Wedding of the Week: We met serving in Civil Defence

Sat, 24 Jul, 2021 - 08:00

Elaine Duggan

“OUR Plan B wedding was so much more amazing then we could have ever planned.” So said this couple. who were wed, on May 9 in St Craebhnait’s Church, Annakisha.

Karena Hunter, from Doneraile, a supervisor in a GP surgery in Mallow. married Kieran Brennan, from Mallow, who works in the purchasing department in Adare Manor.

GUARD OF HONOUR: Their Civil Defence friends and colleagues met them with a guard of honour outside the church entrance.

They met when Kieran joined Cork North Civil Defence in 2008 at the age of 16.

Karena Brennan (nee Hunter) on the morning of her wedding with her bridal party.

They were engaged on May 19, 2016, on the Aran Islands, almost five years after they started dating.

The couple were due to get married on May 30, 2020, but like many other couples had to reschedule due to Covid.

The bride bought her dress in Cinderella’s Closet, paired with a veil and blue shoes for dancing in and blue coloured jewellery. Kieran wore his Civil Defence number 1 dress uniform.

Make up was by Make-up by Thelma, who is a local MUA in Castletownroche. Hair was by Jenny and Chloe of Prestige in Glanmire.

The couple celebrated their wedding mass with 50 guests: parents Tadgh and Kathy, Tom and Susan, sisters, bridal party, Karena’s two nanas, Maureen and Margaret, aunts and uncles and some friends.

They had a beautiful ceremony celebrated by Fr Gerard Condon, with Fr Brendan Mallon, a friend of the groom, also in attendance.

Beautiful music was provided by singer Pamela Muganwa and celloist Caoimhe Cronin. Family friend, Philip Cotter, also surprised them, with songs on the bagpipes outside the church.

The couple were delighted to have family by their side on their special day, having had to reschedule it due to Covid.

Kieran’s sisters Laura and Emma did readings and a reflection and Karena’s nana Margaret read Prayers of the Faithful.

The church was beautifully decorated with a mixture of faux and real flowers by Kieran’s mam Susan with help from the family. The flowers were heavily influenced by Kieran’s uncle John, who had sadly passed away in March, 2020, but had been organising the church flowers since they started planning the wedding back in 2018. The bride’s bouquet was made up of two parts, one made by Susan and the other by Uncle John before his passing.

“It made it very special to have a piece of him with us on the day. It also had a set of pearls laced through it, belonging to Karena’s great grandmother.”

They held a garden party at Kieran’s family home afterwards — where the garden was beautifully decorated with flowers, tulle, photographs and fairy lights.

“It was the perfect venue for our intimate wedding reception.”