West Cork brides tell us about the special, personal touches that made their weddings so memorable for them, their spouses and guests.
This article appears in this week's Southern Star Weddings Spring 2025 supplement – pick up a copy in shops now or you can read the full supplement here by subscribing!
Joanne & Vitor
PORTUGUESE tarts made in SuperValu Castletownbere went down a treat at the wedding of Joanne O’Flynn and Vitor Filipe in the Eccles Hotel,Glengarriff.
Vitor is a native of Lisbon and quite particular about this Portuguese delicacy, and after a lot of taste testing, he selected the West Cork made delicacies for their big day.
‘We are very grateful to owner Chris Downey and manager Bruno for making it happen!’ said Joanne who is from Carrigaline, but who has strong ties to Castletownbere
‘My mom is from Rossmackeowen, Castletownbere and it’s a very special place to me. We got married in St Bartholomew’s Church there last October,’ she said.
Music played a huge role on the day for the couple and their 80 guests.
‘My extended family did the music and singing for the church ceremony. They are wonderful musicians and have sung at nearly all of the family weddings in recent years. My cousin Julie Banbury played the Wedding March on piano in the church; my uncle Michael played the ukelele and piano and my aunt Teresa sang two beautiful solos, Ave Maria, and a Portuguese song called Uma Casa Portuguesa (A Portuguese House). Vitor says her pronunciation was absolutely perfect! In the run up to the wedding, they hosted practice evenings where around 20 of us all gathered and enjoyed homemade cakes after. I will always treasure these memories!’ said Joanne.
She bought her dress from Joanna Anne Bridal Boutique, near Newbridge in Co Limerick.
‘It was a very easy choice. The second I put it on, I told them to process the sale! It was a simple ivory dress with a sweetheart neckline and some petal details on the cap sleeves. Owners Joanne and her sister Carmel very casually suggested a particular veil and headband and they were the perfect accessories,’ she said.
Liz McCarthy and Kim Moynihan were in charge of hair and make-up.
‘Liz was the obvious choice for make-up, to me she is the standout bridal makeup artist in Cork. I originally planned to do my hair myself because it’s curly and I didn’t really know anyone who could work well with curly hair. However, it was Liz that gave me Kim’s number and the trial went so well. Kim has curly hair herself so I knew I was in safe hands with her. She suggested I wash and style my hair myself the night before the wedding and on the morning she perfected the frizzy curls. I wore it down so it wasn’t a big job. I was thrilled with the result.’
Her bridesmaid was her sister Sara O’Connell and Vitor’s best man was her brother, Victor.
Sara got her dress from ‘Quiz’ website in the UK and the guys were all dressed courtesy of Morleys on Grand Parade.
‘We hadn’t planned on flower girls or page boys but just before we all walked up the aisle, I decided to ask my three little nephews to act as page boys, handily enough they each had tiny bouquets of flowers and cute matching outfits so they walked up in front of my sister. It was very cute!’ said Joanne.
A group of11 family members went to the Killarney Plaza the day after the wedding, and the couple enjoyed a two week honeymoon in Thailand.
There’s absolutely nothing the couple would change about their day.
‘It was perfect. The Eccles wedding co-ordinator Mags really pulled out the stops to give us a magical day. She’s a very special lady,’ said Joanne.
Stand out moments are hard to choose but her nephews involvement was very special.
‘My father also arranged a surprise song at the informal speeches before the meal, the family all sang my favourite song Pokarekare Ana, a Māori love song that they often sing at family gatherings. I just loved that!’ said Joanne.
Her tips for anyone planning a wedding?
‘Splash out on a great wedding band ... and don’t scrimp on anything! It’s going to be the best day of your lives!’
Niamh & Kevin
Niamh and Kevin
Niamh O’Brien and Kevin O’Neill’s wedding was more of a family affair than most.
Niamh, and six of her siblings worked part time in Fernhill House Hotel over the years, so the Clonakilty venue was the only choice for their big day – and it was booked four days after they got engaged!
