Couple: Katie and Gerard
Wedding venue: Glenlo Abbey Hotel and Estate
Wedding photographer: Paul Duane Photography
Who helped:
Venue: Glenlo Abbey Hotel. We couldn’t fault the Glenlo. We loved everything about the venue. Cathy Melia was our wedding coordinator. She was fantastic! Very professional. She was there on the day of our wedding to make sure everything went perfectly!
Band Name: The Wondertones. They were fantastic! Our guests were dancing from the moment they set up right through the night. They even stayed on a bit later because no one would leave the dance floor!
Dress: Belladonna Bridal – Sue in Belladonna was amazing. It was her who chose my dress! I knew before she even had it buttoned it up on me!
Shoes: New Look!
Celebrant: Fr Conor McDonough. He is a friend of ours!
Hair: Natalie O’Brien- Amazing. Amazing, amazing. So good at what she does. And so lovely!
Makeup: Pauline Fletcher. Again, amazing, amazing, amazing. So helpful and does exactly what you’re looking for!
Cake: The Cake Emporium in Galway – Aine. She was so easy to deal with. We had lots of compliments on the cake!
Why did you choose your venue?
We had originally booked a church in Rome to get married there. One day we just decided to look into venues in Galway. The Glenlo Abbey was the first one that came to mind. I always thought it was a gorgeous hotel. We always said we wanted something a little different and we really liked how it was a bit outside the city. That weekend we decided to take a trip out to see it. We loved it from the get-go! It’s so classic and timeless. We loved the surroundings and the scenic view of the Corrib River. We also thought it was a very intimate hotel. Gerard and I met with Cathy the wedding coordinator and she showed us around and talked us through everything- so we booked it the following day!
Where did you guys meet and how long have you been together?
We were first introduced to each other very briefly when we were only 14 years old at a disco. My twin brother was in school with Gerard, they were in the same class so he had always said to my brother he would have to meet me. It was just a quick hi / goodbye! Five years on we ended up going to the same University. We had similar friends so would see each other around college most days. 2 years into college we slowly became friends and started hanging out just the two of us and spending more time together. We got on really well! The rest is History!
We’ve have been together 8 years.
What would be your biggest piece of advice to couples you can give about your wedding day?
If someone could have told me how happy we would have been on the day, we wouldn’t have spent a single minute worrying about anything in the days leading up! The day itself will be the most amazing day of your life. You’ll both be so happy and just on cloud 9 all day. You don’t think of the little things, you’re just floating through the day with a smile on your face.
Take some time out during the day just to be alone with each other. We went for a walk and a coffee, by far the most memorable part of our day. Also during the meal, take a few minutes just to sit back and watch everyone mingle, it’s so nice to see all those people there for the two of you!
Enjoy the build up! Things can inevitably get stressful but move on past them once it’s sorted and be excited! Because you have so much to be excited for!!
