Steve & Leigh's Fabulously Quirky Cabra Castle Wedding
Fabulously Quirky Cabra Castle Wedding
.....A call from Australia
When we got a message all the way from Australia from Leigh and Steve, little did we know how much of an amazing time we would have with them. Every couple that reaches out to us gets an invite to come see us to chat through what we do on the day and what they want for their big day.
Well with Steve and Leigh, that wasn't initially possible, so we all jumped on a Zoom call and had a good laugh more than anything. We talked through the big day and made arrangements to meet prior to the wedding when they arrived back in Ireland. Well they made the trek up to Newtownards 2 weeks before the wedding and got treated to Ryan's speciality: Smashed avocado on sour dough with poach eggs. Steve's exact words were "This is the best meal i've had since coming home" 🥑🍳
Steve and Leigh are big into their healthy eating and training (they actually met in the gym), so we talked about making sure to show off their impressive physiques 💪 and one of the things we were looking forward to the most - A BLACK WEDDING DRESS 😍
Our first Cabra Castle Wedding
We set off early to make sure we were down at the beautiful Cabra Castle in good time. I always love it when the Bridal prep and Groom prep are close by as it means we can be at both if we want.
As I have said before, prep is one of my favourite parts of the day and this day was no different. Time to work it Steve and Leigh and show off all those gym hours 🏋🏻♂️💪🏻
Then it was over to Leigh for the Bridal Prep pictures. Leigh told us beforehand that her wedding wouldn't be traditional and I absolutely loved her choice of dress.....well, here it is....the amazing black wedding dress...
Steve and Leigh work in a mining industry in Perth, Australia. Well, looking at this ring, it looks like Steve got a helping hand from the company in mining this beauty 💎+ ⛏️ = 💍
Now it was time for Leigh to show off her competition ready physic. Leigh had experience of competitions before and her posture was amazing all day.
I love this picture of Leigh in the room when she was fully ready to go and get the ceremony started 😍
The ceremony was wet and windy but it was worth it for Steve, who got to see his stunning bride in her black dress.
Firstly though, a little something to take the edge off the nerves. A quality Irish whiskey.
Then it was up the stairs through the rain to get married.
After the ceremony was the cake cut. Now the cake cut isn't normally one of the highlights of my day but given the fact that Leigh and Steve were cutting it with a sword AND it was a collection of tray bakes and brownies amalgamated into a wedding cake, which incidentally tasted amazingly, then it's worth talking about.
After the cake cut it was a trip around the venue to get the couple pictures.
I loved when the family came out of the castle in the middle of a funny picture. The granny's face is of disgust...
we always capture all the moments of the day, scripted or non scripted. Then it was inside for a few riske shots
We always get shots of the guests and friends throughout wedding days, both formal and.....well....very informal haha
At the end of the night, about 20 of the guests followed us outside in the dark for the remaining evening shots. Some held umbrellas, some held lights and one let off the smoke bomb for the picture. It was such a group effort and a fun end to the amazing day at our first Cabra Castle wedding.
if you'd like to have us capture your wedding, please feel free to reach out: Contact us..
The Stylish Sorrento Wedding Of Annarella & Kent
Our Italian Job - The Origin
Our Italian adventure all started on the 29th of September 2022 when Ryan & I captured a wedding in the Clandeboye Lodge for the lovely Cheryl and Wayne Mahaffy. Wayne's brother Kent and girlfriend Annarella were guests and Annarella (Anna) loved the way we worked and even more so the pictures we delivered.
Kent and Anna, owners of KMink tattoo studio in Newtownards, contacted us a year later about their wedding in Sorrento and at first, we were devastated because we had another wedding round the time of theirs and couldn't logistically do it - Anna was devastated too and even went to Kent and to try and change the date to accommodate us 😮
Well as fate would have it, 2 weeks later our circumstances changed (including flight times - don't ask about 6am flights from Dublin) which meant that we would be able to capture Anna and Kents stylish Sorrento wedding, providing they hadn't booked someone else..... 🤞🏻
....I messaged Anna telling her the news in the hope she hadn't booked anyone and nervously awaited her reply - she replied instantly and said "I have tried so many but I can't find anyone whose pictures I love as much as yours" 🥹🥹🥹 I nearly cried....She told us to book the flights and within 10 minutes, Sorrento was booked 🇮🇹🌅
Travelling to Italy
Travelling can be stressful at the best of times but when you have a wedding to make (and a wedding to get back for) it was even worse on the nerves. With the change in flight times mentioned above, we had to have a change of plan and leave the house at 1am to make the early flight in Dublin.
It meant our family friend and second mother to Xander & Sofia, Jacqueline Peacock, had to stay an extra night at the house. We would be lost without her for sure ❤️ I am not even sure the kids noticed we were gone 🫠
We arrived on Wednesday afternoon and were greeted by Kent and Anna's grandfather Giovanni (John to the Northern Irish contingent) who took us on a death ride from Naples to Sorrento. I thought Polish drivers were crazy but the Italians are next level. John must have called 13 different drivers 'Animals' before we even got out of Naples 😂 We did get to see the lost city of Pompeii on the journey from the back seat of the car. We will defo be back to see more.
This flight change meant we had the afternoon and evening to scout out the area but it doesn't really matter does it? Everywhere is stunning. We had dinner in a restaurant that looked out over the sea and sunset behind Mount Vesuvius - I ordered lobster as this was the first time I have ever had it, and what a place it was to have my first lobster dinner🦞
Wedding Day
The day started as it would for most weddings - preparation pictures first up. Anna was getting ready at the hotel and Kent was going out for a haircut and a beard trim in the town close to where Anna spent many of her summers. After a quick Italian expresso, Kent and Giovanni got spruced up
Anna's body is a great advertisement for KMink as it's like a living, breathing canvas which very much complemented her beautiful features. She is such a stunning girl and I loved photographing her.
.....nice and relaxed with the girls......well the boys were the same and brought a bit of home with them...all the lads had a pint of Guinness before going to the ceremony.
Sorrento Wedding Ceremony
So this ceremony was actually a record ceremony for us, but more on that later. It started with Anna being walked down the aisle by the amazing character that is Giovanni/John. He's an adorable man and it's lovely to see the relationship that him and Anna have. Here's a look a the first look pics before heading to the ceremony, with Grandfather Giovanni struggling to keep a brave face on 🥹
Now onto the ceremony.......
