Michael Carroll and Anne McArdle Michael, a banker from Knocklyon, Dublin, and primary school teacher Anne from Dundalk, Co Louth, were introduced in 2012 through mutual friends in Kehoe's Bar in Dublin. Their first date was to Carlingford, Co Louth.
Michael proposed by placing hundreds of tea lights in the garden of their Dublin home which spelled out “Will You Marry Me?”
During the 18-month wedding planning process (which Anne loved), she and her friend Sarah, who was planning her own wedding at the same time, identified a gap in the market for a company providing efficient, affordable decor rental with styling and set-up, and Divine Wedding Décor was born (facebook.com/divineweddingdecorrental).
Anne also completed a flower-arranging course, “to ensure I had the skills to achieve wedding decor which didn’t look DIY”.
On Friday, July 10th 2015, she and Michael, accompanied by a bridesmaid and best man, were married at Newman's University Church, St Stephen's Green.
The bride's father James passed away in 2009 and she was given away by her eight-year old nephew and godchild, Aaron Gray.
Her mother is Christina McArdle and parents of the groom are Michael and Anita Carroll.
A favourite part of the day for the newlyweds was the bridal party walk across St Stephen's Green, down Grafton Street and through George's Arcade to the cocktail reception in the No Name Bar, Fade Street, where Dundalk duo, Anton and Stephanie, played music.
"The kindness, excitement and well wishes from people going about their Friday afternoon in Dublin city was absolutely amazing," said Anne, who wore a Patrick Casey designed gown and changed into a "dancing dress" when the Bentley Boys hit the stage at their reception in Fallon & Byrne.
The honeymoon was spent travelling from northern to southern Italy over three weeks.
Photographs: Dara Munnis daramunnisphotography.com
