“It was the best experience we have ever had, and I would do anything to relive it again.”
Length of engagement: 18 months. | Wedding Date: 16/6/2013
Wedding location: Lough Rynn Castle, Mohill, Co. Leitrim
Photographer: Peter Rowen Photography
We met… We had worked together for over a year before we caught the ‘love bug.’ One magical summer, I was due to move into an apartment with three of my friends, however, faith took control and one of my friends got pregnant which put a slight kibosh on our plans. I had heard Gerry was looking for a place, and so it seemed logical to ask him if he would be interested. After a couple of months of constant and very obvious flirting Gerry finally did the right thing and asked me to be his girlfriend, and the rest as they say is history.
“It wasn’t love at first sight, it was more of a gradual process. I couldn’t imagine my life without Gerry today – he is my rock when it comes to support, advice and encouragement. I love how me makes me feel, and I know he is the only person alive who would put up with my crazy spells.”
“Sarah had the most infectious laugh and you could hear her from miles away. She has a great sense of humour and the fact that she was a stunner was a bonus.”
My dress… I really wanted a very special wedding dress, and I knew exactly what I had wanted in a dress; lace, fitted and low back. I basically Googled all the various features, searched through the images and found the dress of my dreams, which was a Maggie Sottero dress. I phoned the Irish stockists, and a lady in Sligo offered to order it in especially for me, on the basis that I would purchase the dress from her, and no other boutique. Of course I agreed, and after a few teeth biting months it arrived, I tried it on and fell head-over-heels, it was ‘the one.’
Our ceremony… We celebrated the wedding ceremony in St Patrick’s church in Mohill, but what made it really special was Fr Kevin, he was the priest from my primary school and I have very fond memories of him. As we were the ministers of the ceremony, he had suggested that we stand behind the Alter for the exchanging of rings, which I had never seen before, but thought it was very meaningful. He is a very personable man with a great sense of humour, the day wouldn’t have been the same without him. Another very special treat we had, were the Galway Baroque Singers – Wow, Wow, Wow! Their angelic, yet powerful voices created the perfect ambiance for the wedding.
We chose our photographer because… Similar to the dress I knew exactly what I wanted and what I didn’t want. I didn’t want to feel uncomfortable, or be told to compose awkward poses, or be told to put my foot back in the car and pretend to be just getting out – no way in hell was I going to put up with that on our wedding day. So I went on the hunt for a ‘fly on the wall’ photographer. I love photos, as I believe they always tell a story, so it was very important that our Wedding photos would be as natural as possible in order to capture the mood of the day. For that reason it was imperative to find the suitable candidate. Through the use of my best friend Google I came across Peter Rowen, and after thoroughly examining his portfolio, I knew he would be perfect, and the fact that he also had won the weddingsonline photographer of the year award in 2011 was the icing on the cake.
“Believe it or not, I didn’t meet Peter until the morning of the Wedding, but he was brilliant and exceeded our expectations. He made us all feel very comfortable as he went on about his business like a true professional. Throughout the day we didn’t even notice he was there half the time, even looking through the guest’s photographs no one seemed to catch him – talk about stealth!
Upon waiting for the photographs, I was feeling a little anxious as I didn’t know what pictures he had taken, or if he had taken enough. All that worry was for nothing, when he sent us the link, we were over awed. The photographs were more that what we had hoped, it was like reliving the day all over again. Overall the pictures were very natural as nothing was staged or forced. A small percentage of our favourite shots are now proudly placed in a mini gallery on our wall. Every time I look at them they bring joy to my heart – it really was the best day of our lives! I would do anything to relive it again, and we will always have our photos to remind us.”
We chose our venue because…As a child, Gerry spent all of his summers there on a farm on Lough Rynn, where he spent many days exploring the grounds, and it was one of the first places he brought me when we started going out together. At that time the building was all boarded up, and the gardens where overgrown, but it was breathtaking, and I fell in love with the surroundings. I remember thinking how amazing it would be to see the inside of the house. And low and behold, my wish came true when the Hanley group renovated it and turned it into a luxurious hotel. With such a special meaning, it was the obvious choice for our wedding venue.
“Ellen was our Lough Rynn wedding coordinator, and she was outstanding, very patient, efficient, easy to talk to, and wasn’t afraid to offer up suggestions. We were very happy with her, and would highly recommend her. I also feel that it is important to mention Dennis – he was excellent, and had the event running like clockwork from start to finish. As a matter-of-fact all of the staff were very friendly and made our family and guests feel right at home.”
My favourite part of the wedding day… I seriously thought about this for a very long time, and there is no way that I can pinpoint just one moment. I loved getting ready in the morning, seeing Gerry at the top of the isle, seeing everybody, the food, our first dance – it is easier to say that it is my favourite day. It was the best experience we have ever had, and I would do anything to relive it again.
Our honeymoon… After discussing what we wanted from our honeymoon, we decided to go to a place in the South of France called Le Lavandou. It is a place where the French holiday, and where we were guaranteed to feast on fine food while washing it down with delicious wine.
It did not disappoint, it was absolute heaven, a maze of quirky streets, full of cafes, restaurants and shops, situated on the French Riviera, so there were plenty of beaches to choose from.
My piece of advice for other brides… Live in the moment, you are about to experience one of the best days of your life.
