Shelbourne Hotel Wedding

Preparations

The morning of the wedding at Shelbourne hotel started at Tanya & Colm’s home where Tanya and family were getting ready for the big event only an hour away. The mood was fairly relaxed, probably due to the church being within walking distance, there was plenty of time to get ready and get all the shots needed of the preparations. Their 2 little girls were already dressed and nervously watching everything happening around them.

I started with a few shots of Tanya getting ready up in the room. The light in the room came directly from the main window giving a perfect light for black & white photos being directional.

I got a few family shots downstairs, mixing it up between parents and the little girls. The weather was still holding out at this stage, with lovely warm sunshine filling the living room for a nice warm glow.

Once I was satisfied I got all the shots needed, I headed to the church to meet up with Colm and the guests. Church of St Therese is one of those churches with loads of space and very photogenic.

Ceremony

The bride arrived just as the heavens opened up, which was pretty much how the rest of the day ended up. Plans for a photo shoot at St Stephens green park would have to be put on the back burner for another day.

The ceremony was lovely. With vows & rings exchanged the couple made their way to the exit to greet their guests.

One of my favourite shots of the day was of 7 aunts & uncles that hadn’t seen each other in decades and came together for the special occasion. The other is of the couple with their 2 daughters who needed a little coaxing, but with a bit of experience in this area, we managed to get a few natural shots of the 4 of them.

Reception

I made my exit to the reception at the Shelbourne hotel in Stephens green. I had never been there before, and I was not disappointed on arrival.

The event manager, Cathy and the staff are super helpful. Not long after the couple arrived to be greeted by the sound of bagpipes and a huge cheer from the lobby of the hotel, with an aisle of hotel staff cheering the couple on as they made their way into the hotel.

Upstairs in the Adam & Deidre suite, John and the other event staff were waiting for their arrival with champagne. The interiors are beautifully decorated with vintage furniture, a perfect setting for a stylish reception.

We were able to use the Constitution room for some photos, which was a wonderful opportunity to stand in the place where the Irish constitution was drawn up in 1922!

I worked around upstairs, using different spots to add interesting backgrounds to their photos. The dinner bell started ringing so it was time for me to wrap up. I got a few more shots of guests at their tables before finishing up for the day and leaving them to enjoy what was due to be a great evening, especially since a few bottles of chilled vodka was already making its way to the tables.