Incredible Ballymagarvey Village Wedding in Ireland
In an earlier blog, i mentioned about the additional pressure of shooting the wedding of Katie, who's mum Geraldine works for one of the most prestigious magazines in Northern Ireland, and who sees countless wedding portfolios in the magazine as part of her job.
Well I think we must have adequately impressed at Katie's wedding, as we were asked to capture Katie's sister Amy's stunning wedding to Cathal, at Ballymagarvey Village, outside Dublin, a year later.
It was lovely to see so many familiar and friendly faces again at such a beautiful location. It was our first wedding at the beautiful Ballymagarvey Village and after seeing the venue and surroundings, it would be in our top 3 favourite Irish venues we've shot at.
Preparations
I left the house early in the morning to get a taxi to Amy's childhood home, where I had an amazing breakfast with Amy, Katie, Geraldine and Paul. I travelled down to Ballymagarvey Village with them to get ready for the bridal preparations. Ryan would leave a little later than me and made the drive down towards Dublin on his own, to meet Cathal and the lads in a hotel near the church, for the groom preparations.
All the lads got ready in Cathal's room at the hotel. Ryan said they couldn't have been nicer and, as with all groom preps, he loved to hear all the stories, jokes and craic the guys were having while getting ready.
Amy's and her bridesmaids all got ready in a pretty little cottage on the grounds of Ballymagarvey Village. After Katie's wedding we think of all the Waddell family as friends, so it was so nice to be in their company, taking pictures again. I have to remind myself sometimes that this is my job - I am so lucky. I adore it ❤️️
The Make-up artist was Michelle Reggazzoli Stone from MrsMakeUp.ie and what a stunning job she did. The beautiful hairstyles were Aisling Hamill.
Ceremony
The ceremony took place in a quaint little chapel not far from Ballymagarvey Village, set out in the Irish countryside. It was off a little road that went for miles with nothing but fields and a lone petrol station. The little church had such character and was a fitting setting.
As is usually standard, Ryan arrives with the lads earlier than me and surveys the ceremony venue. He sets up the additional camera at a high vantage point, to get a shot of the bride entering the church, and controls it by remote control. With the lads and guests all in place, it was time for the beautiful bride....👰
After the ceremony, Amy and Cathal were given a guard of honour by Cathal's Hurling teammates. Hurley is a traditional sport in Ireland where 30 men get onto the field of play and batter each other with hurley sticks. There is actually great skill involved but to watch it, you would understand how you would need to be brave to play it.
It was then onto Ballymagarvey Village for the reception. Ryan actually started driving back to the hotel where the groom preparations took place and we had to change direction very quickly. A spot of speed limit defying driving later, and we were able to arrive at the same time as the wedding party. Thankfully...as the shots we got were worth the potential penalty points on the licence. 🚗💨
After the 'traditional' family pictures were taken out the front of Ballymagarvey Village, we were able to grab some time with the newlyweds, and capture some shots of them on their own. Cathal and Amy were so laid back the whole day and were a pleasure to be around. Amy and Katie's weddings were both super enjoyable day
After these shots were captured, we went about getting pictures of the decor and guests, while Amy and Cathal enjoyed some time with family and friends. There was such a relaxed vibe about this wedding and the day passed in the blink of an eye.
After the eloquently delivered speeches, dinner was served and it was like something from a Michelin Star restaurant. Each new course was as equally outstanding the previous. After dinner, the room turnaround for the evening do occurred and we then found out Amy had booked drummers to come in and play as a surprise. They were superb and created such an atmosphere that was carried on into the first dance and beyond. 💃
Is it even a wedding if it doesn't have a conga line at it....
As is standard at all weddings we shoot, Ryan drives home and I fall asleep half a mile into the journey. Whether it's one mile or in this case 100 to home, I sleep like a baby. Weddings are long days but I couldn't imagine doing anything else in the world.
If you are getting married at Ballymagarvey Village, or indeed any other beautiful venue, please feel free to get in touch and come see us for a chat about all things wedding. We'd love to capture your special day too.