Well, what is the record then? - this was officially the faster ceremony we had ever seen. Anna's Italian cousin who was supposed to do the readings in both Italian and English, succumbed to nerves and pressure and no sooner had Anna walked up the aisle, she was walking straight back down it again. It was 120 seconds between arriving and leaving.
In what was quite a unique next part of the wedding, it was straight round to the reception and the start the phenomenal display of Italian cuisine. Get ready for many pictures of the magnificent multi course platter
after what felt like about 5 courses, we were able to get the family pictures and guests pictures taken - then were able to take Kent and Anna for a quick pic together.
Part-time photographers / Full time wedding helpers
At every wedding, Ryan and I will be more than just photographers, whether it be tying ties, fitting cuff links & pocket watches or fitting veils & curling hair, we have done it all. This wedding was ties, croc fetching for Bride and groom for dinner and curling hair for bridesmaid in the morning....
after a few pictures, it was inside for the main meal. Yes, after what seemed like 5 courses of food it was in for another 5 🤣 have to love Italian weddings. When we do weddings at home, we often get singers come in and sing famous Italian songs and have guests waving their napkins - well now we have experienced it it Italy 🎶🇮🇹🎶
After dinner it was up to the evening do by the pool, but first - a tattoo for Kent's dad as a momento of the occasion. Kent's dad 'Muff' is 90% covered in tattoos and I was hoping to get some pictures of him screaming in pain. But Muff said 'I have a reputation to keep' 🤣 and his reputation is completely intact - he didn't flinch even a little bit while he got a tattoo of the map of Italy on his foot
Kent & Anna picture time
after everyone moved upstairs to the pool area, we grabbed Kent and Anna to go for pictures round the town and in anticipation of the sunset on the hotel roof.
We had walked past this building the night before and there was something so beautiful about. It's massive wooden door, it's colour and it's symmetry meant that I had to get a full picture of them in front of it with the wide angle.
We then got a few shots in the streets.....
....and down some side streets where people lived. True Sorrento life.
We then headed back to the hotel for some roof sunset shots....we also got this shot of Anna and Kent walking back to the hotel and getting a lovely greeting from a local....
.....now up to the hotel roof.....🌅
After watching the sunset, it was then down to the pool area and because it was St Antony's day, we were sitting waiting in expectation for the annual at-sea fireworks display. The hotel looked out onto the sea and the guests all gathered in anticipation.
Honeslty, we weren't let down - it was absolutely spectacular. An amazing way to end the perfect day.
A fitting end to our first Sorrento wedding and such an enjoyable trip for us. Anna and Kent made it so relaxed for us (almost too relaxed with Anna not even knowing ceremony time 🤣) and it was lovely to be around so many familiar faces again. Big thanks must go to Anna & Kent for trusting us to capture their special day in such magnificent surroundings. Thank you both ❤️
Feel free to reach out to us if you are looking to get married, and whether it be Sorrento or Strabane, we would happily cover it.
Agnieszka & Ryan ❤️❤️❤️
Unforgettable Drenagh Estate Wedding
Drenagh Estate Wedding
After 10 years capturing weddings, It's not very often we are asked to shoot a venue that we haven't already covered before. We had inquiries about weddings at Drenagh Estate before but we had been booked on those dates, so when Samantha and Leo got in contact and said they were getting married there, we were so excited about having the date free.
The estate is breathtaking and one thing we loved was that everything on the day was at the one location - preparations in the Georgian Manor with it's stunning rooms and staircase, the ceremony at the Moon Garden which is outside but under cover, and then reception in the marquee, housed within the biggest privately owned walled garden in Ireland. (Well, that's what they told me 😂)
Bridal & Groom Preparations
Samantha and her bridal party got ready upstairs in the Georgian Manor House and the room there were in was stunning. It had so many windows for natural light that it was a photographers dream. When I first came in to see the girls I couldn't believe how stunning every single one of them looked.
Samantha is such a naturally beautiful girl, I couldn't wait to capture her on her wedding day.
The boys got ready at a local B&B but arrived at the estate and came up to the Manor house to put the finishing touches together. They were down stairs, so both the boys and the girls were close by.
I love weddings like this as it means Ryan and I are at the same location in the morning and we are able to both capture the special moments of both preps together. At most of our wedding days I will go with the Bride and Ryan goes with the groom who normally gets ready at a different location. Well, here is our handsome groom Leo....
There was plenty of time before the girls would arrive down at the Moon Garden so Ryan was able to get some shots of the guys around the Estate before the ceremony started.
One of my favourite moments of the day are the reveal shots in the morning. There were plenty of tears all round and the faces of all the bridesmaids made for a really beautiful moment - well deserved for such a stunning bride.
Samantha and the girls had a little moment of prayer and reflection together before heading down the the Moon Garden for the ceremony. I really love this picture....
and while they were waiting for the bridal party to arrive, the boys were.......well, just being boys 🤣
Ceremony
The ceremony always starts with the groom waiting waiting in anticipation/fear/tears 😭 for his bride to be to walk up the aisle......for us it means with that first look picture and we wait eagerly to get that special moment..... There is so much going on in this picture, I love it so much. The connection between everyone in the picture is beautiful and Leo's face after seeing Samantha for the first time is exactly what any photographer hopes for in a first look picture.
This is one of the shots of the day that you can't recreate and can't miss. The first look 😍, then the first kiss 😘 and the first dance 💃🏼....you never get a second chance to make a first impression 😂
The Pastor was a lovely man and because he knew the couple so well, it was such a touching ceremony. It was such a coincidence to hear how his church and a lot of the guests were from church only 5 minutes from our house, even though we were so far away at Drenagh Estate.
