By Evelyn Cullen
SIMON Harron swept his new bride Natalie off her feet with a romantic first dance to the song ‘Hero’, originally by Enrique Iglesias, on their wedding day at the Villa Rose Hotel in Ballybofey on October 17.
“Simon is such a people’s person, quick witted and funny, always making people laugh,” gushed Natalie about her new husband, when the Donegal News spoke with her.
“He never gets embarrassed no matter how silly he is. We’re opposites in that respect, so we balance each other out and have great fun,” she added.
The couple from Enniskillen, who got enagged on Christmas Eve 2022, chose the Villa Rose Hotel in Ballybofey for their dream Donegal wedding venue after considering several options, when they saw the one-of-a-kind honeymoon suite.
“It was just so quirky and different,” said Natalie.
“The room itself is a sort of circular shape which is so unusual, the bed is on a podium and the big bathroom also has a jacuzz,” she said, which they were able to relax in and enjoy after the all the celebrations.
“As soon as we saw it we felt right at home and the other options went out the window,” she said.
Natalie couldn’t speak highly enough of the Villa Rose Hotel as the location for their special day, giving a particular mention to Emma, the wedding co-ordinator, who was “so helpful and lovely”.
From the beautiful reception starting at 1.30 pm to the stunning photos at the nearby Thatched Cottages, the hotel and staff took care of every detail. The day included a delicious five-course banquet, an evening buffet, and a party that went on until dawn.
“My two sisters Jacqueline and Michelle, and my best friend who is also called Michelle, were our bridesmaids and they never left the dancefloor,” said Natalie, and although the wedding was on a Thursday, the celebrations continued in The Forge Bar until 2.30am. Their band and DJ for the evening was The Brian McDermott Band from Sligo, whom Natalie described as “fantastic”.
“The food was fabulous. Loads of our guests commented on the variety of the food, which included three main course options, pear and honey glazed chicken, roast beef and seabass, as well as a vegetarian option,” said Natalie.
The carefully chosen music was another beautiful aspect of their day, with Natalie walking in to the song ‘Shallow’ from the film ‘A Star Is Born’, a powerful ballad about a deep and meaningful connection between two lovers. The music was performed by harpist Aisling McConnell, accompanied by Ellen Maguire on vocals, and was “a beautiful collaboration between two amazing artists,” said Natalie.
Enya’s ethereal ‘Only Time’ created a peaceful and intimate atmosphere for the lighting of their wedding candles, and was peformed beautifully by the musical duo. ‘Dreams’ by the Cranberries and Beyonce’s ‘Halo’ were other original song choices.
Everything went so smoothly and Natalie said she wasn’t even nervous on the day.
“I hadn’t been looking forward to the prospect of walking in to a room and having everyone turn around and look at me, but in the end I wasn’t nervous at all and enjoyed every moment.”
Many of their guests stayed overnight in the hotel and they all enjoyed a tasty breakfast together the next morning, with Simon and Natalie landing down in cute ‘Hubby and Wifey’ tracksuits.
“As much as I loved my wedding dress, I was glad to get it off and into the comfies the next morning,” she said.
Aside from marrying the love of her life, Natalie recalled the speeches as one of her standout moments.
“My Father, David, surprised us all with a really lovely speech which included lots of funny wee stories and laughs. It was probably one of my favourite parts of the day.”
The couple celebrated their honeymoon in Miami, Florida, just narrowly avoiding hurricane season. They are now looking forward to their fourth Christmas in their beautiful home in Enniskillen.
Photo caption
Related posts:
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)