Waterford Weddings: Childhood sweethearts marry in Tower Hotel
Shannon had enlisted various family members for her big day. Her sister-in-law, Emma Nam, made the wedding cake (@e.f.a.sweetbakes). Shannon said: "I’ve gotten a million compliments about how it was the nicest wedding cake ever!" All Photos: Christina Tallon from CT Photography
Shannon Burke and Damian Nam were married in the Tower Hotel on October 31.
They met when they were children and have been together since they were 14 years old. They celebrated their 16th anniversary together before marrying on Halloween this year.
Shannon told the : “We’ve had an amazing life together, travelling all over the world and growing and evolving as people.
"Of course, we have had our hard times like anyone but we always made it through because I truly don’t think we could be one without the other.”
They welcomed their little boy Wolf into the world on October 8, 2023, and they’ve loved every minute as a family since.
Damian is also a powerlifter on the Irish national team.
They love going on family holidays (Wolf has already been to Dubai, Hong Kong and Santorini).
Shannon said: “We’ve always loved to travel together so bringing our little man along makes it more special.”
Shannon told us all about how they got engaged: “Damian had it all planned out, he even got my sister Ciara on board to try and suss out my ring size but I was freshly postpartum with Wolf so with my baby brain I wasn’t easy to suss.
"Damian just had to guess the size. To be fair she never blew her cover and low and behold Christmas morning in 2023, I received a card from Damian and Wolf that said, ‘mammy will you marry Daddy?’; I had no idea it was coming, it was the perfect proposal, just the three of us together on Christmas morning, I’ll never forget it."
The newlyweds would like thank all the vendors who were, “beyond amazing”.
"The Tower Hotel in Waterford, Áine and the team in events, were amazing from start to finish and the day was everything we could have wanted and more!
"Ryan and the team on the night played a blinder and were so accommodating, I think everyone will be talking about the beef for weeks, it was that good!
"Our celebrant Sue Anne O’Donnell was incredible, she is beautiful inside and out and created a ceremony for us that was light-hearted and funny, which is what we wanted, I’ll remember it always."
Shannon also wanted to say an extra special thank you to her mum Antoinette Burke who did everything behind the scenes to make the day so special.
“She is one in a million, if anyone is looking for a wedding planner, hit her up lol.”
"Thank you Déise Weddings for our beautiful ceremony decorations, ceremony music and interactive mirror. I don’t think the kids were off the dancefloor for the night and the mirror was the main event."
All of us at the would like to wish Shannon and Damian our sincere congratulations.
If you would like to have your wedding featured in the get in touch with Libby at libby.marchant@waterford-news.com