Every wedding needs legal papers signed, but for this one, they were left behind 😮.....luckily they were only in the manor house and one of the groomsmen ran up and back so the wedding could be made official 🏃🏽
We had more pictures from this wedding than any other we have ever done. There were so many guests that all wanted pictures and we loved it. At weddings we have to encourage guests to get pictures taken but it was the other way around at this wedding. Amazing ❤️📸
Cake Cut
Right after the cake cut, it was outside for the Bridal Party and shots around Drenagh Estate....as with all weddings, it's all about having fun. Rigid, staged and posed pictures are kept to a minimum and the whole point is to enjoy the day, including the pictures
Bridal Party & Portraits
We then let the bridal party go and join the festivities and keep the bride and groom for about 20 minutes more for portraits. The Drenagh Estate Wedding photo possibilities are endless. We could have taken pictures for 20 hours, never mind 20 minutes. Samantha and Leo were an amazing couple and it was a pleasure to capture these shots with them.
From here we always say to our couples, go and enjoy the rest of your day and we capture candid shots of guests and the shots of all the details of the day. That takes us through to speeches and then dinner. At any Drenagh Estate wedding, you arrive to the meal in style....
After dinner we always look to get the couple out for a few more shots as the sun turns to the golden hour...
and with Leo and Sam being 2 of the most polite people we have ever met, they went out for pictures at sun down and in the dark. Perhaps a less polite couple would have told us, no more 🤣 That's obviously a joke, as each picture only takes a few minutes to capture.
And to end it all, we like to try and get something a bit different or unique to end the day off. At this wedding we decided to return to the Moon Garden to use the beautiful round feature in the brick wall.
Sam & Leo, thank you so much for choosing us to capture your wedding day. It was an honour for us to be around you and all your nearest and dearest, on what is one of the most important days of your lives. We loved ever minute of your unforgettable day. ❤️
If you would like to talk to us about capturing your wedding, please feel free to get in touch with us, using the contact page on the website or just give us a call and we'd be more than happy to talk through what we do on the day.
Agnieszka & Ryan ❤️
Sadie and Lisa's Stunning Clandeboye Lodge Hotel Wedding
Sadie and Lisa's Stunning Clandeboye Lodge Hotel Wedding
I have written many blogs from many different Wedding venues but this is my first blog from the venue that I shoot weddings at the most - The Clandeboye Lodge.....I adore the Clandeboye lodge. The staff, the food, the options for pictures and of course the fact it's on my doorstep helps too 😍
Every wedding at the Clandeboye Lodge runs so smoothly and even though you never need to leave the beautiful grounds for pictures, knowing the area so well allows us to take couples to some additional fantastic locations nearby.
Sadie and Lisa's big day was one of the wettest we've shot and it rained from morning to early evening with only a few periods of dryness, but looking back at the pictures, you'd never know 🌧️📸
We have been blessed to have so many amazing brides and have never really experienced a bridezilla..... and on the 31st of May 2022, we experienced something we had never before.....not a bridezilla, but our first same sex marriage and not one, but two AMAZING brides in one day 👰🏻 👰🏼
Preparations
The girls were getting ready in the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel itself and there were 3 rooms practically side by side where Sadie and her bridal party....
.....Lisa with her mum and beautiful daughter Beau....
....and Lisa's dad, brother and his boyfriend were all getting ready.
This certainly made the logistical side of things a lot easier 🤣
After talking to Sadie and Lisa, we found out that they were similar to Ryan and I in personalities. Ryan and Sadie are both the less tidy one in the relationship with me and Lisa having to tidy after them and they are both so laid back it's unreal - with Lisa and I being the boss 🤣
Well the next set of pictures shows we are similar in emotions. Ryan wouldn't cry if the world was ending tomorrow yet I have cried at every film i've ever watched.....
Lisa reading her letter in the morning....*genuine tears* 😭
Sadie reading her letter and keeping emotions in check....i asked "Can you at least pretend to wipe a tear away" as Sadie hides her smiles behind the tissue 😂😂😂 the most laid back bride ever ❤️
The two brides continued to get ready....and didn't they both look absolutely stunning....credit to ALX Makeup, Kerry Moore Makeup and Hair by Kim Annesley and of course credit to Sadie and Lisa's parent for making such beautiful daughters 😂
Lisa's and her daughter Beau got ready together, before this lovely little family officially became a three 👩👩👧
At every wedding I would do a bridal reveal, where the bride's daddy gets to see his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time......Well i got to do it twice at this wedding...
And of course, Lisa being like me.......there were tears everywhere.....I always well up behind the camera during these moments.....they are such beautifully emotional moments ❤️❤️❤️
just enough time to dry the tears and fix the make-up before the Ceremony
So Sadie.....over to you for tears???
YAAAAAY......we got some tears....from Sadie.....and her Dad 🥲
After we all dried our tears and composed ourselves, it was over to the Ceremony room at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel....talking about dry.....there was a little spell of dryness here that had us hopeful of a dry day.
Ceremony
with this being our first same sex marriage, we were going to get the see a beautiful bride walking down the isle to a beautiful bride at the alter. It was honestly something I was so looking forward to seeing 👰🏻👰🏼
So Sadie walked up the isle first....
followed by Beau....who greeted Sadie with a big hug. It was genuinely so beautiful to see how much Beau loves Sadie and vice versa.....Beau now has two amazing mummies ❤️
So now the moment we were all waiting for......
now for that first look back ❤️
The ceremony was then taken by the Humanist Ann Pinkerton and it included an actual tying the knot ceremony with rainbow coloured ribbons and a sand ceremony with sand for Sadie, Lisa and Beau.....
So remember when I said we had a little gap in the weather.....well now the rain was back with force.....so what did we do about a confetti shot? Well the amazing people at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel allowed a request from us to have it in the foyer. ❤️
With the rain lashing down, we thought we'd get some nice portraits of the newly weds and their daughter in the foyer as well. The natural lighting in the foyer is beautiful because of the massive windows at the front and it's a great place for pictures when it's raining........I adore these two images.......
At this point of the day, we always love to let our coupes mingle and enjoy their day. Today was a little different to normal as when it's raining - we are watching the weather every minute to try and grab a dry moment for pictures outside.....we can capture candid guest shots and the detail shots at this point....for example 📸
oooooooooooh alright.....candid guest shots can wait......IT'S STOPPED RAINING........
when we first met up with Sadie and Lisa, they talked about how they'd love to have a smoke bomb shot of all the colours of the rainbow 🌈 ....so we ordered in a pack of 8. It had all the colours of the rainbow and a white one....Ryan thought we should test the white one first to make sure they worked ok.....
it would have be wrong to just waste it so we took a shot or two while testing 💨
We were happy with the smoke bombs......Bridal Party Assemble.....let's do this...... on three - everyone light the smoke bomb 🌈💨
1
2
3
WE ARE SO HAPPY WITH THESE......
