Stranded Villa Vie Odyssey couple marry at sea

They should have been on a round-the-world cruise – instead they were stranded in Belfast, when they met and fell in love.

The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship was to depart from Northern Ireland but issues with its rudder stocks meant its guests were marooned in its capital in 2024.

Four months behind schedule, and on the dry dock, the maintenance work was long enough for Angela Harsanyi and Gian Perroni to meet and get engaged by the River Lagan.

From delays to departure, the next step was “I do” – on board the liner itself, off the coast of Costa Rica in April.

They told BBC News NI the wedding ceremony on board was “incredible”.

“It’s been magical, it’s beyond my wildest dreams,” said Angela.

“We’re on a perpetual honeymoon now, for real.

“After we got engaged, he looked at me so sincerely and said, ‘you know honey, I’m going to take you on a world cruise for our honeymoon’.

“I just cracked up laughing of course, because that’s what any woman would want to hear, but it’s our life, so it’s pretty wonderful. He was a man of his word.”

The pair had a private ceremony with family and friends on board, before a second ship-wide event with 300 guests the following day, including around 100 of their original Belfast shipmates.

They had friends and family fly in “from the four corners” to the wedding off the coast of Costa Rica, before sailing north towards central America.

Celebrations included conga lines, bubble machines, dolphins swimming in the ocean alongside them, and sunsets burning orange on the horizon.

Angela and Gian met in August 2024, when they were commuting from hotels in Belfast city centre to the ship where they were worked remotely during the day.

After walking together back to their accommodation they “started to become friends, then best friends, and then romance bloomed”, Gian said.

They got engaged on the banks of the River Lagan in Belfast – and Gian said the location was “just as exotic” as Costa Rica.

Their foundations in Northern Ireland played a part in the nuptials 5,000 miles away.

“From Belfast to Forever” was inscribed on the flooring used as the wedding aisle for Angela to walk down.

Both the officiators at the two ceremonies mentioned Belfast in the weddings. The second ceremony was officiated by the ship’s captain which the couple described as an “honour”.

Gian added: “He was there for the whole four months in Belfast as well, and he understood the frustrations.

“At the time it was a sore point – ‘we’re still here’ – but now it’s kind of a funny story.”

Gian said the couple will return to Belfast as soon as they can.

“We can’t wait to visit again to retrace our steps,” he said.

“I’m half-Irish myself, but I truly understand the luck of the Irish now. It’s pretty cool.”

The couple’s families had met before the wedding, but it was a chance to meet each other’s friends for the first time.

“It was really nice to get everyone in one place, and for them to have that destination wedding.”