Wedding of the Week: Irish, Indian, and Brazilian flavours at Rita-Ray and Eoin’s wedding
Rita-Ray (Ray) Chhabra and Eoin Donnelly-Maguire. Pictures: Dermotsullivan.com
IT WAS destination Cork for California-based Rita-Ray (Ray) Chhabra and Eoin Donnelly-Maguire when they set the date for their big day, which blended Irish, Indian and Brazilian traditions.
The couple were married in June in St Colman’s Cathedral, Cobh, by Fr Tom McDermott, and held their reception in the Maryborough Hotel & Spa in Douglas.
Ray, from California, and Dublin-born Eoin chose to get married in Ireland after visiting Cork during their one-year anniversary.
The bride and groom, who grew up in Athgarvan, Kildare, live in San Francisco, which is where their paths first crossed.
“We met in 2023 at a fancy hat party while Eoin was visiting friends from university,” says Ray. “Unknown to me, he was leaving the next day for Boston. But we managed to have our first date right before he left for the airport.
“Over the course of a year and a half, we made five trips back and forth [between Dublin and San Francisco]. Ultimately, after 1460 hours on video calls, we decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together as husband and wife.”
So, how did they feel the morning they were to say their “I do’s”? “Eoin was a bag of nerves, rushing around trying to make sure that everything was in order!” says Ray.
Eoin adds that Ray “was also a bundle of nerves” thanks to a few last-minute "dramas", including the check-in luggage containing a bridesmaid dress “turning up at the hotel one hour before the ceremony started”.
But everyone took it in their stride on a day the bride describes as “enchanting”.
Ray, an associate marriage and family therapist and associate professional clinical counsellor, surprised Eoin, a tech risk consultant, by having the organist perform 'You’ll Never Walk Alone' by Gerry and the Pacemakers in the cathedral as she walked down the aisle.
Ray sourced her designer Lazaro gown at Bridals by Lori (of fame), and Eoin wore a navy tux and a feathered bowtie.
The newlyweds travelled in style in a vintage 1930s Beaufort.
Dermot Sullivan Photography (Dermotsullivan.com) captured the occasion on camera and BridalSuite Weddings provided the videography.
Toasting to their future happiness were both sets of parents, Angela and Jiten Chhabra and Gillian and Paul Maguire. “My mother, Gillian, gifted Ray a shawl knitted in the Maguire family stitch to symbolise her becoming a Maguire, which gave Ray happy tears,” says Eoin.
Meanwhile, the bride’s mother, Angela, had booked two dance troupes to deliver surprise performances — Bollywood dance school Aatma Dance Company Cork, with Dr Lekha (principal), and professional Brazilian samba dancers, Samba Dance Brazil.
“We had live music or performances that represented all of our cultures, including an Irish harpist, Kim Juliet Healy,” adds Ray.
DJ Bryan McDonnell ensured the dance floor was full.
The rehearsal dinner, at Blackrock Castle the day before the wedding ceremony, shone a spotlight on Indian wedding traditions.
“Everyone in attendance wore traditional Indian clothes, even my grandmother, Helen — all of which meant the world to Ray because she was the first woman in her family in almost 100 years to get to carry on the Indian traditional ceremonies,” says Eoin.
This was followed by a mehndi ceremony and tea at the Maryborough Hotel. Ray had traditional bridal henna done on her hands and feet by Yamini Kshatriya, of Henna by Yamini.
The hair and makeup for the wedding rehearsal were by Nataniel Mota and Caren Mota, of AL Beauty. For the wedding day, the bridal hairstyling was by AL Beauty with makeup by Powder Room Girls. Enchanted Flowers created the floral décor.
“We were also the subjects of an RTÉ documentary, 'A Ring and a Prayer', which led to some fun moments over the course of the week of recording,” adds Ray.
- If you would like your wedding to feature in email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
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