On a beautiful Friday morning last June, my assistant second shooter extraordinaire Rebekah and I made our way early to Hilary's parents' house. From bridal preparations to the first dances at night, we were to photograph Hilary and Conor's amazing wedding day.
After photographing the bridal preparations with hair and make up for the bride, her mother and bridesmaids (her two sisters), we headed to the location of the wedding: the stunning Trudder Lodge in County Wicklow.
Hilary and Conor had a beautiful humanist ceremony in the walled gardens of the venue. This was followed by cocktails on the lawn outside the impressive house. I used that time to take Hilary and Conor away from the party and get a few photos of the two of them. It was a bit of a 'hey, we just got married' moment that I know is important for a couple to appreciate quietly for a few minutes. It allows them to breathe and relax and share that moment just for themselves.
I did not keep them for too long though as I know how great it also is to spend time with family and friends over cocktails after the ceremony.
The ceremony and cocktails were followed by a delicious meal served by Galway-based caterer Yumtree Kitchen. As the guests made their way to their tables, they found some scrumptious Middle East style mezze dishes waiting to be enjoyed (flat breads, hummus, whipped feta dip, salads etc.). It was followed by a buffet of wonderful roast meats accompanied with salads and other delights and for dessert, a lemon tart that was to die for served with big bowls of Wexford strawberries and whipped cream.
Beautiful and emotional speeches were given by Conor and his groomsmen, Hilary and her dad. There also were a lot of funny anecdotes shared in those speeches (and I did find my assistant in tears of laughter after one of Conor's brother's speech).
The emotions, happiness, smiles and laughter really reflected how much Hilary and Conor mean to each other.
Later on, Hilary and Conor were joined by their family and friends on the dance floor with music from the band Shift and the Shifters (I only stayed for the first few dances and the little bit of their music I listened to was so great, I could have easily been tempted to join in but after a long day shooting, my legs were keen to get some rest).
What a wonderful thing it is for a photographer to capture all those details and emotions and to create images that will be kept forever as memories of this big day. And I am so happy I was able to do just this for Hilary and Conor. I wish them a whole lot of happiness!
(You can also find an article by Sarah Geraghty about their wedding day in the Irish Times).
Hilary and Conor had a beautiful humanist ceremony in the walled gardens of the venue. This was followed by cocktails on the lawn outside the impressive house. I used that time to take Hilary and Conor away from the party and get a few photos of the two of them. It was a bit of a 'hey, we just got married' moment that I know is important for a couple to appreciate quietly for a few minutes. It allows them to breathe and relax and share that moment just for themselves.
I did not keep them for too long though as I know how great it also is to spend time with family and friends over cocktails after the ceremony.
The ceremony and cocktails were followed by a delicious meal served by Galway-based caterer Yumtree Kitchen. As the guests made their way to their tables, they found some scrumptious Middle East style mezze dishes waiting to be enjoyed (flat breads, hummus, whipped feta dip, salads etc.). It was followed by a buffet of wonderful roast meats accompanied with salads and other delights and for dessert, a lemon tart that was to die for served with big bowls of Wexford strawberries and whipped cream.
Beautiful and emotional speeches were given by Conor and his groomsmen, Hilary and her dad. There also were a lot of funny anecdotes shared in those speeches (and I did find my assistant in tears of laughter after one of Conor's brother's speech).
The emotions, happiness, smiles and laughter really reflected how much Hilary and Conor mean to each other.
Later on, Hilary and Conor were joined by their family and friends on the dance floor with music from the band Shift and the Shifters (I only stayed for the first few dances and the little bit of their music I listened to was so great, I could have easily been tempted to join in but after a long day shooting, my legs were keen to get some rest).
What a wonderful thing it is for a photographer to capture all those details and emotions and to create images that will be kept forever as memories of this big day. And I am so happy I was able to do just this for Hilary and Conor. I wish them a whole lot of happiness!
(You can also find an article by Sarah Geraghty about their wedding day in the Irish Times).
- Humanist Ceremony and Reception at: Trudder Lodge, Newcastle, County Wicklow. - Photographer's Assistant: Rebekah Burder. - Wedding dress, headpiece and birdcage veil: Dirty Fabulous. - Wedding shoes: Rachel Simpson at Vintage Pearl Bridal. - Make up: Lisa Redmond for EF Creative Studios. - Hair: Cathy Mc Nulty. | - Catering: Yumtree Kitchen. - Wedding cake: Natasha Gibson of Little Cake Girl. - Reception styling: Jette Virdi. - Coffee; 3fe. - Music: Shift and the Shifters. |
Images Copyright © Yolene Dabreteau . Please do not use without my authorisation.