Donal Skehan and his gorgeous wife Sofie Larsson are celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary in 2025.
The pair have had a very exciting married life so far, which included a period of time living in the United States as well as welcoming two gorgeous little boys. But, how did this family come to be?!
Well, many moons before we knew him as a marvellous chef, Donal was a popstar and a Swedish bandmate's gift of a few foreign words helped him to woo his wife when they crossed paths. For Donal at least, it was love at first sight.
How they met
'We met in the Casa Pasta in Howth which is now gone but it was a real local restaurant that everyone went to,' Donal recounted between cooking demos at The Complete Natural tent at the Ploughing Championships.
'Sofie was there with a friend and I just walked up the stairs and heard that she was Swedish and I had been in a band with another Swedish person so I had a few words.'
You'd be forgiven for not remembering the band that Donal first rose to prominence with as he laughed recalling their shortlived stint in the limelight.
'It was a pop band called Industry. We had two Irish number ones. We had a year of success. Our first two singles went to number one and then our third one went to like number 45.'
A lasting legacy gained in part from his involvement with Industry is his relationships with Sofie as he explained: 'I did my best to charm her with the few Swedish words I had and the rest is history.'
It almost seemed inevitable that Donal and Sofie's paths would cross as he told of how they were linked to each other through by a mutual best friend years earlier.
'Her best friend is half Swedish and half Irish and her friend's grandmother lives on the same road that I grew up on. So I actually played with her best friend as a kid and never knew that she had Sofie as a friend back in Sweden. Isn't that mad?'
Their first date
As for their first date Donal said: 'We went to the Casa Pasta and then we all went over to the Bloody Stream which is the pub in Howth and then the first date is actually a strange one because I went and visited her in Sweden.'
'She was only here for a week and then I followed her to Sweden. We actually went and worked in a restaurant together in Sweden for a couple of months so it was mad.
It seems that for Donal and Sofie it was very much a case of when you know, you know.
Popping the question
Donal shared his Parisian proposal story, revealing how after years of 'pretending to propose and getting down on one knee' to tie his shoelaces in front of landmarks around the world.
He finally popped the question for real in 2014!
Tying the knot
The couple tied the knot in June 2015 in Dublin City Hall and they held their reception in the stunning 19th-century Lisnavagh House in County Carlow.
The bride looked sensational in a fit-and-flare gown with a pearl-dappled belt and a tulle skirt.
Growing their family
Donal and Sofie were living in America when they had their sons, and while they had initially planned to stay in America long-term, the experience of having children there made the couple reassess things.
They are proud parents to Noah and Oliver, and of course, who could forget their fur-baby, dog Max.
The couple returned home to Ireland during the pandemic after four years living in California, and spent the best part of 18 months moving around while they waited for their dream home to be ready.
Buying their first home
The couple finally became homeowners after 17 years of renting in 2023 but they admitted it was a 'bumpy road' for them.
He revealed the lengths he went to get their dream first home in Dublin. 'This house, I literally walked down to it every single day and manifested,' he told the Irish Independent.
He explained that he 'fought' for their dream home by writing a letter to tell the owners about his family.
'You hear those stories and think people don't take them into account but they absolutely do and thankfully there's people with a heart out there,' the Everyday Cook author told the publication.
He added how the neighbours must think they'll be living next to a 'nutcase' because he 'stalked' the house and he was 'obsessed' with getting it. Their boys have a seriously cool room that has been kitted out with fabulous bespoke bunk beds.
Their tin anniversary
Donal and Sofie celebrated their tin anniversary on June 27, 2025, after ten years married.
The beloved chef was the first to admit that married life hasn't always been plain sailing and confessed to having the occasional 'meltdown', like most, but was quick to add that his wife has been the one who has 'kept the show on the road'.
Sharing a series of throwback wedding shots, Donal wrote: 'From Paris to Dublin City Hall to Lisnavagh House, and somehow we're still standing - what an incredible bloody rollercoaster it's been - if these two kids above could have known what was coming down the tracks!
'We've had two brilliant boys, four house moves, five years in LA, bought our first home, the cookbooks, the shows, the travels and one or two meltdowns (mostly mine), and a whole lot of figuring it out as we go,' Donal continued.
'It's not always been easy - but it's been real, and full, and ours. Sofie is the calm in the storm, the better half by a mile, and the one who keeps the show on the road when I'm off chasing the next big dream!'
