Chris and Paulette: Adding a 'Little Something Irish' to Their Days.
Written by Vicky on Mar. 25, 2026 | 0 Comments
It's been a while since we've shared more of our lovely customers' stories, but when Chris got in touch, we knew these happy faces needed to be shared!
Meet Chris and Paulette, who got married in October last year after a wonderful introduction by mutual friends in 2022!
A well-earned pint in County Kerry on their 2024 Irish trip!
Photo Credit: C. Mahoney
How Does The Story Start?
Naturally, I asked Chris how he and Paulette met, and it seems like a wonderful case of serendipity, and a sure lesson to attend your regular dental hygiene visits! You never know what magic may occur. I'll leave it to Chris to tell the story, because he does it so well.
We met through mutual friends, Weldon and Jorine. Paulette is a dental hygienist and they have been patients of hers for 20+ years. I’ve know them since 2008 when I moved to North Carolina and Jorine was my youngest daughter’s pre-school teacher.
In 2022, Jorine was sitting in Paulette’s chair for a regular dental checkup. At that time, Jorine had only recently learned that Paulette had been divorced for about 4-5 years. Inexplicably, Jorine casually asked Paulette if she had been dating anyone. Paulette then quipped, (jokingly) “no, why do you know anyone?” Jorine then proceeded to sit up in the chair to proclaim, “Yes I do!”
Just a few short weeks later, Weldon and Jorine arranged for Paulette and I to meet at their house to make introductions and the courtship began from there. About 2 years later, we got engaged in 2024 (4 months after our Ireland trip) and 3 years later in 2025 we got married
Paulette and Chris, October 2025.
Photo Credit: C. Mahoney
When Chris reached out to us recently, he replied to our email about Gemma's wedding in March, 2025. It turned out that he had met with her not long after she came back from her honeymoon last year!
"I’ve been meaning to write to you since our wedding on Oct 4 to share our story with you. Our connection to My Irish Jeweler started with a video consultation with Gemma from across the Atlantic pond on March 31, 2025.
Paulette and I had been in Ireland in June 2024 and although we did not get engaged there (despite the many places that would have served as a magnificent backdrop - Cliffs of Mohr, Kerry Cliffs, Derrynane Beach, Inis Oirr island - and our traveling companions expecting us to) we had been talking about getting engaged and we both returned from the trip wanting to incorporate “something Irish” into our wedding."
Chris mentioned visiting Ireland in the late '90s, so I was curious whether Paulette had travelled here before their shared trip in 2024.
No, our 2024 trip was her first visit. She LOVED it. The landscapes, the beautiful scenery, the people, the adorable sheep 🐑, and the Guinness. We do want to visit again, maybe the northwestern areas of Sligo, Donegal, Derry and perhaps with our children.
Paulette sent me a separate note to say this:
The only thing I will add to Chris’s is description of our visit to Ireland is how much I loved the beauty and the genuine friendliness of the people we came in contact with. Felt totally welcomed. Loved Ireland and would love to return.
Chris and Paulette enjoying the glorious scenery of Derrynane Beach in the Ring of Kerry in 2024 and definitely *not* getting engaged.
Photo Credit: C. Mahoney.
The Ties That Bind
You know we love the love stories, but we also enjoy hearing about our friends' connection to Ireland. (The Irish are gleefully and unrepentantly curious like that!) We figured it was more than just a fantastic trip that prompted the affinity, and when I asked Chris, he told me.
With a name like Mahoney, red hair and pinkish skin, you may have guessed that it’s family heritage. Unfortunately I know little about it. We believe the family is from Cork but I don’t know who or when my descendants emigrated to the U.S. If it was pre-industrial wave (before 1860) might be hard to find information; if it was post-industrial wave (after 1860), might be easier. Project for another day. The only other thing I can tell you is my mother’s maiden name is Boylan and my maternal grandmother’s maiden name was O’Brien. As for Paulette, she does have some Irish heritage but all we know is her maternal grandfather (Becker) had some Irish in him. One last thing is that on my first trip to Ireland in 1999, I learned that we’ve likely been mispronouncing Mahoney. We say Ma-hōn-nee. Several people from the 1999 trip and our 2024 trip said it should be Ma-honey.
