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…

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.

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 Weekend Magazine Article

My second article in the Wedding section of the Irish Times Weekend Magazine. Chantelle and Rory Coss shared their photos from the Wedding in Ballintubbert House and Gardens last Summer with Sarah Gereghty of the Times. She loved their story and contacted me to get some pics to publish. 

Needless to say I was delighted to get the exposure and see my work in print like that.

If you have time please click on the link below to view the online edition..thanks for stopping by.

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. 

  

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

  

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.