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.

The Manor Hotel Abbeyleix | Sam & Danny's wedding...

The Manor Hotel in Abbeyleix was the venue for this wonderful day. Samantha Moloney and Danny Murphy made this date forever theirs.

Everything ran so smoothly and on this lovely Spring day the sun came out. Danny even had time to nip into the famous Morrissey’s Pub in Abbeyleix for a pint with some of the guys before the ceremony.

The rain held off until late in the day, by which time they didn’t care and actually had fun taking some late evening photos out in the elements. They embraced the rain and rain I managed to get some wonderful shots using my strobe lights.

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

Real Wedding Archive …

Martinstown House | Aine & Shane

Shane & Aine always planned a small intimate and romantic wedding with their family so Covid didn’t really change their plans. Their Winter Wedding in Martinstown House Co. KIldare just before Christmas was perfect. They really did pull off the best possible wedding in the middle of a pandemic.

The staff of Martinstown’s House went to great lengths to ensure the safety of every member of the family that attended. I’ve shot weddings in Martinstown House before but the last time was in the height of Summer so I was really looking forward to seeing the venue in Winter and especially at Christmas time. Boy they didn’t disappoint. It really has so much to use all year round.

Shane & Aine welcomed me into their family circle (as much as they could under the circumstances) and I felt really at ease all day. We got tons of great photos all in good time and they never really had to leave the party because everything was so central and easy.

Here’s just a small selection of photos from their wonderful wedding day. Hope you enjoy :)

Thanks for stopping by.

joe

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


Clanard Court Hotel | Lesley & David

It was raining for nearly a week in early December. Then it stopped for a day. Luckily, that beautiful sunny morning gave way to a beautifully sunny afternoon and Lesley & Dave got married.

Winter weddings can be difficult to time. The weather can be sunny but it’s pretty much always cold. But that never stops an Irish wedding from being a great day. The lovely Winter colours and tones. The low sunshine. The inviting fireplaces. All make for great atmosphere and that is exactly why I loved every minute of Lesley & Dave’s wedding day.

A large bridal party ensured the craic was going to be great all day. There was absolutely no shortage of laughter and fun.

When Christmas is on the horizon too it helps and the Clanard Hotel in Athy was decorated beautifully seasonal with lights of candles, fireplaces and fairy lights.

Everything came together nicely to create a brilliant wedding for Lesley & Dave. Here’s a snippet of just some of the photos from that day…

Rathsallagh House | Aidan & Lorraine's Wedding Day

Aidan & Lorraine’s celebrated their wedding day recently at the wonderful Rathsallagh House Co. Wicklow. The sun was shining and everything ran according to plan for Lorraine as she prepared for the biggest day of her life. Rathsallagh house is such a beautiful venue to get married. Every last detail is checked by the lovely staff.

Aidan’s preparations consisted of fixing his tie in the pub!!. He and the groomsmen had enough time to nip down to the local for a one or two pints of Guinness, and that can be the hardest part of my job…looking at the lads enjoying a few nice jars.

Pippa their faithful dog made an appearance at the church and again at the reception afterwards. He got great milage out of all the guests who took the time to throw his tennis ball for him.

The day ended under the lights of the great Oak tree at the back of the House. Just like the entire day, without fuss and full of the joys of life.

Here’s just a small selection of the photos from that wonderful wedding.

The Midlands Park Hotel | Megan & Ray's wedding day...

Megan & Ray’s wedding day began in the most relaxed way. Everyone was so chilled I worried we might be way behind getting to the church on time! Not a bit, as it turned out everything ran like clockwork.

The sun shone and Fr. Paddy’s ceremony was short and sweet. After the mass in the lovely chapel in the Heath, we had time to go to the lake for a few pics followed by a quick trip up to the epic ruin of Dunamase Castle just outside Portlaoise.

Afterwards we went to join the rest of the guests at the reception in the Midlands Park Hotel Portlaoise (https://www.midlandsparkhotel.com/) where the fun really began.

We carried on the party all evening and even managed a few lovely night shots after I got lots of pics on the dance floor as things got funny very quickly!!!

Here’s just a small selection, hope you enjoy…

Thanks for stopping by,

joe

The Heritage Hotel, Killenard | Edel & Paddy's wedding day...

The Heritage Hotel, Killenard, Co. Laois was the reception venue for Edel & Paddy's wedding day. This beautiful Winter wedding was flawless for the happy couple. The weather was beautiful and calm. The ceremony in the lovely church was intimate. The photographs we managed to get in Emo Court Co. Laois were amazing.

Edel was the most amazing bride and her calm and grace set the tone for the day. Paddy was full of fun and charm, constantly injecting fun and craic in the proceedings.

