KAREN GEOGHEGAN AND Mark Berry were married in the Church of the Holy Spirit, Greenhills, on November 14th last. The bride and groom chose this date, a gloriously sunny winter day, as it marked the 10th anniversary of the day they first became a couple.
The touching ceremony was conducted by the parish priest, Fr Myles Healy. The couple's parents – Jim and Noeleen Berry, and Tony and Bernie Geoghegan – were in attendance. Noeleen composed her own lyrics commemorating the occasion and set them to the music of a Christy Moore song, T he Voyage. Mark's brother, Glenn Berry, recited the moving prayer of St Francis and, along with another brother, David, performed the duties of groomsman.
Karen was accompanied by bridesmaids, Emma Madden, a childhood friend, and her sisters, Lisa Geoghegan and Susanne, who was eight months pregnant with her first child on the day. Best man Paul Finan, a firm friend of Mark’s since childhood, acquitted himself admirably as best man.
The couple, who met as classmates when they were studying for their masters degree in accountancy in UCD, had discussed the possibility of getting married for some time. However, Mark took Karen’s breath away by whisking her off to the stunning ice hotel in the village of Jukkasjärvi in Northern Sweden in March 2007.
Their reception was held in the historic Kilkea Castle, Co Kildare, Mark describes it as “just perfect” with lovely, sincere and humorous speeches. Undoubtedly the best speech of the day was the impromptu one delivered by Karen to the surprise and delight of her new husband. After that, wedding band Fifth Avenue kept everyone on the dance floor until the small hours.
The couple are keen travellers and started their honeymoon with four days in Las Vegas, where Mark admits to being tempted to organise a drive-in, Elvis-themed second ceremony. The newlyweds then travelled to the Central American Republic of Costa Rica, where they toured around for a fortnight.
Mark and Karen returned to Ireland on December 7th, the day Karen’s sister Susanne gave birth to baby Darragh Anthony Walsh. The couple live in Knocklyon.