well people knew us.” There were 20 kids in attendance so the brides hired Funtastic, a children’s entertainment group, to come in during the meal so parents could relax a bit and not have to worry.

The newlyweds spent a week in Vilamoura, Portugal, offered as a part of the wedding package from the Leixlip Manor and Gardens. They are planning a longer honeymoon to Australia with their kids in 2017.

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Let 2017 be the year to put your fertility first.

Dr. Mary McCaffrey Medical Director MB FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician - Gynaecologist

The Scotia Clinic, Scotia House, Manor West, Tralee, Co. Kerry Phone: (066) 7181100 | Fax: (066) 7181156 | E-mail: Reception@scotiaclinic.ie

www.scotiaclinic.ie

Fertility at Scotia Clinic – talk to us about your dream of having a baby. Same sex couples have unique needs when it comes to having a baby. Medical advances now offer a wide range of options. The key issue for all women wishing to conceive is their ovarian reserve. Women are born with a finite number of eggs which naturally reduce over time so it is always better to conceive at a younger age. As circumstances may not always allow family building until later in life the option of egg freezing is a worthwhile consideration for those not in a position to become pregnant until some time in the future. Fertility treatments including IUI or IVF with donor sperm offers options. A key decision is whether to use sperm from someone a couple know and trust or to avail of anonymous sperm from regulated sperm banks. It is prudent for women to assess ovarian reserve, involving an AMH blood test and/or antral follicle count on ultrasound, prior to deciding on the type of treatment that best meets their needs. While IVF with donor sperm may be more costly, pregnancy rates may be higher if there are complex fertility issues or in older women. Embryo adoption is an option that some women consider when their own ovarian reserve is so diminished that they are unlikely to produce adequate eggs for IVF or IUI. Embryos may be donated by couples who have frozen embryos that they will not be using for a future pregnancy.

New laboratory technology called vitrification has greatly improved the success of egg freezing. The younger a woman is at the time of egg freezing, the more success she will have at the time of “thawing” eggs. To undergo egg freezing a woman goes through the same medications as an IVF cycle; the eggs are harvested as in a usual IVF cycle and then frozen. The option of surrogacy is the usual one considered by two men having a baby together. While some couples may choose a female friend to act as a surrogate, we strongly recommend counselling for all parties prior to embarking on treatment. Most couples choose to work with an agency who have expertise with surrogacy. The identified surrogate becomes pregnant with the sperm of you or your partner either by IVF or IUI, and then carries the baby to term and gives birth to the baby. Legal guidance is crucial for couples embarking on surrogacy as the baby is genetically connected to the surrogate.

A love of football b ro u g ht them to g ether Laura Corrigan & Tara Moloney June 19, 2016

The Glenview Hotel, Delgany, Co Wicklow

PRIDE & JOY

Photos courtesy of Tim Moloney from Kylefoto Studio

Laura Corrigan, from Wexford and Tara Moloney from Athlone met while playing football. A deep friendship followed for the teammates over many years while playing club and county football. It took a while before Laura and Tara knew there was something deeper to their friendship. A sneaky kiss solidified their feelings for each other and they started dating. Marriage wasn’t something they spoke too often about until the referendum rolled around. “It was something we had spoken about a few times but Tara felt it wasn’t something that was required; a piece of paper to declare your feelings for someone. However, in the build up to the marriage referendum she realised the importance of it,” remembers Laura.

THE PROPOSAL

Tara asked Laura to marry her on Laura’s birthday in April 2015, just before the marriage referendum vote. The proposal was a huge surprise for Laura and was done using five helium balloons. Each balloon had a birthday present and a love message attached to the cord, each one was opened in sequence with the last present being the engagement and message saying ‘Will you marry me?’. Struggling to answer through the tears of joy, Laura said yes to her “best birthday present ever!” The couple were delighted to share their news with friends and family including Laura’s daughter, Kristen.

THE WEDDING DETAILS Once the ‘Yes’ votes passed shortly after the proposal, the ladies were elated and began to plan their special day. A wedding date was set for June 19, 2016 with the stunning Glenview Hotel, Co Wicklow as the location. The guest list contained 139 of the ladies’ closest friends and family members. The wedding had a theme that was an important life motto for the pair. “’Live, Laugh, Love’ – a lot of the elements on the day had the statement on it. Life is too short to not enjoy it so if you get to live, laugh and love each day then that is a good day.” The colour scheme was pink and mint with a splash of pride colours.

