Haste to the Wedding Ceilidh Band celebrates success at Northern Ireland Wedding Awards

Haste to the Wedding Ceilidh Band were crowned Wedding Entertainment of the Year at the industry event, held at the La Mon hotel on January 31.

With some of country’s top wedding suppliers in attendance, the awards are are known for having a rigorous judging process, with feedback from newlyweds playing a key part in the process.

The band’s members include Ian Dinsmore from Newtownabbey, who plays the accordion; guitarist Pete Bouma, from Larne, and Ballymena local Johnny Murphy, who plays the fiddle, with Glenarm men Barry Morrow on drums and Colin Urwin who is caller, vocalist, and, guitarist.

With a rich history spanning 25 years, the group specialises in live traditional ceilidh dance music and song for wedding parties and other functions.

Commenting on the achievement, Pete, the band manager, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive this prestigious award. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of every member of our band. For 25 years, we’ve been honoured to be a part of couples’ special days, and winning Wedding Entertainment of the Year is a highlight in our journey.

"We have played all over Ireland, north and south; played in the Waterfront Hall and as far away as Dubai, but our biggest focus is on local weddings at all our wonderful local wedding venues, providing fun entertainment for newlyweds and their guests. We are delighted to receive this award as there were over 100 nominations with 50 other finalists - all great entertainers working as hard as we do.”