Our Wedding Story: 40 minutes to pick the dress

Siobhán Slattery and John O'Grady Siobhán Slattery, from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, and John O'Grady, from Mayo, met in 2006 through a mutual friend. They both hung around in the same group until they got together in 2010 at Christmas time.

John, who works in IT, proposed in July 2014 at the Poolbeg Lighthouse, Siobhán’s favourite spot. They chose the ring together the following day at Applebys jewellers.

On September 26th this year they married in Star of the Sea Church, Sandymount, close to their home.

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Almost 130 guests – including John's aunt Irene who flew from New Zealand especially – were transported by Dublin Bus to the Thomas Prior Hall in the Clayton Hotel in Ballsbridge.

“The bus drove them all along Sandymount Strand to see the sights – the majority of the guests weren’t Dubs so they got a real kick out of it,” Siobhán recalls.

Placed on each table at the reception was a copy of a photograph the couple had taken in a photo-booth on their first date. John's parents are Patrick and Mary O'Grady – who made the cake with her daughter Emer – and Siobhán's are Lily Murphy and Liam Slattery.

Siobhán collected brooches and buttons from friends and family – including her grandmother Mary (90) who couldn’t be at the wedding – to make up her bouquet.

She took only 40 minutes to choose her dress, the first one she saw, from Fairview Bridal in Dublin.

The music was by Beat Club and the first dance was to Blur's The Universal.

“I have never laughed so much in one day,” says the bride.

The three-week honeymoon was spent in Brazil. Photographs: Rita Slattery Photography