Wedding of the week: A winter ceremony with 25 guests and hot whiskeys

Sun, 11 Apr, 2021 - 12:00

Eve Kelliher

Mayo couple Anne-Marie O’Hora and Stephen McDonnell first crossed paths as they cycled their county’s Great Western Greenway one day in late August 2012.

They hit it off while pedalling from Newport to Mulranny and back. “A friend of mine, who was dating a friend of Stephen’s, had invited us both as part of a larger group on a cycling outing to celebrate her birthday,” says Anne-Marie, who is from Parke, outside Castlebar.

Anne-Marie O’Hora and Stephen McDonnell. Pictures: Gary Barrett

Just over six years later, they got engaged in Stephen’s home in Lahardane, Co Mayo, as they swapped Christmas presents and went on to exchange vows on December 11, 2020, in Church of the Holy Family, Parke, Castlebar, when they were married by Parke parish priest Father Peter Suttle.

Gary Barrett, award-winning wedding photographer, was behind the lens, and they stopped off at Enniscrone beach before arriving at their reception venue, the Diamond Coast Hotel, Enniscrone, where its wedding co-ordinator Mary Clarke greeted them on the red carpet with champagne.

Anne-Marie O’Hora. Pictures: Gary Barrett

The bride’s parents Nuala and Pat O’Hora and the groom’s mother and father Mary and Seán McDonnell toasted to their future happiness, as did Anne-Marie’s sister and maid of honour Catherine O’Hora, her friends and bridesmaids Stephanie Conway, Claire Corcoran and Katy Kelly, Stephen’s cousin and best man Daniel McDonnell and his friends and groomsmen Mícheál Walsh, Neil Prendergast and Enda Jordan.

Also enjoying the limelight was the bride’s nephew and pageboy Finn Parker.

“Originally, it was supposed to be 250–300 guests at a summer wedding set for June 19, 2020, with an ice-cream truck and outdoor party games at the Diamond Coast Hotel. Instead, we had a winter wedding with 25 guests and hot whiskeys,” says Anne-Marie.

The newlyweds enjoyed every moment of their “relaxed and intimate” big day. “Because of the nature of Covid weddings, it allowed everyone to have a role to play in the wedding,” says the bride.

Anne-Marie O’Hora and Stephen McDonnell with their wedding party. Pictures: Gary Barrett

Their photographer Gary “made the day so much more enjoyable”, adds Anne-Marie:

“He helped to organise and manage what could have turned into chaos and panic.” Anne-Marie looked super-glamorous in a dress bought in a bridal sale in the Ardiaun Hotel in Galway which was altered to perfection by Thomas Heverin in Ourania Bridal. The groom and his party were dapper thanks to EJ Menswear, Sligo.

Anne-Marie’s bridal hairstyling was by Jenny Kirkpatrick, Sleek, Castlebar, while Suzanne Gibbons, Turlough Hair and Beauty, ensured the bridesmaids’ hair was camera-ready and Hayley Coleman was the bridal makeup artist.

The newlyweds had originally planned a 10-day Caribbean cruise followed by an all-inclusive stay in Secrets Hotel Cancun for their honeymoon but instead enjoyed two nights in the Twelve Hotel in Barna, Co Galway.

Also sending their best wishes were teammates who had lined out on rugby pitches with the bride over the years: Anne-Marie was part of the Irish rugby squad from 2019-2020 and Connacht since 2015 and has played with Castlebar and Galwegians.

Anne-Marie is a primary school teacher in Belclare NS, Galway, and Stephen works with ESB in Castlebar. “We are currently living in Castlebar but building our ‘forever home’ in Parke,” says the bride.