Franco & Graeme’s Landmark Civil Partnership

You may remember we featured a same sex engagement shoot, courtesy of Franco & Graeme. We’re delighted to say they’ve since tied the knot, and have shared it with us.

They arranged their civil partnership 7 years to the day they met the new 7 year itch with a reception in the Landmark Hotel in Leitrim. Despite the early morning threat of showers coming over Sligo bay from the Atlantic, the weather turned out perfect with blue skies and warm temperatures. Now rid of their camera shyness after their engagement photo session shot by Aindréas Lynch of ATL Photography, Graeme and Franco were free to relax and enjoy their landmark celebrations.

The Ceremony

Franco and Graeme had always wanted a church blessing and as neither of their religions allowed for this they were left longing for this special part as this is where the ceremony is and what this whole day is about. The commitment to each other. In their extensive search they discovered that the Clarion Hotel in Sligo had an old church on its grounds which had been converted into a function room. They went to the Clarion and viewed the church venue.

Both of us knew there and then this was our church.

Graeme, his family and witnesses decorated the windows of the church the night before. They chose their flowers for the candle centre piece, buttonholes, presentation bouquets and bestmaid bouquets from Darling buds of May in Castlebar.  Graeme studied Art in college and is a qualified glass artist, so he was in his element designing the windows with ivy and sprayed branches each window had candles on them also.

When we chose the church at the Clarion we loved its layout. But then came the debate about walking up the aisle. So we agreed we walk up either side aisle with our parents, and walk down the centre together. Symbolising our TWO separate single lives and our bonds with our parents and then starting our new life together as ONE.

As well as the legal vows they also made some personal promises to each other.

The Photos

We had our shots with our parents taking by Aindréas outside the church as it was a glorious day. We had then arranged to go to Lough Key with our witnesses to have some shots taking there, whilst our guests arrived to a special cocktail and drinks reception with specially made skittletinis, mojitios and appletinis along with selections of canapés. 

We had some love photos taking by the lake and the it was good crack not serious or off putting. It had helped that we’d had the engagement shoot with Aindreas put all my fears to rest as I wouldn’t be the most photogenic haha. Aindreas is so professional, he is definitely someone we’d recommend (and have to 2 couples already). He’s good crack whilst knowing what he wants. He sees things you wouldn’t and captures them so beautifully.

The Suits

When choosing their suits, they both looked for style and fit. Graeme’s was from Savoy Taylors guild – a blue suit with a white shirt and red tie and red shoes. Franco’s suit was from Hugo Boss – a three piece dark grey check with blue line through it, white shirt with blue tie and black shoes.

The Reception Venue

Graeme and Franco went to great lengths to ensure not only the look of the venue, but also the customer service of their reception venue met their high standards. They collected brochures from most of the venues between Donegal, Sligo, Mayo, Roscommon as well as look through their websites. Then they took a weeks holidays and visited the venues they liked. They also booked into a few and arranged appointments for following day so as to see what the service was like before they met the coordinators and made any arrangements. This way they got to see what rooms were like for their guest and what type of experience they may receive. They did not inform the hotels of this however so as to fully experience their service before the sales pitch!

The Landmark Hotel in Carrick on Shannon in Leitrim almost slipped through their search.  While flicking through a magazine on their travels, they spotted it, and quickly made arrangements to check it out. Aoife (sales and marketing manager) showed Franco and Graeme around the venue.

She brought us to the front door and proceeded to walk us through the building stating that our day started here at this door and not to worry about a thing after that as they will cater for everything (boy did they). As we walked through each area there was excitement and butterflies our stomachs. Finally we arrive at function room. She opened the doors and suddenly I started to tear up – it was perfect, the lighting was blue, the tables were round (so everybody facing each other) the place settings evenly distributed (sounds bad but these are things that I look for a bit O.C.D. about things at times), clean white linen and an amazing candle centrepiece which is in the shape of a rose in a tall glass vase which accentuates the blue lighting. We were just speechless. 

We then went to sit down and offered more refreshments where we met Tricia (Patricia Corrigan wedding coordinator you can see why she’s won awards). They showed us their brochure and asked us what we like, what we’d hoped for and assured us they’re wasn’t anything they couldn’t do. So we then took a walk upstairs to see the rooms and finally as we were leaving Graeme pipes up out of nowhere and says “we’ll take it”. It was finally happening. The way the Landmark met us, from every member of staff from day one till the day we checked out was with complete respect and professionalism 5 star quality. They are a credit to Kieran, the owner and his establishment, in fact on our second meeting with Emma the second coordinator Kieran joined us, anything we wanted it would be done.

The Landmark really went the extra mile, and supplied the top table with a particular flower MUSCARI Graeme had wanted as it was blue.

They even arranged for a courier to pick up the flowers in Dublin that morning which were coming in from Holland on special order they then placed individual stems on each table!!!!

The Entrance!

Franco had always wanted to have a different entrance than normal and came up with the idea of an X-Factor entrance, to which everyone taught he had cracked including Graeme!

I spoke with Martin the DJ from Discocops and we worked on it together along with Tricia & Emma. He told me about this site where you can have recorded the script you want by the announcer from X-Factor. So I sent off the script and paid for it, then forwarded it to Martin where he cut and edited it including some sound bites we’d recorded. We asked our witnesses for pictures of themselves without telling them why and we added some of us when we were younger and pictures of both our parents wedding days.

So we were outside the room everybody seated the room lights dimmed and screens either side of top table came down, Martin played the introduction for Liam & Hazel to the X-Factor judges entrance music and there pics, then Sinead and Paraic to the same, then finally he played our intro and showed the pics we were then escorted around the room through the tables to Katy Perry Firework everybody standing it really got people in the mood, we can’t wait to see this as we were outside the room but we had Derek & Louise from D-Digital filming for the day.

The Food

They chose a very different, but very appealing menu.

The evening before the wedding Pat, the head chef met with my mother who had special dietary requirements and designed a unique menu especially the desert for her, something we had not requested or expected!!! It is one of the comments were getting from most people other than best wedding BEST FOOD at a wedding EVER!

Once gain, the Landmark took on Franco and Graeme’s requests with ease, right down to the choice for vegetarians and coeliacs.

Franco’s cousins Ann (who has a stall in Gorey Country Markets) and Michelle made their cake.

It was gorgeous – even including extra coeliac friendly sponges. We came up with the idea of one top layer (moist chocolate) which they covered in blue fondant and individual silver design on it, then we had two other layers (moist carrot cake and lemon sponge) but were divided into squares all covered in fondant and then lovingly wrapped in muslin and corresponding blue & silver ribbon it was just perfect better than we’d imagined it could be.

Advice for other Couples?

Go with your gut when choosing a venue if it dosen’t feel right then it probably isn’t. Make it unique as to how you would like it and not how everybody else wants.

Most importantly you guys are in this together so always listen to the other needs, wants and dislikes sounds like a self help column or something but the point is – if you’re both involved then you can both enjoy this amazing experience; and do because it’s all over very quick.

A piece of sound advice given to us: start planning a holiday straight away after, because there can be a big lul after all the months of planning and build up to this exciting day!

This is my favourite photo of all…

Graeme and Franco wish to thank EVERYBODY who made this day possible for them.

A special thank you to Tricia, Emma, Pat aka Jock’ at the Landmark, Aindreas ATL Photography, Derek & Louise D-Digital, Martin Discocops and to EVERY ONE of our friends who shared in the celebrating of this day.

Most importantly for all the love and support we received from both our families without whom it we could not have had the day we did.

Franco & Graeme’s Wedding Service Providers