Let's just say, working with smoke bombs has it's hazards too - we all got smoked out, with some more so than others and there were some dresses that were not in the same state once we'd finished this shot. Needless to say the ever laid back Sadie showed little angst or worry and was the epitome of tranquility...and one poor bridesmaid in particular, Sarah, had her dress singed....but was so calm and nice about it - such a lovely person ❤️...... the offer still stands to replace/repair it so if you are reading this Sarah, please get in touch 👗💷😂
..... Every one of you were amazing.....we loved working with you all that day. Thank you ❤️
With the dry weather still holding up and not much time before the call to dinner, we now took our chances to getting the couple shots for this stunning Clandeboye Lodge Hotel Wedding...
and just like that, it was getting close to time for speeches. The good thing about summer weddings is the ability to still have light in the evening to get pictures after dinner. So we decided that was what we'd do - let the girls get back to their wedding day and we'd take them out after dinner - The weather forecast was dry for the rest of the evening ☀️
For speeches, it's always a matter of capturing the laughter and the tears....and there's always plenty of both at all weddings.....
So many beautiful words all ended with a joke I had honestly never seen in all my time as a wedding photographer....
"I'd just like to raise a toast" 😂😂😂
and finally....for Sadie to toast to her new wife ❤️
Due to the rain we didn't have a group shot earlier in the day, hoping that we would be able to in the evening when the forecast had predicted a brighter time.....well this was the case. So after dessert, everyone was gathered up and we brought out some more confetti and from the balcony at the Clandeboye Lodge Hotel, we were able to get the shot taken....
Well what followed next was an impromptu bouquet toss from both the girls.....with one very keen person in there trying, and succeeding in catching the tossed bouquet.....
This had the potential to be like the bouquet toss from my Barbie wedding.....but thankfully everyone was civilised and happy for the bouquet catchers on this occasion... The catcher was Eoin, who is Lisa's brother Daniel's boyfriend.....maybe there is another wedding on the horizon 😂
Now like I had said earlier, with the summer nights giving so much light through to the evening, we were able to go out after dinner and grab a few pictures just outside the Clandeboye Lodge. All these shoots are taken 60 seconds from the venue....and the reason I just love a Clandeboye Lodge Hotel Wedding 💒
Now it was back for the first dance.....The Diva Dolls provided the entertainment and they were absolutely amazing....they are all lovely girls too which is even better ❤️
The warm up act was the Bridesmaids and Beau....
Before the newlyweds made their way onto the dance floor for their first dance as a married couple....
This is one of my favourite first dance pictures of the evening which epitomises Sadie and Lisa so well....they were just great fun to be around all day long and honestly two of the best brides we've ever worked with.....
....and It wasn't long before Beau joined in too...
It was then party time when the dance floor was open and the guests partied into the night...
There was still time for a few more shots....we always do a sparkler shot any Clandeboye Lodge Hotel Wedding. There is a beautiful backdrop out the front of the building as it has fairy lights that provide a beautiful ambient backdrop for it.
and then a nice final one for the night of the glamorous girls outside the front of the hotel.
Sadie and Lisa, we cannot thank you enough for choosing us to capture your fantastic wedding....you were both amazing all day long in sometimes wet and miserable conditions....you are both meant to be together and the love you have for each other and Beau (and Beau for you both) is so beautiful to witness. She's such a lucky girl to have two amazing people like you in her life ❤️
For anyone having a Clandeboye Lodge Hotel Wedding......it would be lovely to hear from you and allow us to have as much fun as we did shooting Sadie and Lisa's wedding. Feel free to get in touch ❤️
Lyndsey & Darren's Amazing Leighinmohr House Wedding
Leighinmohr House Wedding
With many hotels in close proximity in the Ballymena area, it's no surprise that we are up that direction all the time but for us though, the majority of time it seems to be Leighinmohr house. We have done so many weddings there and know the place and staff so well.
One wedding there in 2021 stood out for us........Lyndsey and Darren Shaw.
We usually meet all our bride and grooms at least once prior to the wedding day, but with Darren regularly working away, Lyndsey came down to meet us with her sister and she was happy with what she saw, so went ahead and booked us.
Darren and Lyndsey had to rearrange their wedding due to covid restrictions so they were already Mr & Mrs Shaw👰🏼🤵🏻 before the the big day - they actually got married in a church ceremony a few months before having this big party for friends and family at the Leighinmohr House Hotel - and what a crazy day of partying it was 😊
As with the majority of our weddings, it starts with the Groom & Bridal preparations, which is one of my favourite parts of the day.
Preparations
Darren and the lads were getting ready at his sister's house while Lyndsey was getting ready at the home where they live 🏠💇💄
The girls put money together and bought Lyndsey a beautiful bottle of perfume. I always love detail shots throughout the day and try and capture every last little detail for couple to remember......
Meanwhile, the boys were getting ready a mile down the road and Ryan was there to capture it all....
Back with the girls and it was make-up and dress time....
Lyndsey looked absolutely stunning and after she got her dress on, it was downstairs to do the reveal shot with her Daddy. This is one the most emotional shots of the day where even the most strong, manly fathers have broken down......this capture was my favourite shot of the day I think....I absolutely ❤️ this....
I always find it hard myself not to well up and cry myself.....😢
....and with both Bride and Groom ready.....it was time to make their way to Ballymena for their Leighinmohr House Wedding....
just time to get a couple of shots in the car with Lynsey on her own and then with her Daddy......
Ceremony
With Lynsey and Darren already being married, we were unsure of whether we would get those emotion shots when a bride and groom see each other for the first time on their wedding day....but with these two looking so amazing....it would have been impossible for them not to get emotional...
Post Ceremony Pictures
After the ceremony we have a few standard shots we have to get out of the way....things like.....
Family shots....
shots of the cars in front of the hotel....
