My Wedding Day with Stacey Walsh: We jumped a broom made by a local witch to 'I Put a Spell on You'

Our aesthetic for the day was Gomez and Morticia meets Bridgerton. That’s the vibe we were going for, and I think we got there.

Stacey Walsh, aka This Irish Witch, and her husband Conor on their wedding day. Picture: Rachel Alice Photography.

Tue, 29 Sep, 2026 - 20:00

Breda Graham

We got married on Sunday, September 20, 2026. We had the whole wedding in Bantry, in the Maritime Hotel.

On the Tuesday before, Conor and I had a civil ceremony in Cork city. It was just the two of us and our theme for the day was a city elopement. It really did feel like we had eloped!

I wore a red dress and Conor a black suit, and then for the day of our Bantry wedding, I wore a black dress, which I got in Diamond Bridal and he wore a red suit jacket.

We had a secular wedding ceremony with about 90 people. Conor is from Canada, so we had a lot of people travelling over from Canada and America for the day.

I’d been married before, so I very much knew what I didn’t want on my day. Our aesthetic for the day was Gomez and Morticia meets Bridgerton. That’s the vibe we were going for, and I think we got there.

Being a witch had a big influence on our plans. Because of the work I do, the time of year we picked was around the autumn equinox, so it’s that balance of light and dark. Everything was balanced around entering into that darker half of the year.

The wedding started at 3.30pm but at 2.30pm, Conor and I and the kids went to the bridal suite, and we had our family photos in the peace and quiet and then we exchanged private vows on the balcony.

During the ceremony, which was officiated by a friend of mine called Aileen, we had a few rituals, like the ring warming, where we put our wedding rings into an antique box and passed it around so guests could add their well wishes. We also did the handfasting rituals with a custom-made cord, and at the end of the ceremony we ‘jumped the broom’.

I had the broom made by a local witch and we jumped over it while guests rang little bells for luck. My friend was doing the music for the ceremony, and I thought how much fun it would be if we played I Put a Spell on You from Hocus Pocus just before we jumped the broom. It was a funny moment. And then we went straight into the B-52’s Love Shack.

Most brides would be hoping for a sunny, clear day for their wedding, but I was hoping for dark and stormy, and it was just perfect. We went for our photos in Bantry House, and by the end of photos, it started getting misty and a storm was rolling in.

Stacey Walsh: "Being a witch had a big influence on our plans. Because of the work I do, the time of year we picked was around the autumn equinox, so it's that balance of light and dark." Picture: Rachel Alice Photography.

The harvest played a huge part in the day. While we were away having photos taken, guests came out to a harvest table instead of the usual canapés. I had decorated it and chose everything on it; the table was about 12 feet long, with a deer skull, wood pieces and deep velvet fabric in blue and green.

The food was what I’d imagine the bounty of the harvest would look like: fruit, grapes, cheeses, meats and crackers. And instead of prosecco, guests got a blackberry and apple gin punch on arrival.

At the meal itself, we had a buffet with options like Irish stew, salmon, cold salads, vegetables and fresh bread. When I said it to my mother initially, she wasn’t sure about stew at a wedding, but by the time we were having the meal, a fog had rolled in and the stew was snapped up by guests.

Stacey Walsh: "I wore a red dress and Conor a black suit, and then for the day of our Bantry wedding, I wore a black dress, which I got in Diamond Bridal and he wore a red suit jacket." Picture: Rachel Alice Photography.

The napkins at the meal carried the blessing: “May we feast together, may we drink together, may our hearts be full together”, and the whole idea of a buffet was all about getting people to mingle and form connections.

We had a DJ for the party, a local guy called Terence Stone and he was wonderful. I was excited because he said to me: “I’ll work with the crowd. I’ll see who’s out in the dance floor, who likes what.”

Our first dance was to Can’t Help Falling in Love With You by Haley Reinhart. That was a song I had picked even before I met Conor – I practice manifestation. Then we danced to that song, and it was a bit of a full circle moment.

Stacey Walsh: "When I think about the day, what comes to mind is love and connection." Picture: Rachel Alice Photography.

At about 10.30pm, Terence turned off all the lights and my friend, who works in the circus, went out on the balcony and she did a fire-breathing routine for us. It was amazing.

When I think about the day, what comes to mind is love and connection. During the night, I looked around the room, and it was just full of connection, and that’s exactly what I wanted. And all that love that we put into the wedding day, I felt it reflected back to us from everyone there.