What a nice start to the New Year...when you get nice messages from people who saw the full feature of a Wedding I shot recently on one of Irelands premier Wedding Blogs. It was Irish Wedding Blog's first Wedding feature of the year which makes it even more exciting. If you would like to see the full article please click on the logo here on the right.
Kinnity Castle | Anne & Trevor's wedding day...
On the morning of Anne & Trevor's wedding I got lost trying to find Trevor's family home in the countryside not far from Clonaslee. When I eventually found the lovely homestead, and In typical Irish fashion, I was given a warm welcome and offered lots of Tea. I found Anne's homeplace easier (even though its more remote) as I had photographed her brothers wedding a year or two back, so it was nice to see so many familiar faces.
Both Anne & Trevor had farming backgrounds (Anne works as a vet in Mountmellick) so I smiled when I got to the chapel and saw they had prepared a nice bouquet of flowers sitting in a pair of wellies at the entrance to welcome guests.
I hadn't been back to Kinnity Castle (https://www.kinnittycastlehotel.com/) for such a long time (I got married there myself, fado fado). After Anne & Trevor's lovely wedding ceremony in Clonaslee church, everyone made a bee-line for Kinnity. As we made our way through the long winding driveway to the castle, you can't help but be impressed by the uniqueness of this very old gem in the Slieve Blooms.
After a beautiful day in such lovely surroundings we made our way out to the courtyard to attempt to launch some Chinese lanterns. With the exception of one or two fires it went off really well. It was a lovely symbolic moment for the newly-weds to see their lantern light and rise up in the night sky.
Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to look.
joe
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
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.
