Mary & Gareth

If you don't recognise Mary in these photographs, then before too long, you'll be able to say you saw her here first. She's a rising star of the Irish media scene - after a stint presenting a successful talk show on i102-104, she is now a regular contributor to TV3's Midday programme and a high-profile blogger. She's smart, she's witty, she's young, she's beautiful, - watch out Tubbers.

Gareth too, was looking as dapper as Tubbers. He was just putting the finishing touches to his wedding day outfit when I arrived, fitting a natty pair of braces to his smart Paul Smith suit. It wasn't always that way though - he went through a hairy period when he was working in the wilds of Clare, sporting the kind of beard every man secretly wants to wear, for a while at least.

Mary & Gareth were married in a Humanist Ceremony in The Diamond Coast Hotel. I always enjoy Humanist weddings - they're more meaningful than the short civil ceremony, and allow people to shape the format for themselves, without the rigid structure of religious ceremonies. I've met Brian Whiteside a few times, but this was my first time to photograph a ceremony conducted by Billy Hutchinson, who did a fine job.

We were on the edge of the wild Atlantic in Enniscrone, and though the sun was shining, the wind was howling in off the ocean. We made a couple of brief forays to the shore, but were beaten back each time, so took refuge in the pub, where Gareth and his identical twin, Best Man Derek, had a pint of plain each, Catherine opted for an appropriate Bacardi Breezer, while Mary & I had a lovely cup of tea each before heading back to the Diamond Coast to start the party proper.

There's been a load of articles on "Photobombing" in the past few days after this photograph hit the web. Apparently it's become a bit of a craze. It had passed me by, but then I spotted the one below. It seems sometimes even your own bridal party can be stealth photobombers.

Josephine & John - Kilronan Castle

Josephine was the first of three weddings I had in a row where the bride works in the beauty business. Josephine is with Enhance, and Grainne, the owner, was doing her make-up when I arrived. Grainne did the make up for all three of the beauticians, which obviously says a lot about how she's rated in her industry.

Joesphine wasn't the only one to be pampered in the run up to the wedding either. You often hear it said that "It's all about the bride!" but Josephine was happy to share the spotlight, not just with John, but with Theo, their beautiful black labrador retriever, who had been brushed and groomed to a fine shine and was sporting two blue bows for the big day. There's no doubt Theo is a very pampered pooch.

John runs the successful Pro-Trans logistics operation with his brothers, and I met the lads at the depot on the morning of the wedding. I wondered if they'd arrive at the Church in an 18-wheeler, but it turned out to be one of Davy Connell's limos.

After dinner, the guests were treated to a fireworks display outside Kilronan Castle, courtesy of Joesphine's mother Joanie. There's nothing like the noise & colour of a good fireworks show to put a smile on people's faces. Then it was time for dancing to the sound of Gobsmacked, who had the crowd on the floor as I slipped off home.

Tara & Colm

If you ever find yourself in West London and in need of a pint, take a little wander down Putney Bridge Road to The Hop Pole, where Colm & Tara run a very welcoming establishment. I'd say it was pretty quiet on their wedding day, as there was a big delegation of locals from the pub over in Ballygar for the weekend.

Denise from the Radisson had arranged for Tara & Colm to arrive at the hotel in stlye by boat, which was a new one to me. We had a tight deadline to make sailing time, so we had a brisk drive from Athleague where we'd stopped to take a few pictures. The two chauffeurs must have a history of either track racing or driving getaway cars, based on our journey down. They certainly enjoyed the two 5-Series BMWs. Colm's brother Sean is a member of the Garda Traffic Corps - he was in the car behind me, and I suspect he may have noted a few names & numbers.

After docking, everyone got to relax on the patio garden overlooking the Shannon in the glorious evening sunshine before dinner. From my experience, they're pretty strict on closing time in London Pubs, but I suspect the resident's bar in the Radisson got a right old rattle into the early hours.

Linda & Gerard

The beautiful village of Ardagh was the venue for Linda & Gerard's wedding. I've photographed quite a few weddings in its pretty Church, which has been a popular substitute for people who would otherwise have had their weddings in St Mel's Cathedral. It's a terrible shame that St Mel's burnt down, as it was a spectacular venue, but good to read in the news today that restoration is about to begin, and that 100 jobs will be created in the process.

We had lots of time in Linda's house pre-ceremony, so everything was nice and relaxed. It always makes life easier for everyone to be ahead of schedule instead of scrambling to make up time. Linda was even able to sit down and chill out before leaving for the Church. Uncle Fred was on video, and as you can see below, he didn't miss a moment.

The old lock at Rooskey is a favourite place for Linda & Gerard. It's a spot they often like to wander down to. In fact, Gerard may even have proposed to Linda there. So it was the perfect place for us to take some photographs. I've taken shots by the Shannon in Drumsna, Jamestown, Carrick, Athlone, Tarmonbarry, Clondra & Clonmacnoise among others, but had never been down to the weir in Rooskey before. I'll definitely be there again though, as it's a lovely location.

Back at The Landmark, Trish laid on her usual big welcome and the champagne flowed in The Green Room. Linda & Gerard sneaked upstairs to The Black Mint Bar for some nice romantic shots, and then it was down to dinner, after which the party really got started with Night Fever.

In case you're wondering, Gerard isn't a Wexford County hurler - the cake topper shows him in his Grattan's club gear - he's their crack centre-half forward. Apparently Grattans men always greet each other in the French fashion. The girl in the fine hat is Laura, who gets a special appearance for being a special sister/sister-in-law.