A team of talented wedding vendors came together to help the brides create the most perfect wedding day. Each guest received a beautiful invitation from Vistaprint. ie to invite them to the girls’ upcoming nuptials. Ensuring the ceremony was as special as the ladies wanted it to be, the ceremony officiator was carefully selected; Romy McAuley from ‘A Beautiful Ceremony’. “We couldn’t speak highly enough of Romy, she created a beautiful personal ceremony which completely reflected our lives and the beginning of our new adventure. Even still people are speaking of our beautiful, intimate special ceremony.” The stunning floral arrangements were created by Vita Flora based in Co. Wexford. The team at Vita Flora also supplied a backdrop for the room, a candy ferris wheel and a Ferrero Rocher Heart for guests to enjoy on the night. The Cake Creator supplied a fabulous cake on the day to the girls’ specifications. Music for the ceremony was supplied by family members, Aimee Brennan; a cousin of Tara and very talented wedding singer, and Anne Murphy, Laura’s sister, a very talented former singer from various bands. The Heebie Jeebies kept the dance floor hopping all night and the brides were delighted with their performance. “They were unbelievable; dance floor was full from beginning to end. We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a fantastic night.” The stunning images captured throughout the day were taken by Tara’s Dad, Tim Moloney from Kylefoto Studio. The girls were blown away by the end result and were delighted with how easy Tara’s Dad made the whole process.

THE WEDDING TEAM

PERSONAL TOUCHES Putting their personal stamp on the day was important to Laura and Tara, so a touch of DIY allowed them to do so. “We created our own menus in the style of a ‘Cootie Catcher’. Under each selection was a different course of the meal with the options you had to choose from. Some found it just a little bit too confusing but for most it brought them back to their childhood!” The personal touches didn’t stop there. “The favour boxes contained a personalised Yankee candle with a ‘Thank you’ message for each person, thanking them for not only being a part of our day but for all their support and love for the past few years.”

The tables were named after the ladies’ favourite TV shows. Each person had a personalised table escort card where they had to scratch away a heart that revealed the table they were sitting at.

What did the Yes vote mean to you guys? “The build up was very tough emotionally for us as a family. We really felt like our family unit was being openly scrutinised and to be honest, torn apart. In particular for Kristen it was a very tough time, she just couldn’t understand their small mindedness and their ability to try to create this idea that we couldn’t possibly be capable of raising children, creating a loving family unit and certainly not raising a well-balanced, loving, intelligent, caring, beautiful, focused daughter, which is everything we had already achieved. Her open mindedness and acceptance of diversity will always be her strength. The run up was very tough but we knew there was more open minded accepting people out there. Those who knew the truth and that the younger and more accepting generations would stand up and be counted, keeping the Yes vote being a real possibility. The day itself was so emotional, the realisation of what was about to happen was truly amazing. I remember we watched the day unfold from home, beaming with pride and joy of what was unfolding and what we were witnessing.”

Laura and Tara also wanted to create an intimate reception that they could enjoy closely with their friends and family, which included getting rid of the traditional top table. “We had a large oval table in the middle of the room which sat 24 people. All of our close family members we able to join us at the main table, of course named “Modern Family”. It was so wonderful to have included all of our immediate family in such a unique way. Then all the rest of the tables surrounded the middle table and it meant that all tables were beside the main table.”

CHERISHED MOMENTS For Laura, seeing her wife to be walk up the aisle was something she will cherish forever. “She was just stunning and completely took my breath away. It was the realisation that our moment had finally arrived. We were able to be ourselves from start to finish, hold hands, hug, dance, kiss in front of all our family and our friends.”

There was also an entertaining re-enactment of the pair’s first meeting and proposal for the guests to enjoy. Laura also sang ‘Tenerife Sea’ by Ed Sheeran with the band to surprise her new wife.

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The g Hotel & Spa, Galway City T: 091 865200 E: weddings@theg.ie W: www.theghotel.ie