Wedding of the Week: A long distance love and dramatic marriage proposal

A DRAMATIC engagement at an English castle where Harry Potter was filmed sealed the fate of Emma O’Sullivan and Jonathan Cohen.

Emma, of Ballincollig, and Jon, of Newcastle upon Tyne in England, met in Reardens Bar on Washington Street on St Patrick’s Day, 2014.

Emma explained: “I was out celebrating Paddys Day and Jon was on a stag weekend. We bumped into each other on the dance floor and hit it off. We swapped numbers at the end of the night and went our separate ways.

“After a few days, Jon texted me and we started chatting. After months of texting, snapchatting and skyping, we met for our first date in London in July, 2014. I was halfway through my nursing degree in UCC at the time we met.

“We had a long distance relationship, travelling back and forward to see each other for a little over two years. When I finished my nursing degree, I moved to Newcastle upon Tyne and we bought a house together.”

The couple were engaged on April 28 in Alnwick castle in Northumberland, England.

“I am a huge Harry Potter fan and this is where some scenes were filmed so we decided to go there for a visit,” said Emma.

“During the ‘broomstick lessons’ that they run in the castle, Jon was called forward as a volunteer. He stood with his arm out and a white owl came flying over the wall of the castle and landed on his arm. The owl was carrying the ring. There and then, in front of the crowd, he got down on one knee and proposed. Needless to say, I was shocked!”

They were wed on August 16, 2019, in Triskel Arts Centre in Cork city in a civil ceremony. The reception was hosted in the ‘fabulous’ Kinsale Hotel and Spa.

The bride wore a dress by Christina Wu from the Moderne Bridal in Cork. Make-up was by Christine OConnor, while hair was done by Suzie the hairstylist.

Emma made the wedding cake by herself the day before the wedding. Blarney wedding cars provided the beautiful wedding car. Patrick Ahern DJ’d the reception.

Recalling the day, Emma said: “It was all absolutely incredible. We stuck with the Harry Potter theme throughout. I wore my golden snitch bracelet and our cake topper was the sign of the deathly Hallows with the word ‘Always’. Our first dance was to the ‘Potter Waltz’ from the movie Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. After the wedding we had a short stay in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin before flying back to Newcastle upon Tyne for another wedding party to celebrate with all out family and friends in the UK who couldn’t be with us in Cork.”