weddingsnow2007
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WEDDINGSnow Spring 2007 -TRANSCRIPT
€3.50 INC VAT £2.50 STG SPRING 07WIN A FANTASTIC PRE-WEDDING SHOOT & CANVAS
7 January Wedding Fair, Midleton ParkHotel, Midleton Cork 021 463510113 and 14 January Dream WeddingsExhibition, Leisureland, Galway 087 245028813 and 14 January Wedding Fair, SilverSprings Moran Hotel Cork. Contactwww.silverspringshotel.ie21 January Galway Bay Hotel WeddingFair www.galwaybayhotel.net21 January Wedding Fair,The Shamrock Lodge Country HouseHotel, Athlone www.shamrocklodgecountryhotel.com27 and 28 January 2007 The Weddingand Bridal Show, The Burlington Hotel,
Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 terryburns@wed. ie. 4 February 2007Bride of The Year Show RDS. Contact [email protected] February 2007 Tipperary WeddingShow Premier Theatre Thurles. 0861623644 069 61974 www.tippwedding-show.com19 February Wedding Show, HiltonHotel, Dublin 2 www.hilton.com4 March 2007 Wedding Show, HiltonHotel, Charlemount Place, Dublin 2 [email protected]. 4 March 2007 Wedding Fair Extravangza,The Wyatt Hotel, Westport, Co. Mayo098 25027 www.wyatthotel.com
wedding fairs...
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editor’s letter Listen up brides to be, WEDDINGSnow is your answer to fulfillingyour dream of the perfect wedding day. You have found the man of yourdreams and now it’s time to plan your special day.The best advice that any bride can give you is not to panic. Speakingfrom experience as a newlywed, if you set achievable goals when organ-ising your big day, it will all fall into place. The initial thing to do ifyou are getting married is to find out the legal side of what you have todo in order to get married. Then it is all down to personal preferencewhen it comes to venues. We have compiled some of the best venuesthroughout the western and southern counties to help you choosewhat suits you. We ask the all important questions like how much it
will cost and whether or not the hotelcharges corkage.Another important area that canbe difficult to organise is yourpre-marriage course if you aregetting married in a CatholicChurch. We have a list of the dif-ferent types of courses available.Our bridal fashion shoot has someof the most amazing wedding dressesto suit all tastes and all you have todo is flick the page!If you are a bit on the adventurousside and feel like getting married instyle, check out our feature on alternativeweddings. I’m a firm believer in not re-inventing the wheel, so we got the low down from other newlyweds on how they organised their special day. Your bridal party plays an important role in yourwedding so make sure you choose the right people for the job (because it is not all about lookingpretty, they will have to work!) Stick to our guide to choosing a bridesmaid and groomsman and you’resure to be in safe hands. Everything from your flowers, wine and photographer to your wedding gifts,hair and make up needs a little bit of thought. So before you start stressing out, grab a cup of coffee, aquiet room, sit down and let WEDDINGSnow guide you through the next few months.
P.S Enjoy every moment of it!
WEDDINGSnow is published by
Golden Egg Productions Ltd,
Clarenbridge Business Park, Clarenbridge,
Co Galway, Ireland
Tel 091 777077 Fax 091 777080
e-mail [email protected]
www.galwaynow.com
Managing Director Patricia McCrossan
Group Editor Sinéad Ní Neachtain
Deputy Editor Jo Lavelle
Accounts Manager Patricia Larkin
DESIGN
Art Director Helen Gunning
Senior Designer Marcella Burns
Advertising Design Colm Brennan
SALES
Sales and Marketing Manager
Fergal O’Connor 086 8137116
Advertising Executives
Michelle Sweeney 086 8231663
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Contributors Brian R Walsh, Antoinette
Geraghty and Patrick Henaghan
Distribution Easons, Ireland
Golden Egg Productions Ltd will not be responsible for,
nor will it return, unsolicited manuscripts. Transparen-
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owner’s risk and, while every care is taken, Golden Egg
Productions Ltd cannot accept any liability for loss or
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Golden Egg Productions Ltd. The entire contents of
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tions Ltd and may not be reproduced in any form with-
out the prior written consent of the publishers.
SINÉAD NÍ NEACHTAIN EDITOR
cover stories18 Gowning Glory
stylish bridal wear
31 Best Wedding Venuesrevealed
40 Before I Dothe legal side
51 Real Weddingsthree brides share their day
64 Be Bravealternative weddings
68 What Gives...gifts for the wedding party
70 Plan Aheadweddings made easy
74 To List Or Not To Listyour wedding gifts
features28 Perfect Beauty
bridal make-up and hair
38 Budgetthe cost
39 Traditionsthe way it goes
43 Pre Nuptialjust in case!
44 Best Man Dutiespay attention
45 Choosing a Bridesmaidyour questions answered
46 Caketasticthe experts advise
49 Toastwine for your wedding
60 Message In A Blossomflowers for your wedding
66 Getting Married Abroadtop tips
73 Countdownmonthly advice
76 Happy Honeymoonalternative getaways
79 Musicour wedding favourites
80 Picture Perfectchoosing a photographer
snapped82 Weddings
your wedding pictures
regulars2 Editor’s letter
6 What’s new
95 In The Starsare you meant to be?
96 Directory
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Picture courtesy of ICEHOTEL
what’s new
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What a manIf you want to feel good, you need to look goodfirst. In today’s world, small differences make allthe difference and being well-groomed can makethat difference. UdeMan is a new online storefor men’s grooming and skincare. The brands aredesigned specifically for men, and come fromthe US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. Thebrands are tested on humans, not animals.People say that men’s skin is tougher thanwomen’s and ages better, but if you think of thedamage shaving and being out in the elementscan do to your skin, you know that it needs tobe protected. Udeman will also give you tips onlooking after your skin, hair and shaving needs.You won’t have to go to an upmarket depart-ment store to get quality men’s grooming prod-ucts delivered to your door. To have your husband-to-be look his best on yourwedding day just order online at www.udeman.ie
Pure BeautyJust arrived at Purejoy beauty isthe amazing high technical skinscanning machine, one of the besttools in the beauty business toanalyse your skin. It can see sundamage, which will help to pre-vent ageing, dehydration, colla-gen breakdown and congestion.Purejoy beauty specialises in fa-cials using two of the leading skinbrands in the world, Dermalogicaand Matis. The beauty therapistsat Purejoy beauty all have extrahigh levels of training in skin careon sensitive skin, acne, ageing,hormonal, and menopausal skin.With all of these, you will not geta better treatment to prepare youand your wedding party for yourbig day. Contact Purejoy Beauty, Main-guard Street, Galway 091 530540
Hartmanns jewellers in Williamsgate Street isGalway’s engagement and wedding ring specialist. Hartmanns are the West ofIreland’s only stockist for the world’s mostperfectly cut diamond by Hearts on Fire.They have two spacious private fitting roomswhere you can comfortably choose fromGalway’s largest selection of engagementrings. It they don’t have exactly what you arelooking for, Hartmanns will happily custommake a ring to your specific needs. Apartfrom the all important ring, Hartmanns alsohave a wide array of items perfect for gifts on
the day of the wedding. For the groom, theystock a large array of Swiss watches such asTag Heuer, Omega and Rolex.
They are also exclusive stockists of MontBlanc pens and accessories. For the brides-maids there is a great selection of fashionableand reasonably priced jewellery from topinternational brands such as Ti Sento, Milanoand Links of London. Hartmanns of Galwayis simply a one stop shop for all your wed-ding day gifts and jewellery.A.Hartmann & Son Ltd, 27-29 WilliamSt,Galway, 091 562063, www.hartmanns.ie
TheSpecialists-HartmannsJewellers
FuzionHair DesignFuzion Hair Design is based inNewcastle, Galway and is theideal place for brides-to-be toget that beautiful hair style theylong for on their wedding day!From bridal up-styles to stun-ning GHD curls, you’re sure toget exactly what you want.Fuzion recommends that youget your colour and cuttingdone two weeks before your bigday. A consultation and bridaltrial before is also a must. To book an appointment call 091 582965.
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Many brides are now moving away from the standard favors of miniatureboxes holding chocolates and are being tempted by the wide variety offavors to suit individual couple’s personalities and make a more personalstatement. The new range of favors from Receptions in Clonmel, CoTipperary caters for just this. These favors feature individual sachets of tea,coffee, cappuccino, cocktails or pots of honey that are then personalisedwith the couple’s names and wedding date. The range features over 20choices of labels for the sachet, both humorous and romantic. View these and the wide selection of ‘different’ favors on www.receptions.ie
ITSFABULOUS.NETWRITTEN BY LEONA MCPHILLIPSHelga Kampff founder of itsFabulous.net is a viva-cious and innovative business woman. She set upher company which is based in Galway, just over ayear and a half ago. Helga’s expansive career incor-porates international hair companies such as Wellaand Revlon. Helga’s profession has not only takenin the salon arena, but more challengingly, thedomain of film, fashion and TV. Originally fromDublin, Helga has settled in Galway for the last fiveyears. ItsFabulous.net has an exclusive criterion thatcovers the brides and her wedding party’s consulta-tion on hair cut, colour, condition and up-styles. Totop off this excellent package, Helga travels to thebride on her wedding day, ensuring that being fab-ulous begins that day the moment you wake up.ItsFabulous.net emphasises its ethos as a provisionthat creates peace of mind in a friendly, profession-al, relaxed and most importantly, fun atmosphere. Check out Helga’s website on www.itsfabulous.net orcontact her directly on 0861960061
• Ask at your church or venue whenthey have another wedding sched-uled, so that you can visualise howit looks dressed with flowers. If youfancy filling the church with flow-ers, ask your florist to meet you onsite to map out the best layout foryour arrangements.
• When planning the layout ofyour flowers, keep the arrange-ments towards the centre aisle ofthe church. If the church is large,draw your guests to the front bygrouping pew ends at the frontrows. Remember to place some
flowers at the first row of seats asyou enter the church, they will setthe scene for your guests as theyarrive, and when they turn towatch you enter the church.
• Use candles to warm up a darkchurch or a winter wedding.Posies of scented flowers as pewends can sweeten a damp ormusty church. Simple, modernarrangements will suit a highlydecorative church, whiletraditional arrangements ofsummery flowers will pretty up aplain venue.
Church FlowersJessamyn Sommers, of Bloomsday in Carrigtwohill, Co Cork, offers advice on planning your church flowers
Diamonds by Julia Julia McAndrew has just launched a new businessventure, Diamonds by Julia. Julia worked and studied jewellery in London and now brings herexpertise and knowledge to Galway.
Her beautiful stunning collection of diamondsset in 18ct gold can fulfil your every desire. Thediamonds are carefully selected from De Beers,using only the highest quality and cuts.
Julia with her partner Ludek Hubrt, an expert indiamonds, gemstones and jewellery combine tocreate an excellent team to give their clients a trulypersonal and professional service. Contact Julia on087 6050050 email: [email protected] orvisit www.diamondsbyjulia.com
a favorwith astatement
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Lady M is the first ever lingerie boutique to open in Loughrea.Located on Dunkellin Street, the mainstreet in Loughrea, it stocks a widerange of goods from lingerie to fashionto accessories. It has everything! Forbridal lingerie, proprietor MaireadHanbury ensures that all of her customers get a friendly and confiden-tial consultation. The fantastic rangesin Lady M are Plie, Rosa Cha Brazilian
lingerie, Elle Macpherson, Ted Baker,Lepel, Discover Mademoiselle,Charnos, Panache, Fantasie, and Freya!The accessories are by Wishes andBraza, fashion by Maillili Paris, tights by Aristoc, nightwear byFrankie and Johnny! Lady M Lingerie Boutique, 51 Dunkellin Street, Loughrea. 091 871141
Lady M
Something Special A special piece of jewellery is something oftenforgotten by busy brides or left until the lastminute. Azure Jewellery offers the most fabu-lous handmade items to suit all bridal tastesand budgets including Princesse d’un Jour, theWedding Jules Collection from Dublin-bornJulie Bevan, and pictured above Otazu. Azure, Careys Lane, Cork, 021 4905941
Sarah Morrisey wearing Otazu on the catwalk at a fashionshoworganized by the I.C.A.
Head-turnersWhile there is a current trend for flamboyanthead pieces, this look is not for everyone. Somelove to make a statement, others prefer understat-ed chic and that is where The Galway Hat Shopcomes in. One of the best-known hat stockists inthe city, The Galway Hat Shop stocks a widevariety of hats and headpieces for every occasionto suit every taste and every pocket, with headpiece prices ranging from €24.95 to €1,150. TheGalway Hat Shop stocks over 12 designers fromall over Europe including designs by PhillipTreacy. Another Irish designer stocked by the hatshop is Balbo Designs, which makes hat or head-piece and handbag matching sets for that fin-ished-off look. For a very chic look, Whiteleydesign hats and head pieces for mothers of thebride and guests. Nigel Raymond’s hatmosphereis a subtle range with feather or flower trimmingsand pretty head pieces for those who want anunderstated look. The Galway Hat Shop alsostocks jewellery, wraps and handbags to completeany outfit. Corbett Court, Eyre Square ShoppingCentre, Galway 091 561052
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Musictoyourears!Fantango specialises in what is surely the most passion-ate of music genres – the Argentinian Tango. This group features the songs of Carlos Gardel, the world’s best known and mostbeloved Tango vocalist. The combination of bandoneon, violin, guitar and vocals recre-ate the authentic sound of the golden era of Tango. Fantango’s music provide a roman-tic atmosphere for your wedding reception. You can catch Fantango live at The GalwayTango Club’s monthly Milongas at the Galway Rowing Club from February 2007. For moredetails contact Paul Gunning on 091 638205.
Bridal RoomsThe Ivory Rose Bridal Rooms havejust opened in Passage West, CoCork. Choosing a gown at theIvory Rose is a pleasurable andmemorable experience. OwnerMarie has carefully selected pretty,stylish, fun, contemporary andclassic gowns for her 2007 designercollection. She also stocksbridesmaid dresses and a range ofveils, tiaras, jewellery and shoes tocomplete your dream look. Call 021 4859750 or [email protected] to arrange anappointment. View the collectionon-line at www.theivoryrose.ie.
The Chocolate TierThe chocolate tier is the leadingsupplier of chocolate fountains onthe west coast and there is only onereason - quality. The ChocolateTier provides the finest Belgianchocolate with dipping foods thatinclude fresh strawberries, marsh-mallows, malted fudge and prof-iteroles with a vanilla cream.Contact: Orla or Anthony on 0868488107 or 086 8233825 or [email protected]
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Perfect MatchSuzie Mahony Designs has just introduced a newline of handmade beaded jewellery to complement your headpiece and ensemblefor that special day. Suziecan also create handmadebridal headdresses andmatching jewellery. For further informationcontact Suzie MahonyDesigns 086 1948315
Flower PowerThe Flower Basket, Clonakilty, Co Cork is in business
almost 20 years. Its proprietor, Ann O’Neill travelsthroughout Europe regularly to keep up to date with modern trends in weddings and the interior industry.
