American couple marry in Guildhall after 'falling in love' with venue, Derry and its people

Frank Gallardo lives in Arizona and Jean-Robert Lafont (John) is from Georgia but back in 2023 they found themselves Ireland-bound, with Derry’s unique Halloween experience high on the agenda.

Frank explained: “Originally, we had planned a two-week trip to Scotland, Ireland and England, but because of work commitments we had to cut it to a week, so we decided to just visit Ireland.

"We were actually debating between Dublin and Belfast, but then our friend Cliff Whitham, who was John's bestman, suggested we should come and stay with him in St Johnston so we could visit Derry.

"He suggested Halloween once I told him the possible timeframe we were looking at. We loved the Derry Halloween experience and hope to do it again someday!

"This was our first trip to Ireland, and we fell in love with Derry because of the people, the history, the food and just the general positive feeling the city gave off to us.”

During their trip the couple visited the Giant’s Causeway on November 1, where Frank plucked up the courage to propose to John.

With love in the air for the American couple their Ireland adventure was coming to an end, and that’s when fate intervened to help them find their perfect wedding venue.

“As we were leaving for Dublin Cliff suggested going to the Guildhall one more time to see the organ upstairs,” Frank explained.

“We had visited during Halloween but were only able to access the ground floor part at that stage, so we were delighted to return and see the rest of the building.

“When we walked in, we were greeted by Siobhan, whom we had met on the previous two visits to the Guildhall during our stay.

" When she remarked that it was good to see us again John showed her the engagement ring. She immediately took us on a tour of the wedding facilities.

"I didn’t say this during the tour, but my initial thought was ‘no way am I getting married in Ireland’. John was all for it from the beginning, but he wanted me to pick the venue. A little over a month later I changed my mind, and the rest is history.

“We did fall in love with the Guildhall, it was that simple. The history, the wonderful people working there, and the fact it looks like a church but isn’t! We love the architecture and the stained glass, and we knew our guests would too,” he explained.

Trying to plan a wedding from halfway across the globe is a daunting task, but Frank and John found the staff in the Guildhall were invaluable when it came to making their big day a reality.

Frank explained, “It was definitely a challenge, but Amanda Creagh, Team Lead, Visitor Services and Booking Office, was so informative in her emails and every time I called to speak with her.

"My calls to the Guildhall increased in frequency in the last two months before the ceremony, whoever answered was so kind, so informative and they got to the point of recognising me when I rang. Well, the American accent made it obvious!

“We also made the trip back to Derry for the Jazz Festival in 2024 and were able to solidify many of the details during that visit. It was a complex process, but the Guildhall staff really simplified things, which was fantastic.”

Come December 2024 and the wedding day was within touching distance for John and Frank.

“Our wedding was planned for December 7, we arrived on December 4 and met with Amanda on December 5 to finalise things. We really were treated like royalty, Siobhan even made scones for us that morning. Our wedding planner and our two best men were with us, and we were all blown away by everyone’s kindness.”

When the big day arrived, Frank and John were joined by 21 guests, 18 of them who had made the trip from America to join the happy couple. And thanks to the efforts of the Guildhall staff, the day went perfectly.

Frank explained, “The Guildhall staff were a huge part of our day, and we can’t thank them enough for all their help. Chris was our representative in the room during the ceremony, he recorded a video of it which we posted for our family and friends who could not travel from the US.

“Brian gave me last minute Irish lessons since I did the last verse of my vows in Irish and let's just say my translation was a bit off in some parts, but he fixed that.

" And Lee was our personal bartender after the ceremony as we did a toast with all our guests. I found out later he even made mimosas, and he also showed me the proper way to pour a Guinness 0.0.”

After their ceremony John and Frank, along with their guests, enjoyed the rest of the celebrations in the Railway Tavern.

With Derry now written into their love story Frank and John intend to return to the city frequently to relive their wedding day and create new memories along the way. Some of their guests are already making plans to come back to enjoy Halloween 2025.

Alison Morris, Operations Manager, Museum & Visitor Services with Derry City and Strabane District Council, praised her staff for their dedication to making sure Frank and John’s wedding really was the day of their dreams. She said: “I am delighted Frank and John had such an amazing wedding ceremony in the Guildhall. It’s wonderful to hear such positive feedback about the help and support the Guildhall staff provided to John and Frank, we are delighted we helped to make the day so memorable. We look forward to seeing them again on a return visit to Derry.”

If you think the Guildhall could help make your wedding day extra special, then visit www.guildhallderry/.com for more information.