A TRAVEL theme set the wheels in motion for Cork couple Deana Hurley and Eric O’Leary’s big day.
Deana, from Bandon, and Eric, from Sunday’s Well, were married in a civil ceremony by Janice O’Callaghan of Bespoke Wedding Ceremonies at Fota Island Resort, which was also the reception venue.
“I’m normally a strong-willed woman, but unexpectedly, I cried the whole way down the aisle after seeing Eric already crying at the top — happy tears, of course,” says Deana.
“We had originally planned an outdoor ceremony in the gardens adjacent to the Smith Barry Suite, but rain meant we had to move indoors, but it worked out beautifully.
“Guests later told us that as soon as we lit the unity candle, the sun broke through and stayed shining for the rest of the day, giving us full use of the gardens after all.”
To surprise Eric and his rugby-loving brothers and dad, Deana had arranged for wedding singer Angela Ryan to perform ‘Ireland’s Call’ as the newlyweds signed the register. “Their faces lit up when they heard it!” she says.
Dermot Sullivan (dermotsullivan.com) was behind the camera, as was the Ivory Films videography team.
Toasting to their future happiness were their parents, Margaret Buckley and Billy Hurley and Karen Hegarty and Denis O’Leary, as well as the groom’s grandparents, Oonagh and Basil Hegarty.
Deana adds: “After dinner, we did an anniversary dance where all married couples hit the dance floor based on how long they’d been married, until only one couple remained, Eric’s grandparents.
They were genuinely surprised and shed a few tears when they realised it was a tribute to them.”
The bride’s sister Clodagh Hurley was her maid of honour, and their sisters Anneisha Hurley and Celina Neville were the bridesmaids.
The groom’s brother Tim O’Leary was the best man with their brother Jack O’Leary and the bride’s son/groom’s stepson Xavier Hurley as groomsmen. Enjoying the fun as pageboy was Reuben O’Leary, Deana and Eric’s 18-month-old son.
The couple, now based in the Gurranabraher area, first met for a coffee date on Cork’s Grand Parade in May 2021, after spotting one another on Facebook Dating.
They discovered they share a passion for travel, and after globetrotting together, Eric went down on one knee to propose “deep in the Amazon Rainforest” in October 2022, adds the bride.
“Our vision for our big day was a travel-themed wedding. I love creative projects, so I DIYed as much as I could,” says Deana.
Elizabeth Cott of Wonderous Weddings created the floral décor, and the team at Fota Island Resort, led by Roberta O’Keeffe, “made the day seamless”, says the bride.
Magician and MC Jamie Skelton was “a huge hit” with guests, says Deana, who wore a custom-designed dress by Mizz Rio, Dublin. “I originally wanted my dress in black but surprised myself — and everyone else — by choosing ivory.”
The bridal hairstyling was by Kim Moynihan (Hair by Kim,) and Aneta Winnicka was the makeup artist. Eric sourced the suits from Suits.ie, Ballycurreen.
The Danny O’Leary band and DJ Bertie kept the dance floor full. “I overdid it,” says the bride. “Between the Macarena, cha-cha slide, bunny hop and every country line dance imaginable, I came away with two sprained Achilles tendons! But every second was worth it.”
Her sister Clodagh surprised Irish country music fan Deana with a video message from her favourite singer, Derek Ryan.
Deana, a project manager with GlobalMeet, and Eric, a healthcare assistant with Cope Foundation, plan to honeymoon in South Africa in October.
- If you would like your wedding featured in email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