With so many people deciding to get married in West Cork, The Flower Basket is perfect to make
your wedding day even more special. Anne caters to all budgets and tastes so contact her on 023 33535 or e-mail her at [email protected]
The workshop
Elegant UndiesElegant Undies has picked lingerie labels and styles that lookamazing and feel great to wear. It prides itself on its fitting serv-ice and has carefully chosen their stock based on quality, lookand fit. Elegant Undies is currently widening its bridal lingeriecollection to cater for every wedding dress style possible!Whether it is to slim you down or boost you up, at ElegantUndies, you will find a range of bras, bodices and accessories thatwill support you under any style of dress and make you feel com-fortable on your big day. From comfortable basic bras to themost gorgeous nightwear and camisole sets, there is somethingfor everyone in Elegant Undies. Unit 3, Downstairs Corbett Court Shopping Centre, WilliamsgateStreet, Galway 091 567512
As your wedding dayedges closer, you won-der if it’s just you ordoes every bride sud-denly feel this stressedout? Firstly, rest assuredthat stress and weddingsgo hand in hand sowhat you need to do isto de-stress and leave itto the professionals.That’s where a visit toAngela Silke and TheWorkshop is a must.What is unique to theworkshop is its impres-sive line up of hairdress-ing and beauty talent allunder the one roof.Deirdre, the salon’s
artistic up-style creativedirector and her teamwill work in conjunc-tion with you, thebride, to discuss yourvision and togetherwith Angela’s beautyexpertise, will create abreathtaking style exclu-sive to you, makingyour visit to TheWorkshop a truly spe-cial experience unlikeany other. The WorkshopHair and Beauty,Abbeygate Street 091566680WK2 Ballymoneen Road091 510029
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Branch FlowersFlowers are an integral part of anywedding ceremony and knowingwhere to source the best flower specialists is vital to achieve aromantic and atmospheric scene.
Branch florists specialise inweddings, working on celebrityceremonies, in conjunction with topwedding co-ordinators and inexclusive venues such as AshfordCastle. This team guarantees tobring that extra something to yourspecial day, be it a small intimatecelebration or a larger congregation.Branch Flowers 18 Townpark Centre,Tuam Road, Galway 091 770869www.branchflowers.com
Bridal Consultation The dress, the cake, the long embrace - a wedding paints a picture that lingers in themind. The Jo Malone Bridal Consultation offers you innovative ideas to create deliciouslyscented memories for all who attend your special day. From selecting the perfect bridalfragrance to addressing your skin care needs forbeautiful wedding day skin to choosing thankyou gifts for the wedding party, no detail ofyour wedding day will go unnoticed. Allow JoMalone to add the fragrant finishing touches toyour special day. Jo Malone Express(tm), Mail order and worldwide delivery
service, +44(0) 20 7720 0202 Shop online at www.jomalone.co.uk
Total Look Hair SalonGet the Total Hair Look this wedding season where all your individual hair needs are catered for.Bridal hair specialists are on handto perfect your wedding day lookand an extensive hat studio offerssale or hire of magnificent hats,bags and feathers. So whether you’rethe mother of the bride or thebeautiful bride herself, don’t missout on this special salon.Total LookHair Salon, Renmore, Galway 091 769772
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Wedding RingsCelebrate your wedding with a ring made especially foryou. Nothing says it better than something special indi-vidually crafted for you. Tuula can incorporate yourideas into her design and will go through the designprocess discussing the different aspects involved in put-ting together that perfect wedding rings. Designworks, Tuula Harrington goldsmith and design-er, Floor 1, 34 Grand Parade, Cork, Ireland021 4279420 or 086 6031881www.tuulaharrington.com
The Moderne on Patrick Street, Cork is worth a visit in search of yourdream wedding dress. With creationsfrom Maggie Sottero to Alfred Argelo,The Moderne also stocks veils, headpieces, shoes and accessories forthe bride-to-be. The Moderne, Patrick Street, Cork 021 4270266. www.themoderne.com
Finalist5th Avenue is one of five beauty salons contending for the title of Beast Beauty Salon2007’. The winner of the awards will beannounced at a Gala Banquet in Dublin inearly March. This is the most prestigiousevent on the Irish Beauty Industry calendar.We wish the 5th avenue team all the best.14e Liosban Business Park, Galway 091 764755
Beautiful BrideAll brides strive for perfection on their big day, sowhy not get a helping hand and visit BeyondBeauty in Claregalway to get primed and pampered before your big day? The beautiful bridepackage includes a Hydraessance facial, eyelash tintand brow shape, full body spray tan, French polishfor hands and feet, and a trial make-up and make-up application on the day all for just €170. Beyond Beauty, Hughes Shopping Centre, Claregalway, Co Galway 091 799392
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Clifford Designs is now a well-established specialist in wedding stationery and weddingcoordination in Cork. Run byNoreen and her team, it providesa wide range of bespoke andhandmade stationery includingceremony invitations, eveninginvitations, reply cards, thankyou cards, place names, menustationery, and more. Whateveryour wedding stationery needs,Clifford Designs can providethem and will provide a personal,friendly and reliable service witha quick turnaround and anunparalleled level of quality.
What sets Noreen apart fromher competition is the quality ofher stationery, as well as the level
of service that she provides. Sheunderstands how the details areimportant in the planning of awedding and so she worksone-on-one with each of hercustomers to produce highquality handmade bespokestationery, which is coordinatedright through from firstinvitation, to ceremony andreception. Working within yourbudget, together you can designa stationery range unique to yourown wedding. Now offering a ten per centdiscount off main invitationswhen you say you saw her advertin WEDDINGSnow. www.clifforddesigns.ie 021 4642986
Your Special
DayBellissimo provides a full
bridal package and special day,ideal for bridesmaids or mums
of brides. Its bridal packagecovers everything from
waxing, facials, make-up andhair design plus much more.
It also offers advanced skincare treatments in
photo-rejuvenation and acnetreatments, plus permanent
hair reduction. If you prefer,you can custom-make your
own package. Check out itswebsite for further details.
www.bellissimo.ieOpen Monday to Friday
9am to 9pm Saturday 9am to 6pm and
Sundays 10am to 5pm 091 568555
Dream Wedding JewellersCastalia Jewellers offers a unique experience whenselecting engagement and wedding rings. It offers a private viewing room for the happy couples.Experienced and friendly staff will give you the timeyou deserve when selecting your engagement or wedding bands. You even have the opportunity todesign your dream engagement ring, which is hand-crafted for you by its very own gold-smith.
Castalia offers a fine selection of wedding rings forhim and her including traditional, diamond-set andhand-crafted bands. For brides seeking that specialpiece of jewellery for the big day, the luxurious ItalianDiamond Jewellery Collection, Prestigio, is on-hand.Castalia Jewellers, 63 Main Street, Midleton, Co Cork
Making it Count
Gemini BeautyBefore that big day, Therese Costello and her team atGemini beauty recommends that facial care should startthree to six months prior to the big day. Most brides,even if not regular waxers, will opt for this method ofhair removal to ensure they are hair free for their specialday. Eye therapy is a must for all brides to be. It is theground work that is done before the all importantbridal make up. As we all know, every bride wants to bepositively glowing as she walks up the aisle. Havingyour make up done professionally will certainly ensurethis. For a consultation or appointment call Therese and her team on 091 770776
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Coffee bustier, skirt and wrap by RemboStyling, sandals from Rainbow Shoes
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Bordeaux gown by Special Day, diamonte shoes by Benjamin Adams
PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Henaghan | STYLIST Antoinette Geraghty
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Ruffled tulle dress by Lam Hyun Hee atRococo, shoes by Benjamin Adams
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fashionBias cut, with long train of tulleover satin gown by RoswithaMolloy, Best Wedding Couturier2005, shoes by Gabriella Lucidofrom Rainbow Shoes. Watch stylist’s own.
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Chantilly lace over ivory satin gown with halter neck fish tail train by Rowitha Molloy,Best Wedding Couturier 2005
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Cream/lace bodice with satin skirt by Mathyro
fashion
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Ivory lace dress with a puddle train and bow detail by Jen Doherty, Best Wedding Couturier 2006
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White gown by Pronovais, butterfly hair grip by Emily-Jean Designs
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Silk taffeta with appliqué and silk tulle over one shoulder flowing
into a dramatic fish tail weddinggown by Jen Doherty, Best
Wedding Couturier 2006, Diamontétiara from Marians of Boyle and
Galway
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Bronze gown by Rembo Styling, diamonte shoes by Benjamin Adams
beauty
perfectbeautyYour wedding day is one day in your life when you want to look your best. You want glowing skin and glossy hair. Basically, you’re aiming for the wow factor.
So apart from eating well and exercising in the run-up to the wedding, there are certain guidelinesyou should follow to ensure you look simply stunningon the day.
HairYour crowning glory needs to be in tip top shape for yourbig day, so treating it well, getting regular trims and treat-ments in the months prior to the day is essential.
If you decide to change your hairstyle, aim to do it atleast six months beforehand to allow time to grow itout if it’s too short or if you don’t like the style.
When you decide on how you’re going to wear yourhair on the day, visit your hairdresser and try it out acouple of months ahead of time. If you are happy withit, book the same stylist who did your hair for yourwedding day. On the day, make sure you leave yourselfplenty of time for your hair, just in case of any hiccups.
If you are considering wearing your hair down, keepin mind that most hair that is longer than your shoul-ders will not hold well in hot or humid weather, whilemost up-styles will last until you take them down.
A sophisticated up-style may be more appropriatefor a lavish formal evening wedding, whereas a softchignon may be more suitable for a casual daytimewedding on the beach. Even wearing your hair downwith fresh flowers designed through it may be themost appropriate style of all!
If you plan on wearing fresh flowers in your hairon the day, be sure to find out if the flowers you planon wearing will stay fresh for the day, there’s nothingworse than a wilting flower on a gorgeous bride.Chat to your florist before making any decisions.Also, keep in mind that if a flower is too big, it willtake away from your hairstyle. If in doubt, keep itsmall and simple.
It’s important to keep in mind what hairstyles haveand have not worked for you in the past. If you havevery fine, dead straight hair and are looking for reallytight curls, they will most definitely not hold for theday. Be realistic.
MakeupYou want your make-up to enhance your beauty, notact as a mask. At the same time, you want to hideany blemishes. To achieve this radiant look, a goodfoundation is essential. Whether you choose to doyour own make-up or enlist the help of a professionalmakeup artist, ensure that you choose the perfectfoundation. Try out lots of different brands andcolours in the weeks leading up to the day.
You can use this time to also try out different looksfor your eyes and lips.
The most important thing is that you feel goodabout yourself. The makeup should enhance your beau-ty, not hide it. However, it should be slightly heavierthan normal so that you look your best in photos.
beauty
To ensure your skin is in tip-topcondition, drink lots of water andtake it easy on the alcohol. A courseof facials is always a good idea, butmake sure that you have your lastfacial at least two weeks prior to thewedding in case of breakouts.
TanWhile some women like to go aunatural on their wedding day, youcan't beat a bronze glow for ahealthy look. Fake tans today are sowell advanced that you can't evennotice that it is fake. One word ofadvice though, don't attempt thisyourself. Go to a reputablebeautician and make sure you do atrial a month or so before the bigday. Exfoliate before getting yourspray tan and get it done about twodays before your wedding to ensurethat the colour has settled.
NailsBeautiful hands and feet areessential for your wedding day andare often overlooked. Get a mani-cure and pedicure the day beforeyour wedding day. Ensure that youleave adequate time to set the nailvarnish, as smudged nails will ruinthe look. Keep it natural with neu-tral colours and short nails.
IndulgeIndulge in a full body massage, anIndian head massage or reflexologyin the weeks leading up to the bigday to ensure that you are fully de-stressed and relaxed.
The Hair
The Look
Hair by Itsfabulous.net Hair by Itsfabulous.net
The Rectory Glandore, West Cork, 028 33072
Email: [email protected],www.rectory.ie
The Rectory is a delightful early19th Century listed residence
nestled in an eight-acre woodland. It overlooks what is
considered to be one of Ireland’smost beautiful sea inlets,
Glandore Harbour, an idealbackdrop for unforgettable pho-
tos on your wedding day. TheRectory’s large, bright dining
rooms, in glowing reds, greensand blues, provide a perfect
setting for sophisticated wed-dings with menus offering meatand fish. The standard of prepa-
ration and excellence of service issecond to none.
Price per person: €51 to €64per person (2007 prices)
What this price includes:Starter course, middle course,
main course, dessert course, tea and coffee
Corkage, if applicable: No,wine prices start from €17.50 per
bottle (2007 prices)Table arrangements, if
provided: Free fresh house flowers around the building (Not
table flower centrepieces, whichcan be done at extra cost.)
Complimentary folded napkinlinens and use of bulb candle
nightlight holders.Reception on arrival?
Complimentary tea, coffee,juices and biscuits on arrival.
Red carpet welcome.Champagne greeting for bride
and groom on arrival.Any accommodation deals
for the bride and groom?No accommodation on site –
restaurant only.The maximum numbers
catered for? 100 guests maxfor seating. Additional 60 guests
for evening.Any other relevant details
No venue hire fee, service chargeat your own discretion, openfrom February to December.
Hotel Meyrick
Eyre Square, Galway, 091 [email protected] www.hotelmeyrick.ieAt Hotel Meyrick in the heart of GalwayCity’s Eyre Square, there is no other venuemore idyllic for your special day. Elegant,refined and sophisticated, the Hotel Meyrickis unique and coupled with the professional-ism of our experienced team, will ensure thatyour celebrations unfold with effortless perfec-tion. The idyllic surroundings of the HotelMeyrick provide an exquisite backdrop for thephotos which will preserve the memory of thisunforgettable day and the unrivalled comfortof our banqueting suite will leave nothing tobe desired in catering the wedding of yourdreamsPrice per person: from 41€ per personWhat this price includes:Pre wedding consultations with our experienced team;red carpet with Champagne to welcome thebride and groom on arrival;
ornate table arrangements with candelabratable settings; personalised menu cards andtable plans; complimentary reception roomhire; luxurious suite for the bride and groom ontheir wedding night followed by a Champagnebreakfast served to your room the followingmorning; Sherry reception with tea and coffee.Corkage, if applicable: available on select-ed dates.Table arrangements, if provided: Ornatetable arrangements with candelabra table settingsReception on arrival? Tea, coffee, Sherry,home-made biscuits, selection of canapes.Any accommodation deals for the brideand groom? Discounted rates available insister hotels.The maximum numbers you cater for?350maxAny other relevant details Extensive menuselections which have been designed to allowflexibility in personalising your own menu.Discounted car parking facilities.
bestvenuesLet WEDDINGSnow take the guess work out of choosing your wedding venue with our guide to the bestwedding venues around.
The Rectory
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Clifden StationHouse Hotel
Clifden, Connemara, Co. Galway,095 21699
www.clifdenstationhouse.comThe Clifden Station House is a
contemporary hotel set in uniquesurroundings. Our WeddingPackages for 2007/2008 are
unrivalled and can be especiallydesigned to suit your needs.
Price per person: Packagesrange from a minimum price of
�35.00 per person to a maximumof �85.00 per person depending
on the package chosen. What this price includes:
This price is for the receptionand meal only. It does not
include the drinks package oraccommodation.
Corkage, if applicable: Wine�15.00 per bottle, Champagne
�13.00 per bottle Table arrangements,
if provided: Colour coordinated floral
arrangements, white table linen,candles and personalised menus.
All other options can be discussed at the consultation
stage with a member of our teamin advance.
Reception on arrival Red car-pet, Champagne for the bride
and groom. Complimentary teaand coffee for all guests.
Any accommodation dealsfor the bride and groom
Complimentary B&B for thebride and groom. Preferential
rate on ten rooms for your wed-ding guests subject to availability.The maximum numbers you
cater for 150 sit down meal. Any other relevant detailsOur packages can be made to
suit your needs.
