Our wedding story: ‘The puppy in the front pew was a wedding gift’

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Laura Dwyer from Foxrock, an account director at Kennedy PR, and James Roche from Blackrock, who works at Nesta, met in their late teens, but it wasn’t until they attended a table quiz 10 years later that love blossomed. James proposed on February 25th 2014, Laura’s birthday.

On May 2nd, they were married by Father Tom O’Keeffe at Foxrock Church where Laura’s parents, John and Dorothy, had their own wedding 42 years ago.

The bride’s dress was from The White Room in Mullingar. “I said ‘yes to the dress’ very quickly. The less stress and fuss the better and it was perfect,” she said. Her sister Karen Ann was chief bridesmaid, with friends Jane-Ann McKenna, Suzanne Daley and Kathy Rock acting as bridesmaids.

Best man was James’s best friend Russell Daley; friends Stephen Kearns and Conor Kelly and his brother Jonathan were groomsmen. The groom’s nephew James Gleeson (10) was pageboy and Laura’s niece Grace Dwyer (4) was the flower girl.

Music came from the Foxrock Parish Choir and a highlight for the music-loving couple was the choir's rendition of Queen of the Rarest.

Watching from the front pew was Laura and James’s black miniature Schnauzer puppy, Louis, a wedding gift from Laura’s boss Caroline Kennedy.

Afterwards, 90 (human) guests made the short trip into Dublin city centre for the reception at the Merrion Hotel. Pastry chef and Great Irish Bake Off judge Paul Kelly designed the three-tier cake, acting on clear instruction from the groom to include a layer of his preferred fruit cake.

Jazz singer Sean De Burca provided entertainment and the married couple's first dance was to The Voyage by Johnny Duhan, a suggestion from the father of the bride.

Laura’s favourite part of the day was walking down the aisle with her father. A highlight for both was the speeches given by each of their fathers.

And they say that the incessant rain only added to the day. “It meant that people were together inside the hotel and could forget what was going on in the outside world – it actually added a touch of magic to the day.”

Laura, James and Louis live in Dublin and spent two weeks in Italy for their honeymoon.

Photographs: Richie Stokes and Emmylie Cruz, emmyliecruz.com, richardstokesweddings.com

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