Ilovelimerick founder Richard Lynch marries the love of his life Hugo Dahn

Richard Lynch married his love Hugo Dahn with sweet blessings. Richard and Hugo Wedding at the Limerick Strand Hotel. Picture: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick

Ilovelimerick founder Richard Lynch marries the love of his life Hugo Dahn

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by I Love Limerick correspondent Baoyan Zhang

August 30, 2018, must be a special day in Richard Lynch’s life. The founder of  Ilovelimerick had the city of Limerick witness his love and happiness on the top floor of the Limerick Strand Hotel where Richard Lynch married the love of his life Hugo Dahn. The date, August 30 is especially meaningful to him as it is the date his beloved parents Eric and Florence Lynch got married and the day of Richard and Hugo’s wedding was Richard’s parents 60th wedding anniversary.

Speaking about their love story, Richard could still remember the very first time when he met his true love, Hugo. “It was almost seven years ago when I met Hugo at Dublin Pride on a dance floor. We were in love at first sight.” Hugo, from Latvia, was living in Dublin in the early period but then moved to Limerick to live with Richard three years after they met.

That morning, their wedding received blessings from all over the world. Guests travelled from different parts of the world to attend the ceremony with eight of Richard ’s closest friends coming from New York and Hugo’s family from Latvia.

Richard and Hugo’s entire day was planned from start to finish by one of Ireland’s most talented wedding planners, Sharon Mc Meel, who helped present and showcase the love of the grooms on their significant day.

A vintage green Riley car from the Heritage Wedding Cars brought Hugo to the hotel where everyone was waiting in excitement and anticipation. Connolly Man Limerick dressed the lads and made a perfect match for the duo having Hugo in grey and Richard in navy with matching ties, pocket squares and shoes.

Accompanied by his mother Maija, Hugo walked slowly up the aisle towards the love of his life, accompanied by the sounds of Latvian composer Raimonds Pauls beautiful piece ‘Aiz Azera Augsti Kalni’ (High Mountains by the Lake). There was not a dry eye in the house.

The lovebirds were married by well-known spiritual singer, Noirin Ni Rian who incorporated a blessing of the guests with water from the River Shannon into the ceremony.

Surrounded by the fragrance of flowers and sweetness of joyful tears, the two grooms put the holy rings on each other’s fingers with best wishes and love from their beloved friends and families accompanied by the strains of talented harpist Grainne Fitzgibbon.

“I just married the man I love and feel so blessed and fortunate. It’s a dream come through. I am crazy in love,” said Richard, the happiest groom in Limerick.

Richard Lynch married his love Hugo Dahn with sweet blessings. Picture: Dermot Culhane

Love was in the air with scenes out of a romantic movie thanks to the kind effort of Tom Walsh from Hearit Sound & Lighting who did the lighting and sounds for the event and built up the atmosphere.

The flowers for the day including a breathtaking wall of flowers on the top floor lobby of the Limerick Strand Hotel which was created by Irish Girl in Brooklyn, a new Limerick based business which is a lifestyle brand specialising in homeware, interiors and floral design, with roots spreading from Ireland’s west coast to NYC. The sweet duo cut their gorgeous gold and white chocolate decorated floral wedding cake from cake designer Nura Attik Asri in front of the flower wall.

Limerick singer-songwriter, Emma Langford played a musical set during the drinks reception singing songs that told a fairy tale of two people sharing their love together. Emma and the harpist Grainne Fitzgibbon played a special version they had developed themselves of Richard and Hugo’s favourite song, ‘Flower’ by Kylie Minogue.

After the delicious meal, family and friends were again moved to tears when Richard screened an 8-minute documentary focusing on the love story of his parents Eric and Florence. After the speeches, Michelle Grimes, from Ireland’s Got Talent, serenaded the newlyweds with a couple of their favourite love songs followed by an acapella rendition of a love song Richard and Hugo had written together.

The evening guest then began arriving and Richard and Hugo had their first dance. They chose a mashup of two of their favourite Kylie Minogue songs ‘Flower’ and ‘All the Lovers’. This was followed by DJ Eric Fitzgerald who played their all-time favourite classics for four hours, leading attendees to pack the sparkling light up dance floor under a magical disco ball for the entire duration of his set. The party continued into the early hours of the morning with a silent disco with New York house and pop music.

Richard and Hugo’s first dance, their passionate kisses and all the tears and smiles of the guests were captured by award-winning photographer DermoCulhane. Cherished pieces of memories are also collected with videos produced by both Luke Culhane and also Rory O’Donovan of O’Donovan Productions.

Richard was the Grand Marshall for Limerick Pride 2018 and dedicated the wedding to his parents and also the LGBT community. He wanted it to be unique and meaningful, not only for the grooms themselves but also for everyone who is fighting for their true love and marriage equality. 

Richard said, “We are the lucky ones for sure. Marriage Equality may have been passed in Ireland but others in the global LGBT community are not as fortunate as us in terms of equal rights. We must fight for our brothers and sisters throughout the world and take a stand for human rights for all. Everyone deserves to have the chance to marry the person they love.”

2018 is a special year for Richard as I Love Limerick is celebrating its 10th year anniversary. Richard shares his love and appreciation not just to all of the people who were there on the wedding day but to all of Limerick who bears witness to his love underneath the colours of a rainbow.

For more information on Richard Lynch, go here

For more stories on wedding, go here

Photos :Dolf Patijn/ilovelimerick

Photos: Cian Reinhardt/ilovelimerick