Carlton Hotel & Spa
Rathmore Road, Kinsale, Co Cork, 021 470 6000 [email protected] on 90 acres of parkland with panoramicviews over Oysterhaven Bay, Carlton HotelKinsale has magical locations to capture thosephotographs that will be treasured for yourlifetime. Our winding, enchanting woodlandentrance will lead you to the lobby of thehotel where our team will meet you andensure you receive the ultimate in personalattention and service. Price per person: From �42.00What this price includes: 4 course meal,
tea and coffee.Corkage, if applicable: �8.00 per bottle.Table arrangements, if provided:Personalised table plan and menus. Linen nap-kins. Floral arrangement for each table.Silver cake knife and stand.Reception on arrival?Red carpet.Champagne reception for the bride andgroom. Complimentary tea, coffee and bis-cuits for all your guests.Any accommodation deals for the brideand groom? Complimentary over night inthe bridal suite for the bride and groom.The maximum numbers you cater for? 200
Carlton Hotel Kinsale and Spa
Shearwater Plaza Hotel
Ballinasloe, Co Galway, 090 [email protected], www.shearwaterhotel.comThe Shearwater Plaza Hotel is an exquisitehotel and wellness resort finished to an exceptional high 4 star standard. Ideally situated beside the Marina offering you aunique setting perfect for intimate and family photographs. Our personal wedding co-ordinators offer expert advice and supportensuring that your wedding day is everythingyou dreamed and more. The Plaza Suite at the Shearwater is the ultimate venue for yourwedding banquet. The Hotel offers a superbculinary experience to all our guests. Theexquisite selection of fine wines, match theeloquent setting of the special occasion. Ourexperienced management team provides anexcellent level of service, allowing you to relaxand savour the most special day of your life.Price Per Person Menu prices range from�30.50 - �60.00.What this price includes: Selection ofmenus from a 4 course to an excellent buffetmenu.; A wedding reception at the ShearwaterPlaza Hotel includes strict ‘One Wedding ADay’ policy.; V.I.P welcome.; Champagnereception and canopies for the bridal party on
arrival.; Complimentary tea, coffee and bis-cuits for your guests.; Complimentary use ofsuperb leisure facilities for residential guests.;Complimentary dinner and wine for the brideand groom on their 1st anniversary.;Complimentary pre-wedding day facial forthe bride.Corkage, if applicable A fine selection ofwines and Champagnes to choose from tocompliment your menu.Table Arrangements: Beautiful white linenand fresh flower arrangement with candle on eachtable. You can enhance your wedding receptionwith elegant chair covers and bow which are pro-vided complimentary on the top table.The maximum numbers catered for - upto 460.Any accommodation deals for the brideand groom: Complimentary bridal suiteincluding breakfast for the bride and groom.Special accommodation rates on a selectednumber of rooms for your wedding. Midweek Weddings Midweek discount of10% on the food menu (Valid Sunday toThursday excluding Bank Holiday Mondays)Complimentary chair covers. Any other details: A beautiful new hotel ele-gantly designed with your Special Day in mind.
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WEDDINGSnow 33
Glenlo Abbey Hotel
Bushypark, Galway, 091 [email protected], www.glenlo.comGlenlo Abbey is Galway's only 5Star Failte rated hotel and is specialising in weddings since opening in 1992. With four venuesto choose from, we can cater toweddings in the Abbey, the RiverRoom, the Pullman Restaurant andthe Pavilion Suite. Situated on theshores of Lough Corrib, GlenloAbbey affords the best photographic opportunities inGalway with the extensive golfestate, mature gardens and trees inaddition to the backdrop of the18th century building.Price per person:Wedding celebratory dinner pricesfrom €50.00 per person.What this price includes:Complimentary room hire in thePavilion with 50 guests or more.Red carpet on arrival along withChampagne for the newlyweds.Personalised weddingmenus, table plans.Reception on arrival?Complimentary tea/coffee reception on arrival.Any accommodation deals forthe bride and groom?Complimentary bridal suite for thebride and groom including champagne on ice. Special rates forup to ten rooms.Table arrangements, if provided: Large circular place mirrors, candleabras and candles.The hotel can also help you withchoosing the ideal floral experiencefor your big day.Any other relevant details:Consultation with our experiencedwedding team, including head chefto choose the right seasonal mealfor you and your guests.150 free car park spaces. Pre-wedding group dinner packagesin the Pullman and River Room.Activities include own golf courseon-site, driving range, clay pigeonshooting, which can all be organised for the groom and friends.
The Imperial HotelSouth Mall, Cork, 021 7306618 www.flynnhotels.comThe Imperial Hotel is the perfect setting foryour glamorous wedding. The Imperial andEscape Salon and Spa is a magical hotel thatblends the warmth and intimacy of times pastwith the style and luxury of a contemporaryhotel. Its design merges the traditional and thecontemporary to create an environment with aunique warm and welcoming personality. Price per person: Set dinner menus startfrom €28 per person (based on a minimum of80 guests). Corkage, if applicable: €8.50Table arrangements, if provided: TheImperial Hotel provides personalised menusand table settings as well as floral decorationsmatching the brides and bridesmaids coloursof the day.Reception on arrival? Royal red carpetgreets the bride and groom who are welcomedto the hotel by management with a glass ofchilled Champagne while guests are treated toa tea and coffee reception. Complimentary tea
and coffee reception on arrival to the hotel foryou and your guests. Any accommodation deals for the brideand groom? Where better to spend thewedding night than in the luxurious pent-house, which offers breathtaking views ofCork City and can also provide a perfect set-ting for photos or an intimate reception? Thehotel also offers a generous bedroom alloca-tion for wedding guests at a special rate.The maximum numbers catered for? Onround tables, it can accommodate 150 whileon trestles, it can accommodate 220. Any other relevant detailsFrom Ireland’s first Aveda Lifestyle Salon andSpa Escape, avail of Pre-wedding Escape – aback, neck and shoulder massage or a focusfacial for two. Pre-wedding make-up trial and hair consultation – for the bridal party at EscapeSalon and Spa. First anniversary package – dinner at ThePembroke Restaurant, overnight in one of theluxurious executive rooms, time at the VitalitySuite and a Dry Float at Escape Salon and Spa.
The Imperial Hotel
Glenlo Abbey Hotel
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34 WEDDINGSnow
Claregalway Hotel
Claregalway Village, Claregalway, Co Galway,091 738300 Email: [email protected] Claregalway Hotel has established itselfas one of Galway’ s leading wedding venuessince the opening of its doors in July 2004.Each individual enquiry is handled with careand attention by its in-house wedding coordi-nator, Julie Murphy and professional manage-ment team. By catering for just one weddingper day, each couple is guaranteed by thehotel that every effort is made to ensure theirperfect wedding day. Claregalway Hotel pro-vides quality and service time and time again.Price per person: From €27.95 per personapproximately, depending on choice of menu. What this price includes: This includesfive-course meal, room hire, table and roomarrangement, staff.Corkage, if applicable: Corkage €10 perbottle approximatelyTable arrangements, if provided: Yes,
there is an assortment of candle and flowerarrangements, t-lights and napkins (which canbe colour coordinated with your weddingtheme if required)Reception on arrival? Yes, each couple has achoice of complimentary summer punch, mulledwine or sparkling wine served with tea and coffee.It also provides a complimentary Champagnereception for each bridal party on arrival. Any accommodation deals for the brideand groom? Yes, these are offered by thereservations department for each wedding.The maximum numbers catered for?280 persons in the Waterdale Wedding SuiteAny other relevant details: The hotelcaters for one wedding per day and therefore,each couple have the hotels exclusive personalattention for their stay. It also provides thecomplimentary release of doves on the day forpictures as a gift to all couples for bookingtheir special day at the hotel.
Aghadoe Heights Kerry, 064 31766,
[email protected] 5 Red Star AghadoeHeights Hotel & Spa in
Killarney, Co Kerry is recognised as one of Ireland's
most luxurious five star hotels.The Aghadoe Heights Hotel &
Spa is a truly magical residence, that blends the
warmth of a country homewith the style and luxury of acontemporary, five star inter-national hotel. Overlookingthe Lakes of Killarney, everyguest room gazes out upon
Killarney's majestic landscape.Price per person: Dinnermenus from €65 per person.
Wine from €30 per bottle, tenper cent off RAC
accommodation rate. Startingat €225 per room includingbreakfast. Drinks reception
from €8.50 per glass. Choiceof canapes for drinks/evening
reception from €12 per person.Corkage, if applicable:
From €30 per bottle.Table arrangements, if provided: From €35 per
arrangementReception on arrival?
Red carpet welcome on arrival.Tea and coffee on arrival for all
guests. Champagne welcomefor the bride and groom.
Any accommodation dealsfor the bride and groom?
Luxury suite overnight forbride and groom, Special
accommodation rate for yourguests.
The maximum numbersyou cater for?
75 banquet style, 150 when exclusive use of hotel is taken.Any other relevant details
Personalised souvenir menus for all tables.
Use of cake stand and knife.Candelabras on all tables.
The Claregalway Hotel
Clarinbridge Court Hotel
Clarinbridge, Co Galway, 091 [email protected] Clarinbridge Court Hotel, only ten minutes from GalwayCity, is nestled in the midst of mature woodlands. This romantic picturesque location is the ideal wedding venue. Thephotographic opportunities are old world and with the helpand support of its wedding coordinator, the team will work together to make your wedding a dream come true.Price per person: Varies with choice of main course.What this price includes:The price of main course includes the price of every other course,red carpet, complimentary tea/coffee reception, complimentarystay in the bridal suite, colour co-ordinated floral arrangements,cake stand and knife, use of public address system. Corkage, if applicable: €10 per bottleTable arrangements, if provided: Complimentary anddesigned to correspond with colour schemes.Reception on arrival? Complimentary tea and coffee reception for guests on arrival. Any other reception can bearranged at your own discretion.Any accommodation deals for the bride and groom?Reduced rate on ten rooms, as well as a complimentary stay inthe bridal suite.The maximum numbers you cater for? 400Any other relevant detailsThe Clarenbridge Court has a wedding coordinator at your disposal to help plan and tease out any ideas or difficulties thatyou may have. The head chef is also available by appointmentto discuss any menu requirements. The hotel’s main goal is totailor the day to the couple’s requirements and provide awardwinning food and service. With the new head chef, you aresure to get a spectacular meal on your big day.
The Claregalway Hotel
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WEDDINGSnow 35
Galway Bay Hotel Galway Bay Hotel Conference & LeisureCentre, The Promenade, Salthill, Galway,091 520 520, The 4* Galway Bay Hotel is uniquely situated on the Promenade in Salthilloverlooking Galway Bay and the ClareHills, providing you with the most elegantand breathtaking setting to host yourwedding reception. The Hotel was award-ed the best 4* hotel in Ireland 2005 andhas a reputation for fine food providing aversatile range of menus presented andserved by our team of experienced profes-sionals. Our Executive Head Chef MrRobert Bell was awarded ‘CateringManager of the Year 2005’ by the IrishHospitality Industry. Our AnnualWedding Fair Extravaganza takes place onSunday 21 January 2007. Our manage-ment team will await you and take youthrough all of our uniquely and expertlyappointed facilities and services to assistyou in creating the Wedding Day of yourdreams.Price Per Person Menu prices rangefrom €30.50 - €60.00What this price includes; Range of 5
course meals to a gala buffet menu.Wedding special includes Sherry orhot/cold punch on arrival. A glass ofred/white wine at the meal. A top up fortoast. An evening buffet of tea, coffee,selection of sandwiches and cocktailsausages from €13.75 per person.Corkage: �10 per bottle of wine.�12.50 per bottle of ChampagneTable Arrangements: Complimentaryluxurious choice of table arrangementsexpertly created by our local florist.Reception on arrival: VIP welcomewith red carpet and champagne on iceawait the bridal party on arrival.Complimentary tea and coffee on arrivalfor the wedding party.Any Accommodation deals for thebride and groom: Complimentary wed-ding night accommodation in our luxuri-ous bridal suite for the bride and groom.Maximum numbers catered for Upto 420 guestsAny other detailsAwarded best 4* hotel in Ireland 2005.Our executive chef Mr. Robert Bell was awarded Catering Manager of the Year 2006.
Menlo Park Hotel
Terryland, Galway, 091 76 11 22.www.menloparkhotel.comThe Menlo Park Hotel offers a four-star product at a reasonable price whereyou don’ t need to compromise onquality. Its in-house planner will workwith you to create the wedding day ofyour dreams. The hotel is owned by aGalway family and run by professionalmanagers with years of experience. Thewhole hotel is benefiting from a major refurbishment, which is due to finish in early 2007. Before you decideon a Galway hotel, check outwww.menloparkhotel.com and view its360 (degrees) tour.Price per person: Four-coursemenus starting from €30What this price includes:Experienced in-house wedding planneravailable throughout to oversee andcoordinate all activities. Your choice of banqueting suite and seating arrangement complete with self con-tained foyer/conservatory private bar and cloakroom facilities. Personalised menus and seating plan. Choice of cake stand andknife. Champagne breakfast for brideand groom. Complimentary menu listing tasting dinner. Corkage, if applicable: €9.00 perbottle.Table arrangements, if provided: Fresh floral table arrangements, candles and serviettes –white linen or luxury wedding servi-ettes to complement your scheme.Reception on arrival? Red carpet welcome on arrival with Champagne reception for bride andgroom. A warm welcome and receptionon arrival for your guests with summerpunch or mulled wine and tea, coffeeand biscuits.Any accommodation deals for thebride and groom?Complementary bridal suite for brideand groom with jacuzzi. Specialovernight rates for other guests.The maximum numbers cateredfor? 280
The Claregalway Hotel
The Galway Bay Hotel
The Menlo Park Hotel The Menlo Park Hotel The Menlo Park Hotel
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36 WEDDINGSnow
RadissonLough Atalia, Galway, 091 538 300www.radissonhotelgalway.ieYou are guaranteed the best of all worldswhen you choose the luxurious RadissonSAS Hotel & Spa, Galway for your specialday. With scenic Galway Bay views, luxuryhotel accommodation, excellent food, spiritone leisure facilities and an award winningspa, this really is the ultimate in weddingluxury. The hotel is situated on the water-front of Lough Atalia with an outdoor ter-race perfect for welcome drinks. Receptionscan also be enjoyed in the light-filledAtrium Bar and Lounge. The wedding planner arranges weddings from familyoccasions to larger receptions. Price per person:Menus start from €38.00 per person What this price includes:Four-course dinner with tea and coffee;.pre-wedding consultation with the weddingplanner and executive chef;welcome tea and coffee reception on arrivalfor all your guests;wedding menu tasting for the bride and
groom prior to the day;wedding party greeted with red carpet andglass of champagne;complimentary presidential suite for thebride and groom with champagne andstrawberries.Table arrangements, if provided:Candelabras are provided as the table centrepiece.Reception on arrival?Wedding packages include a complimentarytea and coffee reception on arrival.Any accommodation deals for thebride and groom? Complimentaryaccommodation in a luxurious suite for thebride and groom on the evening of theirwedding. Special accommodation ratesapply for wedding guests.The maximum numbers catered for?50 guests to 600 guests.Any other relevant details?The multi-award winning spa at theRadisson SAS Hotel Galway, spirit one,combines luxury and pampering with choiceand flexibility. An ideal pre or post weddingrelaxing escape that offers unique bride andgroom wedding packages.
Clayton Hotel Galway
Ballybrit, Galway,091 721900. Email: [email protected], www.clayton.ie The Clayton Hotel looks forward to welcoming your wedding party to its exclusive new four star hotel. Be dazzled byits professional service and attention todetail as your family and friends enjoy theambiance of the comfortable surroundings.Designed to impress, the hotel is chic andfashionable with a spacious ballroom offering wonderful views. Celebrate yourwedding day in style at the Clayton, Galwaywhere special memories are made to last. Price per person: Wedding menus arepersonally designed to cater for all yourrequirements and requests and range in pricefrom €32 to €49 per person.What this price includes: Four-course dinner with tea and coffee;pre-wedding consultation with a dedicatedwedding coordinator and executive chef;complimentary red carpet; Champagne for bridal party on arrival;master of ceremonies; complimentary freshfloral arrangement on every table;
complimentary bridal suite for the bride and groom. Table arrangements, if provided:The Clayton provides complimentarytable/floral arrangements.Reception on arrival? Arrival tea and coffee reception for all your guests.Any accommodation deals for thebride and groom? Complimentary bridalsuite for the bride and groom. The maximum numbers catered for?Comfortably at banqueting round tableswith ten people at each, 400 people. Any other relevant detailsThe exquisite new four-star Clayton,Galway, only 2 km from the city centre and1km from Galway Airport, has 200 superblyappointed rooms including a dedicated executive floor with 14 luxurious executiverooms with individual balconies and also aprivate executive lounge on this floor. TheClayton boasts a magnificent presidentialsuite on the top floor of the hotel, with itsown private terrace overlooking BallybritRacecourse.
