Clontarf Castle Wedding

Preparations

I can always tell it’s going to be a great day when I walk into the bride’s preparation home and it’s beautifully decorated, bathed in lovely light and everyone is ready to be photographed. I found a lovely wall hanging artwork that I thought would work well as a background to some of the detail shots, it was perfect for the flowers and shoe shot, just the perfect amount of bling. :)

Once I got the detail shots covered, Cathy could get ready and work on some of the final touches with hair and makeup.

After I got all the photos I needed, I made my way to the church where James, the groom was greeting all the guests making their way quickly into the church to avoid the slightly chilly wind.

Ceremony

It was my first time photographing at the Church of the Holy Spirit, and the first thing that struck me upon entering was the huge wall of stained glass windows on the back wall of the church, I knew this was going to be used for a lovely backdrop to some photos.

With some beautiful renditions by the Dublin Gospel choir, it really set a mood for a relaxed ceremony, with Father Joseph keeping the congregation entertained with his unique sense of humour, and superhuman ability to remember everyone’s name. A few changes made to the usual standard ceremonies, by including the children in the proceedings.

With vows and rings exchanged all that was left to officially do was sign the register, and walk the exit procession to greet their guests.

We got a few photos inside the church before making our way to Clontarf castle.

Reception at Clontarf castle

Usually, couples like to get their photos out the way first, so they can settle back in with their guests to enjoy the rest of the afternoon, so we got cracking with the family photos before moving on to their personal shoot. I usually keep this short, while still getting the crucial shots I need for the album. With it being a little on the chilly side, I suggested getting a few outside and move inside to get a few of the lovely interiors the castle offers. Before long, the dinner bell rang to gather everyone at the reception area for a group photo before heading in to tuck into the dinner.

After the dinner, the cake cutting gave guests the opportunity to get a few snaps of the couple before the first dance kicked off. I stayed for the first few dances, the party was really starting to kick off with everyone getting into it.

I said my goodbyes and made my way home, that was a great wedding at Clontarf castle!!