Betty Carter’s jazz classic This is Always is required listening during the reading of this love story between broadcaster Bláthnaid Treacy and musician Charlie Mooney.
It’s required listening because not only was it the song these newlyweds chose for their first dance as Mr and Mrs – a song which was sung to them by Charlie’s mum Mia Parsons, herself an accomplished jazz and folk singer. But it’s required listening because this cool jazz standard perfectly encapsulates the fireworks that went off the moment these two lovebirds met.
“This isn’t sometimes, this is always. This isn’t maybe, this is always,” sings one of the great American jazz greats. “This is love, the real beginning of forever. This isn’t just mid summer madness. A passing glow, a moment’s gladness. This is love, I knew it on the night we met.”
And didn’t they just. It was the summer of 2007; it was hot: Bláthnaid was celebrating her 19th birthday with friends on a camping trip and Charlie was there. Across the camp fire these Wicklow natives locked eyes and both have been utterly transfixed ever since.
“You’ve tied a string around my heart, how could I forget you” sings Carter. And they didn’t, even when they split for a two-year break they were quickly reunited, an invisible pull drawing them back together.
Seven fun years later while Bláthnaid was settling her towel on a sandy beach in Mexico she turned to see Charlie on bended knee nervously asking for her hand in marriage. Such was the excitement she forget to say yes. But a very definite yes it certainly was.
Eight months later, following a busy season for both (Bláthnaid presenting DWTS spin off show, Can’t Stop Dancing, along with Virgin Media One’s Xposé and 2fm’s Official Chartshow and Charlie touring relentlessly while recording his debut EP) they made their love official in front of 120 close family and friends at Kippure Estate in Blessington, in a ceremony that was both intimate and fun.
Music filled the day. Mother and father of the groom both performed. Brothers of the bride sang this goddess up the aisle. And then to top it all off the groom took to the stage with his one time band mates, Croupier, and took the roof off their cool wedding venue. Quite the night; quite the wedding; quite the couple.
Congratulations Mr and Mrs Mooney! We wish you all the happiness.
Mrs Bláthnaid Mooney! Have your feet touched the ground yet?
I think they’re just about touching the ground now! [laughing] It’s such a funny feeling, a real out of body experience. Because it’s such a gorgeously mad day where you’re surrounded by all the people you love, who are all so happy for you and directing all this positivity towards you, everyone beaming with huge smiles. We just danced our asses off for about five hours. I don’t think I left the dance floor all night. But then by the time Monday came around [the wedding took place on Friday] we were just shattered. We actually couldn’t get out of bed. I think we slept till twelve. Now everyone is dying to see the photos so we all can reminisce!
Well, all the photos are here now to be enjoyed by all! Bláthnaid take us back to the night before the big day. What were you like? Calm on the outside – as you always appear to be – but slightly freaking on the inside?!
The night before the wedding, myself, Charlie and the bridesmaids and groomsmen all stayed in holiday homes on the grounds at Kippure Estate. The guys were in one holiday home, the girls in another and we just had a walk around the estate, put up some decorations in the marquee, talked through the day ahead and then had a big feast and a few drinks. We went into our separate houses; the girls did their girlie things and went to bed just after midnight. I think the boys stayed up quite late! And then they sneaked into our house later to see if there was any food left!
Typical! VIP spoke to you before the wedding and you were determined not to be a bridezilla. Did even the tiniest ‘zilla’ slip out at any point because while a wedding day is billed as the best day of your life, pressure still exists.
Mostly bridezilla didn’t happen! But then the day before I was a little overwhelmed because all these questions were being fired at me and I was the only one who knew all the answers. So yes, a little baby-zilla did pop her head out! I did have a sort of wobbly moment! But I think it’s important to admit that, and to say that weddings aren’t smooth sailing but, the important thing is to not let it ruin your day. The day before the wedding was intense and by the end of it I was like [pleading] ‘I need a drink!’
A toast to that then! We were keeping an eye on the forecast in the run up, concerned that the weather would rain on your wedding parade…we hope it didn’t.