Harbour Hotel
New Docks Road, Galway City 091 569 466 Email: [email protected]
The Harbour Hotel is the idealvenue for an intimate, tailored
wedding reception. Located in theheart of Galway on the city’s water-
front area, the Harbour Hotel isthere to make your special day
memorable. From your red carpetChampagne arrival to your luxuri-ous breakfast in bed the followingmorning, the hotel can guarantee
you a day to remember. Its in-housewedding co-ordinator offers a
personal service and is on hand to help you plan every aspect of
your big day. Price per person: Menus range
from €30 to €80What this price includes:
Tea/coffee on arrival for all guestsand full meal
Corkage, if applicable: €8 wine,€16 Champagne
Table arrangements, if provided: White linen, flowers to
coordinate with bridal colours Reception on arrival: Red carpet,
Champagne for bridal party, tea/coffee for all guests
Any accommodation deals forthe bride and groom: Special
rates available on request The maximum numbers
catered for? 100 Any other relevant details: Wecater for those brides and groomswho have gotten married abroad
and wish to have a wedding partywhen they get home – room
available with bar and dance floor,finger food menus provided. R
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38 WEDDINGSnow
The average cost of a wedding in Ireland at themoment is €30,000 to €35,000. The averagenumber of guests at an Irish wedding is 200. Theaverage hotel sit down meal is €40, so right awayyou have spent €8,000. How much you spendon your day is really down to proper planning,creative thinking and being realistic with whatyou can afford. The following is an averagebudget for 200 guests, three bridesmaids, threegroomsmen, two flower girls and two page boys.
Drinks for toast €400Wedding Dress €1500Shoes €100Veil €200Headdress €200Lingerie €150Beauty €500Groomsmen atire €1000Wedding rings €1800Photography €1500Video €1500Music at chuch €500Band €1500DJ €400Flowers €900Cake €1000Stationery €500Transport €5003 Bridesmaids dresses €700200 sit down meal €8000Wine €1500Bar extension €250Tea and sandwiches €800Honeymoon €4000Pre marriage course €250Gift for priest €200Church servers €100Wedding party gifts €600Misc. expenses €1000
Total �31,550
spendspendspendThe dream of a fairy tale wedding does not come cheap
Why does the bride wear a veil?Tradition has it that it is bad luck for the bride to be seen bythe groom before the ceremony. The lifting of the veil at theend of the ceremony symbolises male dominance. When thebride decides to lift her own veil, it shows her independence.
What does the ring symbolise?The connection between the third finger on the left hand andthe heart is the source of the engagement and wedding ring.Wearing a ring on this finger symbolises the strong connectionof a heartfelt love and commitment to one another.
Giving the bride awayIn the past, the bride was given away to the groom by herfather, usually in exchange for monetary gain. Now, it is a signof a family’s blessing of the union.
We’ve all heard of the old tradition of having something old,something new, something borrowed, something blue with you onyour wedding day. However, the usual suspects, ie blue garter,are beginning to feel a little tired to some brides, who want toopt for alternatives. That is why we have come up with a fewdifferent ideas to make sure you stick to tradition, while bend-ing the rules a little.
Something old• On the morning of your wedding, indulge in a vintage wine
from the year you were born.• Have a vintage car take you to the church.• Carry an old picture of yourself as a little girl.• Wear a vintage headpiece or beaded bag.
Something new• Sport hair extensions or a brand new haircut.• Wear a spanking new wonder bra.• Bring a guest book for guests to write notes at the reception.• Invite a newly made friend.
Something borrowed• A flower girl.• An adorable puppy.• Fresh flowers from your nan’s garden.• Your parents first dance song.
Something blue• Blue eyeshadow.• Blue Manolo Blahniks.• A blues band at your reception.• Groom dressed in blue.
something old,something new...
traditions
Getting married, like everything else, hasrules that must be followed. In Ireland, tocontract a valid marriage both parties must:• Be over 18 years of age or have a Court
Exemption Order if this is not the case.• Have given the Registrar three months
notification of the marriage or have aCourt Exemption Order if this is not thecase.
• Be either single, widowed or divorced inIreland or have a state annulment or avalid foreign divorce.
• Be of opposite sexes – for legal purposes, aperson’s gender is deemed to be the onehe/she had at birth, even if he/she subse-quently had medical procedures to alterhis/her gender.
• Have the mental capacity to understandthe nature of marriage
• Not be related by blood or marriage to adegree that prohibits you in law from mar-rying each other. If you are related to yourproposed spouse by blood or by marriage,you should contact a solicitor to ensurethat you do not fall within the prohibiteddegree of relationship.
If either party doesn’t fulfil even one ofthe above requirements, any subsequentmarriage ceremony is legally void.
Before ‘I do’Couples can get caught up in the hype of organisingtheir special day and forget one of the most important,yet unromantic aspects of the marriage – the legal side
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WEDDINGSnow 41
Marriage by civil ceremony is a civil con-tract. Marriage by certain religious cere-monies is also recognised by civil law as beinga civil contract. If you are planning a churchwedding, you need to approach the authori-ties of the religious denomination concernedfor advice on how to proceed, and also thelocal Registrar of Marriages of the district inwhich the marriage is to take place. Everycouple intending to marry in a CatholicChurch must complete a pre-marriagecourse.
PRE-MARRIAGE COURSESFor all of those wanting to get married in aCatholic Church, it is mandatory to undertake a pre-marriage course. Deciding toget married is probably one of the biggestdecisions a man and woman will ever makeand so, the church believes that some adviceand preparation is essential in providing asound foundation for every marriage. Hereare some of the courses on offer throughoutthe country:
MRCSMRCS is a long established non-denomina-tional couple counselling service. The tailor-made pre-marriage courses are three hourslong and involve one couple and one coun-sellor only, with no one else involved.
Pre-marriage courses are booked throughMRCS head office with counsellors availableat locations around the country.
Generally, MRCS finds couples based inthe West and South like to make a day out ofthe requirement to do a pre-marriage courseand opt for the trip to Dublin. Others availof the Saturday pre-marriage slots and makea weekend out of their trip to the capital.€220.
MRCS, 38 Upper Fitzwilliam Street,Dublin 2, 01 6785256 or lo call 1890380380 [email protected]
The Nazareth Family InstituteThe Nazareth Family Institute offers a mod-ern pre-marriage course for engaged couples.It is unique because the courses are given bycouples for couples, so you benefit fromthose who have experience.
Established since 1984 and based in theDun Laoghaire area, the Nazareth FamilyInstitute provides both non-residential week-end courses, run over Friday night and allday Saturday for groups of up to 20 couples,in addition to seven-week courses for one tothree couples only. There is no group discus-
sion but individual couples are given time ina relaxed atmosphere to discuss the topics,together with some question aids and materi-als provided to help their discussion. Pre-Marriage Preparation for Couples – Non-res-idential weekend course is €100 per couple.Pre-Marriage Preparation and Training –Seven-week course which runs once a week is€70 or €10 per session
The Nazareth Family Institute, P.O. Box9005, Glenageary, Co Dublin 01 2896647 01 2821899 [email protected]
NAOMINAOMI Pre-Marriage Courses are designedto assist couples in making the most of theirmarriage preparation time and to encouragethem to become more interactive with regardto the material and topics presented by thespeakers. The topics covered deal with theessential dimensions of successful marriagesand families.
The aim of the course is to be informative,thought provoking, to generate communica-tion, to foster mutual understanding, to pre-pare spiritually for Christian marriage and tocreate an awareness of responsibility anddecision making within marriage.
NAOMI staff offers private consultationthroughout each course and also at anyfuture date, if required.
The duration of each course is from6.15pm to 9pm on Friday evenings and from9.15am to 2pm on Saturdays. €100 percourse (group or private)
Contact: Ita McDonnell between 9.30 am to1pm Monday to Friday. NAOMI Pre-MarriageCourse, Lower Ground Floor, 16 North Great Georges Street, Dublin 1. 01 8786156 [email protected]. NAOMI courses also available at 119 Patrick’s Street, Cork 021 4272213.
ACCORDACCORD is a voluntary Catholic organisa-tion that aims to promote a deeper under-standing of Christian marriage.
A marriage preparation course is an opportu-nity for couples to take time out from the hecticplanning of the wedding day, to focus on howthings are between them, to affirm what is goingwell and to name the areas of their relationshipthat might need some attention.
All of this takes place in the company ofother couples preparing for marriage andwith the assistance of trained facilitators,themselves experienced in marriage.
ACCORD highlights the core elements ofrelationships and the course concentrates onexploring each of these.
Courses are widely available nationwide.€100 per couple.
ACCORD Central Office, Columba Centre,Maynooth, Co Kildare. 01 5053112, 01 6016410, www.accord.ie.
PRE-NUPTIAL ENQUIRY FORMThis church document has two main pur-poses. Firstly, to ascertain whether both par-ties are free to marry and secondly to ensurethe parties understand what marriage isabout. The priest goes through the form withthe couple at least two months before thewedding, completing various questions.
A Letter of Freedom is also necessary. Thisdocument states that you are free to marryyour intended or that you are not commit-ting bigamy by entering into this marriage. A letter of freedom can be obtained from thepriest of any parish you have been resident infor six months or longer.
If you intend to marry in a registry office,contact the Registrar of Civil Marriages forthe district in which you intend getting mar-ried. See www.groireland.ie/registrars for a listof registrars.
Whatever kind of ceremony you’re plan-ning, every person marrying in the state mustgive at least three months’ written notifica-tion to the registrar for the district in whichthe marriage is to take place or obtain anexemption from this requirement underSection 33 of the Family Law Act, 1995.
The requirement to give three months’notification of an intended marriage is a legalrequirement for a valid marriage. A marriagewill not be valid in civil law unless threemonths written notification has been given,or unless permission to marry has beengranted by the High Court or Circuit FamilyCourt under Section 33, of the Family LawAct, 1995.
The three months’ minimum notificationperiod does not commence until a notifica-tion has been received from each of the par-ties to a proposed marriage.
Only original documents, including origi-nal signatures, may be accepted as notifica-tions of intention to marry.
The registrar will issue each party to theintended marriage with an acknowledgementconfirming the date of the receipt of thenotification. You must retain and produce it,when requested, to the person solemnisingthe marriage.
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According to the Central Statistics Office, therewere 20,619 marriages in Ireland in 2004. Thesame year, there were 3,347 divorces. There areno statistics for the number of separated couplesin Ireland.
Prenuptial agreements are no longer just forthe rich and famous and, when you think aboutit, make perfect sense. Gone are the days whencouples getting married started out with nothingand worked together, scrimping and saving anddoing without, for every stick of furniture theyeventually owned. It is quite common now forboth parties entering a marriage to be home-owners in their own right. Many have childrenfrom previous relationships.
The increase in the number of marriagesbetween people who have accumulated substan-tial assets – especially those entering second mar-riages and marriages later in life – has broughtabout a greater need for couples to create aprenuptial agreement.
This details in advance any and all financialstructures should the marriage come to an end,leaving both persons (and the heirs of those per-sons) protected and secure.
The agreement also allows each party to theagreement to provide that their assets, or at leasta large portion of them, go to their children inthe event of their death.
Usually your prenuptial agreement providesthat assets or property owned by one of thespouses prior to the marriage remains the prop-erty of that spouse upon the dissolution of themarriage and that any asset or property acquiredafter the marriage shall be owned by both partiesjointly, with the right of survivorship.
Communication is the key to the success of any relationship. Structuring a prenuptialagreement gives you both the opportunity todeal with potentially contentious issues in acalm and rational way. Contact your solicitorfor more information.
PrenuptialagreementsYou’re madly in love and can’t wait to get married. The thought that this perfect rela-tionship might turn sour is the farthest thing from your mind. But let’s get real here!
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Everyone looks forward to this speech, whichusually tells childhood tales and sets the scenefor the remainder of the speeches. Make surethat the best man is fully briefed on what exact-ly his responsibilities are for the day.
Before the big day, the best man has toorganise the stag night. This means coming upwith the location, making lists of who to invite,arrange the necessary bookings and makingsure that everything goes to plan. The daybefore the wedding, the best man usually col-lects the bridal party’s suits and helps withaccommodation for guests. On the day of thewedding, he makes sure that the groom gets tothe church on time, is responsible for the rings,reads wedding messages, and co-ordinates thespeeches. In short, the best man becomes the
main man for making sure everything runssmoothly. Be nice to him.
BEST MAN DO'S AND DON'TSDo's• Acknowledge bridesmaids during your speech• Remember you're there to help things run
smoothly• Think before you speak • Be politeDon'ts• Mention ex girlfriends during your speech• Get drunk• Tell dirty jokes • Make the speech all about yourself
ThebestmandutiesThe best man probably has more to do than anyone elseon the day, the biggest job being the best man’s speech
Do I have to ask my fiance’s sister to be bridesmaid?No, it’s your day and you are absolutely free to choose the bridalparty you want. However, there are ways of getting around theawkwardness of the situation. Ask her to do a reading.
What can I do about bitter bridesmaids? You may thinkyou know your bridesmaids, but weddings can bring outsome surprisingly intense emotions. If a friend is worriedthat your friendship will suffer once you are married, makeplans now to meet once a week or month and spend sometime together. If someone is unhappy about being single,give her the inside info on all the cute groomsmen and wed-ding guests she will soon meet. The most important thing toremember is to make sure that your bridesmaids are happyand content, but most importantly only surround yourselfwith those who are truly happy for you.
What if my bridesmaids are all different shapes andsizes? Choosing the bridesmaid dress is difficult as usually thebride already has her mind made up about what she wants.Unfortunately, the dress you love may not flatter the colouring,size or shape of all your bridemaids. One great solution is topick the colour, designer and fabric you want and allow yourbridesmaids to pick the style that looks best on them. Youcould also do the everyone wears something black if you want tokeep it really simple. No matter what you choose, your brides-maids know that it is your day and it’s what you want that mat-ters most. After all, you’re the one who is going to be lookingat the wedding album for years to come, so you might as welllove the dresses.
choosing abridesmaidChoosing your wedding party is one of the most importantdecisions you will make when planning your wedding day.Choosing your bridesmaids can also be a stressful decision.Here are some tips and suggestions to help you solve someof the most common bridesmaid dilemmas.
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caketasticWe spoke to some of the people who bring us thebest in wedding cakes, and asked them what’s hotand what’s not in wedding cakes this season.
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Goya’s in Galway say there has been a big return totraditional iced cakes with fresh flowers. While thecakes may look traditional though, the fillings are notwith a selection of chocolate biscuit cake, Madeira andmaybe one fruit to please all palates.
Goya’s suggest that just because you’re having bignumbers, doesn’t mean you have to have a big cake.They believe that three tiers of content cake are enoughfor any size wedding, even up to 250, as people simplydon’t eat it all.
Chocolate cakes are the most popular wedding cakesat Healy’s in Cork. Their advice would be to shoparound, see what’s out there and bring a photo of yourideal cake into the store. They also advise that if you’reon a strict budget, Maderia cakes are best value, asopposed to fruit.
Lilies and Pearls in Galway has noticed that noteveryone is going for the traditional three-tier fruitcakealso. Instead, they are opting for chocolate fudge cake,carrot cake and chocolate biscuit cake.
Lilies and Pearls suggest that you sit down and thinkabout what other people might like when choosingyour cake, as traditional fruitcakes are not to everyone’staste. However, if you are opting for the fruit option,order well in advance. You should also think about acolour scheme when considering your cake and thetype of flowers, either fresh or handmade, that youwould like to complement the cake.
