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Privacy NoticeA month on from their fairy-tale wedding in Ireland, newlyweds Robert Earnshaw and Zarah Shah admit that they are still buzzing. And who can blame them? The former Welsh international footballer and his Irish fiancée, former Miss Longford and Bollywood actress, tied the knot in an incredible two-day celebration last month; a colourful fusion of the bride and groom’s cultures (Zarah is half Pakistani and Rob is half Zambian), their nuptials were attended by more than 300 guests across two venues. “I feel like I’m in a bubble, everything is heightened, and I feel super in love,” smiles Zarah, as she and her new husband sat down to chat exclusively to OK! “It was a fairy tale.” “It almost hasn’t sunk in just yet that Zarah is my wife,” adds Robert.
Robert Earnshaw and Zarah Shah tied the knot during a fairy-tale wedding in Ireland
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
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“It’s very, very special. And there was so much love and warmth from both our families. That was really important – that our families got along and enjoyed celebrating together.” The first day was a traditional Pakistani wedding at Vela Restaurant in Dublin, followed by a more western celebration at Luttrellstown Castle, outside the city – the same venue chosen by David and Victoria Beckham for their wedding, 25 years ago. “I was a massive Victoria Beckham and Spice Girls fan growing up,” laughs the 38-year-old Dublin-born bride. “And in Ireland, everybody knew of that venue because of their big day. “Rob and I originally wanted to marry in Portugal, where sunshine was guaranteed, but some of our family weren’t able to travel, so we decided to do both days in Ireland. Luttrellstown was on our shortlist and when we went to view it, we could see what the Beckhams saw – we were blown away! It was so beautiful.” And like Victoria Beckham more than two decades ago, Zarah wowed on her wedding weekend. She even pushed the boat out with three different dresses – an embellished champagne gown from House of Inaayat for her Pakistani ceremony, a white corseted dress with a full skirt by couturier Vlora & Kaltrina (paired with Louboutins) for the castle nuptials, followed by a soft tulle number for the evening by Sachin Lama of SWL Designs.
Their special day took place at Luttrellstown Castle – the same venue chosen by David and Victoria Beckham for their wedding, 25 years ago
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
‘It was a fairy tale’
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
Her hair and make-up were by celebrity artists April Walsh and Yvonne Maher on both days. Meanwhile, Robert, 43, wore a traditional Pakistani sherwani (a long-sleeved outer coat), with a red shawl, switching to a Dolce & Gabbana white tuxedo with black lapels on the second day – although he admits he had a bit of a disaster with his wedding attire, which caused the ceremony to begin an hour late on the second day! “It’s traditional for the bride to be late, but it was actually me who held up proceedings!” says Robert, sheepishly. “I couldn’t find my shoes and was searching everywhere. And then it started raining, which was a bit of a disaster because we were having the ceremony outside. Luckily, there was an undercover area, but that also caused a delay as we reconfigured things.” He adds: “I never did find my shoes and had to wear another pair!” A little bit of rain and a lost pair of shoes wasn’t enough to stop the beaming pair from enjoying every moment, though, as they exchanged vows in a traditional Nikah Islamic ceremony at 6pm. And despite Robert being late to the wedding, he was made as much a fuss of as his bride, arriving in a procession of friends and family to dholis (Indian drums) played by the group Irish Dholis. “It was very much a party vibe from the outset,” says Rob.
The beautiful bride getting ready for her big day
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
Inside the stunning venue
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
Zarah’s seven bridesmaids – her three sisters, Nadia, Sonia and Alia, sister-in-law Alwiya, two best friends Safia and Paulina, plus her niece, two-year-old Emaan – then made their entrance in traditional dresses. Zarah followed on the arm of her father, teaming her dress with a stunning cathedral length veil (also by House of Inaayat) and the pair were married in an emotional ceremony by imam Mohammed Ullah, who is a close friend of the couple. “When I saw Zarah walking towards me down the aisle, I was in awe,” says Robert. “She looked amazing, just beautiful and so elegant.” Zarah adds: “It was really special. I’d imagined that moment so much, and I couldn’t stop smiling.” The couple admit that the rest of that first day passed in a complete whirlwind. Drinks and canapes were served before an Asian-style buffet was laid on for guests, and then the party began in spectacular style when Zarah’s bridesmaids surprised them with a Bollywood-inspired dance that they had rehearsed, followed by dancing from professional Irish-based Bollywood performers Prachi Bhanushali.
