Wedding of the Week: College sweethearts open new chapter

Their paths first crossed on the top floor of the library at University College Cork in October 2010 when both were students there so Amy Coleman and Steven Robinson were delighted to retrace their footsteps on their big day.

After they exchanged vows in UCC’s Aula Maxima, the college sweethearts strolled across campus to the Boole Library. “Our wedding photographer Adrian O’Neill took a picture recreating the moment of our first meeting, with Steven sitting at the same desk and reading the same book he was reading the day we met, while I stood next to him,” said Amy, from Killeens, Cork.

Ballyvolane native Steven popped the question on April 6, 2017, at sunset on Dingle pier. “Dingle is where we first went away together and is a special place for us,” said Amy.

And the Atlantic was to be a backdrop to their wedding celebration.

After the civil ceremony in their alma mater, led by registrar Thomas Walsh, the newlyweds were blessed by the Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross, Dr Paul Colton, and then celebrated at Dunmore House Hotel in Clonakilty, where the rolling beaches played a starring role in their wedding album. “Getting engaged by the ocean was why we then had our reception at a venue next to the ocean,” said the bride.

Amy’s cousins Denise Doolan O’Donovan and Laura O’Sullivan were her bridesmaids while Steven’s brother Shane Robinson was by his side as best man, along with his friend and groomsman James Moore.

Mother and father of the bride, Joan and Kieran Coleman, and the groom’s father, Arnold Robinson, also helped them plan the perfect wedding. “Our big day was brilliant,” said Amy. “We got really lucky with the weather as the sun was splitting the stones all day. It was a very emotional day with just close family and friends present and every person who attended was very special to us.”

The groomsman, James, who is a professional musician/guitarist, sang Amy down the aisle to Damien Rice’s “Amie” and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

He also played throughout the ceremony. “That for us meant so much,” said Amy. “It was also very special to get married in the place where we met and where we had both studied and worked and there was lots of time for cool photos within UCC and weather permitted us to visit the beach before going to the venue.”

The wedding planners at Dunmore House Hotel were topnotch, added the couple. “They could not do enough for us and our reception went off without a hitch,” said Amy.

“We danced the night away to our band the Jabronis.” Amy looked stunning in a Ronald Joyce dress, sourced in Blarney bridal boutique Vows and Diamond Divas looked after the bridal hair and makeup.

Shandon Flowers created the floral arrangements while the groom and his party were dapper in suits bought in Tom Murphy Menswear. The newlyweds travelled in style in a Mercedes E Class, with transport arranged as a gift by family friends Joe Coughlan. The honeymoon took the bride and groom to Crete for two weeks, where they stayed in the five-star Sensatori, Caldera Palace.