Cork couple to make history at City Hall

A COUPLE who couldn’t afford to marry are set to make history as the first bride and groom to wed at Cork City Hall tomorrow.

Ann Marie Collins and Eric Meehan, from Churchfield, Cork, scooped the €10,000 dream wedding package prize after entering Cork City Council’s Win your Wedding competition.

The couple were putting the final touches to their dream wedding ceremony yesterday with the event now just hours away. The pair have been together for six years and are “over the moon” with their unexpected win.

Engaged to be married for the past two years, the couple had begun planning a small family-only wedding early this year.

Ann Marie works at St Finbarr’s Hospital in the cervical screening department, while Eric is unemployed and volunteers his time teaching hurling and football skills to local children. The couple are parents to three children, Ryan, 13, Joshua, 7, and Conor, 4.

“We always knew we were destined to marry but since we got engaged, the cost has been an issue. Never in a million years did we think we would win this,” a delighted Ann Marie said.

The couple had less than eight weeks to plan their wedding after they were announced as competition winners but remained unfazed by the task.

“I would have married him in tracksuit bottoms in the morning, just because it is him. It was a short time to plan it, but we don’t mind, the prize is fantastic,” Ann Marie said.

The prize covers the cost of a wedding lunch for 50 people in the Ambassador Hotel, a free limousine service for the bridal party, free hairdressing and make up for the bride and her bridesmaids, a champagne breakfast for the groom’s party, the bridal bouquet, dress suit hire, costume jewellery for mothers of bride and groom and one years free house insurance.

Brown Thomas provided a €500 voucher, while local shops have sponsored €800 worth of vouchers for jewellery, travel and wedding stationary, along with candles and specialised headpieces provided for the mother of the bride and groom by local provider AM Jewellery.

Lord Mayor Michael O’Connell paid tribute to the sponsors’ generosity.

“We were overwhelmed by the response to the competition and how those applying viewed the opportunity. Congratulations to Ann Marie and Eric and I very much look forward to the wedding taking place in City Hall,” he said.

“It will create history and on behalf of the office of Lord Mayor and the people of Cork I would like to wish them well.”