Irene uninvited guest at Irish wedding in NY

Irish recover from Hurricane Irene

When Dubliner Cerri McQuillan decided to plan a summer wedding in upstate New York, she never imagined she would have a hurricane to contend with.

“We thought about what we would do if it rained, but no one prepares for that kind of weather,” she told the Irish Voice.

Despite the imminent threat of high speed winds and torrential downpour, McQuillan and her husband Joey Wehner tied the knot on Saturday evening in an outdoor wedding in Columbia County.

Canceling was not an option, the bride told the Irish Voice. She admits she was in denial about the adverse weather warnings.

“It was very hard to believe as up there on Friday the weather was gorgeous,” McQuillan said.

“We were going to go ahead regardless. My family came over from Ireland and it was not an option not to cancel.

“Reality set in when everyone started canceling left right and center,” she said.

After almost 50 people cancelled in the lead-up to the storm, the couple decided to downsize the affair.

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“We got a smaller tent, but then the tent people called to say they needed it back the following morning by 7 a.m., before the storm hit,” said McQuillan.

Once all the guests left on Saturday night, the newlyweds and their family had to ensure the tent was ready for collection in the morning.

“Originally the party was due to go on the whole night, but around 2 a.m. once everyone left we had to strip away everything from the tent,” she said.

“We put on our scuba gear,” she joked before admitting she threw a green wooly jumper over her wedding dress to get the job done.

Not every bride’s dream to be preparing for the onslaught of a hurricane on the night of her wedding, but despite this McQuillan says she would do it all again.

“I think we almost had a better time because of it! “It made it more memorable. We may even call the first girl Irene!” she joked.

Meanwhile, in downtown Manhattan close to the South Street Seaport, business in Ryan Maguire’s Ale House on Cliff Street was bustling throughout the storm.

Proprietor Tommy Maguire told the Irish Voice he was glad they didn’t go with “plan A” to close the bar.

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Nster.com