Our wedding story: Melbourne meeting leads to romance

Jill (29), a nurse from Mullingar, and builder Donal (33), from Castlewellan, met in 2009 when they lived next door to each other in the Melbourne suburb of St St Kilda.

They later moved together to Edinburgh, where Donal proposed on Christmas Eve 2013.

On August 22nd, 2015, they married in a spiritualist ceremony in the secret walled garden of Boyne Hill Estate in Navan, Co Meath.

Music during the ceremony was a combination of harp, violin and keyboard and Jill's friend Irene played Give Me Your Hand on flute during the warming of the rings. Jill's mother arranged the flowers for the ceremony.

Some 110 guests joined them including the bride’s brother, who came home from New Zealand.

An important part of the day for the couple was “catching up with friends and family who we don’t see enough of due to living away from Ireland”.

Another highlight for the bride was getting ready at her family home with her parents Michael and Marjie Donoghue, maid of honour Alison Mortell and bridesmaids Leann McPhillips, Jenny Algar and Hazel McCormack.

Family friend Bridie Burke created the bride’s head piece and veil.

The best man was the groom’s twin brother Stephen McAllister and groomsmen were his new brothers-in-law Barry Donoghue, Alan Donoghue, and friend Dereck Wellan. Father-of-the-groom is Hugh McAllister.

After dinner, Men in Black played with Angel Brennan on vocals, who DJ-ed into the night.

The couple, who live in London, will mini-moon in Amsterdam this month.

Photographer: Amanda Pollock – AP Photo-Craft