Lyrath Hotel, Kilkenny | Grace & David

Midlands Park Hotel, Portlaoise | Sharon & James

Sharon & James had a lovely winter wedding coming up to Christmas so the atmosphere was special as you might expect. The ceremony was in Abbeyleix church and it looked amazing. Afterwards we went to the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise which was glowing with festive fairy lights for Christmas. A perfect day ,rounded off with a beautiful night photo outside for good measure.

Lorraine & Christian's Winter wedding

Lorraine & Christian wanted to do things their own way!!! They married just before the last Lockdown but Covid restrictions didn’t really affect them as they always wanted a small Family occasion. Well that’s exactly what they did. A beautifully intimate ceremony in the Heath Chapel followed by a lovely family gathering back at their house meant that they didn’t their family were all safe and relaxed.

Christian, the most relaxed laid-back Groom ever, and Lorraine likewise, had everyone feeling relaxed and at ease all day. This wedding was a joy to be a part of and a lot of fun to photograph.

Lorraine’s wedding dress, hair and make-up, looked right out of the scene in a Hollywood classic. She really rocked the iconic beauty look and carried it off with style and grace.

Here are just a small selection of the many beautiful photos from this amazing wedding.

Kinnity Castle || Siobhan & Declan

What a Day!!! Almost a year ago to the day. The weather was perfect. The venue was ideal. The atmosphere was electric and the bride and Groom were the great conductors of this beautiful wedding.

Both Siobhan & Declan live in Australia so I’m sure it wasn’t easy to organise and plan an event like this. But they pulled it off and with the help of their families and friends (some of which came all the way from the other side of the world to be there) it was a wonderful wedding.

Kinnity is a great venue at any time but with the sun shinning it comes alive. There are so many great locations to shoot from. The main castle is the obvious feature. The entrance steps, the long avenue through the woodland, the courtyard and of course not forgetting the great Hall.

All this was made even better with Siobhan & Declan’s fun-lovin relaxed attitude. To top it all off, they even surprised everyone with a first dance spectacle that was just amazing.

Here’s just a small selection of the many photos from that great wedding. Thanks for stopping by.


Joe


Killeshin Hotel Portlaoise | Lisa & Dave

Lisa & David’s wedding was on a lovely November day in the Killeshin Hotel Portlaoise. The ceremony and reception were all within the hotel on the day so we had lots of time to concentrate on the little details that Lisa and the lovely staff put so much effort into.

Dave, being a thoroughly chilled individual, was nearly as relaxed about everything as Lisa was. Although he was getting quite nervous before the ceremony as you might expect.

We had a lovely mild day for November which mean’t we had lots of time to leave the hotel and go to get some photos in Emo Court just outside of Portlaoise.

The weather gave us ample scope to get loads of photos outside. Even late that night after the meal and before the first dance we managed to get some lovely night shots.

Here is just a small sample of the photos…Hope you enjoy.

Bloomfield House | Charlie & Glenn's wedding day...

On a beautiful day back in April I had the pleasure of photographing Charlie (Joanne) and Glenn's wedding. After the ceremony in Emo Chapel, Glenn and Charlie drove off in their rocky red convertible.

They made their way to the lovely Bloomfield House (https://www.bloomfieldhousehotel.ie/ ) in Mullingar. Blessed with lovely sunshine we managed to get lots of great photographs around the grounds and on the pier at the lakeside. Thanks guys for such a great day and for having me along. 

Mount Driud | Liz & Noeleen's wedding day...

April in Mount Druid.(http://alternativeweddings.ie/) Summer was on the horizon and everything is starting to blossom. This was my first wedding in these beautiful grounds and I was honestly thrilled. Delighted and excited not just because of the venue, but it was going to be the wedding of Liz Connell and Noeleen Byrne. 

I absolutely loved working with them both. Relaxed and chilled doesn't do these girls justice. They graced the place with their own charm and fun atmosphere... everyone of their friends and family seemed to be on the same page. Here are just a small selection of the photos I had the pleasure of being part of that day.

Step House, Borris, Carlow | Corina & Paddy's wedding day...

A fantastic day with Corina & Paddy at St. Fintan's Chapel, Portlaoise then Step House (https://www.stephousehotel.ie/index.html) , Borris, Co. Carlow.

We took loads of great photographs in and around the grounds of St. Fintan’s church in Portlaoise. Then we got lots more photos in Step House and Borris village.

Such a lovely day with these guys all day but then in Step House they had a surprise for everyone!! Loveshack (http://love-shack.ie/) - who are a collection of really talented young singers pretend to be waiting staff. Then, after the meal is finished, they burst into song and totally surprise everyone and get the place rocking within minutes. I cannot recommend these guys enough. A great addition to a brilliant wedding!!  

Here’s just a small selection of the photos from that day…

Clonard Court Hotel | Joanne & Karl's wedding day...

