“EVERY time I think about our wedding, it just makes me smile. To be surrounded by all our family and friends was the most important thing to us and it is a beautiful memory that we both will always have.”

So said Rochestown-based couple Cornelia Ryan and Michael Ahern, who were wed on December 30.

After a year of planning three different wedding dates, this couple eventually re-organised their wedding within 24 hours — just before lockdown three kicked in.

They had intended on getting married on January 8 — but on December 22 the third lockdown was announced so they brought it forward.

Cornelia, of Tipperary, is working in Martin Harveys Solicitors and Michael, from Passage West, works in McCauleys in Douglas.

The couple met through friends and got engaged in July, 2019, in Lake Garda.

Fr Pat married the couple in St Patrick’s Church, Rochestown.

The bride’s dress was from the Moderne and the day before the wedding her Auntie Ann gifted her her Nanny’s fur coat, which she remembers from when she was a child. The men wore tuxedos from Morleys — where Michael’s dad had worked for 48 years.

“As the numbers were so limited, we had everybody there that meant the world to us,” said Cornelia.

Her parents were there, Gail and Jerry, and Michael’s parents, Betty and Leo. Michael’s brother Ivan was best man and Cornelia’s sister Eimear was Matron of Honour.

After the church ceremony in Rochestown everyone went back to the Imperial Hotel for the drinks reception.

The newlyweds went to Red Abbey Court in Cork city, where Cornelia initially lived, for some pictures.

Photographers Ray and Irene also brought them for a stroll in the city, through Pembroke Street, where all the passers-by wished them luck.

“It was such a fun moment,” said Cornelia.

As to the most memorable thing of the day — that was the laughter.

“The second thing I always think of is the fact that we got to spend so much time at each table and spend so much time with people that are in our everyday lives. It really was very very special. “

They want to pay a special tribute to the staff at the Imperial, who were amazing.

“Literally anything I asked for was met with "absolutely no problem". I cant speak highly enough about the staff.” 

Cornelia also gave a special mention to friend Elaine Buckley who gifted them her expertise of decorating the wedding venue. Michael has a huge love for Manchester United and she did a tribute Manchester United table for him. She also did a beautiful memory table for them that had pictures of loved ones and little personal memento.

“It was very personal. People were saying that it represented both me and Michael and it did exactly that.“ 

Summing up the day, Cornelia said: “Every woman spends most of her life dreaming about her wedding between planning it and organising it. But I can honestly say we would not change one thing about our wedding. "

They also and had a special mention for friend Elaine Buckley who helped decorate the wedding venue spectacularly.

By Elaine Duggan