The newlyweds had their first dance to Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé’s Perfect
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
The Irish Dholis returned, too, and then the couple took to the floor for their first dance to Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé’s Perfect. Afterwards, Bollywood-style DJ Mayank took to the decks. Making sure the day was a celebration of their cultures was very important to the couple – from the brightly coloured decor and flowers to the gorgeous patterned umbrellas and goodie bags containing sweets all styled by Indian wedding planner Kritika of Irish Desi Weddings Planners… “I’m half Zambian and, funnily enough, both mine and Zarah’s cultures are quite similar – it’s all about lots of colour, lots of big party vibes and enjoyment and togetherness. I really feel that our day captured that,” says Robert. The happy couple were so busy chatting to their guests that they didn’t manage to eat anything until the early hours, and missed out on the chocolate fountain and four-tier wedding cake. “We were gutted, so on the second day, we made sure we took the cake home!” laughs Robert. Day two saw the couple check into beautiful Luttrellstown Castle for the second part of their celebrations, this time with a much smaller guest list of 120, plus a few evening guests. The Welsh and Irish flags were flying high as Robert led a procession with the Irish Dholis and colourful smoke flares, followed by all guests to the Gothic Hall, where the ceremony commenced and featured a harpist and cello player.
‘On the second day, we made sure we took the cake home!’
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
The couple then read out personal vows to one another – something that was almost derailed at the eleventh hour. “Rob didn’t actually prepare his vows,” laughs Zarah. “I thought that vows were just a given, and I didn’t really communicate to him that he was meant to write them. I found out later that he spoke completely off the cuff, but actually it was really nice. It came from the heart.” Robert was flanked at the altar by his 14-year-old son, Silva, one of seven groomsmen, who passed the rings to his father. The youngster is a chip off the old block, having just been signed to Manchester United. The ceremony, conducted by Mohammed Ullah once again, was followed by drinks and canapes in the grounds and a three-course sit-down meal in the ballroom. Then there came an incredible eight speeches, from groomsmen, bridesmaids, guests and the bride and groom themselves, and having overrun, they abandoned their first dance to kick off the party straight away. Zarah changed into her beautiful Sachin Lama evening gown and top Ireland saxophonist Tommy got guests up on their feet, while DJ Mayank hit the decks once again until the early hours.
‘I feel like I’m in a bubble – and super in love’
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
Their weekend ended on a high with a silent fireworks display put together by Rocket Pyrotechnics, after which the wedding party retired to the bar until 4.30am. They rose so late the next day that a football match they’d planned to play in the grounds – bridal party versus grooms’ – had to be abandoned. Football is a huge part of the couple’s life. Having completed a Masters in the business of football in 2021, Zarah now works at Manchester City football club. While Robert, who is the only player to have scored a hat-trick in the Premier League, all three divisions of the English Football League, the League Cup, the FA Cup, and for his country in an international match, continues his football career as a coach and football pundit. The couple met through a mutual friend in 2021 and it was tricky to begin with, as Zarah was living in Dubai then Manchester and Rob was coaching in California. But they made it work, and Rob proposed a year and a half later on holiday in Turkey in a mountain cave, with ‘Will You Marry Me?’ written in rose petals. Zarah – who was so shocked she burst into tears – was presented with a sparkling Tiffany solitaire diamond.
Congratulations to the happy couple!
(Image: Jayce Keil Photography & Film)
“I reversed right out of the cave because I couldn’t compose myself. I had zero clue. After a few seconds, I walked back in. But it felt like a lifetime to Rob! Then he gave a little speech before I said yes, but I don’t remember what he said because I was still bawling my eyes out.” After such a whirlwind past year, the happy couple are now content to enjoy married life for a little while, before planning their honeymoon later this year. “We’ve got a bunch of other weddings to go to, so we’re going to have a few minimoons. There’s lots to look forward to, but right now I’m just enjoying being Mrs Earnshaw,” smiles Zarah.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnWeddingsCelebrity weddingsVictoria BeckhamDavid BeckhamThe Spice Girls
