Happy Friday Missies. Oh how we need a beautiful wedding story to take our minds of the crazy goings on in the world today – and we have that, in spades! Tracy and Cathal’s wedding day was held at the warm and inviting Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone, we’re delighted to share it with you today with imagery from Clare Frances Photography. Enjoy!
“I am originally from County Mayo and Cathal is from County Cork but we both now live and work in Northern Ireland. We worked many years ago in the King’s Hall in Belfast and after a few coffee trips we got talking and once the coffee was delivered we became happily inseparable!” Explained Tracy.
Cathal proposed at Newgrange Monument in County Meath amidst a tourist bus of Americans!
“Cathal had wanted to propose with some privacy however that seemed less and less like an option. Trying to ‘lose’ the crowd, he stopped to take a picture of a stone. Lots of the American visitors knew that we were Irish so thought that this was a stone of important historical significance and they too stopped to take a photo. Thanks to us, it’s a little famous in the USA. Eventually the crowd dispersed and he got down on one knee,” added Tracy.
With coming from different ends of the country and living in the North the couple began their search for the perfect venue somewhere in between.
“We were looking for a venue that had enough rooms to suit our wedding in the middle of the country as everyone was travelling to it. From the very first viewing, through to planning the wedding from Northern Ireland, the evening before the wedding, organising suppliers and the big day itself, nothing was left to chance, every detail was thought about and while we are at the centre of everything, the staff and owners at Shamrock Lodge had it all under control. We met with the lovely Mary and felt that we were genuinely welcomed as opposed to being just another wedding viewing. When we left that day, we had no doubt in our minds that we would be getting married at Shamrock Lodge and we would entrust the most important day of our lives to their capable hands,” explained Tracy.
The couple decided not to choose an overall theme for their day, opting for unique touches that they loved instead. For their table names they used photos from their travels, and statement cherry blossom trees for their ceremony space which created a wow factor for their guests.
Special Moment
“Cathal is a big Christy Moore fan. However I said that there was no way I was having a Christy Moore song at our wedding. Although what Cathal didn’t know was that I had asked one of our very good friends, Tommy, to sing The Voyage by Christy Moore as I walked up the aisle. The idea was that at the most important minute of my life so far it was all about him. And at the end of it all, Cathal didn’t even notice. He was a little distracted by his future wife walking up the aisle!”
Wedding Suppliers
Venue: Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone
Photographer: Clare Frances Photography
Florist: Orlaith Dooley’s Flowers, Athlone
Room Decor: Aisle Love You
Wedding dress: Peony Bridal, Hillsborough
Band: Pink Champagne
Wedding singer: Colin Fahy
Hair: Medusa Hair, Athlone
Makeup: Aileen Duffy Makeup, Athlone
Illustrator: Linda Byrne Illustrations
Videographer: Ireland Eye Wedding Videos