Much love,
Nush ❤️️
Barbie and Ken Wedding (It's Actually 1Direction's Louis)
Barbie and Ken get married. In my back garden.
Nothing could have prepared us for the crazy weeks following Easter Sunday of 2020. In the midst of the Covid-19 lockdown, Ryan was inside working on his computer and our daughter Sofia was innocently playing in the front garden with 2 dolls and a model Fiat 500 car. This was the exact moment that would see the start of a crazy journey that would cumulate in hundreds of emails, tens of thousands of shares/likes/comments, countless media publications in countries ranging from Australia to Argentina, an appearance on TalkRadio on a Saturday night and a Facebook reach of over 8 Million people.
All our weddings had been postponed right up until June and I had been really missing photography so much. We had only shot one wedding up to that point of the year and by Easter, I should have been on double figures. I said to Ryan that I was going outside to take some pictures of Sofia with her toys, but when I got out, the idea just hit me.
The dolls looked so detailed and the car Sofia was pushing them about the garden in, was intricate and lifelike, so I thought I’d just have fun with them. Sofia was so excited and loved the idea of some mother / daughter artistic collaboration, and so began the engagement shoot of Barbie and Ken.
Engagement Shoot
We decided to start inside and with the first picture above, which was taken on a radiator in the house that nicely caught the light of a nearby window. The shot below was when I first questioned Ken's authenticity - Why is Barbie noticeably bigger than ken?
From there we went outside the house and used the all the props we could muster, such as the hose for rain and the flowers as trees. We had such a good time thinking of ideas and capturing the images.
Sofia contributed so many ideas to the shoot and we had such fun together, putting the dolls into the pond and spraying the car with the hose to make it look like they were driving in rain. I explained to her that the dolls needed to take their clothes off so not to get them wet, rather than having to explain to her what 'skinny dipping' was.
I had a flick through the results in camera and thought to myself that there were some good images in there, so I started to edit them like I would a standard shoot. I was so pleased with the results and when I showed them to some friends, they were all laughing and saying how good they were, so I thought I’d share them on my Facebook business page for my friends and clients.
To try and make it a bit more humourous for people, I joked about the lack of work I had, by starting the post saying:
‘Yesterday I had my first photography job in weeks. It was an engagement shoot for a lovely couple called Kenneth and Barbara. I really had fun capturing them in the confines of my back garden and although they were a bit stiff and rigid at the start and didn't really talk much, they took directions well and we got some lovely shots.’
Response
The response was as unexpected as it was exciting. The post got shared on an Australian photography group and it gained around a thousand likes and shares. People were writing things like ‘We need to see this wedding’ and friends began messaging me asking was I going to do it, so we decided that is exactly what we would do.
I loved reading all the comments - i was laughing at so many of them. One of the many hilarious comments in the post alluded to the point that the doll was in fact a 1Direction doll and not a Ken doll........and with that – The wedding was of Barbie and Louis was in planning phase.
Barbie and Ken (Louis) Wedding
When I posted that I would be creating the wedding, neighbours and friends offered their children’s toys as props for guests. One such neighbour provided a real Ken doll and another provided a Harry Styles doll, which had the same jacket as the Louis doll so it was just meant to be that he'd be best man...... and so with this, the scene was set for the wedding of the year...potentially the only wedding of the year.
We all spent a few hours on Easter Saturday just chatting through ideas and what way we'd capture the wedding. Ryan comes with me to all weddings as second shooter and we discussed shooting it like it was a real wedding for us - so bridal prep, guests arriving, ceremony, romantic shots and first dance/evening shots.
We started shooting the wedding on Easter Sunday. The Preparation shots were taken early in the day to catch the morning light for authenticity.
With the bags of toys provided, came an abundance of comical guests and situations. The ideas were flowing from the minute the bags were opened and disinfected with Dettol spray (thanks Covid-19). There were WWE wrestlers, Star Wars characters, Marvel action figures and more barbies than a Mattel manufacturing warehouse.
