The Westlife star marries his beautiful bride in Barbados.
Simon Cowell is famed for making dreams come true, but a little unknown talent the music mogul has yet to share with us is the one of matchmaking. Speaking of her wedding to Westlife's Kian Egan, Jodi Albert admitted, "Give credit where credit due. It was Simon who introduced us.”
So as the sun rose on the island of Barbados on May 8th 2009, Jodi (25) and Kian (29) knew they owed the X-Factor judge a little thank you for the tropical wedding extravaganza that was ahead of them.
All you Westlife fans out there will be wondering if the nuptial mean a band reunion with Brian McFadden, But as Kian says "We asked him - but he never replied."
The couple decided to marry in Barbados because “we love it”, explains Kian, “It’s the first place we went on holiday and the place we first said we love each other”, adds Jodi. We’re having a big welcome dinner so everyone can mingle, and we’ve planned a lot of activities over the week. We’re hiring a catamaran one day so we can spend the day at sea with the turtles.
Sadly Kian's dad Kevin was unable to make it to Barbados due to ill health but the rest of the Egan clan, including Kian’s 7 brothers and sisters, were out in full force.
The couple spent the night before the wedding apart. Kian was with his best man, brother Tom Egan and his family and friends at the hotel Taramind Cove, whilst Jodi was with her sister Kelli and parents Eileen and George Albert, stayed at the private Villa Cover Spring, where the wedding breakfast was being held later that day.
Kian arrived at the Great House early dressed in pure island chic; white linen trousers and shirt with an orchid buttonhole. It was just another example of how simple Jodi and Kian wanted their wedding to be. "We are just very earthy and relaxed people. We have just told guest to wear flip flops and Hawaiian shirts. All we have said in dress code terms is to wear something you feel comfortable in."
Friends and family of the couple including the Westlife boys and Jodi's old Hollyoaks mates Sarah Jayne Dunn, Ali Bastian and Carley Stevevnson were greeted with champagne and strawberries while a steel band provided a traditional bajan soundtrack.
Mark Feehily and his partner Kevin Mcdaid filled OK! in on their exciting travels backpacking around Asia. Mark told us, "We had the time off so we just went in search for a culture shock." And when we asked the last unmarried couple within Westlife if wedding bells wew in the futures for them, he told "Never say never."
Right on schedule, Jodi's white Mercedes pulled up to the house, the bride looking resplendent in her Jenny Packham gown and accessories. She told OK! Magazine, "When I was choosing a dress, it wasn’t at all what I thought I’d go for, but I saw it and I knew it was the dress."
Jodi's bouquet was a magnificent trailing bouquet of white tiger lilies, cymbidium orchids and clear crystal. Her mother Eillen told us that the whole morning Jodi has been dealing with her nerves, explaining "When we woke up she was fine, she had a little bit of nerves but she was really calm. Then big sister comes along, tears streaming down her face" Her tears wiped away, Kelli preceded Jodi down the aisle carrying pink and white tiger lilies, and cymbidium orchids in her bouquet while her flower girl Kia scattered pink petals.
At 3:27pm, Jodi arrived at the bottom of the aisle on the arm of her dad George, and the string quartet began playing, the Bryan Adams track, ‘I’m Ready’. Jodi's old co-star Sarah Jayne Dunn told us "I was looking at Kian's face as Jodi walked down the aisle and his dace said it all. It set me off crying..."
The rings exchanged were Jodi's Tiffany engagement ring, which has been altered by Irish jeweller Pail Sheeran to become her wedding band, while Kian's ring was a simple platinum one with a band of mother of pearl running through the centre.
When the reverend Peter Haynes announced them husband and wife a cheer went up through the crowd, and having held her emotions in for the ceremony, Jodi's eyes filed with tears. As a surprise, the children’s choir from St Martin's Mangrove primary school, sang a very special version of ‘Love Is In The Air’, to mark the end of the ceremony.
