Wedding of the Week: Raising a wedding toast with a box of cornflakes
Fiona Waugh and Robert Liston. Pictures: Davitt Vaughan Photography
If this groom were to feel peckish during the speeches, he had nothing to fear — his thoughtful new father-in-law had ensured his breakfast cereal of choice was to hand.
Fiona Waugh, from Bandon, Co Cork, and Robert Liston, from Croagh, Co Limerick, were married in St Patrick’s Church, Bandon, by Fr John Kingston and held their reception in the Celtic Ross Hotel, Rosscarbery, County Cork.
“My father presented Robert with a personalised box of cornflakes as a welcoming gift into the family as everyone close to him knows Robert loves cornflakes,” says Fiona.
“This got a great response from the crowd when they realised the groom was drinking a pint of milk as his toast drink throughout the speeches. He had all the ingredients for his favourite breakfast.”
The wedding took place in December, having been postponed by a year due to the pandemic.
“Despite both Robert and myself living in Croagh, County Limerick, now, there was great rivalry on the day as a Cork and Limerick wedding following the All-Ireland results for 2021," says Fiona.
Robert, as a Limerick man, was even gifted a Cork jersey from Santa Claus who made a surprise visit on the night.”
But it was in Kerry that Fiona and Robert's paths first crossed. "I was studying to be a nurse, in Tralee, and Robert had recently completed a degree in civil engineering and was waiting to undertake a course in agriculture whilst farming at home at the time,” says Fiona.
They got engaged at Hamptons, at The Savoy Hotel, in Limerick city, in 2017. “We welcomed our daughter Grace in 2014, followed by our son Darragh in 2017. We also got engaged in May of that year, the day before my birthday,” says Fiona.
The bride’s parents, Kathleen and Gerard Waugh, and the groom's mother, Kathleen Liston, helped them plan the big day.
Robert’s father, Tom, died tragically in 2004 but was very much remembered and missed on the day.
The bride’s friends, Linda Coughlan and Amanda McCarthy, were by Fiona's side as bridesmaids while Robert’s cousins, Kevin Liston and Anthony Burns, were best man and groomsman respectively.
The couple’s daughter, Grace, and son, Darragh, took centre stage as flower girl and pageboy.
Also taking on flowergirl duties was a friend, Leah McCarthy, and Robert’s godson, Aodhan Kelly, was the second pageboy.
Fiona looked elegant in a wedding dress sourced in Finesse Bridal Wear, Listowel, Co Kerry.
The bridal hairstyling was by Seraphina and her team at The Pretty Parlour in Bandon with makeup by Ruthanna Crowley Make-up.
“I had the privilege of wearing my late grandaunt Peggy’s engagement ring as my ‘something old’ on the day. This was special to me as I felt it connected me to all those in my family who have passed who I would have loved to have been there on my wedding day,” says Fiona.
Robert and his party were dapper thanks to Connolly Man, Limerick City.
Greg Mulcahy Video captured the occasion on film, while the floral bouquets, buttonholes and altar arrangements were created by Bandon Garden Centre and Florist.
Additional church and venue floral decoration was created by the bride and mother-of-the-bride Kathleen who spent many hours planning, sourcing and creating in the build-up to the wedding.
“The floral colour theme of red, white and green was chosen to reflect the county colours of both the bride and groom,” says Fiona.
Warren Strand was the perfect backdrop for their photoshoot, with Davitt Vaughan behind the lens.
The newlyweds enjoyed a minimoon in Killarney and Tralee after the occasion and have since enjoyed a week away together in Spain.
Fiona is a mental health nurse with the Health Service Executive whilst Robert is a technical agricultural officer with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
- If you would like your wedding featured in Weekend, email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
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