Wedding of the Week: Sharing our wedding with our children made our day
Michelle Butler and Ken Russell with Jonah, Julien and Florence Russell. Pictures: Pink Lime Studios
This Valentine’s weekend is all about sharing the love and Michelle Butler said she and Ken Russell felt that having their three children, Jonah, Julien and Florence, celebrate their wedding with them “made the day”.
When Michelle and Ken exchanged vows in December it was “a super ending to a very challenging year”, said the bride. “Despite restrictions, we had the most beautiful day with our children, family and a handful of close friends. I wouldn't change it for the world,” said Michelle. “We had planned to get married summer 2021 but decided to go full steam ahead with a Covid wedding.”
The ceremony and reception took place at Markree Castle in Sligo. “We had roaring fires, Christmas trees and lights and even had our first dance in the rain in the courtyard!” said the bride.
Sligo native Michelle, from Rosses Point, and Ken, from Kilmainhamwood in Meath, were married by registrar Louise Mulcahy.
Their parents, Bernie and Paul Butler and Ann and Val Russell, raised a glass to their future happiness, as did the bridesmaids, Michelle’s sisters Laura O’Sullivan and Emma Goggin and sister-in-law Martyna Janus, and groomsmen, Ken’s brothers Damien Russell, David Russell and Shane Russell.
The bride and groom’s sons Jonah and Julien Russell were their pageboys while their niece and godchild Sienne O’Sullivan was the flower girl.
They first met on a night out in Temple Bar when both were living in Dublin. “We both knew very early that this was it,” said Michelle. “Our firstborn arrived just two years later. That is when the real fun began.”
They got engaged one winter’s day on a snow-covered Hill of Tara. “On the drive there I was trying everything to convince Ken to go home as I was tired, very unaware as to what was about to happen. Poor Ken,” said Michelle.
“We were engaged for two years, but had been so busy with kids, house moves and work that we struggled to find the time to really get planning our big day.”
Then the couple’s little girl Florence came into the world last April, arriving 11 weeks early. “Florence was a very welcome surprise but it was a challenging time all the same.
Florence spent 12 weeks in ICU and Ken didn't get to meet his own daughter until she was six weeks old due to Covid restrictions,” said Michelle.
Fortunately, Florence arrived home in June and is thriving. Then, in late October, Michelle had a brainwave. “I said to Ken: ‘Why don't we get married before the year is out? He nearly keeled over. That was three days before the second lockdown began,” she said.
Six weeks later the bride was looking stunning in her Maggie Sottero gown and Pink Lime Studios captured their big day on camera. Sinead Conway sang during the ceremony, Kieran Quinn performed on the piano, and Michelle’s brother Karol duetted with Sinead in “All I Ask of You” from . “He totally smashed it and had us all in tears,” said Michelle.
Michelle, a dietitian and co-founder of Sligo healthfood company Good4U, and Ken, an engineer who works as a researcher for Sligo IT, live in Strandhill, Sligo.
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