Dublin couple who met during 12 pubs of Christmas on Baggot Street wed in beautiful city ceremony
A Dublin couple who met during the 12 pubs of Christmas on Baggot Street knew they had to marry in a beautiful city ceremony despite now living abroad.
Clara Woolhead and Eoin Power were introduced by a mutual friend, they instantly began sending each other Facebook messages and the rest is history.
Eoin popped the question under the Brooklyn Bridge, and the couple who now live abroad, consider themselves best friends as well as partners for life.
Read More: Wedding goes ahead after father of the bride passes away day before ceremony
Read More: Winter bride marries love of her life with major last minute change to wedding
Clara told Dublin Live: “Eoin and I met 10 years ago on Baggot Street on the 12 pubs of Christmas, through our mutual friend Kate Curtin.
“After some back and forth Facebook chats, the rest is history. We did long distance for two years while he worked first in Sierra Leone and then Bristol. I followed him over to Bristol in 2015 and we’ve been here ever since.
“He proposed under the Brooklyn Bridge in New York two years later and we celebrated the engagement in Mexico with lots of video calls to family and friends. When we got back to Dublin we had a great engagement party in Searsons – where it all began.”
Some people say opposites attract, Eoin loves hurling and Clara didn’t have an interest – but she still gave it a chance for her fella.
She said: “Living abroad changes the dynamics of a relationship, you quickly become best friends as well as a couple and rely a bit more on each other.
View gallery
“Although we have very different interests and hobbies I’ve made an effort to learn what the hell happens in a hurling game and what offside means in rugby.
“In turn, my husband knows what restaurants to book and what wine to order in the food shop.”
When it came to wedding planning, the couple knew it had to be in the heart of Dublin.
Clara said: “We are both from Dublin – Eoin from Portmarnock and I’m from Glenageary, although when we first started dating I was living in Waterloo Road. Weekends together were always spent in the city and it almost gave us a tourist’s viewpoint on where we grew up.
“The plan when we got engaged was always to get married in Dublin and have a city wedding. After looking at loads of options, City Hall became the obvious choice. To have the opportunity to be married in one of Dublin’s most famous landmarks was something we couldn’t pass up.
“Having free reign of the venue on your wedding day is like having keys to the city. The staff who work at City Hall are unbelievably accommodating and much more flexible than many other venues we visited.
“After the ceremony, we had drinks in Roberta’s and then a saxophonist led the whole wedding party through Temple Bar up to Fallon and Byrne for our meal and afters.”
Luckily, the wedding was eight months before the Covid pandemic hit and Clara stunned in a dress designed by Dawn Fitzgerald.
She said: “I knew I wanted a classic style and adored the huge bow at the back and the pearly coloured material. The bridesmaids skirts were from Folkster, and their tops were from River Island.
“There were so many memorable parts of our day! We got ready in my house, which was so chilled and such a fun start to help calm the nerves. Entering City Hall to walk up the aisle was pretty special, whilst the Tiny Quartet played Talking Heads ‘This Must Be The Place’.
“After the ceremony myself and Eoin went to The Long Hall, a bar my grandad used to drink in, for a quick Guinness. Having a sax-player lead us all through the city playing ‘Baker’s Street’ was pretty unique.”
Clara’s top tip for future brides would be to ignore the phrase “you have to”.
She said: “Choose venues that allow you to do things your own way, that suit your needs and priorities. Good food and flexibility were high on our priority list – which made Fallon and Byrne ideal. If there are small details that are important to you, always check with the venues.
“Not everywhere allows confetti, many venues have their own set timings and run of the day and won’t deviate from this. Fallon and Byrne allowed us to provide three wine options.
“They also allowed us to have our speeches whilst guests enjoyed their starters. Also, if you’re a bride considering a speech yourself, have it written and with you – you can always change your mind at the last minute.
“Looking back, I definitely spent too much time needlessly worrying in the run up. Most venues and vendors do weddings a couple of times a week, they are so experienced – trust their guidance. Leave some of that worry to the experts.”
This wedding feature is in collaboration with Irish wedding website SaveMyDay.ie. It was launched by Dublin couple Ian Menzies and Shell Holden and showcases unique, amazing and alternative Irish venues available to hire for weddings.
The online platform connects couples with ceremony and party venues that are the right fit for them – whatever their style, their guest size and their budget.
For all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox every day, sign up for our free newsletter.