Whilst Kian and Jodi had their pictures taken, guests nibbled on a selection of canapes including fruit skewers with grape jelly, minted feta and watermelon, crudites with dips and a selection of cheese and crackers. They also had their first taste of Caribbean cocktails for the day with specially blended mojitos and cosmopolitans.
Shortly before 5:30pm guests were taken to Cove Spring house where the wedding breakfast was being held. Lisa StC Hutchnson, the Island’s premier wedding planner from Weddings beyond your imagination - and her team had created an incredible setting. All eyes were drawn to the gazebo, where Kian and Jodi's wedding cake was standing. A five tiered chocolate fudge cake with fresh strawberries.
As much as Simon Cowell was responsible for Jodi and Kian getting together in the first place, he also popped up when planning the wedding. The couple discovered Cove Spring House and knew the second they found it it was exactly what they wanted. Kian told us "As it turns out it’s where Simon Cowell stays when he is in Barbados," Jodi adds, "When we saw Simon at the X Factor, he said "I hear you’re getting married in my house", and we were like, "It’s our house now.". Sadly because of work commitments to American Idol, Simon was unable to attend.
Shortly after 6.30pm, the 100 guests were called to dinner, a buffet of roast beef with horseradish, wild salmon, tiger prawns, crab and a seafood platter, followed by strawberry cheesecake, banoffee pie and lemon tart. The music was a specially selected playlist that Kian had put together himself including Bon Jovi, Prince, Extreme and The revolution and Bryan Adams.
All the tables had tropical names and OK! sat next to Louis Walsh at the Tiger Lily table, and enjoyed a good old gossip with the pop maestro, who told us that he and Simon Cowell refer to each other as Mrs Cowell and Miss Walsh, adding, "We have such a laugh on X Factor, we just gossip all day, and whatever you see on screen with the judges is real."
Just after 8pm, the speeches began, Kian's father Kevin couldn’t make it to Barbados but he sent a letter, which Tom read out. "I’m sorry I can't be there. It wasn’t for the want of trying, but the nurses in Sligo are keeping me busy. Jodi, I’m delighted to welcome you into our large and colourful family."
Jodi's father, George reminisced about the early day, when Kian was the perfect gentleman, and said that Kian was a friend as well as son in law to him. Kian rounded off the speeches with a dedication to his wife, saying "I was probably in love with Jodi the moment I saw her out and I thought, that’s it, I’m done, I need her. I want her and I’m not going to live without her. We’re just meant to be as far as I’m concerned, I can’t wait for my babies, my grandchildren because I have the best woman in the world as far as I’m concerned.” Finishing his toast he said, “I have her, she’s my wife, I have bagged it, job done, now lets party."
And party they did , After a first dance to their song "I’m Ready" by Bryan Adams, the reggae band stuck up a rousing edition of celebration that had all the guests hitting the dancefloor where they boogied until sunrise.
Shortly before they jetted off to Barbados, OK! caught up with the happy couple at their Essex home to talk about their dream tropical wedding, why Brian McFadden is a no show and why they have Simon Cowell to thank for everything.
All your preparations for the wedding have been done. How are you feeling now the big day is just around the corner?
Jodi: I am so excited, but it is also quiet surreal. One minute we had a year and a half to plan it, and now suddenly its here.
Kian: The thing as well is that the last year has been so buys. Even though I have had a year off from Westlife I haven’t had a year off at all. I’ve been organising the wedding, managing the new girlband with Louis and building a new house in Ireland.
Has it been stressful?
Kian: My biggest problem is that when I go to bed, I will lie awake for at least an hour and a half because my brain is just flying. I just lie there thinking about the things that need to be done. I’m a bit of a worrier at night, when nothing else is going on around my brain goes into overdrive.
A lot of wedding are organised by the bride but it seems like a real team effort.
