Our Wedding Story: ‘We wanted to keep things simple and casual’

Michelina Tang & Ray Vaughan

In 2011, Ray from Macroom in Co Cork met Sydney woman Michelina at a mutual friend’s party in London.

When the couple were back in Ireland for Ray’s sister’s wedding in 2014, he proposed at Gougane Barra with a Claddagh ring from a souvenir shop. The engagement ring was then designed and made by a jeweller in Sydney where they live.

“We wanted to keep things simple and casual with more of a party than a wedding feel,” says Michelina, who works for a financial services company.

“We signed the papers in a registry in Sydney. It was very low key. For the wedding in Ireland we decided to also keep it intimate so said our vows on the jetty of Ballinacurra House with only the photographer and videographers present. With a few of the guests coming from outside Ireland this gave them time to explore the grounds of Ballinacurra and Kinsale.”

After a four-course tasting menu and the cake – a cupcake stand from Trace of Cakes – Midnight Sounds took to the stage and the newlyweds choreographed their first dance to I Need You by M83.

When they arrived back in Sydney, they hosted a party for friends and family who couldn’t make it to Ireland.

Michelina’s favourite part of the wedding on April 2nd, 2016, was, “having both of our families together for the first time”. Ray’s was “seeing friends who we hadn’t seen in years – being away from friends and family is one of the hardest things”.

Ray and Michelina plan a “latermoon” for December when they will spend two weeks travelling around New Zealand.

Photograph: Brosnan Photographic, brosnanphotographic.com

Sarah Geraghty