Wedding of the Week: From Canada to Clare for Maddison and Robert
Jewell Photography Philippe Pictures: Maddison Robert And Desrosiers
An elopement across the Atlantic from Canada to Clare ensured a magically memorable big day for Maddison Desrosiers and Robert Jewell.
Maddison and Robert, who live in Calgary, Alberta, were married in a 16th-century tower house in the Burren, Newtown Castle, by celebrant John Burns.
The ceremony was followed by cake-cutting and Guinness pouring at McDermott’s Pub, Doolin, and dinner at Anthony’s at Doolin Inn before they got the party started at Gus O’Connor’s, Doolin.
The Cliffs of Moher as well as Newtown Castle and the 13th-century Corcomroe Abbey, also in the Burren, also provided picture-perfect backdrops as the newlyweds’ photographer Philippe Gosseau, Philippe Photography ( philippephotography.ie) captured the occasion on camera.
Maddison, from Calgary, and Robert, from Edmonton, first laid eyes on one another a decade ago.
“We met while working together at Double Zero Pizza in Calgary, in 2014,” says Maddison, an occupational therapy specialist and pilates instructor.
She and Robert, a restaurateur, business owner and chef — who has also had a stint as a TV chef — got engaged five years later.
As Maddison is a keen diver, Robert’s Christmas present to her in 2018 was a trip to The Bahamas. “Little did she know the surprise that awaited her there,” he says.
Soon after arriving, Robert popped the question at the legendary Versailles garden at the Ocean Club, Paradise Island.
The covid pandemic thwarted their original wedding plans, adds Maddison, and they wanted “something smaller and more intimate”.
“Robert has family heritage from Ireland and he spent a period of time living in Dublin,” she says.
“After bringing me over for a few visits with his aunt Nuala and explore, we both felt the Emerald Isle would be the perfect locale to tie the knot."
They wanted their big day to be “a quaint celebration with traditional Celtic hand tying”, adds Maddison.
“We had both envisioned the green landscape of Ireland and a beautiful ancient castle. We wanted our closest friends by our sides, a cheeky pint of Guinness and the wonderful sea air,” she says.
Eloping in Ireland organised the event and Keanes florist created the décor.
Maddison looked elegant in a Pronovias gown and the bridal makeup was by Debbie O’Dowd with hairstyling by Katrina Cullen.
Maddison's sister Geneva Desrosiers was the maid of honour and Robert's brother Jade Jewell was the best man while the bridesmaids were Maja Kovac, Maddy Milne and Emily Rozitas and the groomsmen were Shaun Green, Andrew Lowery and Stuart Copping.
“We honestly could not have asked for a better day! We arrived in Doolin a few days prior to the wedding and were told it had been raining for the last month (shocker!). Lucky for us after a morning of rain, the clouds opened up and we had brilliant weather for the remainder of the occasion. The day could have lasted forever, it was so perfect.”
The newlyweds honeymooned in Italy and France, travelling to Monza for the F1 Grand Prix, as well as Milan, Tuscany, Florence, and Paris.
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