Choosing October for our wedding wasn’t just about the stunning autumn weather. “It’s off-season for competing,” explained Rob,”We were both at World Championships that year,and it meant we could celebrate without missing any major races. Plus, a lot of our friends were athletes, so it worked out perfectly for everyone.”
They tied the knot on October 10, 2009, surrounded by loved ones who had traveled from across the globe. Rob recalled, “The weather was unreal. we had athletes and friends over from Spain, friends and family from Australia, guests from the UK, and everyone was wearing sunglasses at the church.We felt truly blessed.”
Rob’s journey to proposing began long before the ring shopping trip to South Africa. “I was thinking about asking marian to marry me for a long time,” he shared. “When I was training and doing races, I’d gravitate towards lads who were married and ask them about engagement rings, how they picked one, how they proposed—all that stuff.”
His proposal took place on Marian’s birthday in April 2009, six months before the wedding. “I came home from South Africa and asked Marian to marry me, and then we set the date for six months later,” Rob reminisced.
The wedding morning itself was a relaxed affair. Rob, along with his four-year-old son, Cathal, stayed at the hotel the night before. They enjoyed breakfast, a swim in the pool, and a trip to the barber shop in Douglas.”We both got haircuts, and I got a Turkish shave. They even put shaving foam on Cathal and gave him a ‘shave’. It was lovely,” Rob chuckled.
They chose Glounthaune Church in Cork for the ceremony, drawn to its beauty.Afterward, the reception took place at the Rochestown Park Hotel. Looking back, Rob admitted, “When we look back on the day, neither of us were happy with our clothes. I thought mine were awful. I wore a long jacket which was too big for me. I’m 5 foot 8,and all my groomsmen were 6’4” or 6’5” and they made me look tiny. And marian thought her dress was way too big for her. Now, when I saw her in the church, I thought she looked gorgeous, amazing, but you no, when you look back on something…”
Despite any minor wardrobe woes, the day was filled with joy. The church was packed with 245 guests, creating a warm and vibrant atmosphere. “It was a lovely time,just me and Marian up at the altar,and it was surreal looking at the faces around me,and Marian standing next to me. It was kind of dreamy.I’d love to go back and take it all in again,” Rob confessed.
During the speeches, Ray Flynn, one of Rob’s groomsmen, shared a heartwarming anecdote. Flynn, who was running for the chair of High Performance at Irish Athletics at the time, delivered a 30-minute speech filled with memories of Rob’s athletic journey. “He talked about our history together, the races we were at, and the countries we visited. and then, at the end, he mentioned Marian, and the whole place started clapping because he hadn’t mentioned her at all in the whole speech!” Rob laughed.
Their first dance was a fitting choice: take That’s “Rule the World.” Rob explained, ”It was the perfect song for both of us at that time: I went on to become world champion, and marian went on to run in the Olympics.” The band was fantastic,keeping everyone entertained throughout the night. “Everyone was out dancing all night,the energy was so high,and everyone was up for having the craic. What was great was there were people there from all different walks of life—people we grew up with, people from sports, people we met along the way, and I always remember feeling very proud about that.”
Reflecting on the whirlwind festivity, Rob shared, “When I look back on the evening, my memories were of Marian and myself being apart, but we had so many friends there, and people we hadn’t seen for years, so many people who had traveled from all over the world and the country, and the day was so short, it went by in a flash. We had a second day, also at the Rochestown park Hotel, with about 100 people.we had James Gallagher, who’s singing with the Dubliners Tribute Band in the Opera House at the moment, and he was unbelievable. And that day, we were able to spend more time together.”
Nearly 16 years later, Rob’s thoughts still linger on Marian. “Nearly 16 years after our wedding day, when I look back, Marian just always comes to my mind.She was just gorgeous on the day, and the thought that I was marrying her, or that she was marrying me. I can remember when I was younger being mad about her,and to be there with her,it was a magical day.”
What’s your favorite memory from your wedding day?
Table of Contents
- 1. What’s your favorite memory from your wedding day?
- 2. A Magical Day: Remembering Our Wedding Anniversary
- 3. Choosing the Perfect Date
- 4. A global Gathering
- 5. The Road to “Yes”
- 6. A Relaxing Pre-Wedding Morning
- 7. Cherry-Picking Perfection
- 8. An Unforgettable Day
- 9. Warm Memories and Heartfelt Cheers
- 10. Dancing Through the Night
- 11. A Second Celebration
- 12. Forever in Our Hearts
A Magical Day: Remembering Our Wedding Anniversary
Rob Dunne, retired Olympian and four-time world champion runner, takes us back to his memorable wedding day wiht his wife Marian, a fellow accomplished athlete.
