Wedding of the Week: Rivers, magic and a flower wall for Laura and Barry
Laura O’Moore and Barry McCarthy. Pictures: Dermot Sullivan
River water got goodwill flowing, a flower wall built the colour theme, and magic tricks conjured up extra sparkle when Laura O’Moore and Barry McCarthy returned from Gloucester to say their “I do’s” in their home county.
Laura, from Mahon, and Barry, from Rathcormac, were wed in the Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, Cork, by celebrant Paul Corcoran and held their reception in the same venue.Â
“We had a pagan-tradition ceremony. Paul began by blessing the room with water samples taken from the Lee river (to signify where I grew up), the Bride river (symbolising where Barry grew up) and the Severn river in Gloucester (where we live now),” says Laura.
The occasion also included unity candles and a handfasting ceremony.
The ceremony room was styled with the help of To Love and to Hold and Petals Floral Design. Ace Entertainment styled the reception, complete with a fabulous flower wall.
Music was by the Munster String Quartet and the bride’s sister, Sarah O'Moore who is a professional singer, closed proceedings by singing the recessional (At Last).
The inhouse jazz band performed during the drinks reception and later The Stars wedding band, followed by a DJ, ensured the dance floor was full.
“We surprised our guests by having magician Gerard Kearney perform at the drinks reception,” adds Laura. “He had guests amazed by his tricks!”Â
The bride, an exams officer in a further education college, and the groom, a construction worker supervisor, met in January 2009 at a mutual friend’s party. “Within a year we moved in together,” says Laura.
Travels to Australia followed and the couple moved to England in 2013 and have lived in Gloucester since 2016.
The couple plan to return to Cork in the future but another coastal destination beckoned for their engagement.Â
“We go to Cornwall every year to celebrate my birthday. Barry proposed on the morning of my birthday after breakfast at the hotel we were staying in. It was quite the shock! We spent the day cycling the Cornish coast,” says Laura.
They exchanged vows close to their 15th anniversary.
Laura looked elegant in a Randy Fenoli design, purchased in Diamond Bridal, Cork, and the groom was dapper in a suit from Formally Yours, Cork.
The bridal hairstyling was by Lynsey O'Leary and Nikki Burke, The Makeup Doll, was the makeup artist.
Helping them plan the event were Laura’s parents Caroline and Clinton O’Moore and Barry’s mother and father Breeda and Vincent McCarthy. “As we are both extremely family-oriented, we aimed to involve our family as much as possible,” says Laura.
“My uncle, Stephen O'Moore, a jeweller, handcrafted our wedding rings engraved with our names. Azure, George's Quay, handmade the jewellery and headpiece, and my aunt made our wedding cake,” adds Laura.
Laura chose her sister Claire O’Moore to be her maid of honour and her sister Sarah O’Moore, her cousin Marie Stilwell and Barry’s sister Brenda McCarthy to be her bridesmaids. The groom’s grand-niece Meabh McCarthy was the flower girl.
Barry’s brother Stephen McCarthy was his best man and his childhood friends Leonard Brophy, David Brophy and Patrick Maloney were his groomsmen.
Dermot Sullivan, photographer, was behind the lens as was John Hennessy, JH Visual.
The newlyweds plan to honeymoon in Italy later this year. “We booked a trip around Ireland straight after the wedding and stayed in The Brehon Hotel in Killarney and the Connemara Coast Hotel [in Galway],” says Laura.
- If you would like your wedding to feature in Irish Examiner Weekend email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
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