....and after these quick shots we always ask the bride and groom if they want to get something to eat/drink at the drinks reception, or get the bridal party shots done now.....well at this point, we could hear the music bouncing inside from the band Lynsey had booked, and it was obvious what the decision would be......so we went inside with them to capture it all.....and it was amazing.....🎶🤵🏻🎶🎙️🎶👰🏻🎶 The band members were able to get Darren up to sing himself and it made for awesome pictures ❤️
After Darren serenaded his wife, much to the delight of the crowd, we gathered up the bridal party and took them for the bridal party shots....
...you know when the whole bridal party does the conga down to the gardens, you're going to get good shots 🤣
After the brilliantly crazy bridal party went on their way for more festivities, it allowed us to focus on our bride and groom....
It was then back to the venue for the bride and groom to enjoy the rest of their afternoon before the speeches and dinner. After dinner there are a few formalities to get out of the way....
The first dance...
before the customary father of the bride dance....
and then.....that's when the madness begins. This is when the best pictures are taken too 🤣
and finally......we bring the bride and groom outside to get the evening shots we love. These can range from silhouette shots, smokes bomb shots to everyones favourite recently - Sparkler shots....but first, how about a late night car park dance off 💃🏻🕺🏻
and then it was the final shots of the night before we headed off home .......🎇📸
Thanks again Lynsey and Darren for choosing us to capture your big day.......
If you are having a Leighinmohr House Wedding, or getting married at any venue, please feel free to get in touch about with us about capturing your big day.....
Agnieszka & Ryan ❤️
Tazmyn and Jordan's Fabulous Belfast City Wedding
Tazmyn and Jordan's Belfast City Wedding
When it comes to wedding bookings, some couples look to book with us years in advance - I get messages asking me if I have any Saturdays available in June 2028 - I'm not even sure i'll be working in 2028 never mind available 😂 We always see some crazy coincidences too...one time within the space of 24 hours, I got asked three times about the exact same date a few years away - but it was taken already....😮
....you also get couples like the lovely Tazmyn and Jordan, who contacted us and basically said 'We're getting married in 6 months, can you be our photographers?'....and luckily for us the date was free...and how glad we were. They called to our house with their lovely daughters Saylor and Dillyn and after meeting them all we knew we were going to have an amazing day.
When Jordan and Tazmyn arrived at our house to meet us, we went into the garden room and their girls went into the house with our daughter Sofia. It was hard to know who had the better time - Saylor, Dillyn and Sofia who raided the sweets cupboard and were watching films on Netflix.....or Ryan and Jordan, who raided the beer fridge and were playing pool as Tazmyn and I chatted about kids, life and weddings. Ryan told me to write that he 7 balled Jordan twice 😂 🎱 #facts
Wedding Day 💍
The morning of the wedding started like most of our weddings - Ryan dropped me off at the venue for the bridal prep 👰 where Tazmyn and the girls were getting ready at 10 Square. He then drove to the guys for the groom prep pics, where Jordan and his best man were having a hot towel shave 🧔 -> 🤵
Meanwhile, back at 10 Square - all the girls were getting their make-up and hair done 💅 .....but it was all relaxed and fun the whole way with Tazmyn and all the bridal party 😍
Meanwhile....the guys were getting the suits on and would soon be leaving for the city centre....
It was back with the girls who were just putting the finishing touches to getting ready...
So with the guys on their way, there was a slight wardrobe malfunction and along with a few other things, it meant that there was a bit of a delay in the girls getting ready on time. Let's just say the stunning Tazmyn was fashionably late⌚
but Jordan didn't have to wait too long though for his princess.....and my goodness me, it was well worth the wait as the beautiful bride soon made her way down the isle to become Mrs Patterson...
Ceremony
After the signing of the formalities was completed and the pictures were taken, the new Mr & Mrs Patterson left the building and didn't Tazmyn and Jordan look happy....
Reception
After the ceremony there was a drinks reception for some refreshments and some music from a special guest Jordan's grandad, who was cheered on by two of his biggest fans...
Picture Time 📸
It was then out to Belfast City Hall for the pictures.....This is where Jordan and Ryan both ended up in the dog house. Jordan was making one too many jokes and Tazmyn frustratedly said 'Would you stop it Jordan, i don't see anyone else laughing' and Jordan said 'He's laughing' pointing at Ryan (he was laughing too 😂) - So Tazmyn shouted at Jordan and I shouted at them both for upsetting my beautiful bride 😠😠😠 both walked off with their tails between their legs but we all had a good laugh about it and moved to Belfast City Hall for the pictures.
We always like to get the bridal party and family pictures done quickly to allow them to go back and continue the celebrations....🥂🕺
After the bridal party pictures are completed.....it's time for the big romantic shoot. We always chat and talk the whole way through these pictures and it's so relaxed. No pressure to pose like your on the Milan catwalk but we always give a few pointers on improving posture and angles, but it's always fun. We usually chat to put couples at ease but these two were chatting more to us and putting us at ease 😂 It was so laid back - Tazmyn and Jordan had us smiling and laughing all day and here was no different. You can't help but smile and laugh when you are in their company.
It was on these steps in the City Hall that we got one of my favourite images from the day. I put it in black and white which I think makes it looks timeless. Everyone who comes to chat about weddings, loves this picture and it's a shot people ask for if they are having a Belfast City Wedding. Tazmyn and Jordan have this image on their wall at home too ❤️ 📸 🖼️
It was then the short walk to Ten Square for the the beautiful couple, back to their venue to celebrate...
Just before the dinner, we were able to take Jordan and Tazmyn up to their penthouse room and get some shots with Belfast City Hall in the background
Evening Do💃🍻
When all the wedding guests then had their dinner, it was Party time......DJ Dave Rawlston is someone we often see at weddings and he is such amazing fun - He always gets empty dance floors filled with people. You will always get good dance pics with him running the show.
.....but there was no worry about having to fill an empty dance floor at this wedding....firstly it was the Bride and Groom's first dance...
and then it was madness the rest of the night.....the 'tunes were pumping' and everyone was getting up to dance..
Jordan even got the master of ceremonies up to dance.....his actual real name was Mo Salah...We always remember Jordan signing the Liverpool song to him all day 🎶 Mo Salah, Mo Salah, Mo Salah....running down the wing....Sa la, la, la, la, laaaaa the Egyptian King 🎶 The poor man didn't know what hit him but Mo Salah was a great sport the whole day. Such a great character.....