The most challenging part of the day was trying to photograph over 200 guests on the large staircase in the Heritage Hotel in Killenard, Co. Laois. I’ve had the luxury of taking photos at this lovely venue many times now so I was up for the challenge. The main thing is to keep it fun and keep the crowd amused if at all possible!!

That evening I noticed the hotel had a small cinema just off the reception so we made great use of it for a few photos. The kids at the wedding along with Paddy & Edel had fun making memorable fun photos thanks to the staff of the hotel who kindly provided popcorn and drinks!!

Here’s a small selection of the images we made that day…

Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny | June Byrne & Darren Strong wedding...

June & Darren’s wedding day was a joy to photograph. June is a really well known hair stylist in Portlaoise, Co. Laois and Darren is a well known footballer and business owner who plays for his County Laois, and his local club Emo. So you can imagine the large crowd in attendance.

This Autumnal wedding was really beautiful as the sun shone and the weather was nice and calm all day.

We even managed to bring their beloved Bernese mountain dog to get into some of the photos in Emo Court between the ceremony in Emo church and the reception at https://www.newparkhotelkilkenny.com/ in Kilkenny.

Here’ just a small selection of the photographs we took that day…

Barberstown Castle Wedding | Joanne & Micheal's wedding day...

Barberstown Castle Wedding | Joanne & Micheal wedding day…

What a day!! Micheal Cushen and Joanne Scott’s wonderful wedding day started in lovely sunshine at Joanne’s home place in Ballyfin, Co. Laois. Joanne’s family made me feel so welcome and at ease straight away. I knew we were in for a great day. Myself and Kevin the Videographer (https://littlebear.ie/) had a really nice relaxing working day with this beautiful couple.

After the ceremony in Mountmellick Church we made our way to the beautiful grounds of https://www.barberstowncastle.ie/. in Co. Kildare. All day the sun shone and we managed to get some cracking images in the and around the grounds of this lovely venue.

Here’s just a small selection of the photos from there lovely wedding day…

Rathsallagh House Hotel | Leonie & Keith's wedding day...

Absolutely brilliant day!! The weather, the venues, two warm and welcoming families!! Add to that, a bride and groom that are united in everything, including their love of dogs and cats.

The chapel in Ballysax Co. Kildare was full of character and beautiful to photograph. We got lots of photos in and around the grounds. We even managed to bring the dogs for a short walk after the ceremony.

Rathsallagh House (https://www.rathsallagh.com/) in co. Wicklow was the next destination. It’s such a nice spot for a wedding. Lots of photo ops there too and when the sun was setting, it gave me a great canvas to create some lovely moody photographs. Then, before the 1st dance we had just enough time to get a few final night shots under the Hotel’s fine big old Oak tree.

Thanks for stopping by :).

Racket Hall | Elaine & Tadhg's Summer Wedding...

June 23rd, the high of Summer, and Racket Hall (https://www.rackethallhotel.com/) in Roscrea was to be the venue for Elaine & Tadhg's Wedding. Weather permitting we would have the ceremony out on the lawn.

The good staff of the hotel had already set the scene inside the hotel but at the very last hour decided it was safe to go for it outside. And so, in haste and with army precision they quickly rearranged the whole event so the ceremony could go ahead out on the lawn as hoped.

Elaine and Tadhg are a very relaxed couple so none of this was a problem. The detail and planning that went into this ceremony was evident from the outset, but it happened with great ease.

My brief was simple, to capture the charm and essence of the occasion. Of the hundreds of photos I took for them that day, here are but a few, to hopefully give you a sense of the lovely day we all had.

Thanks for stopping by.

joe 

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.

Lough Rynn Castle | Ailish & Dougies Wedding day...

Another amazing venue!! When Ailish & Dougie asked me to capture the photographs for their wedding here I was delighted.

I loved every minute going around with them in the beautiful setting of Lough Rynn (https://www.loughrynn.ie/). This place is fantastic and great for photography. Lots of interesting nooks & Cranny’s. They even supply a golf cart for the happy couple to jaunt around on and for me to follow.

Here’ just a small selection of the many photos we took…

Everything went so smoothly and when the ceremony started everyone made their way to the beautiful Fountain garden at the back of the house.

We took loads of amazing photographs all over the grounds before the happy couple took the party late into the night.

Here’s just a sample of some of the photos…

The Dolmen Hotel Carlow | Bernie & Michael's wedding day...Bernie & Michael @

The Dolmen Hotel Co. Carlow (https://www.woodforddolmenhotel.ie/) was the reception venue for Bernie & MIcheal’s wedding day. This beautiful wedding was flawless for the happy couple. The weather was beautiful and calm. The ceremony in the lovely church in Rathdowney beforehand was intimate. The photographs we managed to get in the ruins of Aghaboe Abbey were amazing.

