Wedding of the Week: Pupils put their heart and art into making teachers’ big day magical
Rebecca O’Sullivan and Dylan Byrne. Pictures: Dermotsullivan.com
The Cork primary school teachers headed across the border to Kerry to exchange vows at the lodge at Ballygarry Estate Hotel, Tralee.
The bride, from Togher, and groom, from Ballyphehane, were wed in a civil ceremony by celebrant Rebecca Kemp, and the reception took place in the hotel.
Rebecca and Dylan, who now live in Togher, became an item in November 2013 when both were in fifth year in secondary school. “Rebecca had moved to Midleton and was at school there but travelled to Togher every weekend to her grandparents’ house. We spent our first few months texting, up and down to each other for visits, and studying together for the Leaving Cert,” says Dylan
Gougane Barra provided the backdrop for the proposal two years ago, in July 2024. “It’s a place Rebecca’s late grandad loved and was where he went on his last trip with family before his passing,” says Dylan.
Their big day was “everything we imagined and more”, he adds.
Diamond Duet performed the music during the ceremony and drinks reception. “They drew a tear from everyone (including Dylan) as I entered to You’re Still The One by Shania Twain,” says the bride.
The groom adds: “For me, the best part was seeing Rebecca come down the aisle looking beautiful after a morning of anxiously waiting around, unable to eat a thing.”
Organising the event with them were Rebecca’s parents, Karen and Paul O’Sullivan, and Dylan’s mother, Trish Bickerstaffe. The couple remembered the groom’s father, the late Sean Byrne, and the bride’s grandad, the late Liam Kelly, during the ceremony and throughout the occasion.
Rebecca’s sister Emily O’Sullivan was her maid of honour, and Amy Curtin, Cassie Tynan, and Lauren McCarthy were her bridesmaids.
Dylan’s brother Darren Bickerstaffe was his best man, with Sean Keating, Shane Galvin, and William O’Sullivan as the groomsmen.
The groom’s nieces, Willow Bickerstaffe and Evelyn O’Connor, were the flowergirls, and his nephew, Finn Bickerstaffe, along with the bride’s nephew, Finn O’Donoghue, were the pageboys.
Visual displays were key to fun for Rebecca, who teaches at Scoil an Spioraid Naoimh Boys, Bishopstown, and Dylan, who teaches at Togher Boys NS and is a S&C coach with Cork GAA.
An on-site artist, Donna Kerrigan (@DasshDesigns), created portraits of the guests as keepsakes, and Rebecca’s junior infants class were busy ahead of time to ensure the venue was well decorated. “They were asked a series of questions and gave some heart-warming replies, which formed the artwork. When asked ‘What does love mean?’, one reply was: ‘When you want to share your toys with them.’ And ‘Why do people get married?’, a reply was: ‘So they can live together and dance.’ We also had a photo wall on the day with our favourite moments over the last 13 years.”
The bride sourced her dream dress in Folkster Bridal, Kilkenny, and the groom and his party were dapper thanks to Red Church, Cork. CathyAnn Kelleher was the bridal hairstylist, with Sarah Cummins as the make-up artist, while Every Occasion Florist, Tralee, created the floral décor. Photographer Dermot Sullivan (dermotsullivan.com) captured the occasion on camera, and Michael Grace (Vision and Vow) was the videographer.
The Pat Fitz band had everyone on their feet until the small hours.
The newlyweds enjoyed a mini-moon at the five-star Europe Hotel & Resort in Killarney and jetted off to Cala d’Or, Majorca, while they have now set off for Indonesia on their honeymoon.
- If you would like your wedding to feature in , email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie.
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