...but no one could steal the show from the stunningly perfect bride who, even at this late hour of the evening, looked flawless while dancing the night away with her family and friends...
As I said before.....Jordan and Tazmyn had the Penthouse Suite in Ten Square for that evening, which overlooks the City Hall buildings. It would have been a shame not to utilise this for an evening shot, so we went up and got one of the last shots of the day with the City Hall as a back drop.
The last shot of the day was a family picture......of Tazmyn and Jordan and their little boy, who Tazmyn carried around all day.....She was 14 weeks pregnant at the time of the wedding 😮 pregnant with her little boy Boss Jordan James Patterson ❤️
After the wedding, Tazmyn received some bad news and was unfortunately diagnosed with skin cancer 20 weeks into her pregnancy and had to under go an 8 hour operation at 23 weeks pregnant. Boss was later born via an emergency C section at 30 weeks and weighed only 3lbs 2oz. Both Tazmyn and Boss are absolute warriors. Both have been through so much and have great support through their amazing family and friends. Read more of Tazmyn's story here: Tazmyn's Story
Boss is now a healthy, gorgeous almost 2 year old - which is truly amazing......he's their little miracle baby ❤️❤️❤️
Tazmyn and Jordan - you guys are amazing and we loved every minute of your big day. Ryan and I look forward to seeing you all soon ❤️
Nushy x
If you are having a Belfast City wedding, we'd love to capture your day too.....feel free to get in touch about anything.....Contact Us
Glamorous Galgorm Wedding
Zara and Gavin Kerr's Galgorm Wedding
It's always nice to shoot a wedding for someone you know or you have met before. I had met the lovely Zara on a training course years before she asked us to capture her wedding. Zara and her now husband Gavin don't live far from us and they walked up to the house on each occasion they came to see us.
Zara said they were walking to try to get into shape for the wedding - I have never seen Zara in anything but amazing shape 👸 Gavin and Zara are extremely polite, eloquently spoken people and are lovely to be around. When we met their families, they are all the same too - we were made to feel so welcome all day at this wedding ❤️️
We did a really fun engagement shoot with Zara and Gavin, which will be in a blog later, and it was so evident they just enjoyed being in each other's company. They were made for each other for sure 💑 we knew the wedding would be great fun.
Preparations
Ryan dropped me off to the hair salon where Zara was getting her hair done, then went to meet Gavin outside the Turkish barbers where he was due to have a hot towel shave. Unfortunately the shop wasn't open 🧔 and they had to drive round looking for an open one - which luckily they were able to find, one called Aziz's Turkish Barber Shop.
We always give pictures to the couples in chronological order and with exact timings from the cameras. They can see what stages each other were at in the mornings when they were getting ready. We like the images to be telling a story of the flow of the day, so couples can relive their wedding from morning to night when looking at them.
So while Gavin was getting shaved, Zara was drinking lattes while getting her hair done at Sharon Malcolm Hairdressing 💇
The girls then went back to Zara's parents' beautiful house for makeup 💅 (Makeup: DJ Griffen & Dawn Rose)
Back at Gavin's parents' house, the guys were getting their glad rags on....🤵 Gavin and the groom party went for tails which looked so smart, and the accompanying shoes just oozed class.
And with the guys ready, it was time to send them off with some Champers 🍾 Looks like the cork got good distance on it judging by the faces :)
So with Gavin and family on route to the Galgorm, it was now time for Zara to get her dress on and have her reveal shots 👰
Zara looked absolutely stunning in her dress and now it was time for her daddy Neil to see her. I have said before in other blogs that this is one of the most emotional shots of the day - When a father sees his little girl in her wedding dress for the first time 😭
Zara's Daddy Neil is a lovely man and did very well not to shed a tear. Zara didn't fair so well 😢 ❤️️
With Zara's tears dried and makeup fixed, it was time for the Bridal party to head to the Galgorm for the ceremony. 💒
Zara's brother Nathan was usher and handed out the order of service at the door - The guest were all waiting in anticipation of the beautiful brides arrival.
The Galgorm Wedding Ceremony
Time for Zara and her Daddy to arrive and get the show started...The ceremony room was beautifully decorated by Blue Moon Event Design & the stunning flowers for the whole day were fashioned by House of Elliot Flowers
As with every wedding, it was time for the exchanging of the rings. I always love to get a shot of the rings together somewhere nice and it's one of the most stressful shots of the day - can you image dropping or losing one of the wedding rings 😱 💍
As always at the Galgorm, It's straight outside the Phantom House for all the guests after the ceremony, for the customary group shot.
This is always one of the hardest shots of the day to coordinate and it really helps to have two photographers here. You always get the odd straggler returning from the toilet/bar/hedges when you have taken it. It's a nice shot for the bride and groom to see everyone who was at their wedding in a single shot (minus the straggler of course) 😂
After the group shot we let the crowd mingle and take candid shots, then look to quickly get through the family pictures - by doing it early it means we can leave the family to get on for the drinks reception. We then look to grab the bridesmaids and groomsmen and get snapping.
Picture time 📸
The bridal party shoot is always a good laugh. We always give little prompters too.....like in the one below
"Look at the person least likely to buy a drink at the bar later.....1......2......3'' *click* *click* pic taken
Wait - Why are two of them looking directly at me? I think it's Ryan they are looking at to be honest 😂 Well there is a unanimous decision - The best man 😲 We love having a laugh with the bridal party at this point in the day 😍
We then send them on their way to enjoy the celebrations and look to take the bride and groom for their shots. We always try and make so informal. Just chatting to the couple and walking around from spot to spot.
And with that short window of pictures, it was time to let this glamorous couple get back to their guests and enjoy all the festivities. It's at this point that we got all the detail shots and candid guest pictures.
Just before the dinner is served, it's time for speeches.....Gavin delivered his speech perfectly and brought tears to the eyes of his new wife. We always like to take pictures of guest's reactions to the speeches....we have captured many a picture of a yawn or someone looking at their watch - but not this wedding - they were all beautifully delivered speeches.
After an absolutely amazing dinner, it was time for the next phase of the party to start - the evening do, with dancing late into the evening....