Evelyn at Marina’s in Ballinrobe says that the firmer the cake, the more portions you will get, so it’s best tostay away from fresh cream cakes. She also suggests leav-ing the cutting of the cake until the evening. When it’sserved with teas and coffees later on, guests are more likely to eat it than when served directly after desert.
Melissa at Cakes of Distinction in Cobh advises cou-ples not to be too extravagant when choosing a weddingcake. To avoid waste, she advises choosing a selection ofcakes, with one tier chocolate fudge, one Madeira and the other fruit, which gives variety of choice and the fruitcake will keep if not eaten on the day.
MK Cakes in Cork says that two of their most popu-lar types of cakes this season are strawberries and freshcream and mandarin.
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OUR TOP RATEDCakes of Distinction, Cobh, 021 4815559,www.corkweddingcakes.comGoya’s, 2/3 Kirwin’s Lane, Galway, 091 567010Celebration Cakes, Healy’s Bakery, BlackpoolBridge, Blackpool, 021 4303466 or 021 4270991Lilies and Pearls, 52 Burren View, Ennis Road, Gort,Co Galway, 091 630931, www.weddingcakes.ieMK Cakes, Unit 4, Ballycurreen Industrial Estate,Kinsale Road, Cork, 021-4311096, Cakes by Marina, No 1 Church Lane, Ballinrobe, Co Mayo, 094 9520664 to
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Half dark chocolate, half white chocolate
Contemporary cake garnished with flowers
Pink and white wedding cake with a bow
Beautifully artistic square wedding cake Cake topped with reddish orange flowers
Decorate with flowers
Traditional three tier with a twist
Sleek and stylish
drinkTHE RECEPTIONGuests are normally welcomed to the reception with a drink.Usually Champagne or perhapsSherry, but there are alternatives– sparkling wines such asVouvray, Saumur or Cava. These sparklers are very reason-able in price, about half the priceof Champagne. Why not be dif-ferent if you are having a sum-mer wedding - serve Buck’s Fizz,Pimms Cocktail or even aSangria. They are light andrefreshing. If you are having awinter wedding, you could havea punch, mulled wine or port, all bound to start the proceed-ings off with a flourish and itwill be a talking point. Don’tforget tea, coffee or orange juice.A nice extra is to get the barmanto cut little hearts from strawber-ries (done with a pastry cutter)and serve one in each glass ofChampagne. When people seethe little red heart floating in theChampagne glass, they will bereminded of romance and that’swhat the day is all about! Amodern trend is ‘Kir’ so a ‘KirRoyale’ Crème De Cassis (1/2 teaspoon per glass) andChampagne or sparkling winewould be a new idea.
THE DINNERChoosing wine for the main mealcan be a difficult choice. If yourmain meal is fish or meat, youmust have a choice of white orred wine. For example, if yourmain course is Salmon or beef,you can choose FrenchSauvignon Blanc, Chablis,German or Alsace Riesling. Forthe beef, be it grilled fillet or roastbeef, you could choose any redBordeaux, Australian CabernetSauvignon or Shiraz. Do notserve very full bodied, oaky, redwines as they are not to every-body’s taste. Likewise do notchoose any white wine thatwould be too dry or acidic.Choose a dry, fruity style. Youmust remember to try and get awine that everybody will enjoy so
think fruity, dry wines and light,fruity reds. A good choice wouldbe a New World SauvignonBlanc and a French Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon. Both ofthese will be right and they arenot too expensive either.
THE TOASTSChampagne is traditional for thetoasts but sparkling wine or Cavaare quite suitable. You could usethe same brand as you had foryour reception – why not? If youare on a budget, you can simplytop up the glasses with the samewine you had with your meal.
THE EVENING RECEPTIONUsually the evening receptionconsists of a small buffet – sand-wiches, cocktail sausages, minipizzas etc. The wines you had foryour main meal would be a finechoice here. The hotel staff couldpour out some white and redwine in glasses and your newarrivals could help themselves.
BUDGETINGYou will get six glasses of winefrom one bottle, Champagne aswell, so allow one bottle perthree guests.
If choosing wines from a hotellist, ask for sample bottles to takehome to taste at your leisure. Youare bringing a lot of business tothe hotel, so they shouldn’t refusethis request.
If you decide to bring yourown wine – a practise which isbecoming quite common – checkhow much corkage the hotel willcharge. It can work out quiteexpensive. So thinking of drivingover on the ferry to France andloading up on wine, might not beas economical as you think. Talkto the hotel manager, work out aspecial budget price for winefrom the hotel’s list.
Remember to save the bestwine until last – for your honey-moon. Treat yourself to a bottleof the wine of romance –Champagne. Sláinte.
Since biblical times, wine has been an important component of weddings. Here are some tips to think about whenchoosing wine for your wedding day.
BY BRIAN R. WALSHE
toast
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They tied the knot in An Spidéal,on 1 September 2006, a dayDeirdre says she’ll never forget.
Deirdre, a producer and directorfor TG4 and Breandán, who is cur-rently studying for a HDIP, met fouryears ago and have a son, Finian,who is two years old. While nearingthe end of her maternity leave,Deirdre and Breandán travelled toPrague for the weekend and it wasthere, in true romantic style, thatBreandán asked Deirdre to marryhim. “I didn’t know anything about it.Basically, I was about to go back towork after my maternity leave. So wewent away for a weekend break and he proposed in the old town square infront of the astronomical clock. I wasn’texpecting it at all, so it was lovely. Isaid yes, of course, and then went backto the hotel where he had the ring therefor me,” says Deirdre.
Due to the fact that Breandán wasstudying at the time, the couple hadto come up with a suitable time toget married. So they chose 1September and then went aboutorganising the big day.
“The first thing we wanted to dowas decide where we were going to getmarried. Although I’m from Kildare,we live in Galway, so we both decidedthat we would get married there. Wewent around to a few venues and a lotof the hotels have similar packages.Someone had recommended RenvyleHouse Hotel in Connemara so wewent out there and as soon as wewalked through the door, we loved it.The atmosphere was great. Then oncewe saw the menu, we kind of knewthat it was going to be the place.”
a fair affairBreandán Ó Conláin, An Spidéal took Deirdre Ní Choistín,
Kilcock, Co Kildare completely by surprise when he proposed to her on a weekend away in Prague in March 2005 »
52 WEDDINGSnow
With the venue booked, next onthe agenda was to find the perfectwedding dress. But with very littleidea of the type of dress she was look-ing for, the quest for a dress took a lit-tle longer than expected.
“I didn’t want to go looking straightaway as I still had a bit of weight onfrom the baby, so I said I’d leave it awhile but everyone was saying, ‘you needa year at least’ and it takes six months toorder your dress and all that. I didn’thave a clue what kind of a dress I waslooking for. I never had a dream dress inmind, so I was open to anything.”
Following an unsuccessful trawlaround some wedding shops, and justas Deirdre was starting to panic a lit-tle, she spotted a few dresses in a wed-
ding magazine that seemed to fit thekind of look she was hoping to go for.
“I had been looking through somewedding journals and there were dressesfrom Scarlett Bridal in Ennis that keptjumping off the page as they were quitequirky and different. So I made anappointment and went down with mymother and sister last December. Thethird dress I tried on was the one I choseand as soon as I put it on, my mumsaid, “That’s the one.”
While Deirdre says the wholewedding day went by like a dream,one of the highlights for her wasthe actual ceremony.
“I loved the mass because we didn’thire any musicians, we had all familyand friends. We had Ronan Browne,
DEIRDRE ANDBREANDAN’S WEDDDINGSTATIONERY
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Breandán’s brother-in-law playing theUileann pipes, Loretta Gavin playedthe flute. Máire, Breandán’s sistersang as did my friend Dáithí Ó Sé,who had just appeared on ‘CelebrityYou’re A Star’.
“It was just really personal, I wasreally, really happy and the music waslovely. I had been really stressed out inthe morning for some reason and I wasa bit panicky, but there was no need aseverything went really well.
“So after the mass, we were consciousof the fact that the drive from AnSpidéal to Renvyle was an hour andten minutes away and we didn’t wanteveryone to arrive starving, soBreandán’s good friend Nollaig, whoruns An Caladh Mór in An Spidéalput on a fabulous spread for the guests.We were shocked when we walked intothe pub, they really outdid themselves.They had florists in and bunting in thehall and there was so much food.Loads of people were coming in off thestreet to see what was going on. Soeveryone was on a high when headingoff to the hotel.”
Everyone sat down for the meal at7pm, and were then entertained untilthe wee hours of the morning by theband Discovery and Colin Coyle, a DJrecommended by the hotel.
Looking back, Deirdre says shefound that there was a lot morepreparation involved than shewould have imagined. “It’s a lot ofwork and it involves a lot of prepara-tion. You need at least a year, I don’tknow how people do it in less timethan that. For me, getting guest liststogether and sorting out accommoda-tion was the hardest part of it.”
The happy couple honeymoonedin Venice and Lake Garda, and fourmonths on, Deirdre is still on a high.
“We’re still getting the thank youcards ready and we still have to edit thevideo, so there’s still bits and bobs to do.We’re literally just after opening the pres-ents, which is always a pleasure!”
Flowers: Branch Florists Make-up: Lorraine Walsh Hair: Anna from Yourell’s Dress: Ian Stuart from Scarlett Bridal, EnnisPhotographer: Philip Smyth, MoycullenMusic: DiscoveryHotel: Renvyle House Hotel
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Emily is originally from Toghar in Co Cork and Spencer isfrom New Zealand. They met in London in the late ninetiesand got engaged shortly afterwards. They moved back toIreland in 2000 when she fell pregnant with her first child,Joshua (5) and they also have a two year old boy, Ben.
“What’s odd is that when I was travelling, I lived inAustralia for a year and at the time, had contemplatedmoving to New Zealand, so I nearly met him over there,”laughs Emily.
Definitelyworth it!Self employed organisationalcoach and PR Expert, EmilyHurley-Wilkinson and IT Analyst,Spencer Wilkinson tied the knotin November
»
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The plans for Emily andSpencer’s wedding were by nomeans without any hitches, withEmily being one of the unluckywomen to have chosen a dress fromthe now notorious shop, TheWedding Dress, which went into liq-uidation last March, leaving almost200 brides without dresses.
“Christmas last year, I was sittingin work and my sister told me whathad happened. I had seen this dressand had hired the suit a couple ofmonths before the shop closed down.It’s like anyone, you think you haveyour dress sorted. It was beingdesigned by Miriam from Bronte
designs and I had paid my deposit. Sowhen we heard the news, Spencertracked down Miriam. She had heardabout what had happened and saidshe, in addition to Ria from ‘Say Ido’, were prepared to pick up thepieces so to speak and carry on withthe dress. They also said they wouldcharge me only what I was beingcharged originally. I was hugely luckybecause these guys continued makingmy dress as if nothing happened so thatwas fantastic.
“I was absolutely shocked when Ifirst heard. When it hit me, I wentto pieces, I was very upset. I startedthinking that I’d just have to go
abroad to get married. Within anhour, you start to put things intoperspective. I was angry at the factwe had been in just a few weeksbefore and had found some thingsamiss, but I started to think, at theend of the day, you have to put allof the materialistic things aside. Ithought, ‘I’m still going to get mar-ried, I’m still going to make thispact.”
In addition, due to the fact thatSpencer isn’t Catholic, the couplehad been through almost two yearsof to-ing and fro-ing with theChurch in New Zealand to makethe arrangements that would allow
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them to marry in a CatholicChurch. “So marrying him hasn’tbeen easy,” she laughs.
“It took the bones of a couple ofyears for us, not to mention the money.It took time; an awful lot of effort anda lot of calls to New Zealand andtracking down of birth certificates in aplace that Spencer had left when hewas five. That was a lot of to-ing andfro-oing on that front.”
So all of this, in addition to rais-ing two little boys, meant that get-ting married wasn’t the smoothestof operations for the couple.
“But I put things into perspective.At the end of the day, I was still get-ting married.”
All the other plans, thankfully,went smoothly. “Even down to thecake lady and the florist, I tried notto interfere. I told them a little bitabout what I was hoping to achieveand then listened to their side of thestory and allowed their expertise tocome together. That’s why I found itreally easy because I left it to them;they were the ones who came up withthe ideas and that’s why a lot of theplanning and the décor was so great.”Emily and Spencer finally tied theknot on 18 November 2006 in StMary’s Church in Mallow, with thereception in the Old CountryManor, Springfort Hall inDoneraile, with a modest 100guests.
“It went extremely well. There werea few overseas people that unfortu-nately couldn’t make it so there werea couple of cancellations but thewhole wedding itself was fantastic.”
Emily says that the specialmoment of the day for her waswhen she arrived at the altar.“When I was walking down withdad and when I got to the alter andthen when we were both saying ourvows and looked at each other, as ifto say, ‘We’ve got here finally’, therewas just that lovely magical momentbetween us. That would have beenour favourite part. There is absolutelynothing I’d change about the day.”
Flowers: Stems and StalksMake-up: Emily’s own workHair: Vivienne in GoodfellowsDress: Bronte DesignsPhotographer: Mike EnglishMusic: Midnight HourHotel: Springfort Hall
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Cathy and Brian got engaged whileon holiday in Ravello in September2005 and decided to return there toget married.
“We saw lots of weddings therebetween Amalfi, Positano and Ravelloand we just thought it would be abeautiful place to get married.”
So Cathy and Brian went aboutemailing a few hotels and flew overin January to view some of the ven-ues. They decided on Villa Eva inRavello, a house and gardens thatare rented out for weddings. “It wasperfect and there were absolutelystunning views. When we went tosee it, we realised it was everythingwe were looking for - we could haveour reception outdoors, there was agreat view and good food.
“We sent out an email to all of ourguests, gave them some informationand said if they were planning a holi-day that year that they might considertravelling to Italy for the wedding, nopressure. We just said that whoeverwould like to come, would be morethan welcome, here are the dates, here’sthe venue. We suggested that the guestsstayed in Amalfi. So we put together adocument about the area, with rele-vant websites, accommodation, how toget there, what airlines flew and howto get there from Naples.”
As with most weddings in Italy,the venue provided a wedding plan-ner who coordinated the whole wed-ding for them, including the organi-sation of accommodation for manyof the 80 guests.“So from that point
pictureperfect
While some would imagine that getting married abroad involves a lot
of time, money and hassle, CathyGately, who married Brian Walsh in
Ravello, Italy on 22 September, saysthat things couldn’t have been
easier, and both the preparationsand the day went by like a dream.
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of view, we didn’t get involved inorganising our guests’ trips. Everyonedid their own thing and that keptthings simple for us.”
When Cathy and Brian arrived afew days before the wedding, theyundertook a civil declaration, toensure that all paper work was inorder and that they were legallyentitled to get married. So, apartfrom that and meeting with theflorist and the photographer, therewas little for the couple to do butrelax and enjoy the run-up to thewedding.
“Maybe it wouldn’t be so easy forsomeone who wants to get into thedetail but we didn’t get too involved. Ithink it’s easier than getting marriedin Ireland. I could imagine that ifyou’re nearer your venue, you’d be pop-ping in all the time and getting downto the smaller details. But when yourvenue is that far away, you just have tojudge it all from photos and emails.We placed a lot of trust in the weddingplanner, though. He was superb andhe came up trumps. We also went by alot of recommendations from peopleonline. Everything was better than Iever imagined it would be.”
“The day went great. Once we hadour final bits sorted, I found that Icould relax straight away. I think thatif you were at home, you might still bedoing bits and pieces until the morn-ing of the wedding, but there was somuch to get ready before you leaveIreland, you can relax once you getthere because you’ve it all done beforethat. Also, we didn’t get married until5pm, so we had all day to get ready.”
On the day, the picturesque andintimate church was adorned withcandles, petals were strewn up theaisle and there was classical musicplaying throughout the ceremony.Afterwards, the couple and the wed-ding party walked down to the near-by square where there was a cham-pagne reception.
The meal was held outside thevilla, after which the party startedand continued until 4am.
