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CultureQuiet 12d · day 13

Strangers answer Bridget Devaney's call to celebrate her cancelled Irish wedding

After her elopement collapsed, an Irish-based woman invited internet strangers to Northern Ireland for a 'non-wedding' week — eleven showed up.

newest coverage 12d agosummary written 12d ago6 pieces9 likes & upvotes NewswiresMastodonHacker News

What to know

  • An anonymous social media invitation after a cancelled elopement drew hundreds of responses and ultimately eleven participants.
  • The women travelled from the US, Canada and Wales to meet a stranger and each other in person for a week in Northern Ireland.
  • The story has been widely syndicated via BBC's RSS and social feeds, framed as a feel-good tale of improvised community.
some voices

The gathering is a touching example of women forming spontaneous community and solidarity.

  • “This is a rather sweet story of how a bunch of strangers became a ritually bonded female coalition to help a woman overcome the distress of 'nonmarriage'”

    RadicalAnthro@c.im · Mastodon ↗

Bridget Devaney Woman whose elopement fell apartJanae Pettit Trip participantShana Trip participant

Strangers answer Bridget Devaney's call to celebrate her cancelled Irish wedding
bbc.co.uk

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 3h at Oct 30, 7 PM; 6 pieces over 13 days (3 articles · 3 posts) Oct 30, 7 PM — 3 pieces · 2 articles · 1 post — Newswires 2, Mastodon 1Oct 30, 10 PM — quietOct 31, 1 AM — quietOct 31, 4 AM — quietOct 31, 7 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Oct 31, 10 AM — quietOct 31, 1 PM — quietOct 31, 4 PM — quietOct 31, 7 PM — quietOct 31, 10 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Nov 1, 1 AM — quietNov 1, 3 AM — quietNov 1, 6 AM — quietNov 1, 9 AM — quietNov 1, 12 PM — quietNov 1, 3 PM — quietNov 1, 6 PM — quietNov 1, 9 PM — quietNov 2, 12 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Nov 2, 3 AM — quietNov 2, 6 AM — quietNov 2, 9 AM — quietNov 2, 12 PM — quietNov 2, 3 PM — quietNov 2, 6 PM — quietNov 2, 9 PM — quietNov 3, 12 AM — quietNov 3, 3 AM — quietNov 3, 6 AM — quietNov 3, 9 AM — quietNov 3, 12 PM — quietNov 3, 3 PM — quietNov 3, 6 PM — quietNov 3, 9 PM — quietNov 4, 12 AM — quietNov 4, 3 AM — quietNov 4, 6 AM — quietNov 4, 9 AM — quietNov 4, 12 PM — quietNov 4, 3 PM — quietNov 4, 6 PM — quietNov 4, 9 PM — quietNov 5, 12 AM — quietNov 5, 3 AM — quietNov 5, 6 AM — quietNov 5, 9 AM — quietNov 5, 12 PM — quietNov 5, 3 PM — quietNov 5, 6 PM — quietNov 5, 9 PM — quietNov 6, 12 AM — quietNov 6, 3 AM — quietNov 6, 6 AM — quietNov 6, 9 AM — quietNov 6, 12 PM — quietNov 6, 3 PM — quietNov 6, 6 PM — quietNov 6, 9 PM — quietNov 7, 12 AM — quietNov 7, 3 AM — quietNov 7, 6 AM — quietNov 7, 9 AM — quietNov 7, 12 PM — quietNov 7, 3 PM — quietNov 7, 6 PM — quietNov 7, 9 PM — quietNov 8, 12 AM — quietNov 8, 3 AM — quietNov 8, 6 AM — quietNov 8, 9 AM — quietNov 8, 12 PM — quietNov 8, 3 PM — quietNov 8, 6 PM — quietNov 8, 9 PM — quietNov 9, 12 AM — quietNov 9, 3 AM — quietNov 9, 6 AM — quietNov 9, 9 AM — quietNov 9, 12 PM — quietNov 9, 3 PM — quietNov 9, 6 PM — quietNov 9, 9 PM — quietNov 10, 12 AM — quietNov 10, 3 AM — quietNov 10, 6 AM — quietNov 10, 9 AM — quietNov 10, 12 PM — quietNov 10, 3 PM — quietNov 10, 6 PM — quietNov 10, 9 PM — quietNov 11, 12 AM — quietNov 11, 3 AM — quietNov 11, 6 AM — quietNov 11, 9 AM — quietNov 11, 12 PM — quietNov 11, 3 PM — quietNov 11, 6 PM — quietNov 11, 9 PM — quietYesterday, 12 AM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 6 AM — quietYesterday, 9 AM — quietYesterday, 12 PM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 6 PM — quietYesterday, 9 PM — quietToday, 12 AM — quiet 12
Oct 31Nov 1Nov 2Nov 3Nov 4Nov 5Nov 6Nov 7Nov 8Nov 9Nov 10Nov 11now · 1:54 AM ET
  1. 2

    Social media users react to the story online

    Readers shared and commented on the story as it circulated, with at least one commenter framing it as an example of women forming a supportive bond around a 'nonmarriage'.

    “This is a rather sweet story of how a bunch of strangers became a ritually bonded female coalition to help a woman overcome the distress of 'nonmarriage'”
    — RadicalAnthro@c.im
    • RadicalAnthro@c.im

      This is a rather sweet story of how a bunch of strangers became a ritually bonded female coalition to help a woman overcome the distress of 'nonmarriage' https://www. bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx4g1v dyzem6o

      RadicalAnthro@c.imMastodon12d agoview on Mastodon ↗
  2. 1

    BBC News NI publishes the story of the 'non-wedding' trip

    BBC News reported on the gathering, describing how the eleven women helped transform Bridget's loss and heartbreak into a week of connection, companionship and adventure; the piece spread quickly via BBC's syndication and social feeds.

  3. background

    Eleven strangers travel to Northern Ireland for the 'non-wedding' — Over the following months Bridget organised the trip with women from the US, Canada and Wales; earlier in October the group spent a week together exploring the north coast.

  4. background

    Janae Pettit discovers the post and signs up — Janae Pettit, a design consultant from Utah approaching her 40th birthday, found the invitation and decided to join despite initially thinking it was an April Fool's joke.

  5. background

    Bridget Devaney posts invitation for women to join her Irish trip — Spurred by a friend's suggestion and a photographer's email checking in on her postponed wedding, Bridget posted a call on her anonymous social media profile inviting women to a group trip to Northern Ireland; she was overwhelmed by hundreds of inquiries.

What people are saying 0 voices from 0 sites · best of 1 · verbatim