Wedding of the Week: Third time lucky for Cork couple who wed during Covid

Sat, 14 Aug, 2021 - 08:00

Elaine Duggan

A SURPRISE engagement in Central Park, New York, finally led to the wedding of this Cork couple.

Eimear Hickey, from Glandore, and Kenny McCarthy, from Lisavaird, outside Clonakilty, first met 10 years ago on a night out in Clonakilty.

BY HER SIDE: Eimear with her bridal party, which included her sister Orla and her close friends Julie and Michelle.

Eimear said: “My best friend (who was one of the bridesmaids) introduced us and the rest as they say is history!”

They were engaged in March, 2018, while on a trip to New York — in Central Park on the Bow Bridge — a total surprise!

BY HIS SIDE: Kenny McCarthy, from Lisavaird, outside Glandore Church with his best man and groomsmen.

They were married in Glandore Church on July, 3 2021 — their third wedding date, having had to postpone due to Covid-19.

Eimear got her dress in Brides of Eire, Clonakilty. Kenny got his suit and the groomsmens’ suits in Redchurch in Cork city. The bride’s hair and makeup were done by Honeybee Hair and Beauty, based in Skibbereen.

The wedding party, made up of family and friends, outside the church in Glandore.

They had 25 guests including their nearest and dearest family members and two aunts who travelled from Boston, USA, having done their period of quarantine.

SAYING I DO: Eimear Hickey and her husband Kenny McCarthy, who live in Glandore, married in Glandore Church in July.

“We were delighted that they were able to be there as we had not seen them in almost two years due to the pandemic,” said Eimear.

“It was a very relaxed and joyful ceremony. We had Kenny’s nieces and nephew as flowergirls and pageboy. Our priest, Fr Terry O’Brien, put everyone at ease cracking jokes! We had Deirdre Archbold sing during the ceremony which was amazing. The church was decorated beautifully by Catherine from West Cork Flowers.”

The reception was hosted in Dunmore House Hotel: “Everything was perfect.”

MR AND MRS: The couple with their blue vintage VW, which they picked as their wedding car, as Eimear’s mum, who passed away from cancer in 2006, used to always drive VW Beetles.

The cake was by Rachel, from Daisy Chain Cakes, the wedding car was a vintage blue Volkswagen Beetle. Eimear said: “This was one way of remembering my mother, who passed away from cancer in 2006, she would have always driven Volkswagen Beetles so this was very special to us to have that car, and it was almost the exact same shade of blue as one she had.”

Their first song was How Long Will I Love You (the Waterboys version).

As to the most memorable thing about the day?

“It was filled with such love and laughter. Everyone was so happy and we just couldn’t stop smiling.

“I would recommend to any couple who is considering a smaller wedding to just go for it — it meant we were able to spend time with absolutely everyone and it made for the most relaxed, happiest day of our lives!”

Magic moments on our wedding day