There was the first dance, the father of the bride dance and then the grandfather of the bride dance which got a great reception from the crowd - if i can move like Zara's granddad when I am his age, i'll be a happy girl.
After a few dances, we took Zara and Gavin for a walk just to cool down and to get an evening picture - I am not going to lie - there was a smoke bomb planned for the below shot but it burned out within seconds and drifted off towards Ballymena ☁ 😱
We still loved this shot anyway 😍
Gavin and Zara then had all the guests gather outside, where they were treated to an amazing firework display, to put a cherry on the cake on what was an amazing Galgorm Wedding day.
This was a lovely way to end the day for us as we got to watch them too. It was such an enjoyable wedding and Zara and Gavin are two of the nicest people you could ever meet. All day they kept asking us were we ok and if we needed or wanted anything. We had to keep saying 'it's your wedding day, stop worrying about us'' - That's just how nice they are.
Thanks for choosing us to capture your big day Zara and Gavin, you lovely people ❤️️
Hope you all enjoyed the blog....if you are getting married and would like us to capture our big day - we would love too...just get in touch :)
Much love,
Nush x
Wonderful Wool Tower Wedding
Mr & Mrs Spence's Wool Tower Wedding
Nicola and Ian are awesome 😍 From our very first meeting at our house, we knew that we'd enjoy capturing their wedding and being in their company at their big day. Ian loves football like Ryan and they chatted about that while playing pool and Nicola and I love gin and chatting so we already had a lot in common 😂
We had to remind ourselves at points that we were there to discuss weddings and photographs. Getting to meet so many lovely people is one of the best parts of being a wedding photographer. We talked through the engagement shoot plans (posting soon) and also plans for the big day at the Wool Tower.
Our First Wool Tower Wedding.
We had heard good reports about the Wool Tower in Broughshane but had never captured a wedding there. It's a lovely old brick building beside a river and has lots of old rustic rooms and spots for pictures.
Preparations.
With every bride and groom, we tell them to do exactly what they want on their day, and we will capture it. We always ask grooms if they are going for a haircut, shave or breakfast - to let us know as when they look back on their pictures, we want them to remember exactly what they did. Well this morning, Ryan went with Ian and the lads for breakfast - not to eat though - he was working :)
Then it was back to Ian's house for the lads to all get ready....all while playing a few games of Fifa. A fry-up, a few beers and a game of Fifa. What a way to start the day 🍳🍻️⚽️
Ian supports Everton (hence the blue theme in the suit I guess) and the best man supports Liverpool. So they had a game on Fifa with those exact teams - with Ian racing off into a 2-0 lead, all while goading and gloating......
But you should never celebrate too early as the best man brought it back to 2-2 and then scored the winner in the 90th minute, forever immortalised on camera 😂
After all the laughing, the lads then got dressed up and were on their way to the Wool Tower
Nicola and the bridesmaids were already at the Wool tower getting ready. It's no secret that bridal prep is one of my favourite parts of the day and this day was no different. The bride is almost always last to get make-up done and I love to take the bridesmaids for a few shots at this time.
Nicola's beautiful hair (by Emma O'Boylan) and stunning makeup (by Rebecca Saulters) was complete and she had put her dress on. The girls came back to see and were all holding back the tears when they saw how stunning she looked....
Ian and Nicola were both ready.......It was now time for these two lovely people to get married 👰 🤵
Wool Tower Wedding Ceremony
All the guests had arrived, the groom was waiting patiently and the bride was ready. It was time for the ceremony...
Having two photographers means we can capture many different angles of a wedding - Like Nicola coming up the aisle & her and Ian seeing each other for the first time 😍 📸 it just couldn't be done without 2 photographers.
Once the ceremony is over, everyone spills out into the courtyard for some pictures. I said it in another blog and i'll say it again - 'Always have a confetti shot. Always.' 🎊
All the guests get involved and there are so many smiling faces in the shot. It's hard to get the bride and groom with open eyes or without stray hands or confetti in the way....but we always get an amazing shot in the end.
We usually let the bride and groom mingle and get a drink at this point.....then after 15 - 20 minutes, while the rest of the guests were enjoying the sunshine, the ice cream, the shortbread and of course, the bar.....we took Ian and Nicola off to get pictures done.
At this point, we always tell the newlyweds to bring a drink or two with them to enjoy while getting the pictures, and it always makes for a nice picture of their first drink as a married couple....
We usually start off with the full bridal party and then split into 2 groups with the guys going with Ryan and the girls coming with me.......
photo time.........📸
The videographer for the wedding was Dave McGarvey from Firefly Weddings and we always enjoy working with him. His sister was bridesmaid at this wedding and in typical Dave fashion, he got the guys having a dance off together for the video🕺💃
And with that, we sent the bridal party off on their merry way. Now it was the window we get with the bride and groom for pictures, with Ian and Nicola just chatting with us casually as we moved from place to place and captured candid shots.
And with that, the lovely couple went back to the reception to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with their guests.
It's at this point in weddings that Ryan and I will go round getting pictures of guests and little detail shots. One of the perks of working weddings is always the sweet cart....and at this wedding.....what a sweet cart it was 🍬🍬 😍
After gorging ourselves on sweets to get a sugar rush energy burst, it was upstairs to capture the room before the guests get called for dinner. We always like to be efficient with our time at weddings so the bride and groom get to spend most of the day with their guests.....it's always a nice to have a good balance between that and pictures.
The room look absolutely amazing with the fairy lights giving beautiful feel to the images. The stunning floral arrangements where created by Flowers at the Mill and they decorated the room beautifully. It was now time for the moment a lot of grooms fear the most......the speeches. Ian breezed it 🤵
And with that, dinner is served. At this this time we usually charge batteries both metaphorically and literally. It is usually the first time we get a rest from early morning but because we love weddings so much️, we don't even notice the time passing ❤️
With dinner gone, we capture some more guests images, with new guests arriving for the evening do. Wool Tower weddings have the dinner upstairs and the dancing downstairs, so there is no room turnaround so it's straight to the dancing
Now i couldn't write a blog on this wedding without mentioning Ste Ming. Ian had a mask from his stag do - i'm not entirely sure of the full story on how this mask came to be - but it came to the wedding. Ian wore it for a special dance off and also for the group picture will all the stag lads. It was hilarious. We couldn't stop laughing.