Bernie was the most amazing bride and her calm and grace set the tone for the day. Micheal was full of fun and charm, constantly injecting fun and craic in the proceedings.

Here’s a small selection of the images we made that day…

The Lord Bagenal Inn | Martina & Fergus wedding day...

Old Leighlin in Co. Carlow is a beautiful little village with lots of charm and was the old stomping ground for Martina. It was great to get the history from both Fergus and Martina...over a pint, in the middle of the day...at THEY'RE Wedding Day!!.

Martina's friend Ken was the driver for the day and I was onboard with them when we took a detour after the ceremony to go to their local in the village. Carey's pub in Old Leighin is a classic old pub. It's small, cosy, and has a nice half-door with a lovely landlady who opened early especially for the newlyweds. Sure what better way to get away from the crowd!! :)

After a pint we headed back to the crowd in the Lord Baganel (https://www.lordbagenal.com/) in Leighlinsbridge. The weather continued to be kind which made it all the better for pics outside. After the meal I managed to squeeze in a few more photos down by the river on the jetty.

All in all it was a great day with great people..hope you get a sense of the day we had from the photos.

Many thanks for stopping by.

joe    

Wedding feature on Mrs2be website.

Last November I had the pleasure of shooting Eamon and Maggie's wedding in the lovely Durrow Castle. I wrote a blog here on my site at the time but I was contacted recently by the wedding experts that are Mrs2be, and I'm delighted to say they wanted to run the wedding as a feature on their website. Follow the link below to have a look if you have the time please :).

Many thanks,

joe

Eamon & Maggie-5.jpg

Mrs2be feature...

Eamon & Maggie Lennon's Durrow Castle wedding.

Click here.

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

Ballintubbert House & Gardens | Rory & Chantelle's Wedding...

This was the moment it all began..Rory proposed to Chantelle by surprise at Glenbarrow waterfall. We had planned it in such a way that Chantelle would not be suspicious. Chantelle, (being a beautiful part-time model) and I, had previously worked together on a few photoshoots so we tricked her to the location on that cold crisp December day. At just the right moment I made a retreat and Rory made his entrance to make the grand proposal. I had to use a long lens to get this pic and let them have their moment.

Fast forward to September 2016 and their lovely ceremony was in Mountmellick church followed by the reception at Ballintubbert House & Gardens (http://www.ballintubbert.com/).  

But the two soul-mates, Rory & Chantelle, were the cool stars of this wedding. I've had the pleasure of knowing both of them for a few years now. Their relationship, and they themselves, are a breath of fresh air. Happy, easy-going, fun and charming are words I'd use when describing them and the wonderful atmosphere they created in Ballintubbert. 

Ballintubbert house and gardens is such a beautiful place for a wedding. The gardens have evolved over the years and change completely with each new seasons. The gardeners (Lorraine & Tony) are a mind of information and willingly share their time and tell tales of the past characters who have previously lived in the house. Its historical owners include such famous people like Cecil Day-Lewis (poet Laureate and father of Daniel Day-Lewis) and the Actor John Hurt.

All their friends and family mingled and enjoyed the lovely surroundings in the late summer sunshine. I managed to steal them away for a walk around the many hidden gardens which also gave them a little time to take it all in..but these guys didn't need any help relaxing as they seemed to be completely at ease on the day, all day.!

Hope you get a sense of the magic day we all had.

joe

Fern House Avoca | Damien & Karen's Wedding...

On a beautiful summers day at the end of July last, I had the pleasure of photographing the Wedding of Karen and Damien Keane. I began taking photos of Karen at her family home in Portlaoise. As she prepared for the biggest day of her life, she remained cool, calm and ever smiling. The light was lovely and she radiated with a glow of happiness. I quickly made my way to Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow to catch the Groom Damien as he added the finishing touches too..then, to the lovely venue in The Esplanade Hotel Bray9http://www.esplanadehotel.ie/).

After the Ceremony we managed to nip over to the seafront in Bray for a few sweeping shots on the beautiful stoney beach there, and it was made all the better when we got a few ice-cream cones from one of the kiosks..(thanks Mr. Twissler :) )

Fern House in Avoca (https://www.avoca.com/)was our final destination and this venue did not disappoint. The evening light was warm and the we managed to get some beautiful photos as everyone enjoyed the outdoor reception on a lovely Summers eve.

Later that evening there was a little sprinkle of rain and this gave me a chance to steal the happy couple and get some atmospheric shots under an umbrella in the garden as the Summer shower passed.

Hope you get a little sense of the wonderful day we all had on that day in July last.