Her sister Máire also held her ceremony there, and another two sisters Nóirín and Eilís will hold their celebrations there later this year.
Niamh and Kevin were married last August after 14 years together since school days in Mount St Michael, Rosscarbery.
‘We were married in our local parish church in Rosscarbery, St Fachtna’s Church by Fr Martin O’Driscoll who joined the parish in July. It was a lovely touch as he also married my parents,’ said Niamh.
Her sisters Sinéad, Máire, Nóirín, Eílis were her bridesmaids and sister Grainne was her maid of honour and also made the wedding cake.
Her sisters were a big help in selecting the dress.
‘I got my dress in London where we live currently, and I found it in the second shop we went to. My sisters were a great help in supporting and advising on everything and especially the dress which was ivory, with a cap shoulder. I altered the back to have a deep V shape and I also added buttons to the back. The bridesmaids’ dresses were from Inthestyle and our neighbour Maria Wiklinska altered them and did an amazing job,’ said Niamh.
Best man was Kevin’s brother James and groomsmen were childhood friends Chris O’Donovan, Dave Flavin, Ian Ronan and John O’Sullivan who got their suits from Morleys in Cork
Flowergirls and page boy were Niamh’s nieces and nephew; Laoise O’Donovan, Ciara Loughnan and Páidí O’Donovan.
The couple, who had 180 guests, were intent on working with as many local wedding suppliers as possible, and said they were all outstanding.
Hair was by Debbie McCarthy from Honeybee Bridal and make up was by Ruthanna Browne; photographer was Dermot Sullivan who won a Weddison Award for one of the photos; videographer was Greg Mulcahy; flowers were by WestCorkFlowers; band was The Aristocrats’ (first dance was ‘Nothing Is Gonna Stop Us Now’ by Starship); church and reception music was by Julie O’Sullivan and John Cullinane and DJ was Sean O’Mahony.
A novel touch, which went down well with guests, was a crisp wall made by Kevin’s father which was displayed at the reception and at the residents’ bar in Fernhill.
Celebrations continued the next day in the Brewery Bar in Clonakilty where Niamh worked many years ago, and they enjoyed a month-long honeymoon over Christmas in Vietnam, Philippines and Singapore.
One of the many highlights of the day was a quick stop at Castlefreke woods with the bridal party for photos, and the couple stole a few moments at a nearby beach near where they had their first date.
‘We wouldn’t change a thing – only to have made it last longer,’ said Niamh.
‘We were organising our wedding from London and everything was made easier by our suppliers, so a massive thank you to them and to our families and everyone in Fernhill. We could not have had such a brilliant weekend of celebrations without them. We would like to thank them all,’ said Niamh.
Her top tips to anyone organising a wedding?
‘Keep things simple and try not to stress, no one will notice if something goes wrong only you. Enjoy the day, it goes so quickly (everyone says this but it really does), and delegate tasks to family and friends, people are always willing to help.’
Molly & Paul
Molly and Paul
A US couple chose to get married in West Cork despite having never been here and they say they’ll cherish the memories for life.
Molly Cartwright and Paul Henderson, from Michigan, tied the knot in Dunowen House, the former home of Noel Redding, bass guitarist with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, outside Clonakilty, last September.
‘Paul spent a month in Ireland one summer before we met and I always wanted to go back with him. I really wanted a small ceremony, and we both wanted to travel as part of our honeymoon at least. I was researching different places in Ireland and other countries and found Dunowen House. It hit all the boxes of what we needed for our group, and we were able to speak to the owner Kela about all our questions. It really was a chance connection. In fact for our family traveling from Michigan, Ireland was easier than other locations – although the driving was a little terrifying! Another reason we loved the feel of Dunowen House and West Cork is because we both love Lord of the Rings, and it reminds us of Hobbiton. At the end of the day, everyone asks us why? But we ask, why not?’
Their ceremony was a very intimate and informal one with just close family.
‘Altogether, there were 16 of us and we had an amazing celebrant, Susan Delaney, perform the ceremony,’ said Molly.
