Wedding of the Week: 'Walking up the aisle was incredibly special'

A chance meeting in Cork’s Holy Cow nightclub 11 years ago led to wedding bells for Cork couple Emma (nee McCarthy) and Eamonn McSweeney.

Emma, from Aghada, and Eamonn, from Bandon, were out with friends when their paths crossed, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Eamonn proposed to Emma during a visit to Muckross House and Gardens in Killarney in 2023. “It was a big shock. I didn’t expect it at all. I made him go down on one knee a second time as I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Emma.

Last December, the couple returned to Kerry, where they were married by celebrant Jessica Bradley at Ballygarry Estate Hotel and Spa in Tralee. “She was brilliant and made the ceremony so personal,” the couple said.

“Eamonn was so eager to get married, he blurted out ‘I do’ before even being asked. We all got a good laugh out of it,” said Emma.

The bride sourced her Made with Love gown from Lucy in Bella Bleu on the South Mall.”She knew exactly what suited me and helped me to pick out the perfect dress for me,” Emma said.

Make-up was by Sarah Cummins while hair was by Maureen McCarthy, with some help from her mum, Frances.

The suits were from Morleys in Cork. “They were also brilliant. Eamonn wore a black velvet jacket to be a little different from the groomsmen and both fathers.”

The couple were supported by bridesmaids Niamh Cashman, Katy McCarthy (now Sisk), Donna McCarthy, and Aoife Holland, and groomsmen James McSweeney, Dean Ellis, Chris Carey, and Adam Tobin. “They went above and beyond for us,” the couple said.

“Eamonn’s godson, Jamesy McSweeney, was our extremely adorable page boy. He was amazing,” said Emma.

Friends and family travelled from near and far to join the couple on the day, including Emma’s godfather Martin, and his sons Conail and Darragh, who flew in from Perth in Australia to celebrate with the couple.

Other family members travelled from the UK, and Gavin, a friend of the couple who was there the night the couple met, travelled all the way from Canada with his fiancée Armie to attend. “We could not believe the effort everyone made to travel for us,” the couple said.

After the wedding, the couple held a reception for their guests at the hotel.

There was undoubtedly some astonishment when a garda arrived at the celebrations.

“I had organised a little surprise for Eamonn and the guests. A garda arrived just as the meal was ending. He announced to the crowd that he had recovered a stolen van. The van happened to belong to the groom. Eamonn was going to have to go to the station to fill out paperwork, but we were assured he’d be back in time for the first dance. As they went off together, Eamonn caught a glimpse of him turning on a speaker then took off running. The guard chased him around the room while bursting into singing Abba. The guests erupted and we all ended up dancing on the chairs... Definitely a highlight of the day. Thanks to Singers Secreto for helping me pull that off,” Emma said.

Music at the reception was by the Pat Fitz Band. “They were brilliant and had the dance floor full.”

Photos were by Breda Daly from Lovestory Photography - “I couldn’t say enough about her,” Emma said. Videography was by Colin Hickey from Orchid Pictures. “He was great too, really chill and calm.”

The couple had high praise for the “amazing” staff at Ballygarry. “They went above and beyond with their outstanding service.”

Asked what the most memorable part of the day was, the bride said: “Each part of the day was so special for different reasons, but definitely walking up the aisle was incredibly special. I couldn’t wait to see Eamonn, and he me.”