The shot above was just created organically on the spot and involved the contrast of the tough wrestlers carrying pink shopkins bags - This remains my favourite - i think i'm going to get it printed for the wall at home. The shots of Chewy and Hulk with matching partners (Chewy's girlfriend's hair is intentionally like that haha and Hulk's girlfriend is in green) were also just created organically as we laughed and joked through the day
It was no coincidence that Darth Vader and Ken were paired as friends - the two evil couples were dressed on point and Ken's girlfriend wearing white to a wedding was thought of the minute we saw her in the bag of toys given to us. Ken was always going to play a big part too as the jealous ex. I mean, who wears white to a wedding?
The avengers arriving with dates and accompanying soldiers on dinosaurs was a logistical nightmare to set up. I still look at this picture and wonder how they all managed to stay upright for this shot. It was a minor miracle. We loved reading the comments and seeing people picking up the details in all the shots and people seemed to like Spiderman and Ironman holding hands :)
When the Chewy toy was given to us along with Darth Vader, we knew there had to be some sort of confrontation between them but we thought, as with most weddings we have captured, that eternal enemies would bury the hatchet for the sake of the couples big day.
The shot below was created by our daughter - she appeared with a toy piano and said 'you could use this piano in the wedding' and so we did. We love her creative little mind. We chose this wrestler due to the way his fingers were set. Ryan thought it was Chuck Norris like a lot of people in the Facebook comments - We later learned it was Jon Moxley.
How would have known the Hard Rock cafe cocktail mixers, with novelty guitar heads, would have been so useful
We actually waited until the evening to get the 'golden hour' for the wedding ceremony, but that made everything tighter with time. Earlier we could set dolls and figures up in a relaxed and laid back manner - but with the light now fading It was pressure from here on, but just like any wedding day, photographers thrive under pressure.
The below shots were forged in our minds the minute our friend messaged us to say her daughter had a real Ken doll that we could use. We have never seen this at wedding yet, but we always brace ourselves when the below words are read out at a ceremony. Needless to say, someone was going to interject at this wedding. Someone being......
.....Ken.
There was only ever going to be one man that was going to evict young Kenneth from the wedding and it was good old Hulk.
below is Ryan's favourite shot. I focused on Hulk and Ryan threw Ken up in the air. Hard to believe as it is - this was captured in one shot. We were both amazed when we looked at it in the back of the camera. We thought we'd be there for 50 takes before getting this right.
The wedding could then resume...
The next collection of shots were taken in a field beside our house. We had to climb over that barbed wire to get in and the fence actually nearly fell down as I jumped it. All in the name of that perfect shot ha ha.
We had to include the standard bouquet toss which was based on real events and things we have seen before at weddings before. Ladies becoming very unladylike in the name of competition. Elbows, knees and fists flying, the standard crotch shot and the MMA wrestle between each girl who has a handful of the bouquet. It wouldn't be a bouquet toss without it. Chewy's girlfriend caught it by the way.
After the bouquet toss we moved onto the first dance. The camera flash was set up behind the couple with a red filter on it. The haze behind them is actually water being sprayed from a dettol spray bottle.
Finally, the evening shots were taken at the fire pit by the lake where Ken made his infamous return. Judging by the look on Harry's face, it went down better with some than others. Ken ended the night by diving into Tadpole lake. If only we had a David Hasslehoff doll, we could have staged a dramatic rescue.
Unlike the Hulk shot earlier, this below shot below did take 50 takes (at least). We saw the potential for the reflection of Ken on the water in mid dive. Trying to capture the image when he was at the right angle, close enough to give the reflection and completely in focus, was not easy at all. With much patience, we got there in the end though.
What a way to end our most prestigious wedding. We planned the wedding shoot to try and bring a bit of light-hearted humour to our clients and friends in these dark times but we could never have imaged the reach this has had. Ryan, Sofia and I had such an amazing time creating props and setting up every scene and from the results of that family fun day, we have had so many touching messages from people all over the world, who have told us that the pictures have brightened their day in isolation - that has made all the effort so worthwhile. Thanks to everyone for the amazing response.
Much Love, Nush, Ryan and Sofia
The End......
or is it?