She purchased her dress in the US but relied on local suppliers for everything else and they all delivered above and beyond, she said. Hair was by Dawn of Hairy Fairy Hair Salon in Ballincollig and make up was by Ruthanna Crowley, from Bandon.
The couple dispensed with a formal bridal party, but Molly’s sister and Paul’s niece both did readings.
‘Dunowen House is right up the road from Sands Cove. Paul and I woke up at the crack of dawn to walk down to the beach and select an oathing stone for the ceremony. It was the perfect way to start our wedding day. The weather turned out to be beautiful so we just enjoyed soaking up the sun on the deck after the ceremony.
‘Paul and I took some photos at Red Strand Beach. It was 70 F and sunny and I got to walk barefoot in the sand. The entire day was actually very calm and relaxed – not something you usually hear about wedding days –but this time spent with Paul was the best. We even got to play fetch with a few pups at the beach!’
In all, the group of 16 spent five nights at Dunowen House.
‘We began with hen/stag parties in Clonakilty, then did wedding prep and had a rehearsal dinner at Dunmore House Hotel the night before the wedding. The day after the wedding, we explored the area some more. For our honeymoon Paul and I spent a week in Geirangerford Norway at Hotel Union Bed and Spa. It was magical!’
Molly’s top tips for anyone planning their wedding – particularly from a distance – is to choose their vendors carefully.
‘The vendors you work with will make all the difference for how smoothly your wedding day goes. We planned our entire wedding virtually from the states, if you can believe it. We had priceless help from Susan Delaney to help us make arrangements to get married legally in Ireland (not a simple process). We also really appreciated that so many elements of the day were taken care of by Dunowen House, including beautiful flowers, a delicious dinner, the setting, etc. And book a great photographer – we highly recommend Emma Jervis.’
She added: ‘Anticipate that some things won’t go as planned, but don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Everyone will have an opinion, but at the end of the day, it’s your wedding. I absolutely loved our small wedding and adventures in Ireland. I got to spend quality time with everyone and have created memories that I will always cherish.’
Stephanie & Cathal
Stephanie Butler and Cathal Allen went to great heights to create unforgettable memories on their wedding day.
Stephanie from Toonsbridge and Cathal from Ballyvourney (where they now live) captured superb photos, while also sharing special moments together, from the top of Galley Head lighthouse.
Stephanie’s dad John grew up in the Galley Head Lighthouse, where her uncle Gerald works, and they count themselves as being extremely lucky to have been able to visit on their big day.
Their intimate wedding with 15 guests took place in Rathbarry Church and Dunowen House, near Clonakilty in October 2023.
‘Our wedding party was very easily chosen as I have two sisters and Cathal has two brothers. My gorgeous nephew Charlie was our pageboy,’ said Stephanie.
She purchased her dress in The White Ivy in Kenmare.
‘It was the only dress shop I visited – they made the whole experience very easy! One of my top wedding tips is not to overthink things – in other words, if you like a dress, buy it! You don’t need to check four other shops to see if there’s one you like better.’
The bridesmaids dresses came from Folkster in Kilkenny, and the lads’ suits were from Quills in Bantry.
Hair was by Deborah Burns and make up was by Kayleigh Sheehan both from Macroom. Fellow Macroom woman Sarah Kate Murphy was the photographer.
After reaching dizzying heights in Galley Head Lighthouse, the couple wanted to keep spirits high the next day – they continued the party in the Top of Coom, the highest pub in Ireland on the Cork-Kerry border.
Next stop was Cap Cana in the Dominican Republic straight for their honeymoon – heaven on earth said Stephanie – and a stop off in New York for a few days on the way home
There’s absolutely nothing they’d change about the day.
‘Everything was perfect but visiting the Galley Head was really special,’ she said.
Her top wedding planning tips include choosing suppliers that you trust, so you’ll have nothing to stress about.
‘Kela and Stephen in Dunowen House looked after everything so perfectly that we didn’t even have to think about the wedding until a couple of weeks beforehand!’ she said.
‘Oh, and take other people’s opinions with a pinch of salt and trust your gut!’ she added.
