September 17, 2016 – West Cork Hotel, Skibbereen
Paul Delaney, from Skibbereen Co.
Cork, met the love of his life Patrick Reynolds from,
Ballinhassig, on a night out in Cork City in 2009. It took a
while before their friendship developed into a loving
relationship but these guys were meant to be together. The pair relocated to Glandore, West Cork, after a decade of living in both Cork and Dublin.
THE PROPOSAL
Paul and Patrick got engaged in
2015 on a romantic break at Inchydoney Hotel and spa,
Clonakilty. Patrick planned a carefully thought out proposal
down to the last detail and had the whole hotel in on it.
‘He is such a romantic at heart and he made sure that
everything was perfect’, Paul remembers fondly.
THE WEDDING DETAILS
Shortly after, the date was set for
September 17, 2016 and the couple began planning an
elaborate affair inviting over 260 guests. Paul and
Patrick wed at The West Cork Hotel. They effortlessly
converted an old warehouse beside the venue into a
bright and colourful ceremony location. ‘It worked out
perfectly, as we had two different venues that were
positioned right beside one another,’ shares Paul.
THE WEDDING TEAM
On the day, both gentlemen wore
matching three-piece suits by Racing Green which
were supplied by Debenhams in Cork.
The suits were accessorised with matching red and orange bow
ties beautifully handcrafted by their friend Claire
Hallinan. The floral arrangements for the venue were
created by Hanna of Hanako Floral Studio.
The wedding cake was created with tender loving care by Paul’s
brother’s partner, Evangeline Kingston. It was a beautiful
three-tiered creamed sponge cake. Paul designed
and created the invitations along with all the
other graphics himself.
The couple’s close friend Gillian
Brady was the ‘amazing’ celebrant delivering a
ceremony that was heartfelt and personable. Music
was plentiful throughout the day. Ceremony music
was provided by the spellbinding Carrie McKeown,
Seined McCarthy and Mary Jo Ryan.
At the cocktail reception, the four-piece gypsy/folk band B Calvinists from
Bantry had everybody in a celebratory mood with their
acoustic set. Finally, everyone danced the night away to
Route 66.
FAVOURITE MEMORIES
‘There were so many individual
highlights throughout the day but I think what is most
memorable about the occasion as a whole is the
incredible amount of love and support we felt from all our
friends and family. It served as an important reminder to
myself and Pa of just how lucky we are to have such
amazing friends and family, and how lucky we are to
live in this amazing little country,’ said Paul warmly.
SPECIAL TOUCHES
Hiring chiavari chairs helped to
add visual impact to both the ceremony and the room. They
also worked closely with their florist to utilise flowers
that were in season and at their brightest.
Some personal touches included doing up the warehouse to hold the
ceremony which showed great results on the day. They also had their mothers make speeches that would usually be made by fathers.
‘My mam, Mary and Pa’s
mam, Geraldine, spoke beautifully and I think they
enjoyed being given the opportunity to speak. Our dads loved it too as it meant they were ‘off the hook’ on having to give a speech,’ Paul recalled.
‘It meant the world to us that we
could have a day like that with our
families. My mother and father, Mary and Jim Delaney, and Pa’s parents Ger and Geraldine Reynolds were very proud on the day. My only sibling James
and his partner Evangeline were
delighted to be there, as well as Pa’s two younger sisters Jennifer and Maria. We both had grandparents there, which was very special for us, and they loved every minute of it. We also had all our extended families – aunts,
uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews
present, along with all the amazing friends that we have the
pleasure of knowing and loving.’
The newlyweds jetted off to America
for their honeymoon, spending six nights in Miami, five nights in San Francisco
and two nights in Las Vegas.
Tell us about your experience at the
West Cork Hotel?
‘Everyone at The West Cork Hotel
went above and beyond for us, not just on the day,
but on the entire lead up to the wedding and I cannot
commend them enough for all their hard work
and enthusiasm. Christian Pozimski, the hotel’s
head chef, is a truly gifted chef, and delivered such
delicious food to an incredible standard to every
single guest at the wedding. All the staff pf The West Cork
Hotel are amazing. They made everyone feel
looked-after, relaxed and comfortable and they
work tirelessly to make sure that everything runs
smoothly and timely on the day. Nothing is too much
trouble for them and they all helped make our day very
special and very memorable. We cannot thank them
enough for all they did for us.’