Choosing the Perfect Date
Archyde: Rob,your wedding was in October,a somewhat unusual choice for a party. Tell us about your decision.
Rob: Choosing October for our wedding wasn’t just about the stunning autumn weather. “It’s off-season for competing,” I explained. “We were both at World Championships that year, and it meant we could celebrate without missing any major races. Plus, a lot of our friends were athletes, so it worked out perfectly for everyone.”
A global Gathering
they tied the knot on October 10, 2009, surrounded by loved ones who had traveled from across the globe. Rob recalled, “The weather was unreal. We had athletes and friends over from Spain, friends and family from Australia, guests from the UK, and everyone was wearing sunglasses at the church. We felt truly blessed.”
The Road to “Yes”
Rob’s journey to proposing began long before the ring shopping trip to South Africa. “I was thinking about asking Marian to marry me for a long time,” he shared. “When I was training and doing races, I’d gravitate towards lads who were married and ask them about engagement rings, how they picked one, how they proposed—all that stuff.” His proposal took place on Marian’s birthday in April 2009,six months before the wedding. “I came home from South Africa and asked Marian to marry me, and then we set the date for six months later,” Rob reminisced.
A Relaxing Pre-Wedding Morning
The wedding morning itself was a relaxed affair. Rob, along with his four-year-old son, Cathal, stayed at the hotel the night before. They enjoyed breakfast,a swim in the pool,and a trip to the barber shop in Douglas. “We both got haircuts, and I got a Turkish shave.They even put shaving foam on Cathal and gave him a ‘shave’. It was lovely,” Rob chuckled.
Cherry-Picking Perfection
they chose Glounthaune Church in Cork for the ceremony, drawn to its beauty. Afterward, the reception took place at the Rochestown Park Hotel. Looking back, Rob admitted, “When we look back on the day, neither of us were happy with our clothes. I thought mine were awful. I wore a long jacket which was too big for me. I’m 5 foot 8, and all my groomsmen were 6’4” or 6’5” and they made me look tiny. And Marian thought her dress was way too big for her. Now,when I saw her in the church,I thought she looked gorgeous,amazing,but you know,when you look back on something…”
An Unforgettable Day
Despite any minor wardrobe woes, the day was filled with joy. The church was packed with 245 guests, creating a warm and vibrant atmosphere. ”It was a lovely time,just me and Marian up at the altar,and it was surreal looking at the faces around me,and Marian standing next to me. It was kind of dreamy. I’d love to go back and take it all in again,” Rob confessed.
Warm Memories and Heartfelt Cheers
During the speeches, Ray Flynn, one of Rob’s groomsmen, shared a heartwarming anecdote. Flynn, who was running for the chair of High Performance at Irish Athletics at the time, delivered a 30-minute speech filled with memories of rob’s athletic journey.”He talked about our history together, the races we were at, and the countries we visited. and then, at the end, he mentioned Marian, and the whole place started clapping because he hadn’t mentioned her at all in the whole speech!” Rob laughed.
Dancing Through the Night
their first dance was a fitting choice: Take That’s “Rule the World.” Rob explained, “It was the perfect song for both of us at that time: I went on to become world champion, and Marian went on to run in the Olympics.” The band was fantastic, keeping everyone entertained throughout the night. “Everyone was out dancing all night, the energy was so high, and everyone was up for having the craic. What was great was there were people there from all different walks of life—people we grew up with, people from sports, people we met along the way, and I always remember feeling very proud about that.”
A Second Celebration
Reflecting on the whirlwind festivity, Rob shared, “When I look back on the evening, my memories were of Marian and myself being apart, but we had so many friends there, people we hadn’t seen for years, so many people who had traveled from all over the world and the country, and the day was so short, it went by in a flash. We had a second day, also at the Rochestown Park hotel, with about 100 people. We had James Gallagher,who’s singing with The Dubliners tribute Band in the Opera House at the moment,and he was unbelievable. And that day, we were able to spend more time together.”
Forever in Our Hearts
Nearly 16 years later, Rob’s thoughts still linger on Marian. “Nearly 16 years after our wedding day, when I look back, Marian just always comes to my mind. She was just gorgeous on the day, and the thought that I was marrying her, or that she was marrying me. I can remember when I was younger being mad about her, and to be there with her, it was a magical day.”
What’s your favorite memory from your wedding day? share it in the comments below!
