Our Wedding Story: Dubliner and American fall for each other in Haiti

Laura, a pharmacist from Lucan, Co Dublin, moved to Haiti in 2012 to work with global health organisation Partners in Health. During her time there she met engineer Forrest, from Virginia, US.

They started going out in 2013 and lived together in a house-share with friends for a year before Laura moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo with Médecins Sans Frontières and Forrest to Malawi with Partners in Health.

They spent 2015 apart and got engaged during a two-week holiday in Cape Town that February.

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Laura came home to Dublin that May to focus primarily on finding a celebrant.

“That was probably the hardest bit. Also, we were only engaged for six months. Everyone I spoke to assumed I was referring to September 2016 when I enquired on September availability. But the shorter engagement was lovely – we didn’t have time to dwell or get too hung up on things.”

On September 24th, 2015, Laura and Forrest were married in a humanist ceremony in Dublin City Hall in front of 60 guests. Their reception was held in Suesey Street restaurant where Laura's uncle Eddie Kinirons acted as master of ceremonies.

The newlyweds' first dance as husband and wife was to The Moon Song by Karen O and the bride wore a French-designed dress from the White Room in Mullingar.

Laura's parents are Julie and Shane McMeel and her sister Clodagh was bridesmaid. Forrest, whose brother Michael was best man, is the son of Linda and Walter Shroyer.

Linda is an illustrator who helped the couple with the design of the invitations, table plan and ceremony booklets.

Laura and Forrest honeymooned in Dingle, Co Kerry, before flying back to their home in Neno, Malawi, where they work with Partners in Health.

Photographer: Emma Buckley