This was a truly amazing day from start to finish with so many familiar faces. We both had such a great laugh the whole time and we often talk how fortunate we are to be able to do this as a job. Ian and Nicola are fantastic people. They got the day they both deserved and it was a pleasure to capture it ❤️️
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog 😍 - if you are planning a Wool Tower wedding, or indeed a wedding anywhere in the world, we'd love to capture your big day. Feel free to get in touch to start your wedding photo journey.
Much love,
Nush.
Amazing Cultra Manor Wedding
The Sturdy's Cultra Manor Wedding
We get to meet all our couples before their big day, in fact we insist on it. It just helps make the wedding day better for us, for the couple, and for the pictures. Katie and Aron came to our garden room and it was like we had known them for years. They are both nurses and that's how they met. Aron loves Strongbow dark fruits and his only job in the house is putting the bins out - which he regularly forgets to do. Ryan does exactly the same.
Katie likes gin and so do I (I mean, who doesn't though?) and they took it in turns driving to the meetings we had with them regarding the wedding, meaning the other could have a drink that night. Ryan also asked me to write in here that Aron got 'destroyed' at pool, just to remind him when he reads this :D
We love meeting all our couples and hearing all about them. It's such an enjoyable part of the job and it was no different with Katie and Aron :)
Groom & Bridal Preparation
Katie got ready at her Mum and Dad's stunning house just outside Millisle, County Down. The make-up artist was Emma Scott and hair was by Cathy Hamilton. The gardens at the house were beautiful and had been looked after to perfection, including this vintage bike with flowers which i absolutely loved 😍
Aron got ready at his mum and Dad's lovely house in Donaghadee, with all the lads there too. Aron's mum, seen here modelling the 2019 Spring/Summer Gucci shot belt, helped provide all the guys with the dutch courage :)
Aron got Katie a number plate as a present but tricked her with a fake one first that said 'SH1T L1P', which Katie thought was her real present. That sums these two up - always messing and joking with each other and always smiling - well.....Aron smiled most of the day apart from a few times :D which you'll see later - 😭
Katie had got Aron a beautiful watch which he wore on the day too. Getting each other wedding gifts is something that Ryan and I weren't aware was a thing until we started doing weddings. We didn't get each other anything for our wedding day. I missed out on the chance of a nice designer bag :D
Katie and Aron, like a lot of brides and grooms, are big dog lovers. They wanted their cute little dog to be part of the big day too. He got ready with Aron in the morning and dressed up just as sharp as the rest of boys.
It was now time for Katie to get her stunning dress on.....👰
And then for one of my favourite shots of the day - The ever emotional first reveal. The first time Katie's dad saw her in her wedding dress. Such a beautiful moment. It always reduces even the most manly of men to tears and I always feel the tears forming in my eyes just capturing the emotion ❤️️
Cultra Manor Wedding Ceremony
This was our first Cultra Manor wedding and we were really looking forward to it. We had no idea where the ceremony would take place, so it was all new to us but that adds an extra little bit of pressure that helps keep you on your toes. It was in a quaint little Church within the tree lined manor. Such a beautiful place to get married.
So this is the first time Aron cried 😭 and as you can see - Katie really consoled him 😂 She laughed and joked a lot when Aron cried. Aron and Katie are like best friends - the saying 'Ive married my best friend' is so obvious here and they constantly laugh, joke and mock each other.
The picture below of Aron's laughing and in the background, his dad laughing the exact same way, was a lucky shot - but a cool shot.
Always do a confetti shot. If the church doesn't allow it, do one at the reception.....but always do a confetti shot 😍
Picture Time
We always try to grab the list of family pictures right after the ceremony (we get this list in our pre-wedding meetings) - everyone is there and you can get them done quickly and allow them to get to get down to the reception/party/bar :) Then we get our time with the bride and groom and wedding party. we grab a nice full wedding party shot first:
And then Ryan takes the lads to one side and gets pictures while i take the girls. This takes about 5 to 10 minutes but we get this done and send the bridal party on their way (to the bar :)) The above picture was taken on the beautifully cobbled streets around the Manor. It was a pleasure to capture a wedding here, it really was.
With the wedding party sent off to party, we grabbed a quick 10 minutes with the bride and groom themselves. This is the first time they are alone together after getting married and bride and grooms always love this time. We let them chat and walk around and capture what's happening before posing them and giving a few prompters, like so:
*Walk towards us and look at each other*
*face each other, nice and close, show us romance....show us love*
And then Katie and Aron's favourite prompt of the day:
*Play with her Aron.....PLAY WITH HER*
Ryan said ''Nushy, wtf...you can't say things like that''. I didn't know that it had a potential different meaning but it got us this picture of them laughing which we love. They were laughing for about 5 minutes after this shot too 😂
Speeches
This venue is something else - The dinner and speeches are held in the main manor building that would be the envy of any lord. The decor and flowers, which were provided by Floralicious, were stunning and the lighting in the room was amazing. The speeches were a lovely mix of emotion and humour. The perfect wedding speech mix. Although, Aron's dad made some really nice comments about Aron and guess what happened??.........😭
.......Aron went again 😭 - Ever the comforting wife, Katie just laughed and mocked him again. 😂
There was entertainment in the form of a band and also a magician, who's tricks were really impressive. Wedding crowds are a tough gig, especially when much drink has been taken, but the young man pulled it off with aplomb.
First Dance
The celebrations started with the first dance and ran well into the night. We actually stayed late at this one. Ryan knew so many of the guests and at the end I had to drag him away as he wouldn't stop talking to people. We had such a great time at this wedding.
It only feels like yesterday that Aron and Katie came into the garden room in Newtownards to chat through us potentially being their wedding photographers. It's hard to believe that it's all over and done now, but we absolutely consider them friends and they are welcome at the garden room anytime. Thanks again for choosing us to capture your fantastic day.
Much love, Nush (and bag carrier/minion) 😂
For anyone reading this, if you are considering having a Cultra Manor wedding, please feel free to get in touch as we'd love to capture your big day too. Even if you are not getting married at Cultra, the garden room is always available for a chat about what we do ❤️️
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 ❤️️