Wedding of the Week: Cork couple who met at the gym tie the knot in Nerja 

Love can often bloom in unexpected places, and that was the case for one Cork couple who met at the gym at Sarsfield Hurling Club.

Eight years ago, Orla Rall walked into the gym looking for a personal trainer and met Damien Long for the first time.

“The minute I met Damien, I knew there was something special about him,” Orla recalls.

The pair soon became an item.

It was during a holiday in Nerja last year that Damien, from Ballincollig, proposed to Orla, from Mayfield.

“We fell in love with Nerja and knew we had to get married there,” the bride said.

The couple wed at the Church of El Salvador in the Spanish city last month in the presence of their closest friends and family.

The bride sourced her gown at Diamond Bridal on Maylor Street. “It was the second dress I tried on and I knew it was the one. It was giving me Spanish vibes, and I knew it was made for me,” she said.

The couple were supported on the day by Orla’s mom Phil, her four sisters and her brother as well as Damien’s mom Marie, his sister, brother, and brother-in-law.

Orla’s dad John, and Damien’s father Paddy and his daughter Shaunagh were not far from their thoughts on the day and Orla said there was “no doubt they were looking down on us”.

Orla’s twin daughters Gracie and Alex gave her away and were her bridesmaids.

“They were so proud walking me up the aisle, gave me away to their stepdad who they adore,” said Orla.

Damien’s nephew Nathan, who currently lives in London, and works as a paramedic in the police force, was best man.

After the ceremony, the couple held a reception for their guests at Cochran’s.

The couple’s first dance was to Always Remember Us This Way by Lady Gaga.

“We had the most amazing day, made happy memories for life. We laughed, we cried and we took it all in,” the couple said.

Today, the couple live in Glanmire where Damien has two gyms, Damien Long Personal Training & Nutrition, and Orla, who is a personal trainer and qualified stylist, runs Orla’s Fashion Closet, an online clothes shop.

“Our wedding day was everything. There was so much laughter, so much love, so much joy,” said Orla.

“Myself at 47 and Damien at 52, we found our way to each other.

“It took us eight years to get here, but we got there in the end."