Carla Maria and James Gerard 'Shez' Sherry were the first couple from First Dates Ireland to tie the knot, and now they are the first to welcome a baby into the world.
Nurse Carla from Antrim walked into the First Dates restaurant looking for someone to 'have a laugh with' only to be dumbstruck by tattooed bad boy Shez from Dundalk. The two hit it off instantly and have quickly become one of the show's most celebrated success stories.
Shez popped the question in June, 2021, and the two had initially planned to get married in November 2022 at Corick House Hotel in County Tyrone.
Taking to Instagram to share pictures of the happy day, Shez explained that the two married a little ahead of schedule to accommodate their new arrival.
"Carla and I were all set for our wedding in November, However Universe had other plans in store for us - baby Sherry is now due September!!! We are so blessed and incredibly grateful to both our families who we celebrated our special day with - we couldn't have asked for a better day with you all
"Also, a massive shout out to all our friends and family, and our first dates family! who couldn't be there in person but were certainly there in our hearts. We will definitely be having another day to celebrate with you all so don't worry."
Named after Carla's late father, Frankie, their daughter has just turned eight weeks old and has brought nothing but joy to the household.
Sharing photos of their new arrival to Instagram, Shez thanked the dating show for finding his perfect match.
"The first first dates Ireland baby! Welcome Frankie Sherry. She is more perfect than we could ever have imagined. Thank you so so much #firstdatesirl @rte2 and all the crew for contributing to make this most precious very beautiful baby girl! Carla and I are just in love and a very special thanks to @ciarabres and as you can see from the video she loved the camera as soon as she came out."
Carla and Shez joined Ray D'Arcy on RTÉ Radio 1 to share the news of baby Frankie - listen back above.
