Wedding of the Week: Cork couple tie the knot in the Algarve

A Cork couple who first met in Australia enjoyed their wedding ceremony recently in the Algarve, overlooking the ocean.

Karen Cronin, from Glanmire, is a beauty therapist and works in The Pamper Pot in Ballincollig. Kieran Lehane is from Urhan in West Cork and works in construction.

Bride Karen recalled how they first met.

“We met in Australia in 2011 as friends. I moved home in 2013. Kieran was visiting home in 2018 and we went on a few dates, he then decided to up and leave Australia for us to give our relationship a go, and the rest is history.

“We moved into our new house in Knockraha just over a year ago. We got engaged on May 14, 2023 (the day we moved into the house).

A lot has happened in a year, with moving in, the engagement, and getting married in Portugal.

They were wed on May 23, in the Algarve, just ten minutes outside Albufeira in The Grande Real Santa Eulalia.

“Our ceremony was on the hotel grounds overlooking the ocean. We had 93 guests attend,” said Karen.

They used wedding planners Carolina and Catarina of @bloom__eventplanner

The bride’s dress was from White and Gold Bridal boutique in Kinsale, while Kieran’s suit and the groomsmen’s suits were from Simply Suits (Kinsale Road, Cork).

Key family members in attendance were Karen’s parents, Denis and Joan, her sisters and bridesmaids, Ali, Jen, Sarah, and her brother Kevin and all of their partners. Her aunts, uncles, cousins, and very close friends also joined in the special day.

Kieran’s mother, Eileen, his siblings Patrick, John, Martin, Vince, Caroline, Carmel, Claire, and Mary, and all their partners were also present, as well as nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and close friends. Kieran’s groomsmen were Stephen, Ian and John.

Karen said: “The ceremony was absolutely beautiful, it was on a balcony below the hotel overlooking the ocean. We also had our drinks reception here. 

The dinner/speeches were on the waterfront/beach, we were covered over by stunning fairy lights. It was like a fairytale and the full moon came out for us that night.

“We partied into the early hours of the morning. We had the most talented band called Six Irish Men (they are six Portuguese men that play/sing a lot of Irish music), they are super-talented! They had the dance floor rocking all night long.”

Their first dance was to Dolly Parton/Kenny Rodgers’ Islands In The Stream.

“The most memorable thing about our wedding day is being surrounded by our closest friends and family and the effort they all made to be with us abroad for our special day. We had the best wedding thanks to all of them,” said Karen.