Philippa & John - Park Hotel, Kiltimagh

Nobody who knows Philippa would describe her as shy & retiring, so it was entirely appropriate that her wedding dress would be bold and dramatic. It was made by Jane Cowood, who isn't so much a dressmaker as a costumiér and whose creations regularly grace the stages of London's West End. The dress consisted of five separate pieces - in gold, with gold & aubergine lace, once assembled, it looked as though it would be perfectly at home in the Versailles court of Louis XVI.

I'm more used to seeing Philippa in jodphurs at the Lough Gara Stables. We've been in a few horsey scrapes together. Before she met John, Philippa had two other loves in her life - her horse Jessie, and Minnie, her little Yorkie, and they were both on hand to be part of her big day, though neither of them made the church. There were plenty of people - this was a big wedding, with lots of familiar faces. In fact, two of the guests had been at Elaine & Stewart's wedding the day before, which can't have been good for their livers.

After the ceremony in Keash, it was off to The Park Hotel in Kiltimagh for the reception. We had a stop at Glore Mill Arts Centre for some photos, but the bitter wind meant we were running the risk of pneumonia, so it was quick. Only best man Michael lingered over his shots, determined to perfect his Blue Steel pose. It was tempting to swap the champagne reception for a hot whiskey, but by the time dinner came around the crowd was well warmed up. The speeches added to the craic and with Late Nite Radio in top form, the dancefloor was full til the early hours. Though I put the camera down for the night, I do have a series of pictures from outside the Resident's Bar that I think I could make some money from - the subjects would probably pay handsomely to have the files deleted. Maybe I'll make a separate blog post out of them...