Glamorous Castle Leslie Wedding in Beautiful Ireland
Castle Leslie Wedding - Katie and Harry Wang
When Katie’s mum Geraldine, who works for the Ulster Tatler Magazine, contacted us about capturing Katie and Harry’s wedding, we felt a slightly elevated level of pressure than normal. Don’t get me wrong, Geraldine is a lovely lady, but she literally sees a different photographer’s portfolio every day in work. Quite a recommendation for us I guess.
When Katie and Harry (and Buddy the French Bulldog) came down to see us and discuss the wedding, it was evident from the start that they were so in love and were visibly excited about their big day…..as were we.
Preparations
Harry, who is originally from New York, was getting ready in his and Katie's dock side apartment along with five others, who had all made the journey across the pond from America. The atmosphere was buzzing from the very first second barring a 10 minute window when Harry couldn't find the marriage license, putting the whole wedding at risk....
....thankfully it turned up and the wedding was back on.....to this day I am still not sure if Harry has told Katie about that infamous incident.... I guess she'll know now. Sorry Harry.
Katie and her glamorous bridal party were getting their hair (by SH_Hair_Experts) and make-up (by Lauren Montgomery) done at her childhood home before setting off on the drive to Castle Leslie. It was a bit of a journey there, which meant quite an early start, but we were so excited to be shooting our first Castle Leslie wedding.
With Katie and the girls at Castle Leslie already, Harry and the boys would travel down now themselves, lifting some guests at points along the journey. One of the groom party was feeling slightly more jet-lagged than others 😴 and boys being boys - they were always going to seize the opportunity for the below picture
Arriving at the venue, the groom party and guests were greeted by a Bagpiper, playing exceptionally. Some last minute prep was performed, and Harry was ready for the arrival of his beautiful bride.
Bridal Party
With the Groom and his boys in place, the girls were just finishing up with the final touches, and they were soon ready to rock. I took a shot of the bridal party just before heading down to the ceremony and every single one of them looked absolutely stunning, with the bride stealing the show in her unforgettable dress.
Ceremony
It was now time for the stunning bride to make her entrance. The bridal party came first and then Katie, who was being walked up the aisle by her father Paul, were walked to the ceremony by the bagpiper. The look on Harry's face while Katie walks up the aisle, says more than any words could. Katie's face matches his when she sees him for the first time too.
After the ceremony the newlyweds were surprised by the arrival of Buddy for some pictures and they went about enjoying their day with their family and friends. Check out those amazing flowers too - The Flower Room Belfast did an amazing job as always.
After the heartfelt and humorous speeches there was the traditional first dance after which, all the wedding guests danced the night away and we were almost ready to head home. We had one last picture we wanted to capture and, if it were not for the persuasive measures of Harry, the dancing queen Katie might not have left the dance floor all night . Thankfully she left for 2 minutes and we were able to get the shot in the dark that they so adore now.
We had an amazing time, with such a great group of people, at our first Castle Leslie wedding and have been back many times since then, capturing numerous weddings there. The wedding made it into the Ulster Tatler and we were later booked for Katie's sister & bridesmaid Amy's wedding.
Hope you enjoyed the story and the pictures as much as we did creating them. If you are having a Castle Leslie wedding, or indeed a wedding anywhere else, feel free to get in touch - we'd love to capture your beautiful big day too.
Much love,
Breathtaking Ibiza Wedding at Restaurante Casmila in Cala Tarida
Ibiza Wedding at Restaurante Casmila in Cala Tarida
Where do I start with this wedding of such great friends? Jude is like a sister to me and her family are my Northern Irish family - Arlene, Graham (Rambo), Kyle, his wife Karen and now the lovely Louis Darling. When Jude asked me to be her bridesmaid I was overwhelmed with emotion and accepted with tears in my eyes. She then asked if our daughter Sofia would be the flower girl Sofia was ecstatic at the thought of a holiday in the sun with a swimming pool.
Finally, Jude asked Ryan if he would be the photographer, and he was, well he wasn’t exactly over the moon – a wedding with so many friends in Ibiza and he would be working. As it turned out, I took up some photography duties on the day and Ryan got as drunk as anyone in the evening, as we all danced the night away.
