Wedding of the Week: Cork couple wed by mother of the groom

Family played an intrinsic role in the wedding of Cork couple Rachel Whelan and Cameron Waugh in July. In fact, the couple was actually married by the mother of the groom!

Rachel, from Cobh, and Cameron, from Glanmire, first connected online back in 2018, when Cameron was working in the U.S. They kept in contact during his five months there and shared their first date in Youghal just days after his return. “It was the beginning of our forever,” said Rachel.

The couple got engaged on Christmas Day, 2023, and were wed at the Vienna Woods Hotel in July.

“My husband’s mam, Bernadette Waugh, works in the HSE Births, Deaths and Marriages in Cork, and she married us on the day. It was never not going to be her. I was just as excited about it as Cameron was. Ber’ and I share a very special bond and it was an honour to have her marry us,” recalled the bride.

Rachel’s older sister Amie and older brother Davin were her maid of honour and best man respectively. The bridesmaids were the bride’s best friends Simone and Eilis and her sister-in- law, Kristina.

Cameron’s childhood best friend Thomas was best man, his groomsmen were his brother Brian and cousins Alex, Andrew, and Devin.

They were also supported on the day by Rachel’s parents Tracy and Damien, Cameron’s father Trevor, and his other brothers Jamie and Sebastian. “Sebastian is seven, almost eight, and he had the role of ring-bearer which he took very seriously! He had a tight grip on those rings all morning!

“Cameron and I are very fortunate to have both sets of grandparents, which made our day even more special.”

The bride sourced her dress in Say I Do in Midleton with the help of Shirley and Ria, which she paired with pearl jewellery. Hair was by Christine O’Sullivan while make-up was by Lizzy Desmond. “I really had the best glam team on site that morning. We had so much fun. The girls really brought the vibe.”

Flowers were by Juniper Rose Flower Studio, who even incorporated flowers from Rachel’s father’s garden “making my bouquet and candle arrangement extra special”.

The groom’s suit was custom-made by Louis Copeland in Cork. “He was the most handsome and best-dressed groom I’ve ever seen! He paired his suit with Christian Louboutin loafers, and he really looked the part... so much so that I had to copy him and get Louboutin heels,” said Rachel.

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

“Our DJ (Dave Daly) made the call to set up outside on the day as the weather was absolutely stunning and it really made the day. It felt like we were on holidays. We also had Jamie Lundy as our saxophone player which was just the coolest thing ever. The way he mixed with the crowd was unreal,” the bride said.

The wedding cake was by Applebee Bakes in Douglas.

The couple had high praise for the hotel.

“We couldn’t recommend Vienna Woods enough... Our wedding coordinator Laura Daly truly made the whole experience so easy and so exciting.”

Pictures on the day were by Ray and Irene Terry Photography while Anthony Fleming was videographer. “I would choose them again in every lifetime!” said Rachel.

What was the most memorable thing about the day? “It is so hard to narrow it down. There are too many. My first look with my dad, I’ll never forget it. Watching my bridal team get ready to walk down the aisle, seeing Cameron for the first time,” said Rachel, “it was the best day of our lives.”