No price tag on love: In Galway, future spouses get ready to say “I do” at any cost
With charming coastal beaches and the strong sense of traditions, the West of Ireland has become a popular wedding destination. Here on the emerald isle, weddings are taken very seriously, with preparations for the big day beginning early.
On 13 and 14 January at Leisureland in Salthill, Galway hosted a wedding expo. The event welcomed 72 exhibitors, including DJs, bands, photographers and even cake artists.
While January is typically considered to be a “slow season,” future brides and grooms came in droves to the expo, planning for “the best day of their life.” With wedding fairs, viewings of venues, wedding gowns try-ons, and more, local lovebirds took taking advantage of this calm month to prepare everything for the summer.
July is the most popular period to get married in Ireland according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The reasons being longer days, availability of the guests, and a better chance to get a good weather. In 2022, 3,068 ceremonies in total took place during the summer month.
Almost one in seven weddings (13 per cent) in 2022 was held in July while almost one in four (23 per cent) took place in the last three months of the year.
Hotels and castles charge more during the summertime but offer ‘wedding packages’ to ease the cost burden, starting from €70 to €350 per guest.
“It is probably the best day of their life. We have to make things great,” said Stephen Finn, an employee at the Galway Spa Hotel.
On average, a wedding in Ireland welcomes around 150 guests and costs around €32,000. To compare, this is twice the average budget of weddings in France.
Elodie Chanal, a French freelance wedding photographer, arrived in Ireland three years ago. For her, the difference between weddings in Ireland and her home country is noticable.
“It is not uncommon to spend a thousand euros as a guest to a wedding, which seems completely crazy in France,” she said. “As a freelance photographer, it is impressive how my role is taken way more seriously here. One day, a priest even interrupted the ceremony for me to take the best pictures possible.”
Understanding the importance of making lasting memories, Mandy Maher, owner and agent of the Catwalk model agency, organized the annual wedding fair here in West Ireland.
“We have 72 exhibitors here with all different propositions for the future spouses: modern, traditional, original… Every couple can choose what they want for their special day,” she said.
Galway is famous for its sense of tradition, something that was noticeable at this wedding fair. Many chefs, dancers and bands offer some package for a “traditional wedding”. Kayla McDonagh, a singer in a wedding band said that the perfect Irish wedding is made “with good food like vol-au-vent, a lot of family members and a good traditional band”.
Christine Bourke, who couldn’t attend the wedding fair but runs the Galway wedding center in Terryland, said that she sees “the difference between the Galway brides and the others”. According to her, they look for something more sober, more “reserved” and closer to the gaelic traditions.
Nevertheless, some traditions are being lost, especially those surrounding religion.
In fact, in 2022 only 42 per cent of weddings were celebrated at church. Lots of young couples seem to neglect their local church to get married abroad.
Another trend is the rise of the “destination wedding”. For Irish couples, mainland Europe is the most-chosen destination. The favourite spots are Spain and Italy, with Portugal, Croatia and Malta, which became increasingly popular in recent years.
For Irish couples, choices abound as they try to navigate in a wide spectrum of options to celebrate their love in all its splendor.