So all in all, Cathy says that herwedding day couldn’t have beenmore perfect. “I’d definitely recom-mend it,” she says.
Flowers: Local florist, RavelloMake-up: Cathy’s sister, Niamh, BellezaHair: Local hairdresser, AmalfiDress: Scarlett Brides, EnnisPhotographer: Local, RavelloMusic: Local Jazz bandHotel: Villa Eva, Ravello
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To ward off evil spirits, protectthemselves from danger and ensurea long, happy and fruitful marriage,brides would adorn themselveswith a variety of herbs and flowers.Over time this practice evolved intomuch more manageable floralaccessories but brides are stillchoosing wedding flowers with aspecific message in mind. A goodflorist or a trawl through the WorldWide Web will provide a list ofwhat each type of bloom stands for.But what if red tulips say ‘I loveyou’ and you don’t like tulips? Justchoose a flower and a colour thatappeals to you and reflects yourpersonality. The choice is huge andyou’re bound to find at least onethat suits. Any florist worth his orher salt will ensure that all theflowers used on your wedding daycomplement each other, carry yourtheme and colour scheme throughevery aspect and add their contribution to your perfect day.
Almond Blossom – HopeApple Blossom – Good FortuneAsphodel – My regrets follow you tothe graveBarberry – Bad TemperBurdock – Touch me notCamellia – GratitudeCarnation – FascinationChrysanthemum Red – I love youChrysanthemum White – TruthCyclamen – ModestyDaffodil – RegardDaisy – InnocenceFern – FascinationForget-me-not – RemembranceGardenia – JoyHeather – Good LuckHellebore – ScandalHeliotrope – DevotionHoneysuckle – GenerosityHyacinth – LovelinessHydrangea – BoastfulnessIvy – FidelityIris – Flame/Burning loveJaponica – LovelinessJasmine – Amiability
King’s Cup – I wish I were richLarkspur – FicklenessLemon Blossom – Fidelity in loveLilac – Youthful InnocenceLily – MajestyLily-of-the-valley – Return of happi-nessMagnolia – PerseveranceMaidenhair – DiscretionMarigold – GriefMeadow Saffron – My best days arepastMimosa – SensitivityMyrtle – LoveNarcissus – EgotismOrange Blossom – PurityOrchid – BeautyPeach Blossom – CaptivePink – BoldnessRose – Love, HappinessSnowdrop – HopeSweet pea – PleasureTulip Red – I love youTulip White – I am worthy of youVeronica – FidelityViolet – Faithfulness
messageina
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The traditio
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Ideally located on the edge ofGalway City, Claregalway Hotelhas established itself as a leadingwedding venue in Galway.
Every couple wants their wed-ding day to be special and theClaregalway Hotel believes in tai-loring your wedding reception toyour needs, thus ensuring yourevery desire is met.
Each couple receives the person-nal and professional attention ofthe Claregalway Hotel’s in-housewedding coordinator JulieMurphy. Julie meets with eachcouple and devotes great care andattention to each individual wed-ding enquiry.
The Claregalway Hotel delivers apersonal touch on every occasion.By catering for just one weddingper day, the Claregalway Hotelensures that special requirementsare professionally dealt with by ourexperienced management and ban-queting team.
Each room is carefully set, withattention paid to the smallest detailfrom the layout, napkins and centrepieces. Even the colour scheme ofyour wedding is considered.
The Waterdale Suite has beenpurposely designed with yourwedding in mind. The weddingsuite exudes elegance and style,creating a warm and intimate
atmosphere for you and yourguests. The hotel continuouslywishes to develop its service andwith this in mind, has added ele-gant touches over recent weeks toenhance the Waterdale Suite.
If you and your loved one haverecently gotten engaged, theClaregalway Hotel would be delight-ed to welcome you to view the hotelfacilities. Call 091 738300 to makean appointment with Julie Murphy,in-house wedding coordinator. Juliewill be delighted to discuss yourwedding plans.
Log onto www.claregalwayhotel.ieor email [email protected].
Claregalway Hotel for ...
perfectweddingsClaregalway Hotel has captured the hearts ofmany couples since opening its doors in July 2004
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Underwater weddingin Maui, HawaiiAre you and your partner truelovers of the ocean? Or maybe youshare a common love for scuba div-ing? If you are both certified diversand you would like to get marriedunderwater, this is a truly original(and brave) way to tie the knot. Awedding reception and rehearsaldinners can also take place underwater.www.justmauied.com
Chateaux weddingsWhile celebs are flocking to Irelandto get married in our stunning castles, why not be a little differentand head for one of Europe’s beautiful châteaux’s and castles?Prague is just one country to offerthe ultimate in romantic castle weddings, at a very competitive rate.www.mycastlewedding.com
Las Vegas For a truly fun and different wedding, there’s nothing like getting hitched in Vegas for thosewith a quirky sense a humour, littletime on their hands and a desire tosway from the norm.
Choose from an Elvis-themedwedding, an exotic Egyptian themewedding, a Camelot theme wed-ding or a pirate-themed Las Vegaswedding. The choice is endless, thetone is delightfully irreverent andtakes place in party central. There’salso an option for the wedding tobe broadcast over the internet soyour friends and family can watchyou tie the knot!www.vivalasvegasweddings.comwww.vegas.com/weddings
Sky dive weddingsHead to the States and tie the knotwhile falling thousands of feet fromthe sky. The ultimate in dare devilantics, if you and your partner liketo live on the edge, there’s no edgierway to get hitched. www.ascskydiving.comwww.vegasextremeskydiving.com
An organic weddingFor those of you socially responsiblecouples who want to make a state-ment, you can always get marriedorganically. Yes, believe it. You canhave an organic wedding, fromyour wedding dress, down to yourorganic spuds at the meal.www.organicweddings.com
Get hitched in a hotair balloon in OzA specially chosen local location provides ideal climate and weatherconditions to view the AthertonTablelands/Cairns Highlands from high above. A sunrise flightwhile declaring your love for oneanother will be an experience you’llnever forget.www.fantaseaweddings.com
Be bravealternative weddingsGo on, dare to be different!
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WEDDINGSnow 65
Be dazzled by our professional service and attention to detail asyour family and friends enjoy theambiance of our comfortable sur-roundings. Designed to impress,our hotel is chic and fashionablewith a spacious ballroom offeringwonderful views.
Celebrate your wedding day instyle at the Clayton Galway wherespecial memories are made to last.
We will ensure that your day isan amazing experience for you andyour guests with exquisite andflawless coordination of all detailsof your wedding day.
ARRIVE IN STYLE Let our hotel be the backdrop to aperfect day.
OUR BALLROOM Our fabulous ballroom can accom-modate up to 400 people banquetstyle with an option to partition theroom for smaller weddings. Anextended glass façade offers wonder-ful views with the internal furnish-ings of only the highest standard.
CULINARY DELIGHTSSample the remarkable creations ofour experienced and award winningchefs.Whether you are a top tableguest or simply dining in our stylishrestaurant, we want you to have a sub-lime taste experience at the Clayton. • Special menus can be prepared for
your wedding day, ranging frombuffet to banqueting styles.
• Our wedding menus are personally designed to cater for all your requirements andrequests and range in price from €32 to €49 per person.
• We invite you to sit with our dedicated wedding coordinator and chef to discuss your menus and your requirements in detail.
ACCOMMODATIONClayton has 200 superbly appoint-ed rooms including a dedicatedexecutive floor with 14 luxuriousexecutive rooms with individualbalconies and a private executivelounge on this floor also. TheClayton boasts a magnificent presi-
dential suite on the top floor of thehotel with its own private terraceoverlooking Ballybrit Racecourse.We offer a special wedding accommodation rate for your family and friends.
EXCLUSIVE WEDDINGPACKAGE INCLUDES• Wedding Banquet in private
function room.• Complimentary red carpet.• Complimentary Champagne for
bride and groom on arrival.• Complimentary fresh floral
arrangement on every table.• Bridal suite for the
honeymoon couple.• Choice of cake stand
and accessories.• Use of the grounds
for photographs.• Special accommodation rates
for wedding party.• Our professional team will help
you with all of your queries evendown to the smallest details suchas place settings, menus and cakestands, etc.
welcome tosomething newWe look forward to welcoming your wedding party to the Clayton HotelGalway, our exclusive new four star hotel.
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66 WEDDINGSnow
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There are several reasonswhy more and more people are heading for the hillswhen getting married
Firstly,t h e r e ’ s
the wholefamily issue
where a couple’sreluctance to invite every
first, second and third cousin,their children, and their cousins, notto mention all the in-laws and theiraunts and cousins, causes copiousamounts of friction within families.
Then there’s the whole cost issuewhere weddings can set a coupleback tens of thousands of euro.
The whole stress issue is anotherfactor that couples try to avoid bygetting married abroad. While plan-
ning fora weddingneedn’t be stressful,there will inevitably be momentsduring the preparation stages whenyou wonder why you bothered.
One of the main reasons, howev-er, is that people just want to getaway, tie the knot somewhereromantic and hot, something a lit-tle different.
The main thing, following costand availability issues, thatshould be considered isthat there are severalregulations to beadhered to whengetting marriedabroad, which taketime and patience andshould be taken intoconsideration when opt-ing for a foreign wedding.
For example, a church marriageabroad is usually a purely religiousceremony with no legal effect.Because it is not recognised in law inthe country in which it takes place,it cannot be regarded as a legal mar-riage in Ireland.
It is very important that you makesure to meet all the legal require-ments of the country you are marry-ing in. You should contact the rele-vant embassy or the religious
a u t h o r -ities in that country to
find out what is required. Formore information on legal require-ments, log onto www.oasis.gov.ie/rela-tionships/marriage.
There’s always the Vegas route,but there are so many other beauti-ful destinations to choose fromaround the world that wont breakthe bank and are a little more tradi-
tionally romantic.Italy is now one ofthe top destinationsfor Irish couplesopting to get mar-ried abroad. One ofthe most romantic
destinations in theworld, Italy is stun-
ning, steeped in history,with fantastic food and wine,
not to mention its gloriously pas-sionate people.
In Italy, you can have a valid civilwedding, a religious wedding, asymbolic ceremony or a simpleblessing or elopement. For legallyrecognised weddings, you must pres-ent documents to the local authori-ties. Visit www.irishcollege.org forinformation on requirements forCatholic Church weddings in Italy orwww.weddingsinitaly.it.
gettingmarriedabroad
Requirementsfor getting married in Spain
are quite similar to that of Italy and like Italy there is anabundance of stunning and romantic locations to choosefrom with almost guaranteed good weather, depending onthe season. As Spain is somewhat cheaper than many placesin Italy, many people opt to get married there. In addition,flights are cheaper and so, the option of travelling to Spain issometimes a more preferable option for guests than Italy.www.spanishweddings.ie
Getting married in France is not as popular in Ireland asother destinations, mainly due to the fact that there areseveral legal loops. However, Paris still remains one of themost romantic cities in Europe to tie the knot. It is alwaysa good idea to make contact with the embassy of the coun-try of your choice to become ofay with any requirements.
In general, getting married within most European coun-tries requires: passports, birth certificates, and evidence oftermination of any previous marriages, certificates of maritalstatus. Some countries require medical certificates, marriagecertificate of parents, certificates of registration from localregistration office and an avadavat of law.
For more information on getting married abroad,visit www.wedding-ireland.com
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68 WEDDINGSnow
Hearts on Fire available atHartmanns of Galway
Cobwebs Jewellery
Compleat from Diamonds by Julia
Ti Sento available at CastaliaJewellers, Cork
Designworks, Cork
Cobwebs Jewellery
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WEDDINGSnow 69
what gives...presents for the wedding party
Show your wedding party your appreciation with a gift.
Choose from our selection of top wedding gifts
Cielo Gioielli fromHelga’s Antiques, Cork
Designworks, Cork
Ti Sento available at Castalia Jewellers,Cork and Hartmanns of Galway
Hearts on Fire available atHartmanns of Galway
The Orchid set fromMichel Jewellers, Cork
Plan ahead
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More and more couples are opting for someexperienced help when it comes to organisingtheir big day. If you, like so many brides-to-be,wish there were more hours in the day, then per-haps a quick consultation with an expert is justwhat you need. Who wouldn’t pay for someoneto take away the stress of planning a wedding,leaving you with just the fun bits, and commit todelivering the wedding of your dreams withinyour budget? Most people think that hiring awedding planner is something the rich andfamous avail of. But wedding planners are cheap-er than you think.
The standard fee for a wedding coordinator isten per cent of your wedding budget, whichmeans depending on the size of your wedding,you could pay more for your photographer than
remove your wedding coordinator. Top of a wedding planner’s ‘to do’ list is to
ensure that you do not get stressed. They willdo all the running around, researching venuesfor the ceremony and reception, florists, pho-tographers, wedding cars, and all of the otherproducts and services required for a wedding.The planner will guide you through step-by-step all that needs to be done for your big day.They will reassure you that everything will runsmoothly and will be on hand on the day of thewedding to make sure that everything is inplace. They can advise you on all aspects ofwedding budgets, table plans, themed wed-dings and tips on saving money. Hiring a wed-ding planner could mean the difference between agreat day and the best day of your life.
Stress hasbecome part and
parcel of everyday life.
Managing it canbe difficult,
especially whenyou’re planning a
wedding
ONE YEAR/SIX MONTHS TO GOBudget – how much are you willing to spend?Check out page 38, where we have compiled atypical wedding budget.
Pick a date, book the church and the hotel. Somehotels are booked up a year in advance so have a fewdates in mind to avoid disappointment.
Get working. Pick up wedding magazines, sneakinto other weddings for a peek. Start noticingbridesmaids dresses, colours, veils, tiaras, flowers etc.
Pick your bridesmaids. Check out page 45 foradvice on picking bridesmaids.
Compile a guest list. Yes, you will have rowsover it but it needs to be done. Decide on howmany friends your parents can bring and stick toit. Children or no children, it will make a differ-ence to your budget.
Start booking your photographer, musicians,wedding stationery, florist, cars, hair and make up,wedding cake, honeymoon etc.
Begin the search for the dress. Only bring oneperson along with you. Too many opinions canlead to stress. Mothers are usually the best and itis a great way to bond (This is a very emotional
time for her as well). Decide what colours youwant for the wedding party.
Talk to your hairdresser about what style wouldbest suit and take his/her advice. Inform the rele-vant registrar of your intention to marry. Threemonths is now the minimum notice required.
THREE MONTHS TO GOOrganise your wedding gift list, post weddinginvitations, finalise bedrooms with hotel, finalisemenu, arrange hen/stag night and check passports.
ONE MONTH TO GOFinalise table plan, make a list of wedding accept-ances and refusals, check out the progress of thedresses, write thank you cards as presents arrive,draw up seating plan, book hair, fake tan etc.
ONE WEEK TO GOPack for your honeymoon, wear in your weddingshoes, arrange for somebody reliable to pick upthe formal wear, cake, flowers etc. Contact thehotel to make sure everything is in order, have afacial and massage.
countdownSo you have made the decisionto marry theman/woman of your dreams. Now the fun begins. If you are intending on getting married right away, there are a few groundrules to cover beforehand
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74 WEDDINGSnow
Tolistornotto list Choosing to list or not to list your wedding gifts is a decision both you and your future husband should seriously consider.
Some couples, who may already have a home and allthe appliances in the world, prefer monetary gifts. Ifwedding lists are not your thing, then you could askguests to donate money to a charity of your choice orask family and friends to contribute to the honeymoon.
Up until recently, the wedding gift list sat uncomfort-ably with the Irish psyche but, as with everything thatcomes to us from our westerly neighbours, most of ushave got used to it now. Getting a list with your weddinginvitation seemed a bit on the cheeky side. It seemed tosay ‘We’re providing you with a free dinner and we wantone of the following in return’. But in reality, all it wasdoing was stating the obvious, pointing us in the rightdirection present-wise and preventing the newly marriedcouple from suffering a glut of cutlery and steam irons.
