There are lots of ‘wedding’ people in the world: people who keep scrapbooks of bridal dresses and consider napkin choices with the seriousness of global peace initiatives. We have never been those people.
Don’t get us wrong—it makes us giddy to be around people in love and we both think the commitment of marriage is an extraordinarily beautiful thing. When I’m at a wedding, I inevitably end up wiping away mascara tears. We only say this so you understand we are reasonably neutral observers when we tell you about the most epic wedding that ever was.
Hang with us here for a second. If you were to brainstorm things that made a wedding epic, you would probably start with spectacular scenery, beautiful weather, gorgeous food, colorful outfits, and outrageously good music. But if you continued thinking, you’d add in more important elements, such as an amazing guest list and a particularly impressive and deserving couple. If you really thought hard, you might add a special meaning to the event.
So let’s give you those things.
Scenery: A tiny village in Ireland along the Wild Atlantic Coast
Weather: The biggest heat wave to hit the country since the 70s. True story—in the middle of a 10-minute sprinkle, we watched a father bring his young son out to celebrate the rain. In Ireland.
Food: Incredible canapes and courses, drawn from gourmet local producers.
Outfits: As colorful as the wildflowers
Music: Two rooms busting out the dancing vibe with interludes of professional dancers to show us how it’s really done.
Now on to the really important parts.
In attendance: We need to start with the couple: The Irishman and the Spaniard who met in South Africa and continued their globetrotting from there. Their families included equally fun and fascinating people from Ireland, Spain, England, Scotland, Switzerland, Barbados, Brazil, and New York—not to mention a California cousin or two. Their friends extended the global range to South Africa, Germany, France, Greece and Africa. And while the number of languages represented may have confused a UN interpreter, the shared universal tongue extended to all: dancing.
Meaning: If you haven’t yet deciphered it, this was a gay wedding. In Catholic Ireland. Between two people who were old enough to have fully expected the impossibility of such an event ever happening in their lifetimes. To not only witness such a ceremony, but to see the depth of love and support by all their friends and family—many of whom were deeply Catholic—brought tears to absolutely everyone’s eyes.
They are a fabulously unique couple. They are also a powerful symbol. And everyone knew what they were experiencing was a triumph at all levels.
The event began in the afternoon with a moving ceremony and carried on through the evening with dinner and dancing, and it didn’t end until we took our glasses up the hill to sit among the wildflowers, and watch the sun slowly rise, bathing the valley in rose pink.
And there you have it—with apologies to every other bride and/or groom we’ve known—the most epic wedding that ever was.
Our trip to Ireland included a prologue and an epilogue as we circumnavigated the island by car (right hand-drive + ‘backwards’ stick + sidewalk-sized-roads = memorable), but the wedding was the beating heart that carried through the entire experience. So rather than a travelog, we leave you with photos—and a massive dose of love.
Even the walk of shame met the epic standard
There are a handful of places on this planet that emanate an otherworldly, almost spiritual feeling about them.
Clearly, we’ll be back
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