Louise and Gerard met in college in the University of Limerick, but they didn’t start dating until five years after they first met! (Gerard says he knew the first time he saw Louise that they would get married.) Just about six years later, they’re planning their wedding.
Give us the details! When? Where? How?
We got engaged on a weekend trip to Honduras! We literally played rock paper scissors the day before we flew out to decide whether or not we should book tickets as the weather was due to be stormy. I won the game so then and there we booked our tickets and flew the next morning!
We had the most amazing time in Honduras, and spent the first day zip lining followed by a massage and a dip in the hot springs. When we go back to our hotel that evening, after a very long game of Bananagrams, Ger got down on one knee! I had absolutely NO idea it was coming but he had asked my Dad, his Dad, and our families so they were all waiting for the news back in Ireland. It was such an incredible moment that I will never forget. When I saw him getting down on one knee, I was totally shocked. The weekend was so last minute, I literally had no idea it was coming. He proposed with a turtle toe ring which I absolutely love. We had never discussed engagement rings, and I had never really thought about it before so it took me about seven months after we got engaged to pick out my engagement ring! It felt like we got engaged all over again after I got that.
What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?
Getting my dress. I bought it in a small shop in Ireland right beside my house, I was so thrilled to find one so close to home. I brought my Mam, Sister, Ger’s Mam and Nana, all to see if before I bought it. It was a really special day!
We have yet to do the tasting, so I guess that might be Ger’s favorite part.
How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?
We are having a two year engagement so we have plenty of time to plan. To be honest, we have great family and friends at home who are so good helping us and recommending vendors, it hasn’t been stressful at all. I think the key is to ask people you trust and who have been to many weddings for their opinion, this saves so much time trying to research and reading peoples reviews that you don’t even know.
At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?
Love, family, happiness and health are the only things I care about in life. I am lucky to have them all and I will cherish and be grateful for that forever. This wedding is going to be so exciting and fun but the real part I am looking forward to is being Mrs. Somers and spending the rest of my life with Ger!
