Aileen and Conall McCorley’s wedding at An Chúirt Hotel in west Donegal was a day their guests will never forget.
Aileen from Derry and Conall from Antrim, celebrated their big day with a breathtaking view of Errigal Mountain, accompanied by glorious weather on September 19.
However in the days leading up to the wedding, torrential rain had Aileen in a bit of a panic.
She was worried the weather would ruin the stunning scenery surrounding the hotel, making it impossible for guests to appreciate the beauty of the area.
So the couple did their research on folklore and traditions to ensure perfect weather on the big day—from burying raw sausages to placing the Child of Prague statue outside the night before.
However, in a hilarious mix-up, Conall mistakenly buried the Child of Prague six feet deep instead of the sausages.
“I got a snapchat the day before and he had a shovel and he had buried him six feet under, and God love that wee statue it was buried for about three weeks.
“But the weather was beautiful for over a fortnight so something must have worked,” Aileen laughed.
Luckily, the weather still turned out perfect, and the couple’s beautiful day unfolded as planned.
Having visited Donegal many times to explore Glenveagh, the couple were keen to have their wedding photos taken in the wild, rugged landscape of the Derryveagh Mountains, a place they both loved.
They also had family members who had spent time in the Gaeltacht, so they were already familiar with the area.
The couple had visited several venues before, but when they saw An Chúirt Hotel, they knew it was the one.
“As soon as we walked in the door, we knew it was for us,” Aileen said.
Aileen and Conall enjoying a quiet moment.
The views of Errigal Mountain in the backdrop left them in awe, and they were immediately impressed with the warm, welcoming atmosphere.
“It was just so homely,” she added.
With a toddler of their own, Aileen and Conall were particularly impressed by how “family-friendly” the hotel was, with amenities like the pool and the petting farm.
They also enjoyed a Sunday carvery at the hotel, which they thought was beautiful.
The happy couple met through a mutual friend, who thought they would be perfect for each other.
She passed Conall Aileen’s number, and as they say, the rest is history.
Interestingly, this same friend had tried to arrange for them to meet when they were both living in Australia, but their paths never crossed.
“It really was the right time and the right place,” Aileen laughed.
Eight years later, Aileen and Conall are happily settled in Toome. They tied the knot at Glen Chapel in Maghera, which was over two hours away from An Chúirt.
Despite the long journey, almost 200 guests made the trip, and Aileen joked that some of her aunts, who had bad backs, weren’t too pleased about it.
“A couple of my aunts with bad backs were cursing me on the journey there, but in the end, they said it was worth it.”
Most of the guests stayed an extra night at the hotel to enjoy day-two celebrations at the famous Leo’s Tavern.
“It was great because we got a full weekend out of it,” Aileen said.
The wedding party was further held up by a road accident as they made their way to Donegal.
But the guests didn’t mind the delay at all, as they were treated to drinks in the sunshine, enjoying the stunning views of Errigal Mountain.
When it was time for dinner, guests were also impressed with the delicious food.
“We truly couldn’t fault the staff and the service,” Aileen said.
The couple’s point of contact throughout the planning process was Frances, who she described as “really helpful and always at hand.”
For their evening entertainment, The Bentley Boys provided live music, including the couple’s first dance song, ‘As Long as I Love You’ by Ellie Goulding. The band also kept the guests dancing into the night with a DJ set.
A particularly memorable moment from their big day was a fun bet they set up among their guests.
Before the speeches, there was a board where guests could guess how long the speeches would take. The winner would receive a donation of £1,000 to a charity of their choice.
The family who won had been particularly touched by the donation, as just a year prior, their daughter had been in a serious accident, and the Air Ambulance had saved her life.
The couple was thrilled that their donation went to such a worthy cause.
