On the bridal front there is the multiple hours of planning, the guests, table arrangements and more.
For a Sligo bride who went down the aisle on Saturday last, this normal stress was tempered with the possibility that she may not make it home in time at all.
Ainé Kilgannon from Templeboy had to overcome the many logistically struggles of travelling through the Beast from the East and also Storm Emma to marry her husband Heath Bateman.
Ainé and many of her guests were caught up trying to get back from London in the middle of last week to make it in time for her wedding on Saturday but thankfully with a little tweaking, it all went to plan.
“It was all 100% once I got to Kilronan Castle. I was very, very late but we still got there which is the main thing,” Aine said.
Ainé travelled for 36 hours all in to get to the wedding from London.
“From Wednesday we found out that the flights had been cancelled. Each day was a new battle. Wednesday flights cancelled, Thursday flights cancelled and on Friday we thought we would get going but again those flights were cancelled.”
“The only time I really got very emotional was when I heard that 15 of my friends that were due to fly on Friday would not be able to make it. That really was the only time. We got the ferry from Wales,” Ainé explained.
The drama did not end there however as rough seas meant that two ferries were cancelled.
Logistically the wedding simply had to go ahead. Ainé’s husband Heath, a South African native, had family and friends who had travelled to be in attendance.
“We couldn’t cancel. His family came all the way from South Africa. His mum and dad and all of his aunts so we really couldn’t. It was looking unlikely when the ferry cancelled,” Aine explained.
Ainé called Stenaline while on the train and spoke to several people from customer’s service.
“When we got to Hollyhead late on Friday. The crew welcomed us with prosecco and thankfully of my entourage (of roughly 30) there was a cabin for each couple. So we could sleep on the way to Dublin and make our way to Sligo,” Aine said.
Ainé’s mum organised a local service to pick her up and bring her from Dublin to her wedding.
Some more adjustments were made also.
Local priest from Templeboy Fr Anthony Gillespie drove to Keadue Church to marry the couple at 6 on Saturday as Ainé was walked up the aisle by her father TJ.
