A Dublin couple has become the first to be married in Bewley’s Grafton Street, 20 years after their first date in the famous cafe.
The venue hosted the full ceremony and reception for Sarah Brittain and Luke Carton, from Perrystown.
Bewley’s welcomed 90 people upstairs in the cafe.
‘They Said Yes’
“We really wanted to do something special for our wedding, and we rang Bewley’s – more in hope than expectation – after a friend said they might go for it,” said Sarah, a social worker.
“We thought they might think we were nuts, but they said yes, and within a short space of time, the plans were being laid for the first Bewley’s wedding.”
Further Weddings
The team at Bewley’s said that such was the success of the event that they are now taking bookings for further weddings and other private events at the historic venue.
Additionally, this week, Brittain and Carton became the first people to experience afternoon tea at the cafe.
‘The Whole Process’
“The team at the cafe took us through the whole process, from the most amazing food-tasting through to fixing my dress on the day,” said Brittain.
“The food was unbelievable – a lot of the guests said it was the best wedding food they ever had.”
First Date
Carton, from the Navan Road, and Brittain, from Knocklyon, had their first date in Bewley’s on 15 June 2003, when they were both 18.
They both met as children, when their families were adopting children from Romania.
‘Always Looking’
“We were always the older kids at the special meet-ups for families who had adopted,” said Carton, an IT sales manager.
“I was always looking out for Sarah, and eventually I plucked up the courage to ask her out.”
The Wedding
The two children that the families adopted – Carton’s brother, Aaron, and Brittain’s sister, Anna – were witnesses at the wedding.
The couple were also walked down the aisle by their three children, Harry (11), Ollie (7) and Milo (3).
‘Magical Stories’
“Bewley’s has always inspired the most magical stories. From their first date to our first wedding, we are thrilled that Sarah and Luke are the first to taste our afternoon tea experience,” said Bewley’s Café managing director Cól Campbell.
Bewley’s first afternoon tea experience, featuring a selection of savoury and sweet treats made in its in-house bakery, launches this week and can be booked online, at Bewleys.com.
