Grace Mongey married the love of her life, Chris Gernon in a lavish ceremony at the beautiful Virginia Park Lodge in Co Cavan.
Although her late father could not be there, her loved ones made sure that his presence was felt throughout the day.
Speaking to VIP Magazine after tying the knot, Grace explained how both her husband and her brother paid tribute to her father.
Chris gave her a gift of the traditional “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue”. His something old was a business card from the pub where they went on their second date, with Grace explaining he kept it in his wallet for nine years.
His something blue was a poem written on blue paper and the something new was a necklace. However, it was the something borrowed that had the most sentimental value.
“The ‘something borrowed’ was from my dad who passed away 14 years ago. He got my dad’s hat which he wore out fishing all the time; it’s so old and weathered, it’s how I remember dad. When I saw that, I broke down.”
When Grace thought that it couldn’t get more emotional, her older brother gave her a jewellery box.
“I opened the box and it was this beautiful, dainty necklace with two love hearts entwined and a diamond hanging down. My brother got one of my dad’s old rings made into a necklace for me; the gold was melted down to make the hearts and the diamond was from his ring too. It’s so precious to me now. It was so thoughtful. While dad couldn’t be there, my brother was the next best thing. He has always been a father figure to me.”
Grace admits it was an “emotional day” adding that the guests were “bawling” at some parts.
“I planned it so I could represent my dad, address the loss and then enjoy the rest of the day. I wrote a poem called Letters to Heaven and my friend read it out. As soon as she finished, we played a song for him, Nessun Dorma by Pavarotti, which was his favourite.”
You can read all about Grace’s big day and see all the stunning pictures in the August issue of VIP Magazine which is currently on shelves around the country for €2.20.
