ELIZABETH GLEESON AND PHILIP DARLING DARLING were married on March 20th in the Church of the Holy Rosary in Greystones by Fr Enda Lloyd, who asked the congregation for a moment’s silence before beginning the ceremony with blessings by the couple’s parents.
The couple’s “almost four”-year-old daughter Lia and “almost two”-year-old son acted as flower girl and page boy, with help from their four-year-old cousin, Rachel. “They were all good as gold,” says the bride, adding that taking their vows was deeply romantic, spiritual and moving for everyone there. “It was a magical day from start to finish, the sun was shining down from the heavens and the photographs taken by the sea in Greystones could be mistaken for a Caribbean wedding.”
Philip is creative director for Rain Communications, an advertising and marketing design company. He is one of two sons of Joe and Jean Darling of Ballinteer, and he attended Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock. Elizabeth grew up in Blackrock and is the daughter of Maurice and the late Teresa Gleeson. She attended Sion Hill and studied modern languages at UCD before taking an MA in dramatherapy at NUI Maynooth. She is now a lecturer in that department at Maynooth and in the social care degree programme in IT Tallaght.
The couple met seven years ago at Dunderry Park in Navan, at a 5 Rhythms dance workshop. “We communicated through dance long before we ever had a conversation,” says Elizabeth. They travelled to India together where Liz taught a dramatherapy course and then came back to Ireland to set up house, first in Bray, and then Greystones, where they spent two years converting a former dental surgery in a Victorian house into their family home.
They decided to get married, “to cement it all”, while on holiday in Portugal last April. Philip designed all the wedding stationery and their friend Dara McMahon sang during the church service. The bride carried a bouquet of blue roses which matched the bridesmaids’ cobalt blue dresses and included some peacock feathers she had brought home from India some years ago. Her dress was made of Italian ivory lace and designed by herself and Analise of Antonia’s bridal boutique in Blessington.
Racquel Harper from the Azores islands, whom the bride had met while at UCD, was one of two bridesmaids along with Louise Willoghby from Greystones – “we met when our daughters were newborn and our daughters are now joined at the hip.” Assie Satar and Maurice Gleeson “played blinders as the best man and groomsmen, keeping the guests in stitches throughout the hilarious yet moving speeches”.
The celebrations took place in the Summerhill House Hotel in Enniskerry. “A salsa band from South America now resident in Cork, Manu and the Latin House, kept everyone dancing until the small hours. Guests were able to grab a snack from the ‘Crepes in the City’ van or to have a slice of wedding cake sent from the Azores by Racquel’s mother, Olivia Delgado. Everyone went home with flowers planted in polished, recycled tins which were placed at each setting.”
Their honeymoon was spent in Anne’s Grove, a miniature castle in Cork, one of the Irish Landmark Trust properties. “With the festivities over and sadly missed by all the family,” says Elizabeth, “little Lia Darling has already started planning her big day – watch this space.”