Wedding of the Week: Linda and Niall hadn't seen close family and friends in a year
Linda Kelly and Niall Morrissey with their daughter Isla. Pictures: Hu O'Reilly Photography/www.huoreilly.com
Longford natives, Linda Kelly and Niall Morrissey, travelled full circle back to their hometown to exchange vows.
They spent three years in Sydney and moved to London in 2019 where they now live with their daughter Isla, who was born in Sydney.
Linda, a speech and language therapist, and Niall, who works in finance, first encountered each other in Longford’s Spiral Tree nightclub. “We were later to meet in Coppers in Dublin and started going on dates after that — 10 years ago now!” said Linda.
Several years later, while living in Australia, they got engaged during a holiday in New Zealand, in October 2018. “We were on top of Roy’s Peak — it was truly surreal and special,” said Linda.
They were married in St Mel’s Cathedral in Longford and even though the pandemic meant travel restrictions, uncertainty around planning, and that the couple had to self-isolate when they returned home from London to wed, Linda said they were “completely blown away by the fun and joy” of the occasion.
And they got to share their big day with their 20-month-old daughter and close family and friends when they got married on December 12.
Father Michael McGrath led the marriage ceremony and Hu O’Reilly was behind the lens both in the cathedral and at the reception venue, Viewmount House.
Both sets of parents, Mary and Tom Kelly, and Mary and Larry Morrissey, toasted to their future happiness, as did the bridesmaids, Deirdre Gillen, Sophie Dalton and Therese Kelly, and groomsmen, Cian Morrissey, Diarmuid McRory, and Jimmy Connolly.
“There was just so much love for us. You could really sense how happy our guests were for us!” said the bride. “It was the best feeling in the world. It was extra special as we hadn’t seen our close friends and family in a year.”
What was wedding-planning like in a pandemic? “I suppose it was so stressful that it was hard to take a moment to laugh,” said the bride.
“Now we can look back with some aspect of fondness as it was such a unique time. No bride in the past has ever prayed for the hairdressers to open so she could sort her desperate roots before her big day!” And that picture-perfect bridal hairstyling was carried out at the family home by June Murtagh (@JuneBug) with makeup by Maria Hanlon.
Linda was at her elegant best in a wedding dress sourced in Brummel & Co, Athlone, and Niall and his party looked dapper thanks to O’Brien’s Menswear, Longford. ER Films provided the videography service and Fernwood Flowers created the floral arrangements.
“Being at home in Longford for the whole day was something we never would have imagined for our big day, but it was so, so special in the end. The staff of Viewmount were wonderful and the restaurant was so beautiful.”
The newlyweds honeymooned for two nights in Dublin. “It was the best we could ask for. Travel restrictions lifted on the 18th so we got two wonderful nights reliving those date nights we had 10 years ago!” said the bride.
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