The morning of the wedding we all had an eye on the sky and nobody was saying anything! It was like the elephant in the room! We were supposed to do the ceremony outside but it started lashing rain so we had to move the show indoors. We had a winter wedding in June! What are you going to do?! Once we made the decision to move indoors it was all good. The venue organiser made it look beautiful and then during the ceremony we could hear the rain lashing outside. It was kind of beautiful. It really didn’t dampen our spirits.
Your dress was beautiful. You looked like perfection. A total boho goddess.
Thank you so much. I had an idea of the dress I wanted so I just started looking up key words on Pinterest and then this dress literally popped up, and I was like, ‘Oh my god that’s it, that’s literally the one’. I clicked into it and it was this boutique in Australia but they had a store in Germany so I emailed them and they sent me a sample dress which arrived within two days. And it was kind of…perfect. Just to make sure, I brought it out to Bray to my mum’s house and then out to my brother’s house and then one of my bridesmaids and my sister took a look and they all agreed that it was me. I did try on another few dresses but none stood out, so I ordered it and it arrived, it needed a few nips and tucks, but it was easy, weirdly easy. I just felt like me in it. And all my friends and family were saying, ‘You are wearing the dress we imagined you in!’
And that’s what you want to hear. What about that headpiece – it was a floral masterpiece, Bláthnaid.
I know, I loved the headpiece. And it was so comfortable. I didn’t even remember I had it on until I got back in at 4am! It was made with fresh flowers by an incredible florist called the Fussy Peacock. I just told her the vibe I wanted and that I wanted nice pastels and the morning of the wedding she arrived and was so chilled and calm and she just added to the whole atmosphere. She totally nailed the vibe.
About the vibe. There were some beautiful intimate touches throughout the day which made the whole event even more special but, tell us first why you guys chose Kippure Estate in Blessington, Co. Wicklow, as the venue?
Charlie and I both come from Wicklow so we wanted a venue in the wilderness, in the middle of nature. Kippure was also a real blank canvas where you could create your own vibe. There were also lodges on site too so all our guests could stay. That was important to us, too. And Charlie and I were never going to get married in a church as neither of us are very religious or traditional and we loved that everything could happen – the ceremony and the reception – in the one place. Music was a massive part of the day also.
Understandably so as Charlie is such a gifted musician, as are both of his parents, both of whom played on the day. Two of your brothers even played you up and down the aisle. What a musical bunch you all are!
I know! My two brothers Uisneach and Fiachra played Neil Young’s Harvest Moon as I walked up the aisle and, then the Beatles Love is All You Need as we walked down.
We see too that both your mum Anne and dad Dermot walked side by side with you up the aisle.
I’ve always hated the way the dad gives you away when both parents raised you. Why? And it’s not that they’re giving me away anyway, it’s them standing by my side as I marry the man I love. I really wanted both my parents with me. And I’m lucky, because lots of people’s parents have passed away so I wanted both of mine there for that to show gratitude for them and also I wanted them for moral support!
Why? Did you get the pre-wedding jitters?
Ah yeah, I was a little bit nervous! But I was more excited to get the whole thing started. Waiting outside before the ceremony began I could hear everybody whispering…I was just excited to get into the room!
Your mum and dad must have been emotional? You being their baby and all!
Yeah, I’m the baby of six so yes they were emotional. Mum got teary when she saw me ready to go. It was an emotional day for my siblings too. Some of them are married but still I am the baby. I wore my grandmothers necklace – my mother’s mother’s. My mum bought that necklace for her own mum with money from her first proper job when she was 16 years old. It was so nice that I got to wear it on my wedding day.
Being non-traditionalists how did you decide to do the vows?
We found an amazing celebrant called Orna Cronin who was the master of ceremonies and what she did was tell our love story to the whole congregation. We also had our friend Tom Corr, our best friend, our third wheel, and he wrote a poem just for us that was gorgeous.
Charlie’s mum designed and made the wedding bands, how special is that?
I know! Mia Parsons is an amazing jewellery designer. She’s also an amazing jazz and blues singer, just to say! We did a ring warming ceremony with the rings and then we also did the handfasting blessing. We wanted to do the handfasting as it’s the oldest Irish wedding tradition and involves a delicate bonding ritual where the couple’s hands are tied together. We got Charlie’s aunt Clare to crochet the handfasting cords.
