Wedding best day of life for Curragh Camp woman

Wedding day best day of life for Curragh Camp woman by Louise McCarthy A CURRAGH camp woman describes her wedding day as the 'best day' of her life. 18 months of intense planning was all worth it according to Senior Chemist at Pfeizer Newbridge, Melanie Byrne Adams and Garda Barry Adams, who celebrated their wedding mass at St Brigid's Church, Curragh Camp and the reception at the Killashee Hotel, Naas. The love story for the couple  who reside in Naas began in 2008 when Melanie attended the wedding of her friend Liam from college days studying Science at NUI Maynooth. He was also Barry's brother. Melanie said: “We had seen each-other before, but we had not been in contact.” Following that encounter, romance blossomed. In 2011, the couple went to County Wicklow.  On Brittas Bay Beach, Barry got down on one knee and asked Melanie to marry him. After Melanie agreed to marry Barry, the couple began planning to have the perfect day and ensure that it was personal and symbolic for both of them. Melanie set about designing a separate bridesmaid dress for her teenage niece Rebecca who was just 13 at the time. Melanie wanted to ensure that Rebecca's dress complimented the other bridesmaids who were her sisters Caroline, Andrea and sister-in-law Monika, while still capturing her age. She said: “I wanted the dress to integrate with the adults. I found two dresses that showed two different patterns, bought the material and asked the dressmaker to change it. Then I added the extra bits and pieces, rose shaped designs, essentially I didn't want her to look too hold. I made the dress a ballet length and changed it to halterneck while I added the golden bows, the same as were on the church pews to underneath her dress, so there was a layer of gold under the taffeta.” It was all the intricate details that made the day special and Melanie's own dress was certainly stunning purchased at Dress of Dreams in Clane,  where she also purchased the bridesmaid dresses. Melanie created the golden bows that lined the church pew while her mother Peggy designed the wonderful floral display, assisted by the bridesmaids. Flemings Florists Naas designed the bouquet for the bridal party. The hair and make up was done by Eternal Flair, Newbridge. An old family friend Fr. Sean Conlon performed the wedding ceremony on March 2014, while local singers Sharon McNamara and Davy Usher performed the church music. There were many highlights for Melanie on the day but one that stands out is the quiet minutes she shared with her father, retired Army Commandant Tony Byrne, departing her family home at the Curragh in the car towards St Brigid's Church. She recalls at one point how hailstone blurred the driver's vision forcing him to stop, however, the four seasons on her wedding day did not bother her, she was marrying the love of her life and savouring the last time she spent with her father before she became a married woman. Melanie said: “That time spent in the car with Dad was very important to me, it was just the two of us and it was very touching. He is not an emotional man but he took a few minutes to tell me how beautiful I looked and how proud he was of me.” The reception at the Kilashee House Hotel  was also a very powerful and memorable occasion. The couple had a wish tree, cut by her brother -in- law Alan Alan Fitzpatrick. Both Melanie and her sister Andrea covered the tree with glitter and then placed it inside the dining area so that guests could hang their personally written messages on it. The best-man and groomsmen were busy taking polaroid pictures of the day and these images were later matched with the personal wishes. Opera singers who were also waiting staff at the Kilashee performed some beautiful recitals to the guests while enjoying the wedding feast. The first dance was God Bless the Broken Road by Rascal Flats. After a fantastic day and a great party with friends and family again the following night, the couple set off on a six weeks honeymoon to Australia. Arriving in Sydney they rented a car and drove up the East Coast to Cairns and then Darwin and Alice Springs and then to Melbourne. Melanie said :“Although it was expensive, it was worth every minute of it.”