Photographing Karl & Joanne (Jojo) was a dream. Both of them were so calm and cool that it set the tone for the best wedding day one can imagine.

They got married in the beautiful Heath chapel, Co. Laois. Afterwards we went up to the Rock of Dunamase for some amazing photos in and around the ruins of this amazing gem at the heart of Co. Laois.

Then we went to the lovely Clonard Court Hotel (https://www.clanardcourt.ie/) to carry on the party in style.

Here’s just a small selection of the images from that great day…

Castle Durrow | Eamon & Maggie's Autumn Wedding...

Castle Durrow (https://www.castledurrow.com/) is a beautiful place at any time of the year, but in Autumn it is just perfect. When Maggie and Eamon put their stamp on this wonderful wedding venue, they managed to make it even better! They prepared their wedding room by themselves in their own style. Beautiful candle jars sitting on staggered rustic logs, large weathered pine cones on old distressed books and wedding rings presented in a handmade Ashwood box on a nest of lush green moss.

My couple obviously put a lot of thought into creating a mood that set the tone for a lovely timeless wedding. The sun-gods were kind also and we managed to get some beautiful photographs in the soft evening light after the intimate ceremony. In between photos the happy couple showed their playful side and kick their way through every bunch of fallen leaves, as I struggled to keep up with them.

As the sun set I stole them away for a few final pics before they retired to the beautifully set dining room. Again, Maggie and Eamon went to great lengths to make this a meal to remember. Hopefully my photos do their style and creativity justice.

Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to browse.

Joe

Irish Times Article →

Saturday the 23rd of April 2016, the Irish Times Weekend magazine, featured an article about one of my Weddings (Noelle & Tony Burke's wedding which i have here on my blog ). 

Noelle contacted Sarah Gerathy of the Times and sent her some pics which she loved, along with a small romantic backstory. They contacted me and I sent the High res pics for printing and the next thing I know is it's in the Saturday paper!!

Click the link below if you have time to look at the full Online edition. Many thanks for stopping by.

joe

  

Communion 2016

The 2016 Holy Communion and Confirmation's kicked off in fine style this year, and by that I mean the weather was beautiful on most of the days! Most of the photos I take on such occassions are formal shots with family or parents of the children, but all of the good folk that ask me to capture their day wanted me to take lots of extra pics of the fun surrounding the events. I put together a small selection of pics that I like from them. Hope you like..

The Midlands Park Hotel | Oliver & Denise's Wedding Day...

I've been so lucky in my work, photographing cool couples on probably the happiest day of their lives! 

 Recently I had the pleasure of photographing the Wedding of Oliver Dowling and Denise Cotter at the Midlands Park Hotel in Portlaoise.(https://www.midlandsparkhotel.com/).

This wonderful couple were a joy to photograph, as they and they're lovely family, went about the business of enjoying themselves. All day, they and their children, made me feel at ease as if I was part of the family. Here, are just a few of the photos from that day..hope you enjoy.

Joe   

The Midlands Park Hotel | Noelle & Tony's Wedding Day...

The Wedding of Noelle & Tony.

A beautiful September day and the sun was shinning like it was mid-summer. Rath Church, Co.Laois was beautifully decorated in anticipation of Noelle and Tony's big day. Everything ran perfectly and the happy couple were totally at ease and relaxed all day as the Autumn sun shone in the cloudless sky. The photographs we got were just great and looked like we were in a different country.

We had arranged for a friend to chauffeur the Bride and Groom in a beautiful old Black Hillman car, and this set the theme for the photos which we took on Tony's farm after the ceremony. I hope the fun we had is conveyed in the photos from that wonderful day.

Pamela & Brian's Wedding @ Emo Court

Brian & Pamela's Wedding Day.

On a beautiful Day in Emo Chapel, Brian Flanagan & Pamela Conroy came together with all their friends and family to say 'I Do'. It was a perfect setting and everything ran so smoothly, in no small part because of the lovely relaxed mood of everyone on the day. 

One of the nice things about shooting weddings is getting to know the extended family and friends of the couple. Feeling comfortable is essential for getting great shots on the day.  If I can get to know all the extended family it means they are happy to allow me to capture intimate moments..and also they feel confident enough to trust and ignore me!! Sometimes by ignoring me, they let me get on with the job of capturing those special moments.

James O'Connor Official Video - Lorraine.

Here is the official video for James O'Connor & the Friendly Stranger's new single 'Lorraine'.

We filmed it in Golden Egg Studios during the recording of the single a little while back. The single will be launched in Kavanagh's Pub next Saturday the 9th of May. 

I'd like to thank James for asking me to film and photograph the day. Also Niall Harney the great Laois Bassist, Matt Cross the most excellent drummer, Brian O'Mahoney the multi-talented singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer..who also editied the video.

I can't wait for the launch next week, and hope to see you all there to support a great talent.