So much detail. Official business over, it was on to the reception! How were the speeches?
I did a speech and kicked things off. I wanted to welcome everybody and to say how happy I was to join Charlie’s family. But I was actually quite nervous, which I didn’t expect given my profession. Then my dad made a speech and then Charlie and his dad and we finished off with my sister Anna Treacy and Eoghain Meakin, Charlie’s best friend. My sister wrote a poem about our relationship and it was so funny. She had the room in stitches. And Eoghain’s speech was beautiful. After all the speeches it felt really embarrassing though because everyone was saying such lovely things!
You both made a point to reference your close click of friends in your speeches. They are like your second family it seems.
Nail on the head. We have shared so many experiences and so much of our relationship with our friends, all the ups and all the downs. Our friends are just the most incredible, creative talented bunch of people and we never tear each down, we always lift each other up. It was so important for us to tell our friends that. That they are an integral part of our lives.
As such music aficionados, it must have been a hard decision to agree on a song for the first dance?
It was! But Charlie’s mum is an amazing singer and she sang This is Always by Betsy Carter. We actually had the song music printed out onto our wedding cake, too, a cake which was made by Charlie’s aunt Kendell Rooney, a five-tier wedding cake that was just divine.
The whole day sounds just divine. Is there a stand out memory?
Charlie and his friends Harry Burton, Niall O’Kelly, Oisin Murphy and Rob Reid, who are also my best friends, used to have an indie rock band years ago called Croupier. For a friend’s wedding recently they reformed and for our wedding they learned off a whole load of covers and medleys from Beatles classics to Backstreet Boys to Spandau Ballet and then they played for an hour and a half and it was the most fun ever. It usually takes ages for people at weddings to get up on the dancefloor but at ours everybody was standing waiting for the music to start. Once Croupier started, the party started, and everybody was dancing non-stop.
Bláthnaid, Charlie looks like such a dude and we presume having married you, he is! Tell us about him.
Charlie is a lovely, handsome, beautiful, kind man. We met when I was 19 and we had a two year break in the middle of our relationship and got back together when I was just 22. We’ve been madly in love ever since. He’s an amazing musician, one of the most talented musicians you could ever come across. And he’s got the most beautiful voice.
When you locked eyes on him all those years ago when you were a tender 19 years old, what was the attraction?
He was in a band and he just looked really cool! He’s got these deep brown eyes and he’s so sallow and that summer he just looked so dark and handsome. He was so cool! And so hilarious! He was really good friends with one of my good friends Oran Banbrick and it was he who actually introduced us. It was a summer romance that just kept on blossoming. We laughed our heads off back then and we still do today. We just have so much fun together.
Very cute! As you embark on your life together have you considered best advice for a long and happy relationship?
Hmm…relationships are forever changing so I think it’s important to be fluid. Like you can’t have the same relationship you had at 19 to what you have when you’re 31, as I am now. That’s what was important when Charlie and I broke up because we had a couple of years to grow up and when we got back together we were a newer, better version of ourselves. So much happens in life and you have to be able to ride with it and lean into the changes.
Now that you’re married you’ll see even a new version of yourselves emerging!
I’m really excited about that because I still feel 21! We were saying the other day, ‘We’re married now, what do we do?!’
What will you do?
I don’t know; in fairness we still love to go out! We like to party and have fun with our pals! But I am really excited about the next chapter, about building our future together, even though we have been living together for years already. We love travelling so we’re going to go Greek island hopping for our honeymoon in September. We’re going to go discover new things and just have an adventure. In my speech my last line was, “I love nothing more than going on an adventure and marrying you Charlie is the best adventure I’ll ever go on”.
We have goosebumps!
We’re best friends, we have such a laugh and we love spending time together, even though with our careers we’re often like ships passing in the night. We honestly just love our life together.
Happy ever afters you two!
Aw, thank you.
INTERVIEW: Bianca Luykx
PHOTOGRAPHY: Rafal Borek; ralvphotoworld.com