Wedding of the Week: Proposal at a New York lighthouse leads to Kerry celebration
Shea Kiernan and James Down. Pictures: Seán Lordan, Studio Lordan
One wedding led to another for Shea Kiernan and James Down.
Shea, from New Rochelle, New York, and James, from Crookstown, Cork, met eight years ago in a bar in Manhattan, Stout Grand Central.
“At the time, I was living on the Upper East Side and James was living on Roosevelt Island,” says Shea.
Even though Shea moved to Los Angeles shortly after for work they kept in touch and a long-distance romance ensued.
Later that year (2016), James invited Shea to Ireland for a family wedding and the rest is history. “We spent the week leading up to that occasion touring around beautiful West Cork,” says Shea.
Four years later, Shea returned to live in New York. “Everything was sped up by the start of the covid pandemic so we lived and worked in James’ studio apartment on Roosevelt Island for three months before moving into our current apartment in Stamford, Connecticut,” she says.
James popped the question in January 2022 at Montauk Point Lighthouse, New York.
“I had arranged for Shea’s parents to meet us later that day to celebrate,” he says.
She adds: “For the record, it was only 12 degrees Fahrenheit (-11 degrees Celsius), with 22-mile-per-hour winds at the lighthouse when James proposed!”
The weather was slightly more temperate for their Kerry nuptials the following year. “We wanted to get married in Ireland, having travelled back for several family and friends’ weddings over the years and my family has Irish roots, on both sides,” says Shea.
They were wed by celebrant Helen O’Sullivan, Spiritual Ceremonies, at The Europe Hotel & Resort, Fossa, Killarney, and their reception took place in the same five-star venue.
Congratulating them were both sets of parents, Susan and Raymond Kiernan and Mary and Niall Down.
Shea had two maids of honour, her friends Samantha DeSantis and Brittany Freeman, and a junior bridesmaid, her niece Emily Kiernan, Shea's niece, and James had two best men, his friend John O’Callaghan, and his brother Stephen Down.
Their nephews James and Ryan Kiernan and Seán and Conor Tierney were the pageboys.
Nova String Quartet performed during the ceremony and wedding band Harlequin “kept the party going all night”, adds Shea.
“We held a welcome party for the US guests the night before the wedding at JM Reidy’s in Killarney. The night after the wedding we had another party at The Laurels which was also a fantastic night.
“Gotcha Covered handled all of the décor, and we ended the event with a gorgeous cake from O’Carrolls Cakes and surprised our guests with fireworks from Rocket Pyrotechnics which capped off the perfect evening.”
Shea chose an elegant Suzanne Neville wedding dress and the groom and his party were dapper thanks to Fitzgerald’s Menswear and Morley’s Formal Hire, Cork City.
Behind the camera was photographer Seán Lordan ( www.studiolordan.com), assisted by Aidan Fitzgerald, and Evan Heneghan of Irish Eye Wedding Videos.
Between the Briars created the floral arrangements.
“Instead of favours, we donated to two charities, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital of New York and The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation,” says Shea.
They enjoyed a short break at Lake Como, Italy after the big day. “Later in the year we went on a longer break, spending two weeks in Japan,” says the bride.
Shea is a senior associate at an investment company and James is a senior manager at PwC.
They live in Stamford, Connecticut, USA.
- If you would like your wedding featured in Weekend email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
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