Wedding of the Week: Cork couple say it was a 'day we’ll never forget'

CORK City Gaol was the stunning backdrop for the wedding of Emily Lynch and Shane Calnan.

Emily, from Douglas, and Shane, from Glasheen, live in Turners Cross. They feature as our Wedding of the Week.

The couple first met as teenagers and clicked.

Shane said: “By the end of the week, we were sending 50 texts a day to each other. After a few months we clearly liked each other but I was far too shy to ask her out... Eventually, in February, 2007, I got a call from Emily where she told me she liked me and if I wanted to do anything about it!”

They got engaged in Amsterdam in April, 2019, on Shane’s 30th birthday holiday.

They had a civil ceremony in Cork City Gaol on Saturday, August 27, 2022, followed by a wedding reception in the Imperial Hotel. They wanted a Great Gatsby/1920s theme.

The dress was from Cork designer Belle & Heather, purchased in Bella Bleu Vintage Bridal on the South Mall. The maid of honour’s dress was from Folkster. Jewellery was from Azure and Diana O’Mahony. Lisa Kerr did make-up, while Kate O’Toole was in charge of hair on the day.

Shane and the lads’ suits were from Morleys, cufflinks from Keane’s. The wedding rings were from Aksoy Jewellers.

Family and friends travelled from far and wide to celebrate with the couple. Shane said: “We were especially lucky to have my granny Pat and grandad Fred there too at the top table. Emily’s parents, Marie and Tadgh, and my parents, Dave and Máire, her sister Sarah (Maid of Honour), and my brothers Daire, Eoghan and David (best man) were all there.”

Emily’s Godson Lewis was junior groomsman and cousin Amber was junior bridesmaid.

The beautiful and personal ceremony was performed by Dan Collins from the Spiritualist Union of Ireland. They had a candle lighting ceremony with their mums and a unique planting ceremony. The couple wrote their own vows. The Munster String Quartet provided the music, while To Have And To Hold provided the décor. The couple thanked Sarah O’Shea and the team at the Gaol, who were “amazing”.

They held their reception in the Imperial Hotel. Shane said the staff there were amazing too and couldn’t have done more for them.

They had three cakes on the day, Shane’s mom Máire made a chocolate biscuit cake and his granny Pat made a traditional fruit cake. Emily’s mom Marie knitted a woollen cake which we can keep forever.

The wedding car was provided by O’Connors on Coburg Street. They hired a double-decker bus from Martin Twomey Bus Hire to bring everyone to the reception.

The couple had Code Of Behaviour performing at the reception in the Imperial Hotel, a brass band they had seen at the Cork Jazz Festival. They were followed by DJ Pat Aherne. Their first dance was to Frankie Valli Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You. “It was one of our favourite parts of the day.”