FAMILY tradition was very much to the fore when Dubliners Amy Boucher and Dáire Burns were married by Fr Brian O’Sullivan in the Church of the Assumption, Rathfarnham, Dublin on December 22nd. Fr O’Sullivan, a friend of the bride’s family, had married her parents,
Caroline and Martin Boucher, and also christened Amy and her brother Gordon. The service opened with soloist Ellen McElroy singing Morning has Broken, which had been sung at the bride’s parents’ wedding. Becky Finlay, a friend of the bride’s since they were four years old, took on the role of bridesmaid. Dáire was supported on the day by best man and only brother, Ronan. The photographer on the day, also a friend, rejoices in the name of Peter Love. Amy and Dáire have known each other for years, having attended neighbouring schools in the Dublin suburb of Templeogue. However, they didn’t become a couple until Dáire finally plucked up the courage to coax Amy’s phone number from a mutual friend. He then persuaded her parents to disclose the whereabouts of their only daughter – O’Neill’s pub in Suffolk Street, Dublin, as it happens – before turning up unannounced and asking her out. Some years later, in a hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings in Egypt during a memorable holiday, Dáire unexpectedly produced a ring. He had gone to considerable lengths to smuggle it through airport security without activating the metal detector or, more importantly, alerting the unsuspecting Amy. Rather ingeniously, the would-be groom surreptitiously attached it to his key ring and had an anxious wait until it arrived intact on the other side of the scanner.
After the ceremony, the couple and their entourage travelled to Kilkea Castle in Castledermot, Co Kildare for a Christmas-themed wedding reception at which guests were greeted with a glass of mulled wine.
Amy, a primary school teacher, and Dáire, who works for the Department of Social and Family Affairs, are both keen musicians – the groom was previously in a band and the bride plays the guitar. They closed the proceedings with a lively traditional music session during which talented friends and family members played and sang to the delight of other guests.
The couple remained in Dublin for Christmas as they felt they’d miss out on too much fun otherwise. They started their honeymoon on St Stephen’s Day, flying to Bangkok for a few days before travelling on to the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai. They spent a final week on the island resorts of Phuket and Phi Phi before returning to the reality of windy, rainy Dublin with warm memories to see them through the rest of the winter.