Paula & Raymond - Kilronan Castle

Paula and Raymond were just little children when Paula's big sister Breege married Raymond's big brother Michael. Some nineteen years later, baby sister and brother married each other on a beautiful summer's day in Kilronan Castle. It's a phenomenon I can relate to, as my baby brother married my wife's little sister, after making eyes at each other when they met at our wedding a few years earlier.

As both Paula & Raymond come from large families, it was inevitable that there'd be a big bridal party, and six bridesmaids and six groomsmen was a new record for me. Mind you, it took all six of Paula's bridesmaids for the dress fitting. It was worth it, as she looked stunning when all of the laces, buttons, loops and fasteners were done and dusted. Raymond looked pretty natty too, in his bespoke Louis Copeland suit, which was even monogrammed, and had the date of the wedding sewn into the lining of the collar. It was set off beautifully by the Mont Blanc cufflinks Paula sent him on the morning of the wedding.

After the ceremony in Keadue, many of the guests spilled out of the Dungeon Bar onto the sunny patio as they were being entertained by some cool jazz sounds from The Bentley Boys. Before going down to dinner, we took a stroll through the grounds. After the grand entrance, the lights went down, the music went up and the waiting staff marched military-like to the tables armed with bottles of champagne. There's nothing like the sound of dozens of champagne corks popping in unison to get a party going. As Fr Eamon said to me afterwards, "I've been around a long time, but I've never seen the likes of this - it's some show!" Leon Costello was alongside me on video capturing it all - great to work with Leon again. Then we had an emotional set of speeches that had many in the audience wiping away a little tear, before it was back to party mode.