We have a very special Real Wedding this week! Mairead and Damien exchanged vows on August 1st in Our Lady of Lourdes Kilcummin and celebrated their reception at The Kenmare Bay Hotel. It’s rare that we come across a couple whose personalities are both present in every detail of a wedding – but from pretty pink details to a soccer mad theme, we think this pair totally nailed it! The lovely Ann of Paper Hearts Photography really captured the essence and heart of the whole family in these beautiful shots.
Damien is an electrician and is Club Secretary with his local soccer club Killarney Athletic. After starting his first job in April 1998 in the Killarney Court Hotel, he met his darling Mairead. “It wasn’t until 2008 that we actually met up a few times before getting together at a Killarney Athletic fundraiser on New Year’s Eve 2011 and the rest has been a fairytale! Mairead continues to work in the Killarney Court Hotel where she also started in 1998. She loves her designer clothes, bags, shoes and has a keen interest in Gaa and Rallying.”
And we’re sure after a 30 minute wait at the altar, Damien forgave his new wife for being fashionably late as she walked up the aisle in a stunning satin mermaid gown by Stella York and a cathedral length lace trim veil. She was the epitome of perfection.
Having to travel to work in Saudi Arabia for a few weeks, Damien was heartbroken and counted down the days until he would get home his ‘darling’.
“Getting home and into a new stable job with Liebherr, we spoke about getting engaged and went to Diana O’Mahony jewellers in cork to pick out an engagement ring on the 23rd October. We bought the ring there and then but Mairead decided that I could propose over the Christmas period to her. On the way home, I asked her multiple times did she want to stop off at Blarney Castle – to no avail. Just outside Mallow on the Killarney road, I decided to shake the steering and told Mairead we had a puncture. I got out to check the tyre on Mairead’s side and called her out of the car to ‘look at the large hole’. She stared at the tyre only for me to get down on one knee and ask her to marry me. Gladly I surprised her and she agreed to marry me!”
“It means everything to marry each other. Seeing the ring on your finger and knowing you are married to the person you love and adore gives you great strength and happiness. The moment when Father John Lucid announced us as husband and wife was so special. It was his first wedding in the Parish having moved from Moyvane Parish. He was a great and gentle priest that made our celebration much more relaxed.”
In keeping with Damien’s love of his sport, they named each table after fictional soccer teams such as Athletico Aghadoe and Jib Avenue. “Many names had some connection with the people seated at the table. We also had the table plan on a giant soccer board with all the ‘team jerseys’. As part of our invitations and table plan image, we had a cartoon caricature of myself and Mairead. A big thanks to Splash Design, Murphy Print and Ralph McMahon for helping us with these.”
The groom also organised a singing chef – John Frawley – which went down a storm as only the Best Man Shane was in on the secret. “It was great to see Mairead’s reaction along with our guests. The bridal party forgot to bring the silver token also so thanks to our family friend Sean O’Sullivan who improvised and provided a €2 coin!”
“Ann, the owner of Paper Hearts was our wedding photographer. As soon as we saw her samples at a Wedding Fair, we knew she was our photographer! She easily stood out from the rest of them.”
Damien and Mairead couldn’t praise the staff at The Kenmare Bay Hotel higher for ensuring their day was perfect from beginning to end. “The attention to detail from Sile, Tom, Alan, Henneke and the rest of the crew was outstanding. The hotel has such a great and highly-regarded reputation and everyone was raving on about how brilliant the food, service, accommodation and value was. This was music to our ears!”
A huge thank you to the lovely Damien & Mairead for sharing their special day with us and to Ann from Paper Hearts Photography for letting us use these amazing images. You can see more of her work at www.paperhearts.ie