(Chris is right, of course. In Ireland, Mahoney is usually pronounced Ma-hunny, with the emphasis on the first syllable, but pronunciations don't always travel well between centuries and continents; some changes and alterations are to be expected!)
Two happy travelers on the Cliffs of Moher. Still not getting engaged! ;)
Photo Credit: C. Mahoney
Back to the Wedding...
Anyway, following their post-Ireland engagement, when Chris and Paulette started searching for his wedding band, he knew he wanted something a little different from the usual plain gold band. As it happens, Paulette found My Irish Jeweler online - good woman! - and Chris got reacquainted with Ogham...
We were intrigued by your Ogham engraving (I had heard about the Ogham alphabet on my first trip to Ireland in 1999 and was excited to rediscover it); I quickly fell in love with your Ogham Celtic Lovers Knot Ring. That led us to scheduling a consultation with Gemma. She was fantastic. She showed us lots of other options to consider and offered excellent advice. Ultimately we kept coming back to the Ogham Celtic Lovers Knot Ring and purchased it as my wedding ring a short time after our meeting. At the time, we had been trying to learn a few Irish words and Gemma helped us properly pronounce (and spell in Ogham) “my love” (Mo ghrá) which we had engraved on my ring.
Chris's striking Ogham Celtic Lover's knot ring, with a personalized message from Paulette.
Photo Credit: C. Mahoney
The Cúpla Focail Didn't Stop There, Mind...
So we had our “something Irish,” but much to our delight, our experience with My Irish Jeweler did not end there. We came across Ciaran’s video “7 Ways to Say 'I Love You in Irish” and started using several of the expressions. Is tú mo ghrá, Mo ghrá thú, and Is tú mo chuisle became part of our daily greetings to each other and we incorporated the words into our wedding vows. We still need to work on pronunciation 😀 so I often go back to the video to practice. So please thank Ciaran for that piece of joy.
(As an aside, I just know Ciarán will be delighted to hear this, because he puts a lot of care and thought into the videos he makes. Knowing you incorporated Irish into your wedding vows with his unwitting guidance will pretty much make his day!)
Words of Wisdom
We like to ask couples who share their story with us to include some advice for newlyweds, and, of course, I wanted to hear Chris and Paulette's thoughts on What Makes It All Work.
Best advice I can give is to be present for each as much as possible. It’s maybe a little easier for Paulette and I than younger newlyweds since our kids are grown and we are established in our careers and don’t have the pressures of finances, starting a family and career building that many younger couples face. But we still work at it every day.
Photo Credit: C. Mahoney.
On a purely personal level, I'm consistently struck by the grace and mindfulness that couples afford one another, especially when they get together a little later in life. I am so thankful that we get to talk with such lovely people who are so generous with their time and thoughts!
Congratulations, or Comhghairdeas as we say in Gaelic, to the magnificent Chris and Paulette! We send you both our very best wishes for a life filled with love, loyalty, and friendship. And if you're in our area next time you're in Ireland, let us know, and we'll be sure to pop the kettle on for you!
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Vicky
My Irish Jeweler
My Welsh grandmother introduced me to two of my great loves in life before I was four years of age: she taught me to read and, under careful supervision, permitted me to look through her jewelry box. Stories and shiny things have been my passions ever since!
In the forty years I have lived here, Ireland has changed dramatically in virtually every aspect. Among its constants, though, is a rich tradition of decorative adornment and storytelling in all its forms: from the ancient carvings at Newgrange, the beautiful golden torcs in the National Museum, and the world-famous Book of Kells, to our modern designers, writers, musicians, and craftspeople. Celtic creativity is more powerful today than ever, and that is why it's my honor to share our stories and witness yours.
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