This week’s Wedding of the Week is Brian and Danielle O’Donnell, who celebrated their wedding at the Mount Errigal Hotel
WEST Donegal natives Danielle and Brian O’Donnell had a joyful wedding at the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny on July 10 last.
Danielle is from Burtonport and Brian is from Dungloe, and they share their five-year-old son, Louie. The couple met locally on a night out and the rest is history.
Brian proposed at their new-build home in Burtonport in November 2024 and the family headed to Center Parcs to celebrate.
When it came down to planning their wedding, the couple felt it was important to hold it in the summer for friends and family returning home from Australia, including Danielle’s sister Linda and Brian’s sister Annemarie with their families and groomsman Ryan.
“I knew I wanted July because it’s convenient for them to come home when there’s something on at home,” said Danielle.
“We got married on the 10th, and then the Burtonport Festival started the following weekend, and then it was the Mary from Dungloe Festival straight after that.”
The couple decided on the Mount Errigal Hotel as their wedding venue after booking their photographer, Paul Doherty.
Danielle knew Paul through her work as a bridal makeup artist and she trusted his recommendation of the hotel.
One of the main priorities for Danielle was fast dinner service for her guests, and she praised the Mount Errigal wedding coordinators for delivering on this and every other aspect of their day.
“I really couldn’t recommend them enough to people,” said Danielle. “They were so good.
“It was Bronagh that we dealt with on the day of the wedding, and she was really, really good, and she couldn’t have done enough for us.
“All the guests said that the service was really fast, and so I felt like she really listened to us that way, and they were on the ball and made sure that everything was done.”
The couple had their wedding ceremony in Acres Church in Burtonport, celebrated by Fr Pat Ward.
The wedding party of almost 300 people then made their way to Letterkenny, where they were greeted with drinks and canopés in Lillie’s Restaurant, with music from Cathal Gillespie.
The dinner went down a treat with the newlyweds and guests. The potato and leek soup was a crowd-pleaser, and Danielle enjoyed the goat’s cheese tartlet starter, roast beef main and chocolate brownie for dessert, which she shared with Louie.
Instead of following the expected route of a wedding band followed by a DJ set, Danielle and Brian decided to have two live bands.
First up were the acclaimed Red Alert followed by Blessed, who were recommended to Danielle by her sister.
“That was a lovely twist to the wedding for all,” said Danielle. “It got everyone going.”
“Everyone absolutely loved it. It’s not what you expect. Everyone just thinks you’re going to get a DJ, and they are unreal.”
Guests were also treated to a rendition of ‘Country Roads’ by none other than Louie.
“It wouldn’t be a party without him singing,” said Danielle.
Despite his young age, Louie is already a local celebrity in the Rosses after performing at local festivals.
He sang his signature tune with Red Alert, which acted as a warm-up for a larger audience.
“Next thing, the brochure came out for the Mary From Dungloe, and sure enough, here his name was on the brochure,” said Danielle. “And we didn’t even know it was going on!”
As the couple come back to reality after their big day, Danielle says a family holiday is in the works rather than an extravagant honeymoon.
Overall, the couple wouldn’t change a thing about their wedding, as the Mount Errigal Hotel staff and vendors made the day a special one.
“It just went far too fast,” said Danielle.
“That’s the only thing, I wish I could have slowed it down, but as long as the guests were happy, I was happy.”
Brian and Danielle pictured against the dramatic landscape of Errigal mountain.