Wedding of the Week: From Shannon to Melbourne and back for lovebirds Kate and Aaron

They were recently wed in the ceremony lodge at Ballygarry Estate and Spa, Tralee, Co Kerry, and their reception took place onsite at Ballygarry.

Friendship turned into romance for Kate, a planning manager in the aviation sector, and Aaron, a secondary school teacher, “After school, Aaron moved to Galway for college and we went our separate ways,” says Kate. 

Seven years later their paths crossed again. “In 2017 we restarted a friendship of coffee dates and chats. This quickly developed into a relationship and we became inseparable,” says Kate.

An Australian adventure followed. “We moved to Melbourne later that year to begin our lives together and have never looked back.” 

As the covid pandemic struck, they returned to Shannon. “We started to expand our relationship, first with Gus, our beautiful Bernese mountain dog, and shortly after with the arrival of our gorgeous son, Freddy,” says Kate.

They got engaged in May of last year, when Aaron whisked Kate to the Twelve Hotel in Barna, Co Galway. 

“He proposed to me with the ring of my dreams. He had spent months working with the team in Cushla Whiting, a jeweller based in Melbourne City beside where I used to work, and had the ring sent to Ireland.” 

Their wedding day was “filled with love and laughter”, says Kate.

Celebrant Billy Mag Fhloinn (Billy McGlynn) performed the ceremony and the venue’s grounds provided the picture-perfect backdrop as Sarah Kate Murphy (www.sarahkatephotography.ie) led the photoshoot with the bride’s uncle Stephen O’Malley as the videographer.

At the heart of the action was the couple’s son, Freddy Cunningham, two, dapper in a tux. “It was also such a blessing to have Freddy as part of our big day. He brought a lot of fun and laughter to an occasion that was so special for the three of us,” says the bride.

Both sets of parents, Karen and Derek Barrett and Martina and Alan Cunningham, toasted to their future happiness as did Kate’s friends Laura Gough, maid of honour, and Colleen Vincent and Sinead Kelly, bridesmaids, and Aaron’s pals Kevin McCafferty, best man, and David Ryan and Sean Reidy, groomsmen.

Kate looked super-elegant in a Jenny Yoo dress she bought in The Attic, Limerick, with alterations by Alma & Doris, Ennis, Co Clare.

The bridal hairstyling was by Martina Garrihy, with Sarah Dineen as makeup artist. Maura Sheehy of Maura’s Cottage Flowers created the bouquet and floral arrangements. Aaron and his party bought their suits from Patrick Bourke’s, Ennis.

Aaron, who has previously played hurling for Clare, was delighted when his county and club Wolfe Tones na Sionna GAA Club teammates formed a guard of honour. 

“It was also lovely to have Aaron’s hurling team friends from past and present do a hurley exit for us leaving the ceremony. It really brought the biggest smiles to our faces,” says Kate.

The newlyweds have chosen the Mayia Resort, Rhodes, Greece, as their honeymoon destination.

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