Our Wedding Story: Signed, sealed and delivered by camper van

Emma Wallace & Neil Ahern

Although Emma and Neil grew up two kilometres from each other in Blackrock, Co Louth and went to the same primary school, it wasn't until a night out in 2010 in Dundalk nightclub Ridleys that they met.

Neil proposed on Blackrock beach, after almost five years together, and on their wedding morning, July 23rd, 2016, Emma and her bridesmaids travelled to the Millhouse in Slane, Co Meath, in a VW camper van – a surprise organised by Neil.

"Our celebrant, Susie Kennedy, was just incredible," says Neil, press officer for golf's European Tour. "It was a very emotional and personal ceremony, which incorporated many things: a tribute to Emma's late father, Kevin; a warming of the rings (passing them around for all the guests to hold and provide their own positive thoughts and wishes); a hand-fastening ceremony using Emma's late father's cravat; and vows written by ourselves."

Neil’s sisters, Aideen (who also made the cake) and Sadhbh, sang and were joined by musicians, including their cousin Shane, a drummer. Songs included Iron and Wine’s Flightless Bird, American Mouth (Emma’s entrance song), First Day of my Life by Bright Eyes, Fresh Feeling by Eels, Halo by Beyoncé, and the newlyweds walked down the aisle together to Let Your Love Grow Tall by Passion Pit.

During the speeches, mother of the bride Josephine presented Neil – whose parents are Mairead and Tim – with an antique bottle of porter she had bought for her late husband many years ago.

After dinner, served straight from the barbecue, The Willin’ Fools took to the stage and played six encores before the DJ opened his set with C’est La Vie by B*Witched.

Neil and Emma, a specialist speech and language therapist at the Children’s Trust, are “on cloud nine since the wedding. Our love definitely feels reinvigorated and much deeper with a new sense of purpose.”

The newlyweds – who live in Surrey, England with two Netherland Dwarf rabbits, Eric and Chip – took off on a seven-day mini-moon which began at the Ice House Spa in Ballina and ended at Wineport Lodge in Athlone, with stops in Kerry, Clare and Mayo in between.

Photographs: Will O'Reilly www.willoreilly.com