When my cousin Colin told me he was getting married in Ireland I knew there was no way I could miss it.  

Colin lived in Melbourne with his girlfriend Deirdre for a number of years.  Over the years we became very close, as we were the only family we each had living in Australia.  So despite the distance, there was no way I was going to miss watching him marry the love of his life.  

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Travelling to Europe for the wedding was a great excuse for a holiday.  I decided to spend some time travelling around Europe and to use the time to relax, recharge and become inspired in time for the pending wedding season back in Melbourne.    After travelling around Italy, Spain, Portugal and my favourite city Paris I flew to Ireland to join my extended family in the pre wedding celebrations.

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Colin and Deirdre got married in a small but picturesque village in County Wexford and close to Irish Sea Coast.  Its a place popular with tourists and its easy to see why.    With its thatch cottages, sandy beach, historical buildings and of course 4 lively pubs, it was the perfect venue for a Irish Country Wedding.

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On the morning of the wedding Colin invited me to the inner sanctum to join  “the boys” to take some photos.  Colin, his 3 brothers and his good friend Liam were all in great spirits when I arrived.  The “craic” was great and the boys were doing a great job of helping to keep any nerves at bay.

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Colin works in the world of Craft beers with Irish Craft beers and a customised beer with personalised branding seems like the obvious choice of beer to to help alleviate any tension that was starting to build.

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After googling the instructions on how to fold a handkerchief, it was time to start the final preparations.

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It didn’t take long for the boys to get ready and then the were able to relax and enjoy the time with family prior to travelling to the church.

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After going through the final checks including that they had the rings, with a mixture of nerves and excitement, it was time to head off.

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Colin greeted their guests from all over Ireland and the world as they gathered prior to the ceremony.  Everyone was in great spirits and the mood was relaxed and jovial as we waited for the bride.

Suddenly it came time for Deirdre to enter on the arm of her extremely proud dad Larry.  Deirdre is not only stunning but she has a heart of gold and they make a wonderful couple.  Watching the bride walk towards the groom is always a very special moment and after months of planning – the moment they had waited for had arrived.  Deirdre always manages to look effortlessly stunning and her wedding day was no exception.

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Their ceremony was very special and included lots of their friends and family.  They had beautiful acoustic music throughout the ceremony and it provided a very warm and relaxed feeling.

After exchanging rings and vows, Colin and Dee were finally husband and wife.

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After the official proceedings it was time to head to the reception in the historical town of Wexford.   Only in Ireland would you find a traffic jam caused by crossing cows!  And how gorgeous are these beautiful bridesmaids?

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Weddings in Ireland usually start at lunch time and they literally go for days.    As Colin & Dee’s wedding was a destination wedding (alot of people had to travel for it) it became a weekend affair.   It was a great weekend of celebration of a very loved couple.  One I was very privileged to witness.

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Thank you Colin and Deirdre for inviting me to share in your celebrations. It was great to be a part of it.

Fiona Garrivan Marriage Celebrant