We had the absolute pleasure of meeting with Amanda Connolly recently, who was married last August in the Montenotte Hotel, Cork. From a romantic proposal to cherished memories of loved ones this is a really special story.
Amanda, you work at the Montenotte Hotel and you had your wedding reception there! When was your wedding? Was there ever any question where you would get married?
“I am the wedding coordinator at the Montenotte hotel and we got married on the 9th August 2014. Of course, there was never any question as to where we were having our reception! I love the view of the city from the hotel; I look at it every day at work and knew I wanted this to be the backdrop to our day! Also I knew we would have impeccable service from the hotel!”
How long were you planning your wedding? Did you enjoy the planning and the build up?
“We got engaged exactly 12 months before the wedding. John Paul actually proposed in The Montenotte Hotel, after another wedding we had attended. He completely surprised me and I happily said yes! I thoroughly enjoyed the planning and I have always been the person the bride comes to, so it was my turn to be the bride now! We added our own personal touches to the day like naming our tables after Island’s in West Cork as my husband is from there.”
Tell us about your wedding menu! You must have had the most amazing menu being part of the team at The Montenotte Hotel and knowing all the menu secrets!
“Our dinner menu was so important to us on the day. At the hotel we have amazing food and I really wanted to impress my guests, as every bride does. We put a lot of thought into the menu and had a pre wedding menu tasting to make the final choices. It went down a treat with everyone and I still get compliments to this day. People are still talking about it and it makes me very proud!”
“We started off with the Chicken Caesar Salad and Clonakilty Black Pudding Roulade (we had to have flavours of West Cork!). There was a choice of mushroom soup or seafood chowder, and for mains we had a choice of fillet of beef or monkfish. For dessert we had to have the famous Montenotte Medley of Desserts, the whole meal was spectacular!”
Did you follow any wedding trends, themes or ideas?
“Butterflies were my thing! My mom passed away 18 years ago and butterflies have been a constant reminder of her through the years. We used very subtle touches here and there like in our centre pieces and on our table plan. We had a wishing tree thanks to ‘To Have & To Hold’ and again we used butterflies here. It was really personal to us.”
Tell us about your wedding dress!
“I bought an Amanda Wyatt wedding Dress in the Moderne in Cork. It was the first shop we went to and I had tried on about 6 dresses. As soon as I tried on my dress I fell in love with it and it was definitely the one! It was very comfortable had a short train and made me feel like a million dollars on the day.”
And the bridesmaid dresses?
“I chose gorgeous navy dresses for my 4 bridesmaids with a satin under layer and added pink flowers to their bouquets. They all looked stunning on the day!”
What was the best part of your wedding day?
“Apart from marrying the love of my life, I have to say that I enjoyed every moment of our wedding day. I would do it all over again! I get envious with new brides coming into me planning their special day and I therefore ensure they get their wishes from us because I completely understand what a special day it is.”
The Montenotte Hotel is such a fantastic location for a wedding. The views are breath taking! Did your guests from West Cork love the location?
“The city views are stunning, not only did the West Cork guests love the location but all our friends and family from the city too. The Vista Bar & The Garden suite have panoramic views of the city and our guests were simply blown away. I can still see our guests enjoying their prosseco and strawberries trying to take in the views! We really were on top of the world!”
Have you any tips for brides and grooms planning their weddings now, having planned your own and working in the Montenotte Hotel?
“My tips would be to set your budget together and stick to this. It really helped us to keep focused on the things we actually wanted, rather than the things we didn’t even need. Do everything you want and have no regrets. And take time for both of you on the week of your wedding even for a quiet cup of coffee or lunch as it will get chaotic with so many people around. Enjoy every single moment of the lead up and on your wedding day as it will be gone in the blink of an eye.”
Thanks so much to Amanda & John Paul for sharing their special day with us! Check out the magnificent Montenotte Hotel, Cork wedding venue for your fairy tale wedding day.