A well thought out wedding gift list caters for a widerange of budgets, which can be something of a double-edged sword. On the positive side, it allows guests tochoose how much they want to spend on a wedding giftthat you are guaranteed to appreciate (because you askedfor it). The down side is that everyone knows how mucheveryone else spent – which if you’re lucky, could lead tocompetition!
Getting a wedding gift list is one thing but makingone is quite another! It is very important to create yourlist about three months beforehand to allow for orderand delivery times.
Down to the nitty gritty! Set aside an evening or twoor however long it takes and write down everythingyou’d like to get. The sky’s the limit here. You can getrealistic later.
Do you need items for a new home? If your nest isalready well feathered what about paintings, gardenaccessories, sports equipment or even holiday vouchers?You need to decide together how to categorise the giftsprice-wise. You can be quite specific (and organised) andgroup several gifts of the same value together, for exam-ple, ‘Under �50’, ‘Under �100’ etc. Or you could bereally vague and say ‘Anything in Waterford Crystal’. Putmore than you want on the list, which gives your guestsa choice. Always include gift vouchers; they are handyfor completing partially bought gift sets.
Once you’ve come up with a workable list, start think-ing about where the items can be purchased. It’s unlikelythat everything will be available from one store and it isperfectly acceptable to have two or more on the list.
Before you finalise your list, you need to contact thestores to find out how they handle wedding lists.Questions to ask include what is their policy forexchanging gifts; do they deliver and have they an onlineservice? It’s important to remember to include the store’scontact details and any reference numbered needed onyour list.
Once you’ve sorted all that out and registered with thestore, you can put the finishing touches to your list andthen sit back and wait for the goodies to start arriving!
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76 WEDDINGSnow
While there are one hundred and one ideal hon-eymoon destinations around the world, you maywant to sway from the norm and do somethinga little different. So we have put together a fewideas for an alternative honeymoon.
ICEHOTEL, JUKKASJARVISet among the wilderness in the stunningSwedish Lapland, the Icehotel is the ultimatealternative destination for your honeymoon.
Each year, a team of snow builders, archi-tects, designers and artists from all corners ofthe world create the Icehotel. The ice used tobuild the structure is one of the main features
of the hotel as it is crystal clear, with a fewbubbles trapped within it.
Staying at Icehotel is an experience utterlyunlike other hotel stays. After a day of adven-ture, nightfall approaches quickly. The outdoortemperature drops and when you step insideIcehotel, you feel a rush of warm air. Inside,the temperature is never colder than -5°C to8°C, regardless of how cold it may be outside.
When it is time to go to bed, wrapped inthermal night wear and a woolly hat, yousleep on a bed of ice, covered with reindeerskin, and in a cozy sleeping bag. Bliss! Seewww.icehotel.com.
happyhoneymoonEveryone knows that a honeymoon is the most enjoyable aspect of getting married.You’ve stressed, you’ve fretted, the big day’s over, and now it’s time to chill andenjoy the time alone with your newly acquired life partner
HOLISTIC RETREATSThere are numerous holistic retreat destinations tochoose from, be they in Ireland, the UK or in moreexotic locations such as Spain, Turkey and Thailand.
If you want your honeymoon to be the ultimate in de-stressing, relaxing and finding your inner-selfretreats, this could be the ideal choice for you.
Many holistic retreats offer a whole range of activitiesand therapies to ensure you arrive back from your honeymoon refreshed and rejuvenated, such as yogaretreats, detox holidays, massage, writing and outdooradventures. Check out www.sustainable.ie for ideas for Irish holistic getaways, or log onto www.hoho.co.ukfor a taste of something further afield.
BACKPACKINGTraditionally considered to be the holiday of theearly 20 something going on one last extendeddebauched holiday before embarking on real life,backpacking is becoming more and more popularwith young newlyweds.
If travelling around Australia or inter-railing aroundEurope was something that you always wanted to do,but never got the chance, then no better time to do itthan at the beginning of your married life.
Apart from the fact that this type of holiday won’tbreak the bank, you are also more likely to discoverparts of the country that you would never have seenwere you a regular traveller.
Not for the fainthearted though, backpacking can be trying at the best of times, so make sure that youand your new husband/wife know what you’re letting yourselves in for. Choose from destinations likeAmsterdam, Buenos Aires, the Grand Canyon, Angkor,Mombasa or Sardinia; this holiday will definitely beone to remember. Log onto www.backpacker.com orwww.thebackpacker.net for ideas and tips.
RAISING FUNDS FOR CHARITYMany charities are now using treks as a way of raisingfunds. So, why not incorporate your honeymoon, with the fantastic experience of climbing MountKilimanjaro, while also raising some much-neededfunds for charities?
Treks usually last from ten days to three weeks, andare a great way to have an unforgettable experiencewith your new spouse, meet like-minded people andgive something back. A trek can be anything from asnow trek through the Swiss Alps to walking the GreatWall of China. So for the socially conscious of you outthere, find more details on www.goal.ie, www.accross-the divide.com/Ireland,www.croi.ie or www.selfhelp.ie.
WEDDINGSnow 79
Choosing music for your wedding deserves asmuch time and effort as choosing your wine,
flowers or photographer.
If you are having a church wedding,decide what type of music you want.Do you want musical instruments ieharp, bagpipes, or hymns, one pieceband, gospel choir, a tenor – the choiceis endless. Make contact with the musi-cian of your choice and together youcan go through the relevant music,choosing the hymns you want. Mostchurch musicians know exactly what issuitable as you also must consider thatsome churches may not allow certaintypes of music. Discuss this initallywith your priest or whomever is presiding over the marriage.
According to harpist and singerAnnette Griffin the most popularchurch songs are Ave Maria, The Prayerby Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion andThe Voyage.
YOUR RECEPTIONGetting the right band, and/or DJ couldtake months of research. Everyone willrecommend the right one, but it is up toyou and your husband-to-be to take thetime to go and listen to the band/DJ dotheir thing. Good music can mean thedifference between a good wedding andan unforgettable wedding. If you find theband that you like, book them as soon asyou can. Arrange to meet again and letthem know whether you want them toplay a few of your own special songs.Don’t bombard the band/dj with a list ofsongs, it will break up the flow of theirperformance. Most venues supply coupleswith a local list of bands and DJS.
FIRST DANCE FAVOURITESMost couples will supply the band withtheir all important first dance. If youdon’t have a song for your first dance yet,then borrow from some of our favourites.Music From this moment – Shania TwainAmazed – LonestarI don’t want to miss a thing – AerosmithAlways – Atlantic StarBecause you loved me – Celine DionEndless Love – Diane Ross and Lionel RichieHave I told you lately – Rod Stewart
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80 WEDDINGSnow
Now cast your mind forward to 20 yearsafter your wedding day. What will you stillhave? The dress, the flowers and the cake willall be long gone. Some of your guests willhave passed away. The children will be allgrown up and some will even have childrenof their own. All you really have left are yourmemories and that’s why it’s so important tochoose your photographer carefully. A goodwedding photographer can capture the dayto perfection so that every time you look atthe pictures they evoke all the feelings, sights,sounds and smells you experienced the dayyou got married.
It might make economic sense at thetime to get your friend with the goodcamera and a knack for taking snaps to dothe job but, if you can manage to employa professional photographer, your weddingalbum will always be a source of joy, nos-talgia and amusement!
So, how do you choose a photographer?Firstly, do your homework. Like artists,every photographer has his or her own dis-
tinctive style. Take an interest in the wed-ding pages of magazines and get a feel forwhat kind of images you like. Ask aroundfor recommendations. When you have alist of four or five names, make appoint-ments to meet each photographer.
No matter how brilliant a photographeris or how many people have recommend-ed him or her, you need to be able tocommunicate clearly with each other andthis is where personality comes in. If theright ‘chemistry’ isn’t there between you, ifyou are not 100 per cent confident thatyou are being heard and that he or shefully understands and appreciates how youfeel and what you’re looking for, you needa different photographer.
Your wedding day is an intimate andspecial time for you, your family andfriends and it’s vital that you feel comfort-able with the photographer who is captur-ing those special moments.
Once you have found a suitable photog-rapher, talk through all the nitty gritty
details – what time and where he will starttaking photographs; the style of photo-graphs and any special effects you want;contingency plans if the weather is bad;how long he anticipates the formal shotsto take; how many photographs you willhave in your album etc. Agree on a priceso that there are no shocks when the billarrives and find out exactly what you willbe getting for your money.
Some photographers offer a free engage-ment portrait as part of the wedding pack-age, which is very useful for giving you anopportunity to work with your photographerin a relaxed setting and get to know eachother better.
As with just about everything else involvedin organising any major event, the key tosuccess lies in careful planning and workingwith the right people.
Your photographer will prove to be anintegral part of your wedding experience, soit is worth investing some time and moneygetting it perfect.
pictureperfectPlanning a wedding is multi-tasking at the highest level. It takes skill, determination, versatility, patience and sheer hard work to pull all the elementstogether into one big, coherent and coordinated event
Martina Regan Photography
Steve Foster Photography
Dillon Photography
Clare O’Rourke Photography
Tom Coppinger Photography
Steve Foster Photography
Featured designersRoswitha MolloyBorn with a passion for design, cou-pled with a keen sense of style,Roswitha is a natural born bridaldesigner. She is inspired by the cleanlines of the twenties, thirties, fortiesand fifties. Her collection of ‘contem-porary-classic’ dresses are timeless intheir elegance, combining sumptuousfabrics and a romantic grace with upto the minute styling. Check outRoswitha’s collections in our weddingshoot on pages 21 and 22.www.romolloy.com
Fashion shoot stockistsBenjamin Adams Shoes, McElhineys, Main Street, Ballybofey, 074 9131217, Co Donegaland McElhiney’s Fashions, Main Street, Athboy Co Meath 046 9432112;Flanagans, 111 Lower Level Eyre Square Centre, 091 565308 (many thanks to Flanagans forsupplying the shoes); Perfect Pairs, 10 Church Street, Listowell, Co Kerry 068 23773.Aisle of Brides, Main Street, Carrick-on-Shannon, 071 9650784.Aislinn Bridal & EveningWear, Main Street, Abbeyfeale, Co Limerick, 087 8384482; Bliss, Unit 9, Racefield Centre,Friar Russell Road, Limerick 061 307040; Lauda Bridal Unit, 6 Kennedy House, KennedyRoad, Navan 0469 022701; Simones, Hyde Bridge, Lower O’Connell Street, Sligo; TheBridal Academy, 22 Main Street, Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary 051 642463. My Dress,Chapel Street, Carrick on Suir, 051 645533; The White Room, 39 Austin Friars Street,Mullingar, Co Westmeath, 044 47661; Eden, 14 Esmonde Street, Gorey, Co Wexford 05581932. Jen Doherty, Award winning bridal couture 2006, Studio 1, Buncrana Co Donegal074 93 63459 and Studio 2, Dublin Docklands, Dublin 4, 01 614 4894; Mathyro gowns,Marions, Francis Strett, Galway, 091 564966 and Boyle, Co Roscommon, 071 966203(Many thanks to Marions for supplying the gowns); Melody Brides, Newry. 0044 2830821724. Pronovais gowns; Aibheil, Main Street 061 396026, Adare, Co Limerick;Lorren Bridal, Ballinlough, Co Roscommon, 0949 640793; McElhiney’s StoresBallybofey,Donegal 0749 131217; Marions, Francis Street, Galway 091 564966 and Boyle,Co Roscommon, 071 966203 (Many thanks to Marions for supplying the gowns);Rice n Roses, Douglas, Cork, 0489 8889; Rainbow Shoes (Gabriella Lucido); Kiss theBride, 12 Time Square, Ballincollig, Co Cork 0214 289966; Nozomi, O’Connell Street,Ennis, Co Clare. 065 6228655. Flanagans, 111 Lower Level, Eyre Square Centre, Galway.091 565308. (Many thanks to Flanagans for supplying the shoes); Aibheil, Main Street,Adare, Limerick 061 396026; The Weddding shop, First floor, 10 Thomas Street, Limerick.061 411553; Rembo Styling gowns; The Moderne, 89-90 Patrick Street, Cork;McElhineys, Main Street, Ballybofey, Co Donegal, 074 9131217; & McElhiney’s Fashions,Main Street, Athboy, Co Meath. 046 9432112; Marions, Francis Street, Galway, 091564966 and Boyle, Co Roscommon, 071 966203 (Many thanks to Marions for supplyingthe gowns); Patricia’s Bridal, Newcastlewest, Co Limerick, The Elegant Touch, MarketSquare, Ballina, Co Mayo; Lauda, Kennedy Road, Navan; Simones, Hyde Bridge, LowerO’Connell Street, Sligo. Hera, 75 South Main Street, Wexford; Rococo; Cross Street,Galway 091 565856 and The Westbury Mall, 01 6704007; Roswitha Molloy, Ireland, BestWeddings Couturier 2005 by The Irish Weddings Awards 01 8385947 www.romolloy.com,Special Day Gowns; Aisle of Brides, Carrick on Shannon, 071 9650784; Marians, FrancisStreet, Galway, 091 564966 and Boyle, Co Roscommon, 071 966203 (Many thanks toMarians for supplying the gowns), McElhinney, Ballybofey, Co Donegal;Midland Bridalwear, Birr, 0509 22014; My Dress, Carrick on Suir, 051 645-533; PerfectDay Bridal, Limerick, 061 314291; Pronuptia of Cork, 021 4273530, Rice N Roses,Cork, 021 4898899; The Bridal Gallery, Castle Island, 064 20017; The Modern Cork, 0214270266; Treacy Bridal, 091 564601; Ultimate Brides, Co Roscommon 090 6628912;Wedding Belle, Mallow, Co Cork, 022 21468; Virgina Bridal, 7/8 Roches Street, Limerick061 41518 & 085 7184454 www.virginjasbridal.com (Many thanks to Virginija forsupplying the gowns) Headpiece by Emily-Jean Designs, Irish Handmade butterflyheadpiece, [email protected]
Bridal Designer of the Year 2006
WEDDINGSnow Magazine isdelighted to feature Bridal
Designer of the Year 2006 JenDoherty in our fashion shoot.
Not only did Jen scoop the overall prize, she was also
named Romantic Category winner. Check her out on
pages 24 and 26.www.jendoherty.com
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82 WEDDINGSnow
1 Rosemarie Hosty and
Declan O’Brien
celebrated their
wedding at Bushypark
Church with the
reception afterwards at
the Ardilaun House
Hotel.
Photos
The Lane Studios,
Church lane, Galway
091 567938
2 Elaine White tand
Kieran Harten, both
from Navan were
married in Furbo
Church followed by a
reception in the
Connemara Coast
Hotel.
Photos Martina Regan
Photography
www.martinaregan.com
087 202 1992
2
1 1
1 1
2
22
1
weddings
WEDDINGSnow 83
The wedding of
Geraldine Kerins and
Desmond Grennan
at Glandore, Cork
Photos by GMC
Photography,
087 8537228
www.germac.ie
weddings
84 WEDDINGSnow
1 Donna
Cunningham and
Noel McNena
were married re-
cently in The
Church of Mary
Immaculate
Queen, Bearna,
Galway
featuremotoring
18 Townpark Centre, Tuam Road, Galway. T: 091 770869 F: 091 786048 E: [email protected] www.branchflowers.com
WEDDINGSnow 85
2
2
1 1
1
2
1 Karen Bolton and
Anthony Ferguson
were married in
Tuam Catherdral
with the reception
in The Westwood
Hotel.
Photos
The Lane Studios,
Church lane, Galway
091 567938
2 Noírin Ni Chong-
haile and Barry
O’Coistealbha cele-
brated their wed-
ding day at
Carraroe Church
and afterwards in
The Galway Bay
Hotel
Photos
The Lane Studios,
Church lane, Galway
091 567938
1
weddings
86 WEDDINGSnow
weddingsout&about
featuremotoring
2 Sinead Dunleavy
and Gerard
McDonagh were
married in St
James Church
Bushypark with the
reception in The
Great Southern
Hotel
Photos by
Melissa Mannion
melissamannion.com
086 8038034
2 Andrea Ryan and
Paul Gray were
married in August
in St Marys
Cathedral in
Killarney.
