True Love Tuesday Amy and Ryan Burns... - Getting Married in Northern Ireland Magazine

Timeless and Classic

A proposal in Paris with Amy and Ryan celebrated their wedding at the glamorous Galgorm Restort

When Ryan and Amy’s proposal turned into a lockdown situation, little did they know they would be having a lockdown wedding too.
Teacher Ryan decided to pop the question at the top of the Eiffel Tower 4 years after the couple met whilst working in Doha in Qatar.
“I had no clue Ryan was going to propose even though the ring beeped numerous times in his pocket when going through security – I was oblivious!” Social worker Amy tells us. The romantic moment was caught on camera by onlookers ensuring the couple would have a special souvenir of the occasion. “I was shocked – I couldn’t answer him! It was so nice, the people around us began cheering, clapping and taking photos and videos,” said Amy. Amy loved the solitaire diamond ring that Ryan had designed himself and got made over a year before their trip to France.
In true Parisian style however, the streets below the Eiffel Tower had become the scene of a protest. Contrary to ruining the occasion Amy explained how they made the most of the circumstances, “We were stranded at the top of the Eiffel Tower for three hours! Everyone was buying us champagne, so we just spent that time in our own little bubble drinking champagne!”

Amy was inspired by Miranda Kerr’s timeless wedding look and had a very specific style in mind prior to visiting any bridal shops, “I always wanted a full skirt with sleeves and finally found ‘the one’ in McElhinney’s in Ballybofey.” In fact, the bride to be ended up choosing two Pronovias dresses in McElhinney’s opting to change into her second dress before her and Ryan’s first dance. McElhinney’s bridal suite provided a memorable dress shopping experience for Amy along with her mother and aunt, “It was definitely the best shop I visited in terms of bridal experience and selection of dresses. The staff were so good, friendly and helpful. I also got my alterations done there.” Amy also chose two headpieces from Aimee Farrell Designs, Newry as well as a brooch for the mother of the bride.

Amy chose three bridesmaids to share her special day, her best friend Jessica, cousin Clare and sister in law Victoria. Amy enlisted the help of Dungannon dressmaker Janet Courtney in finding the perfect dresses for the ladies. “She was so easy to work with and couldn’t do enough for us,” said Amy. So impressed with the dresses, Amy asked Janet to also make a cape for her mother and a top for Amy to wear the day after the wedding.

Ryan and his groomsmen opted for Red in Belfast to serve their sartorial needs. The groom’s party included Ryan’s brother Dermott, Amy’s brother Aaron and Ryan’s friend Mark.

As the couple got closer to their planned New Year’s Eve wedding, Covid regulations continued to change rapidly. It soon became clear that the wedding they had planned was not going to be permitted so rather than postpone the day the determined couple decided to bring the date forward. “We decided on a Friday that we were getting married on the Tuesday!”
Five years after their first date and a few days earlier than anticipated Ryan and Amy got married in Newry Cathedral on 22nd December 2020.
After a small mix up concerning wedding cars (for which the groom took full responsibility!) the marriage ceremony took place, officiated by Amy’s uncle. “He knows us so well and made it extra personal and touching. He also made us feel relaxed throughout. We picked all our readings and music and had different family members and friends take part in as much as possible,” said Amy, explaining why the ceremony was the absolute highlight of the day.
After the ceremony, the guests made their way to the Galgorm, the hotel’s Christmas decorations providing the perfect backdrop for festive photographs.
With support from the Galgorm’s wedding coordinators Megan and Paul the day went perfectly from start to finish for the couple and their 75 guests. The bride and groom were particularly delighted that they could treat their guests to a great day out after a tumultuous year.
Amy opted for a timeless classic theme for the day. She wanted to make sure that when she looked back on her wedding photos twenty years down the line, she would still love the style of dress, cake and flowers she had chosen. The four tier classic style wedding cake was lovingly made by Ryan’s mother.

In keeping with the timeless classic theme, the couple chose Etta James’ At Last for their first dance.
Looking back on the day, there is nothing Amy and Ryan would change, “Our wedding day was pure magic and so perfect. It was a very relaxed and intimate day, where we were surrounded by such love and happiness from all our guests. The icing on the cake would have been if Amy’s nana could have been able to attend but thankfully, she was able to watch on the webcam.”
The newlyweds would advise those who are currently planning their weddings not to compare your wedding to other peoples’ and make a list of what is important to you as a couple, “It’s about what you love and having the people you love celebrating with you, you don’t need to spend thousands to do that or have hundreds of people there.”
The couple recently honeymooned in Portugal but hope to go to Bali in 2022. They are currently enjoying their new life as husband in wife in their new home.