Bridal/Groom Preparations
The preparations started in mid afternoon and Ryan headed off to see Mr. Darling in a nearby hotel as the girls got ready in the apartment we had rented. It was so nice to experience life on the other side of the lens for parts of the day and one I don’t get the privilege of doing very often. One of the downfalls of being a wedding photographer is you never get asked to weddings, you get asked to capture them
Ryan left Louis and the lads in their hotel, and got a taxi back to the rented apartment for the next part of the preparations. I was able to take the camera for some shots now and the other bridesmaid was Shelly Blair, who is a great make-up artist and did all our hair and makeup.
The Ceremony
We all set off to the ceremony in late afternoon and arrived in good time to see the white sand on the beach and the sun heading down behind the sea on the horizon. What an amazing place to get married.
The sun had moved into a position where it was no longer strong and harsh light, but a softer late evening light. I got so emotional seeing Sofia walking down the stairs and up the isle, while periodically dropping rose petals like a little angel.
It brought me back to when she fulfilled the same role it my wedding. It also made me question why, when she was flower girl at my own wedding, she behaved like the devil and kicked and screamed while being removed from the church without so much as a petal thrown in anger.
After the ceremony we had the most beautiful Mediterranean sunset and got some time to get shots taken on the beach. It was an unbelievably amazing time and we all look back on it with such fondness.
With the Ibiza wedding being so late in the day, we were a bit rushed for time for the pictures. We would have loved more time in such a beautiful place with Jude and Louis. After the beach pictures we went back upstairs again and had lovely speeches and dinner and then it was onto the first dance and partying :)
We had such an amazing time at Louis and Jude's Ibiza wedding and every time we look back at the pictures it takes us back to being there. Wish we could relive this day again. Maybe if they renew their vows :)
If you are thinking of arranging an Ibiza wedding, let us know as our passports are ready and suitcases packed and we'd love to capture your big day on the white island too.
Much Love,
Stunning wedding at Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa
Lusty Beg Island Weddings
During the long 100-mile drive to Matthew & Katrina's Wedding at Lusty Beg Island Resort and Spa, which is a lakeside venue in Enniskillen in Northern Ireland, Ryan and I were conversing about the day ahead. We were already in full wedding mode due to our morning caffeine boost, delivered via our beloved coffee machine, and were bouncing ideas off each other as we always do on the day before and morning of the upcoming wedding.
Thinking back to other weddings we had shot there, I mentioned ‘One day I’m going to definitely get the groom party to jump off the jetty into the lake’. Ryan laughed and said ‘Good luck with that. It would take so much planning'.
Well, you can imagine my delight when I got the phone call from Ryan while I was capturing the bridal prep ‘Quickly Nushy, get your camera and get our here – they are up for it.’. Ryan had been in the middle of groom prep and mentioned in passing to the lads about how it was my goal to one day get a groom party to jump into the lake. The best man confidently replied in an instant ‘’We’ll do it’’ and within 2 minutes, they were dressed in only shorts and heading to the jetty.
The outdoor ceremony was held soon after on a jetty, just opposite the very jetty were the lads had swan dived off just a few hours earlier. Anyone who knows Northern Ireland, knows the daily weather forecast is rainy with the occasional outbreak of more rain followed by potential periods of light to heavy showers, so the fact that the ceremony was able to commence and complete outside, was a minor miracle.
The flowers on the day were some of the most amazing we'd seen that year. We get to work with so many amazing people, who all contribute so much to the couples big day, but special mention must be made for Harriott Reilly Floral Design who did an unforgettable job on the flowers.
Matthew also has experience in the wedding industry, with the company Virtu Events, and he made such a massive contribution to the day in terms or props, dance floor, photo booth and extra's. He worked meticulously on the day to ensure everything was perfect, and it was.
Lusty Beg Island weddings always give the potential to get outside in the evening and out by the lake again for some night shots. We were there late into the evening to get some shots in the dark and the daunting drive home was made so much easier when we captured the last picture of the night on the Jetty where the day had begun. A fitting end.
Thanks for taking the time to view the blog. If you are getting married and are interested in having us capture your wedding, please feel free to get in touch.
Much love,
Nush