Caroline & John

The June Bank Holiday weekend is usually the busiest one in the calendar, and this year was no exception. With a lot to catch up on, I'll get straight to the point. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, something Caroline & John obviously agree with, as they dispensed with speeches entirely, treating their guests to a slideshow of images from the day over dinner at Cromleach Lodge instead, which Ger put together with me. Apart from the happy couple, the star of the day was a sporty little MG that John used to whisk his new bride to the hotel.

Emma & Will - Lough Rynn Castle

Lough Rynn Castle had a feel of the Law Library, as Emma married Will, with a veritable aerie of legal eagles assembled on the lawns to celebrate the merger. It's not all that unusual for members of the same profession to marry - I suppose plenty of romances start in college as eyes meet in a crowded lecture hall - I've photographed unions of Engineers, Teachers, nurses, academics, amongst others, and have a pair of opticians coming up soon.

When a bride dreams of her wedding, there are lots of different elements that need to come together to make the perfect day. One we can rarely rely on in this part of the world is the weather. And as a Belmullet girl, Emma is surely familiar with the rain sweeping in off the Atlantic. There was no sign of it on her wedding day though, nobody could have wished for better weather than she got. It was more like Lake Garda than Lough Rynn, as we hit continental temperatures. In fact, Will and his groomsmen, resplendent in their three-piece suits, might even have hoped for some respite from the heat at times.

Emma has a great eye for detail, and there were lots of little touches that embellished the event throughout.  Her Pepe Botella dress from De Stafford was stunning. Hair was by Valerie from The Powder Room Girls , flowers from Calla Floral Design, Eamon from Big Apple was filming, the always-excellent Dublin Gospel Choir played in the Church, while Radioshack provided the evening's entertainment. Will is obviously a modest chap - I only learned as I was leaving that he is a top-class three-day-eventer - so when he comes back to view his images, I may try to sell him a horse. I have a fine big Trakenher here I haven't sat on in over a year! I'm sure horses are far from their minds as they chill out in Hawaii right now....

Maria & Michael - The Landmark Hotel

With all that was going on in the run-up to the big day, Maria & Mike didn’t make it to our planned pre-wedding photoshoot. Maria had told me that Mike was a little bit anxious about the photos and being in front of a camera. But even without a dry run in advance, there was no need to worry -he played a blinder.

Maria’s house was lively, with plenty of comings & goings through the morning. Flowergirl Rebecca was in the thick of the action, making sure the dresses were all correct and present, keeping everyone on schedule, and regularly checking the photographers work.

With a Gurteen ceremony and Landmark Reception, I was very much on home ground.  I’ve shot in Gurteen Church a few times before – it’s full of fluorescent lighting, which casts a green pallor in photographs. If you’re not ready for it, the results can be nasty. As always, I zoomed in for the handshake as Maria and her Dad, Joe, arrived at the top of the aisle. It’s a tricky technique that often doesn't pay off. Usually it’s a throwaway frame and the next one is the shot I’d use, but this time I like the zoom effect and the way the central point of the handshake is captured, as the rest of the picture is blurred due to the lens movement. 

After the ceremony, we stopped off at Lough Key, where, after chasing away a large troop of boyscouts, we took some romantic shots by the shore. Then it was back to The Landmark for pre-dinner drinks. There was plenty of time to mingle and chill out before dinner, and I had a wander around.  I haven’t  included many guest shots on the blog lately, so am throwing in a couple today – a very sharp Mohican, and Maria’s brother John & his mates. John had patiently chauffeured all day, and was well ready for a nice cold pint bottle of Bulmers when we arrived.

I know all the people who worked on the day very well – Grainne from Enhance did the girls’ make-up, flowers came from Chantelle in Pure, Eamon from Big Apple was alongside me on video again. Trish & Emma in The Landmark are outstanding at their jobs. Maria's beautiful dress came from Pamela in Dinagh Modes. The Conquerors provided the entertainment, I've written before how having good professionals can enhance a couple's wedding day experience, and this shone through again. It was great to see that all the suppliers were local too, and operating at the highest standards. The one thing that isn't local is the honeymoon - Maria & Mike have got away from it all and are sunning themselves in Mexico right now.

Annemarie & Damien - Glasson Golf & Country Club

I was off to Coosan Point on the banks of Lough Ree on Friday for Annemarie & Damien's wedding. Annemarie grew up in a beautiful upside-down house, with great gardens and a fabulous view across the lake, which is where we started the day. We ended it on the opposite shore, in the Glasson Golf & Country Club. 

While the bride is always centre of attention on the wedding day, there was another young lady who was attracting lots of notice - little Amelia was attending her first wedding, and enjoying every moment. Grandad John spent a distinguished career in the Defence Forces, but there's no doubt whose tune he's marching to these days.

A bright & sunny day always lifts the mood, and encourages people to linger in the churchyard and enjoy their pre-dinner champagne out in the gardens. It all added to the relaxed atmosphere as we arrived in style at the Country Club - the happy couple being chauffered in Damien's Dad Micahel's dashing Jaguar. After a little wander down on the golf course, it was time for dinner, where Annemarie made sure there'd be no stragglers, by enthusiastically joining in with the bell-ringing.