Reception in the
Brehon Hotel.
Photo Claire O'Rorke
Photography Dip Com
Photo L.I.P.P.A
16 North Mall
Cork
021 439 8181
info@corphotogra-
phy.com
www.corphotogra-
phy.com
2 2
1 1
weddingsweddings1 Julie Nolan and Rob
Eyers were married
in St Peters Church
Kilkee
Photos by Peter Harkin
Photography, 1 Nile Lodge,
Salthill, Galway
091 529700
2 Karryanne Saunders
and Gary Matthews
were married in The
Holy Family Church
and the reception was
in St Clerans
Photos by Peter Harkin
Photography, 1 Nile Lodge,
Salthill, Galway
091 529700
3 Lorraine Scarry
married Frank Kelly at
Ballymacward Church
and the reception was
held in The Lady
Gregory Hotel
Photos by Dillon
Photography
086 8206171
www.dillonphotography.ie
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88 WEDDINGSnow
1 Wedding of Eva
Reynolds, Carrick on
Shannon to Mark
Eggleton, London in
the Church of the
Immaculate Concep-
tion, Ballinakill followed
by reception in
Rosleague Manor
Hotel, Letterfrack.
Photo Martina Regan
Photography
www.martinaregan.com
087 202 1992
2 Aoife Foley and Martin
Ryan were married in
August in the
Honan chapel in UCC
followed by reception
for their 150 guests in
the Trident Hotel
Kinsale.
Photo Claire O'Rorke Pho-
tography Dip Com Photo
L.I.P.P.A
16 North Mall
Cork
021 439 8181
www.corphotography.com
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WEDDINGSnow 89
weddings
2
1 Edwina Forde and
Francis Whiriskey
were married re-
cently in the Church
of the Assumption
Claregalway with the
reception held in the
Claregalway Hotel
Photos by
Melissa Mannion
melissamannion.com
086 8038034
2 Elaine Whyte and
Enda Fanning were
married in Kiltulagh
Church and the re-
ception was held in
St Clerans
Photo by Peter Harkin
Photography, 1 Nile
Lodge, Salthill, Galway
091 529700
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2
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weddings1 Marianne Lee from
Kinsale and Ger
O'Reilly from Schull
after their wedding at
Gouganne Barra
Photos
Donagh Glavin
021 4872217
086 1722223
www.donaghglavin.com
2 Wedding of Suzanne
Divilly and Patrick
Oliver at the Claddagh
Church. The reception
was at Cloonacauneen
Castle
Photo Lisa Daly
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2
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2
weddingsweddings1 Linda Walsh and Mike
Flaherty who were
married recently in
Claregalway Church
and the recption was
held in the Ardilaun
Hotel.
Photos by Philip Smyth.
091 555814
087 6381227
E-mail:philip@smythpho-
tography.com
2 Aine Keary and
Christopher Dolan
were married recently
in Kinnitty Castle
Photos by Coppinger and
Curran
www.tcoppinger.com
090 9679429
086 2602770
3 Michelle Warde and
Michael Corless were
married recently in
Dunmore
Photos by Coppinger and
Curran
www.tcoppinger.com
090 9679429
086 2602770
4 Mary Brett and Gerry
Feeney were married
recently in Kiltullagh.
Photos by Coppinger and
Curran
www.tcoppinger.com
090 9679429
086 2602770
11
2
4
3
2
weddings1 Wedding of Louise
Murphy and
Michael
O'Donovan who
were married
recently in North
Cathedral, Cork
Photos
Life Studio
www.lifestudio.ie
2 Michelle Kilkenny
and Brian
Cunningham were
married in
Ballindine re-
cently
Photos by Coppinger
and Curran
www.tcoppinger.com
090 9679429
086 2602770
2
1
1
1
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weddingsweddings1 Barbara Hennessy and
Frank Roche were
married in Honan
Chapel UCC with the
reception after in
Inchydoney
Photos by Healy
Rimmington Photography,
Norwood Gate,
Rochestown, Cork
021 4366051
www.healyrimmington.com
2 Gillian Davy and Adrian
Searles were married
at Honan Chapel UCC
with the reception in
the Garryvoe Hotel
Photos by Healy
Rimmington Photography,
Norwood Gate,
Rochestown, Cork
021 4366051
www.healyrimmington.com
3 Sinead Powell and
Gareth Hanley were
married in Ballinrostig
Church, Midleton with
the reception held in
Inchydoney
Photos by Healy
Rimmington Photography,
Norwood Gate,
Rochestown, Cork
021 4366051
www.healyrimmington.com
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2
3 3
2
2
2
weddings1 Emma Croke and
David Kinnevey who
were married recently
in Moycullen Church
and the reception was
held in the Westwood
Hotel.
Photos by Philip Smyth.
091 555814
087 6381227
E-mail:philip@smythpho-
tography.com
2 Natasha Labos and
Clancy Barret at their
recent wedding in
Ashford Castle
Photos by Melissa Mannion
Photography
www.melissiamannion.com
086 8038034
3 Christina Oliver and
Martin Fahy were
married recently in St
Mary's the Claddagh
Church with reception
afterwards in the
Claregalway Hotel.
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weddings
WEDDINGSnow 95
Fire Signs The Fire signs – Aries, Leo andSagittarius – are assertive, enthusias-tic, energetic and creative. Fire signindividuals are full of warmth andlife and have a direct and immediateinfluence on their surroundings.
Aries people need partners thathelp them keep their inner fireunder control. Their unpredictabili-ty is sometimes enough to make youwant to pull your hair out! But thereis one thing about them that youcan depend on: life with an Ariesperson is never, ever dull or boring.
What Leo needs is a person whocan tolerate the shows of ego and seethrough them for what they are: avery desirable partner! Leo can beshowy and self-centred, but can alsobe extremely warm and generous.Leos have so much energy that itcan’t help but emanate outwardly tothe people they want to share theirlives with.
The best match for Sagittarius isa person whose intellect is active,who is interested in a wide varietyof topics and talking points andwho can keep themselves amusedwhile their Sagittarian partner isoff on a mad adventure.
Earth Signs The Earth signs – Taurus, Virgo
and Capricorn – are practical andambitious. Innately cautious, carefuland restrained, Earth signs work
hard to improve and consolidatetheir situation in life.
Taurus needs a partner who willreinforce feelings of comfort andfamiliarity as well as nudge theTaurean into occasional encounterswith emotion and spirituality. Ingeneral, Taurus’ stability makes for aperson who is easily domesticatedand an ideal marriage partner, solong as the Taurus person can bedrawn away from a self-centred exis-tence that consists mainly of keepingthings just the way they are.
Virgo places a very high priorityon relationship and takes it extreme-ly seriously but it’s important torealise that they don’t respond wellto purely emotional appeals. Virgoneeds to know that a relationshipwill produce practical returns, andthat means they need a partner whowill be willing to be subjected toVirgo’s improvement programme!
Capricorn seeks someone whowill provide a warm and securehome base. This person must alsobe extremely dependable, and havethe desire to follow family tradi-tions. Capricorn works hard tobuild a solid foundation that canalways be counted on, so anyprospective partner must be willingto follow through on this ambi-tious plan.
Air Signs The Air signs – Gemini, Libra andAquarius – tend to value mentalcompatibility in romance more thanpassion or looks. They love dis-cussing their thoughts. Shaping newideas is far more exciting to themthan carrying them through.
Gemini needs variety, so original-ity and versatility in a partner are themost important attractions. If youneed constant attention and devo-tion, a Gemini is not the person foryou! To keep Gemini’s interest,make the effort to follow the con-stantly changing sea of ideas thatemanates from this fascinating per-son’s mind.
Libra needs a strong personalityin a partner; someone who keeps
enforcing boundaries and showingLibra that there’s a lot to be gainedby using one’s initiative. Mentalstimulation is very important toLibra too. A relationship partnermust be able to relate to Libra’srefined mind, and also be preparedto help Libra make decisions. Inreturn, Libra’s partner will receivethe kind of love most of us onlydream about, as well as a bestfriend for life.
Aquarius is an independent soulwho needs an equal partner. Thispartner should ideally be alert, intel-lectually stimulating and verysecure, but able to make occasionalsacrifices for the sake of Aquarius’special causes. It’s hard for anAquarian to tolerate a person who isso irrational and insecure that theywould think their feelings mattermorethan the good of society.
Water Signs The water signs – Cancer, Scorpioand Pisces – are governed by power-ful emotions, making them intenseand sensitive.
Cancer people are looking forsomeone to nest with – for a verylong time. These emotional soulsneed almost constant reassurance,and they don’t let go easily. Cancer isa self-starter, and will take action toprevent anything bad from happen-ing to a loved one.
Scorpio wants to be loved so des-perately that their relationship part-ners often find themselves beingcontrolled and manipulated intodoing things they would never do ifthey were asked outright. To handlea Scorpio, the romantic partnermust be clever and strong enough tomake Scorpio own up to the littlemanipulation games that go on.
Pisces is the most gentle sign inthe zodiac. They are always takingcare of other people, and oftendon’t have the desire to comedown to earth and work on thepractical areas of life. Their idealpartner is somebody who will takecare of them, while they take careof everyone else!
in the starsThe twelve signs of the zodiacare arranged into four groups,
which correspond to the four elements of ancient and
medieval philosophy: Fire, Earth,Air and Water. Each group
contains three sun signs, whichare influenced by their
element in particular ways
96 WEDDINGSnow
wedding directoryHotelsAghadoe Heights, Killarney, Co Kerry. 064 31766. Carlton Hotel Kinsale & Spa, RathmoreRoad, Kinsale, Co Cork 021 470 6000,www.carltonkinsalehotel.comClaregalway Hotel, Claregalway Village,Galway, 091 738300, www.claregalwayhotel.ieClarinbridge Court Hotel, Clarinbridge,Galway. 091 796988 www.clarinbridgecourthotel.com. Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway, 091721900www.clayton.ie Clifden Station House Hotel, Connemara,Co. Galway 095 21699, www.clifdenstationhouse.comGalway Bay Hotel, Promenade, Salthill,Galway, 091 520520 www.galwaybayhotel.netHarbour Hotel, New Docks Road, GalwayCity. 091 569466www.galwayharbourhotel.com Hotel Meyrick, Eyre Square, Galway 091 564041 www.hotelmeyrick.ieMenlo Park Hotel, Terryland, HeadfordRoad, Galway. 091-761122 www.menloparkhotel.ie. The Imperial Hotel, South Mall, Cork. 021 7306618. www.flynnhotels.comRadisson SAS Hotel and Spa, Lough Atalia,Galway, 091 538300www.radissonhotelgalway.ie The Rectory, Glandore, West Cork. 028 33072. www.rectory.ieShearwater Plaza Hotel, Ballinasloe, 090 9630400 www.shearwaterhotel.com
CakesGoyas, Kirwans Lane, Galway 091 567010www.goyas.ie
PhotographyClaire O’Rorke, 16 North Main St, Cork City. www.corphotography.com 021 4398181Coppinger and CurranMoylough, Galway, 0909679429, 086 2602770, www.tcoppinger.comDillon Photography, 34 The Maltings,Loughrea, Galway. 091 871413www.dillionphotography.com. Fuji Barna, Seapoint, Barna, Galway091 867875, www.fujibarna.ie Martina Regan Photographer, 087 2021992www.martinaregan.comSteve Foster Photography, 091 632891www.sfimages.net
JewellersDiamonds and Gold, 12 Cross Street,Galway, 091 539693 www.diamondsandgoldireland.comDiamonds By Julia, 178 Bluebell Woods,Maree Road, Oranmore, Co.Galway, 087 6050050 www.diamonsbyjulia.comHartmanns of Galway, 27-29 WilliamStreet, Galway’091 562063, www.hartmanns.ieHelgas Antiques, 7 Cross St, Cork 021 4270034Michel Jewellers, 116 Patrick St, Cork, 021 4271217
Hair & BeautyConstantly Cupid Hair Salon, 35 TempleJarlath Court, Tuam, Co Galway 093 270275th Avenue Make Up and Beauty Salon,14E Liosban Bus. Park,Tuam Road, Galway, 091 764755Fuzion, 34 Newcastle Road, Galway 091 582965Gemini Beauty, Gleann Na Ri (BehindBodkins) Renmore, Galway. 091 770776Itsfabulous.net 091 443944, 086 1960061The Workshop, 10 Lower Abbeygate Street,Galway & Sli Gheal, Ballymoneen Road,Knocknacarra, 091 566680Purejoy Beauty, Mainguard Street, Galway091 530540
FashionAll Dressed Up, 4 Barr ns Straide,Ballincollig, Cork 021-4289966Elegant Undies, Unit 3 Downstairs, EyreSquare Shopping Centre, WilliamsgateStreet, Galway. 091 567512Emily Jean Designs, 34 Tudor Lawn,Newcastle, Galway. 086 4094190Hat Shop Galway, U9 Basement, Corbett’sCourt, Galway 091 561052Lady M Lingerie, 51 Dunkellin Street,Loughrea, Galway. 091 871141Marians, St Francis Street, Galway 091564966; Boyle, Co.Roscommon, 071 9662031 www.marians.ieMonili, Sallybrook, Glanmire, Co Cork085 7085031The Moderne, 89/90 Patrick St, Cork Citywww.themoderne.com 021 4270266Nozomi Shoe Boutiques, 71 O’ConnellStreet, Ennis, Co.Clare, 065 6828655; 60Catherine Street, Limerick, 061 467408www.nozomiireland.comNestors, 18 Eglington Street, Galway, 091 562552Rococo Cross Street Galway 091 565856;
Westbury Mall,Dublin 2 01 6704007; 20Glasthule Road; Co.Dublin, 01 2300686Susie Mahony Designs, Tynagh Road,Loughrea, 086 1948315091 847326 www.susiemahonydesigns.ie
MensUdeMan, Unit 6, Mount Oval Village,Cork www.udeman.ie
MusicWillie Carty Entertainment Agency,Wedding bands available. Conquerors –Keith McDonald. www.dancingdiary.com, www.keithmcdonald.ie 090 9741017 Email: [email protected]. Willie Carty’s Entertainment Agency hasbeen operating in Ireland for the last fifteenyears. In that time he has gained a reputa-tion as a provider of quality entertainment.Chris Deakin Professional Wedding DJ, specialisein unique celebrations. We help plan the perfectmusic for your wedding celebrations087-6959372, www.galwayweddingdj.comAnnette Griffin International Singer &Harpist 094 9546918,086 2525108
FlowersBloomsday Flowers, Main St, Carrigtwohill,Co. Cork 021 4287404 www.bloomsday.ie Branch Flowers, 18 Townpark Centre,Tuam Rd,Galway 091 770869 www.branchflowers.comThe Flower Basket, Clonakilty, Co. Cork023 33535
Stationary and AccessoriesAmanda Designs, Knocknahaw, Moyard,Co. Galway. 09541140, 0876531871www.amanda-designs.netSpecialist in Wedding Stationary, Cake BoxBuilding, Handmade Cards.Receptions, Unit 4, Hughes Mill, Clonmel,Co Tipperary 052-87111Coyne Design, Sliabh Garbh, CullaneCarraroe, Co.Galway, 091 869985Noreen Clifford Designs 021 4642986www.clifforddesigns.ie
Food and WineLohans Bar and Restaurant, 232-234 UpperSalthill, Galway,091 522696
TravelFahy Travel Worldchoice, 3 Bridge StreetGalway, 091 594747 www.fahytravel.ie
Pre- Marriage CourseNAOMI, 119 Patrick St, Cork City 021 4272213
