Wedding Dromoland Castle

Preparation

I started my day with the long drive from Dublin to Dromoland castle on the morning of the wedding.
The day looked set to be a classic for an outdoor wedding in the castle gardens.
Upon arrival I captured a quick pano of the grounds looking back on the castle, I never miss an opportunity :)

I started by photographing the groom, Pasquale and his family getting ready. The light in the room had a lovely quality to it, very directional which is always my favorite as it creates a nice sculpting effect with portraits.

The castle has so many areas to use for wedding photographs, which is why it is so popular with couples for their wedding day. I am always on the lookout while walking between rooms for areas to use for the couples photos.

In the center of the building is an outdoor larger than life chess set, which I knew would come in handy later on when the sun drifts over a little more.

At the bride, Jennifer’s room, she and her mother were getting all the details finalized, makeup and hair. The room didn’t offer the same natural light so I quickly set up my portable lights on the stands to fill the room with lovely soft light, which is pleasing for the setting.

Ceremony

Grabbing a few detail shots of the flowers, dress, and shoes first, allowing Jennifer to get dressed and ready for leaving for the main ceremony.

Romy McAuley, the ceremony officiant of “A Beautiful Ceremony” was waiting for the family, friends, and groom to start the ceremony. The gardens are a lovely setting and the weather played along nicely for them.

I always love the chance to shoot an outdoor wedding, it allows me to walk around and photograph from just about every angle, giving my clients a nice variety of images to fill their wedding album.

Reception

We grabbed a few group shots of family and friends after the wedding ceremony before heading back to the main lobby of the castle for cake and drinks.

The guests were then given time to mingle and head off to relax while we photographed the couple shoot. Using the main stairwell for a few, upstairs and outside gave them a nice variety which really made use of the castle’s charms. Being from Chicago, this is exactly what Jen & Pasquale came to Ireland for, I’m glad they chose me to photograph the wedding and give them photographs they will cherish forever.