NIAMH ROE AND Andrew Bickford were married in the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord, Beaumont, Dublin, on July 18th by Fr Donal Byrne. The wedding ceremony was witnessed by just 28 guests, with a larger evening reception for approximately 130.
Andrew Bickford is the son of Joan and Dave Bickford and is the youngest of five brothers and sisters. Niamh Roe is the eldest of three children of Paul and Patricia Roe. Niamh had her sister Jenny as bridesmaid, while Andrew had his friend David Jones as best man. Both grew up in the north Dublin suburb.
Andrew trained as a mechanical engineer in DIT, Bolton Street. Niamh originally trained as a Montessori teacher in St. Nicholas Montessori College, Dún Laoghaire, before re-training as a primary school teacher. In July last year they moved to London, where Andrew works as mechanical project engineer with N.G. Bailey, and Niamh teaches.
The couple met on April 7th, 2001 at the birthday party of a mutual friend. They then discovered that they had been to the same primary school, although Andrew was a year ahead of Niamh.
Andrew proposed on April 6th, 2007, while they were trekking through the Himalayas. He picked the day before the couple’s sixth anniversary, against her expectations, to surprise her.
Andrew’s nephew and niece, Oscar and Emily, brought up gifts to represent where the couple got engaged in Nepal, and water from the Indian and Atlantic oceans that meet off South Africa. Julie-Ann Coleman read a special blessing after communion.
The couple honeymooned in Brazil and Argentina and live in London.