Wedding of the Week: Rain couldn’t dampen the joy at James and Sarah’s big day in Kerry
Sarah Meaney and James Murphy. Pictures: Natalie Maher
Sarah Meaney and James Murphy have one tasty piece of advice for other brides and grooms-to-be planning a church wedding.
Sarah and James, from Ballynacally, Co Clare, exchanged vows in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the bride’s native Milford, Co Cork, and after they were married, by Fr Peter O’Farrell, they motored across the border to Kerry for their reception at the Ballygarry Estate Hotel & Spa, Tralee.
“Take your time on the drive to the venue. It’s nice just to have a quiet moment and chat together — and make sure you have tea and sandwiches ready in the car!” says Sarah.
Another journey set the scene for the couple’s first meeting, as Sarah had recently arrived from the other side of the world when they initially spotted one another.
Sarah moved home to Ireland from Melbourne in August 2020, having lived in Australia for over six years. “It was covid lockdown, so I had to isolate for two weeks in my grandad’s old house, in Curra, Milford,” she says. “Out of boredom, I would go for a walk every day and James would coincidentally drive by in his jeep, going to the farm he manages.”
They got chatting and an invite from Sarah to James “for a socially distanced date of tea and biscuits” followed. “It took James two weeks to reply — and even then he thought it wasn't a date,” she says.
But James made up for it by cooking dinner for Sarah on their second rendezvous. “He finally got the message,” she adds. “The rest, as they say, is history.”
They got engaged on Christmas Day 2023. “Every Christmas morning we walk down to the river on the farm so it was a perfect place for James to go down on one knee,” says Sarah.
Not even the weather gods could play spoilsport on their big day.
“It poured rain but that didn’t dampen our spirits. From start to finish the day was everything we could have wished for and more,” says Sarah. “Our little boy Billy, who was 11 months old at the time, made the day extra special. His smiles and cuddles bring happiness to everyone.”
Sarah was super-chic in her dream wedding gown, sourced in The Little White Dress Bridal Salon, Limerick, and James was kitted out at Esquire Formal Wear, Limerick.
Leighanne Shanahan created Sarah’s upstyle and Niamh O’Dwyer was the makeup artist.
Aisling McGraynor and Ciara Meaney were the bridesmaids, Brian Murphy was the best man and Cormac Murphy was the groomsman.
Photographer Natalie Maher ( nataliemaherphotography.ie) was behind the lens.
Maura Sheehy of Maura’s Cottage Flowers created the dazzling floral arrangements and the wedding band Upbeat Generation had everyone on their feet.
Sarah's parting words to others setting a date? “Soak it all up. The day flies!”
- If you would like your wedding featured in Weekend, email eve.kelliher@examiner.ie
