It’s not that often, we hear of a love story that makes us believe in soul mates. But Alexandra and Dave Ruane’s tale of how they met really warmed our hearts this cold winter’s day. The two wed in Belleek Castle on 31st May this year and it just seemed like an obvious choice for them. “Belleek is a true castle, and has still got the original features and the moment we set foot inside, it felt like we were back in medieval times. Or at least back a couple of hundred years in time. I knew that if we chose Belleek, I would be a true “Princess of the castle”, of a real castle. The walls are covered in thick oak paneling, there’s a massive wooden head table, wooden chairs with velvet seats and high backs for the bride and groom (they look like thrones for a king and queen) and a big roaring fire. There are no white ribbon chair covers or any of the ‘everyday wedding stuff’ which is not our style.”
Lovebirds Dave and Alexandra met when Dave was working at the Swedish Embassy in Washington D.C and Alexandra was there on holiday visiting a friend. Her friend, knowing she had a soft spot for Irish guys, introduced the pair, thinking they would be a good match. As it turns out, her friend’s hunch was right and the two hit it off straight away. Alexandra says it was Dave’s long, dark eyelashes that drew her in. Once she got to know him, she realized this West of Ireland man was incredibly considerate: “When we were on dates, he wouldn’t walk past me without laying his hand on my shoulder as a sign of affection, or without making sure I was OK. He was the sweetest guy I’d ever met”.
“Dave was already living in Sweden at that time, but in a town called Kiruna way up north, and since Sweden is over 1500 kilometres long, it would’ve been easier for us if he had lived in Ireland. The train for me to go see him in Kiruna took 22 hours and I couldn’t afford to fly. Whereas a flight to Dublin would only have taken an hour and a half! And thanks to Mr O’Leary it would also have cost much less than the train. J But after one summer apart, Dave moved down to me in Gothenburg, in the south-west of Sweden and we’re here since.”
Five years later, on their anniversary, while on holiday in Mallorca, Dave proposed. “We had had our anniversary dinner overlooking the beach of Port de Sollér and were on our way back home when Dave wanted to stop and look at the stars and the lighthouse. He pointed behind me for something to see in the mountains, and when I turned my head back to face him and the sea, a just saw a big, sparkling diamond. He got down on one knee and there were tears and laughter and happiness every after …”
Although both Dave and Alexandra thought planning a destination wedding would be challenging, it turned out to be “not that difficult”. With some throughout planning from August 2012 on (well in advance of their date), Alexandra also attributes a lot of help to the staff at Belleek Castle who were constantly in touch over email in the months and weeks leading up to their big day.
When it came to the dress, “it was love and second sight” according to Alexandra. She and Dave visited a boutique in Castlebar. There she tried on two dresses before getting it just right. At first, Alexandra wasn’t in love with the dress (she thought it made her look like a 19th century shepherd), but at second glance, she fell in love with the ¾ length sleeves and high collar (as well as the stunning fabric). “The brand is Dutch, called Imogène, and the dress is inspired by the film Pirates of the Carribean! Very cool, I thought. The original prize was €2000 but it was reduced to €950. I couldn’t believe I had found my dress in Ireland.”
Their favourite photos came from a spot in the woods and the drive up to Belleek Castle taken by their photographer friend, Anna Öhlund.
When it came to the food, Alexandra is a real foodie (considering she runs a business for cheese and wine tasting in Gothenburg!) so naturally, menu options would be important to her. “ I will never forget the evening of the menu tasting, when we were given the royal treatment by Chef Lenahan and his staff. The food was beyond words, so delicious and we had so many choices. I work with food and wine and am very picky, so the food was an important feature for us. We also knew we had to choose a menu to please both the Irish and the Swedish guests (which is not always easy since the Swedes love fish and seafood and the Irish love meat). But Stephen “designed” special dishes and combined dishes so that they would suit both the Irish and the Swedish guests, and we chose a set menu of 4 dishes with no choices. But even so, all our guests said they’d never had a better meal at a wedding.”
The pair had a very relaxed atmosphere on the day, which Alex attributes to the mix of cultures at their day, funny speeches, great craic, a mixed seating plan and a very cool band called The Logues (which their guests “LOVED”).
And as for reliving a part of their day? “It would be when the staff of Belleek opened the great front doors for us and we stepped out on the front steps to greet the crowd. After our ceremony was over, we went upstairs and all the guests went outside to wait for us in front of the castle. Then the doors opened and we came out to 112 cheering people (and not just any people, but our friends and families, our favourite people in the whole world) who greeted us with applauses, tears and smiles. Since Dave is an ice sculpturer at the ICEHOTEL in Sweden, his boss and colleagues had made 2 goblins made of ice (!) that they gave us to toast with (or in). They poured champagne in our ice glasses, we toasted with the crowd, took a sip and then threw the ice glasses on the ground (since they would melt in our hands anyways). It was a great moment and a cool effect, which impressed our guests. ”
Wow… What a lovely story! A big thank you to Alex and Dave, the staff and Belleek Castle and photographer, Anna Öhlund, who helped put the story together.
The Wedding Details
- Wedding date: 31st May 2013
- Wedding venue: Belleek Castle
- Floral: Blooms & Things in Ballina,
- Hair and Make-up: L’s Extensions Ballina and Bella Beauty
- Wedding Cake: Gourmet Kitchen Ballina
- Cake topper: Nicola Hyland at thecaketoppercompany.ie
- Wedding band The Logues (“who ROCKED the party”)
