Our Wedding Story: A spiritual ceremony in Meath

Orlagh O’Neill & Ross Kelly

Secondary school teacher Orlagh and Ross, an account manager for Three Ireland, went to school together in St Patrick's NS in Skerries.

After a bumpy start to their friendship – “we didn’t like each other much as he had knocked me over in the yard in 5th class” – they started working together in Bob’s Casino.

One day, when she was 13 and he was 14, Ross asked for Orlagh’s (landline) number.

By 2011, they were together 11 years, and off to a Halloween party with Orlagh dressed as a corpse bride.

“All of the girls were getting dressed up in my parent’s house . . . when there was a power cut,” she laughs. “Screams and panic ensued and I remember grabbing my friends hand and going downstairs in the dark to investigate.

“I could hear our favourite song playing, the [sitting] room was in darkness and in the middle of the floor, candles spelled out ‘Marry Me’. There were rose petals everywhere and there was Ross, on one knee . . . dressed as a corpse groom.”

The couple always imagined a church wedding but once they visited Ballymagarvey Village in Co Meath they decided to marry there in a spiritual ceremony.

The night before the wedding on May 18th, 2016, Orlagh and her bridesmaids – Laoise, Siobhan and Grainne – gathered in her parents’ house and over prosecco she presented them with gift boxes full of robes, socks, hoodies, perfume and other “wedding essentials”.

Before the bridal party left the house, two musicians walked into the kitchen singing It's All About You by McFly.

“When Ross and I were planning the music I was disappointed to cut some songs as we had too many. He had organised the singers to come and perform the songs I had to cut . . . it was the most magical start to the day.”

Photograph: Elaine McGrath

Sarah Geraghty