Kian: I’m a big organiser anyway, but I just don’t believe in letting other people arrange things for me, I’m too much of a control freak in that way.
Jodi: You’re not a control freak babe. He’s just very organised, I’m so grateful he is like that, because I could not have done this wedding without him.
Has that made things a lot easier for you Jodi?
I would not be bale to get married if Kian wasn’t such a great organiser. There is no way I would have coped under all the pressure. I would have cracked and cried "it’s not worth it lets just stay engaged".
Was there never a clash of opinions?
Kian: Our wedding planner allocated a budget for flowers and I didn’t understand why because we’re getting married in a garden. But Jodi wanted flowers so we had them.
There have been four Westlife weddings, before this one - if you include Kerry and Brian McFadden - did they inspire yours at all?
Kian: It made us go in the opposite direction of a traditional wedding I think.
Jodi: We have been to some beautiful weddings back home and it’s really suited those couples but it never really felt like it was us.
In what way?
Kian: When we were organising the wedding people would say things like, "This is when such and such normally happens, and we’d be like If that’s what usually happens then lets do it differently."
Jodi: We just like things to be easy. Outside of work, me and Kian just love the way of the Buddha, the life, the happiness and to be chilled out. So the last thing we want our wedding to be is regimented.
Will Brian McFadden and Delta Goodrem be there?
Kian: Brian and Delta have been invited to the wedding, but we haven’t heard from them. We are still very good friends with them, but we didn’t physically send them invitations because we didn’t know where to send it too. I texted Brian and Jodi on the phone to Delta a few times to find out where to send the invitation too but we never heard back.
Jodi. Yes, it’s kind of weird. Maybe they both lost their phones at the same time.
Did you talk to them about the wedding though?
Kian: When Jodi spoke to Delta on the phone it seemed that they were coming.
So what if they turn up on the day?
Jodi: They probably will do knowing those two. It’s completely Brian's style.
Kian: He will be knocking on the gate trying to get in and we will be like. "There’s no seats for you - you never f ******* replied.”
Did you ever consider getting married in England or Ireland?
I am so into my surfing and Jodi is so into the island life so it made sense for us to get married abroad.
Who is going to be the most emotional at the wedding?
Jodi: Kian.
Kian: Probably, yes. We will both be extremely emotional but I’m not able to hold it in as well as Jodi.
Jodi: I think that I will cry. All my friends have not cried but I think it’ll be hard for us not get all emotional.
How will you pace yourself so you don’t get too drunk?
Kian: We're not!
Jodi: The wedding starts quite late as it’s too hot to start it early.
Kian: And we have said we don’t really want anyone to have a drink until after the ceremony. We will maybe give out the odd cocktail. You have got to remember, yove got a bunch of Irish people coming out.
Jodi: Yeah, and my lot too!
Kian: Yeah her lot might as well be Irish too lol...
What about a bit of dutch courage before the ceremony?
Jodi: Just before I walk down the aisle I’m going to have a little drop of mojito and then I’m not touching anything else till after dinner. I really don’t want to get drunk as I want to remember everything that happens. But after that I intend to knock back a few mojitos.
Kian: That’s fine baby...
Kian is managing your new band Jodi - How will you cope being married and him being your new "boss"?
Jodi: People have asked me that a lot but the truth is it’s absolutely fine, because the whole time, when I’m working I always ask for his opinion I’ve always wanted his opinion no matter what I have done.
Kian: Which is just as well because I’m a bit of an opinionated…
What about another joint project like having a baby?
Jodi: We talk about them all the time, but I’m 25, and I really want to give my career a good chance, I need to get that out of my system before I consider being a mum.
Kian: There is no need to hurry. For a lot of people babies come quite quickly after you get married, but given our lifestyle and jobs it’s not realistic.
Jodi: Realistically it’s a good five years away yet.
Next week's OK! magazine issue will have pictures of the after party!
Source: OK! Magazine
Credit:Westlife.gr
