Laura & Adrian

We don't do many wedding fairs, but when we do, we meet a lot of people. So, often, you only get a couple of minutes to chat to them and afterwards it can all be a bit of a blur. Being much more organized than me, Julie sometimes jots down a couple of lines to remind us who was who for when we meet again.  There were just two words on Laura & Adrian's Enquiry form after we met in Lough Rynn - "Carrie Bradshaw". And indeed, apart from the fact that she's prettier and has a good 20 years on Sarah Jessica Parker, she does have all the looks, style & pzazz of the Big Apple. We do glitz and glamour in Bornacoola too!

On the morning of the wedding, Adrian & his band of merry men were chilling out in the beautiful home he more or less built single-handedly for himself and Laura. Their two dogs, Baby & Sally, were taking advantage of the Boss's absence to lounge on the couch.  Sally at least looks a little bit guilty about it. Meanwhile, apart from the faithful family dog watching and waiting quietly at the door, it was all hustle & bustle back at Laura's parents' house as hair & make-up was in full swing when I arrived.

So, a great-looking couple, warm Spring Sunshine, the colorful gardens at Lough Rynn, Weddingsonline.ie videographer of the year, Niall Magahy, alongside me. My favourites, Late Nite Radio provided the sounds. What more could I ask for? Nothing more really - some days are just like that - everything comes together. Appropriately, the tables were named for the feelings Laura & Adrian share for each other. No prizes for guessing which one was centre-stage.






















 

Catriona & Declan

No year is complete without a trip to Ballinaglera, and thankfully 2012 is no exception, as I headed for the hills for Catriona & Declan's wedding. Ger was with me on second-shooter duty, and he again put together a lovely slideshow which was shown to all the guests over dessert back in The Landmark Hotel that evening.

First though, we had to argue over who's house had the better views. Declan's is on the mountain, with a great sweeping vista across the valleys, while Catriona's nestles in a little inlet on the shores of Lough Allen.  It seemed most of Catriona's uncles, aunts and cousins had turned up to wish her well on the morning of the wedding. We'd have needed a wedding feast of Cana type-miracle for Gerry to have given everyone a glass of the champagne he was popping. Even if they didn't all get a drop of bubbly, the mood was giddy & excited in advance of the big occasion.

Fr Sean Mawn kept the atmosphere light and humorous during the ceremony. No matter how entertaining your sermon is though, sometimes one or two of the congregation will drift off. Fr Sean lent Catriona & Declan his nice Parker pen to sign the register, which I found in my suit pocket at this weekend's wedding. I'll return it, I promise! As we left the Curch, hailstones the size of marbles were hopping off the ground, and it seemed there was little chance of getting any outdoor photographs. Luckily, by the time we reached Curmungeon Shore, the rain and hail had stopped. The skies hadn't exactly cleared, but that made them all the more dramatic, as Catriona & Declan strolled out along the pier.

As always, Trish & Emma were on hand with a big Landmark welcome. The evening turned cold and windy, so we stayed in the comfort of the hotel, nipping up to the Black Mint Bar for a few pre-dinner pics. Brian Duignan was on film duty alongside me, the flowers came from Chrissy in Eden, while Gobsmacked provided the night's entertainment. Listening to Best Man Francis's speech, it seems Declan is a workaholic who doesn't believe in holidays. Nonetheless, Catriona managed to persuade him to join her on the white sands of Barbados for a week - maybe that will change his mind. The good news for me is that I get another trip to Ballinaglera next year too - for Declan's sister Linda's wedding.

Sinead & Pat

My run of Mayo GAA-themed weddings continued with Sinead & Pat’s recently. As soon as I walked into Sinead’s house, I saw an entire wall covered in a collage of photos of big events involving the county team. Sinead’s Dad, Sean, was in the middle of most of them. He was the county secretary for 14 years. It seems Pat had ambitions to make the County side himself – a little birdie told me he sometimes put in extra late-night training sessions in the hope that Sean would see his potential. Though they’ve had lots of provincial success, picked up a league title and an under-age all-Ireland, being a Mayo supporter must feel like being a constant bridesmaid sometimes. Sadly, that continued in Croke Park today.

Sinead was being waited on hand and foot by “The Dolls”- Edel & Fionnuala - as I arrived. As well as her bridesmaid's duties, Fionnuala was doing everyone’s hair as well, but still managed to remain calm, collected and ready on time. Meanwhile Katie the Golden Retriever was unruffled by all the activity around her. Flowergirl Caitlin was definitely not camera-shy and even performing a little comedy routine in the middle of the ceremony, which made everyone forget any nervousness they may have been feeling.

Brides travel from far and wide to get married in the beautiful Ballintubber Abbey, but it's just 2 minutes down the road for Sinead. Though it’s fantastic, the Abbey can put the fear of god into photographers – the body of the church is very bright, but it's really dark around the alter, and that contrast can be tricky. I like to only use the ambient light – I hate firing flashguns in a church – in two of the shots below, it's just the warm glow of the candles lighting Sinead & Pat.

There’s always going to be fun & games when Pat’s around. He’s a great man for the slaggin’, and when Fionnaula made a comment revealing that she likes a bit of raunchiness with her romance, it became a running joke she wasn’t allowed to forget. He opens champagne like a Formula 1 Driver, and is sufficiently in touch with his feminine side to carry the bouquet for much of the day and sip his glass of bubbly with a strawberry and frosting. A thoroughly modern man.

We arrived back to the usual warm welcome from Olivia, Recep & Michelle at Kilronan, where there was plenty of time to mingle and enjoy a glass of champagne, while Manila Strings entertained the guests. It’s a bit bizarre hearing three Filipino musicians doing a double-bass and skiffle-board version of “Ride On”, but somehow it works. Earlier in the day, Sean Costello sang beautifully in the Abbey, while Sean Slattery and The Connections got the dancing going late into the night.

 

Michelle & Kevin

I've fallen behind on my blog posts, so will cut some of the chatter and get straight to the pictures. Michelle & Kevin's wedding took place in Gowel, before heading on to The Landmark Hotel.

A few short years ago, when I was in primary school, we passed Gowel Church every day on the bus.  The McNulty brothers have been hanging around on the wall opposite the Church after mass for forty years or more now, and Michelle's wedding day was no exception. I'm not saying Gowel is the only Church around where it could happen, but it was no surprise when some post-ceremony photos were interrupted by a passing Massey Ferguson Tractor. We had a quick stop at Drumsna bridge before getting to the party in The Landmark where Emma and Patricia lavished their usual care and attention on all. Brian Duignan was on video duties beside me, The Cosmonauts provided the music, and after the party finished, Michelle & Kevin headed off to a well-earned rest in Mauritius followed by South Africa, the lucky devils. I couldn't finish without a mention of Michelle's beautiful two-piece Kathy De Stafford gown, which as you'll see, needed all three bridesmaids acting as dressers.