Wedding planning is intense enough for any bride - but when the wrong dress arrives at the bridal boutique, things can get very stressful.
Mary Lee Lally, a model on Ireland AM and content creator with The Platform, got engaged to Galway hurler Greg Lally and was looking forward to an idyllic ceremony surrounded by her family and friends. However, she faced a potential nightmare when she arrived at a fitting for her bridal gown and realised it was the wrong dress.
Mary says the incident was particularly frustrating as her wedding was rapidly approaching. She had selected her ideal gown 6 months ahead of schedule in preparation for the big day, but no one could tell her where it had ended up.
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The bride told Dublin Live: “I had gotten a message about 10 weeks before the wedding day to say it was in. I went to try it on to discover it wasn’t my dress but someone else’s and they couldn’t tell me where mine had ended up.”
Mary went back online to search for a new dress and fortunately a Dublin boutique came to her rescue. Mary wore a simple silk gown purchased from The One in Rathmines, while her bridesmaids wore gowns from Folksters in Dundrum.
Despite the early mishap, Mary had a beautiful wedding day with her GAA hubby on July 16 2022. Her wedding was made all the more special by having her sons, 2-year-old Dean and 4-year-old Dylan, in attendance.
Read all about Mary's special day here.
How did you both meet?
Greg and I have known each other for years from being from the same area and going to the same school. One night we were out in our local which was Niall’s at the time and we just started chatting. Greg asked me out and the rest is history as they say.
Greg and I have been together about 6 years and we are blessed to have two beautiful boys Dylan 4 and Dean 2.
READ MORE: Dublin bride walks down the aisle in stunning self-designed dress
Tell us about the proposal
Our engagement was so special because our two boys were with us. It was Easter Saturday. Greg suggested that we go for a walk to our favourite place in the world Coole Park. We were down by the lake where Greg got down on one knee and he had the ring chosen, which I adored. It was always a yes.
Tell us about your wedding
The Ceremony was in my home church The Church of All Saints Boston Co. Clare. Fr. Tommy Marrinan was our priest who made our ceremony so special. We had an Álainn truck with refreshments after the ceremony and it went down an absolute treat.
A family friend did all my flowers which absolutely blew me away, they were incredible. Clodagh Lawlor and Gavin Caughlan did the church music. My sister Patricia did all our mass booklets, and my own work colleague Claire sketched a beautiful picture of the church for the booklets, which was just so beautiful.
Our wedding venue was the stunning picturesque Glenlo Abbey Hotel and Estate in Galway. Kate and her team looked after us so well. We were just blown away by the professionalism and kindness everyone showed us and our guests on the day. They ensured we had the most amazing wedding day with moments we will all treasure forever.
What was your favourite part of the big day?
My favourite part of the day was definitely after the church. The ceremony was definitely the most emotional and intimate part of our day, just being with the boys straight after the ceremony, being all together, was so special. Seeing all our family and friends that were there to support us both on such a happy occasion meant everything.
What tips would you give to other brides?
I suppose the best advice that I can give is try to be organised, which is something Greg and l are not known for. Try and get a little time on your own on the day.
That’s why I was adamant for Greg to drive our car after the ceremony to the venue just so we could have a little alone time. Really try to enjoy your day as much as possible as it really goes by so quickly.
I always knew the church would be the hardest part for me but once we got to Glenlo Abbey we both thoroughly enjoyed our day and the smiles never left our faces.
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What was the hardest part of the build up to the wedding?
The most challenging part for me was the fact that both my parents Gerry and Nora have passed along with Greg’s brother Keith. So when it comes to a wedding it very much brings a lot of emotions with it and you really realise how much you miss the people who are not there.
But I know we were being looked over as before I entered the church there was a butterfly with us and during the ceremony the butterfly stayed with us. That gave me such great comfort knowing they were all with us.
We had two very special memorial candles in their honour. I had a piece of my mother’s brooch attached to my bouquet & I also wore her engagement ring on the day. My baby brother Eugene who was back from Australia gave me away on the day which was an honour.
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