This was my first time ever visiting Ireland as a wedding photographer and this trip did not disappoint. As a destination wedding photographer I’ve photographed weddings all over the world. Though somehow Ireland has eluded me! So after getting the original enquiry from Emma and Gavin I was excited to shoo their Winter wedding at Adare Manor. Unfortunately or fortunately which ever way you want to see it, they had a wedding photographer booked already though they were unable to photograph the wedding anymore. Emma told me she was elated when she came across my work and wanted to know more.
The short version of the story is that we got on really well. Emma and Gavin had told me they just wanted a photographer who could make themselves and their wedding guests feel comfortable. Someone who would make beautiful images for them without everything being too staged. Producing this Adare Manor Wedding Photography was the perfect end to an incredibly busy year for me and I hope you like these wedding photos just as much as I loved taking them.
Wedding Preparations At Adare Manor
After I had arrived in Ireland landing in Shannon airport, I took to 45 minute drive to Adare. I got settled in and got an early night before meeting with Emma and Gavin the next day at Adare Manor for a mini shoot and to hear more about the wedding etc. The couple were both really exited and I’m not surprised at it had been along time coming and they’d had plenty of scares along the way with restrictions coming and going due to the pandemic.
The morning of the wedding was super nice. The weather was gorgeous and everyone was calm yet full of excitement and anticipation. My second photographer Pete was spending the morning with the Groom and I was documenting the morning of Emma and her bridesmaids along with her mum too. There were so many nice moments in the morning and Emma could not stop smiling from ear to ear the whole time. Gavin had given Emma a letter to open and read on the morning of the wedding. It was quite an emotion few minutes and the letter was read aloud between Emma and her bridesmaids as they each got to emotional to carry on.
Trinitarian Abbey Wedding Ceremony
After the bridal preparations were over and everyone was ready to go. The next step was to get from Adare Manor to the catholic church this was the Trinitarian Abbey just outside of the wedding venue. The short drive got us there within a few minutes and as the wedding photographers we took our place ready for the bridesmaids to walk down the aisle following the flower girls. Then Emma came down the aisle walking with her mum. The isle had been beautifully decorated my Harris and Wilkinson. The wedding ceremony was beautiful, emotional and full of joy. There were tears huge smiles and a gospel choir to set the atmosphere perfectly.
After the wedding ceremony was over and all of the congrats and hugs had been given out by all of the wedding guests. We headed back to Adare Manor for the wedding reception. Though briefly I went away with the now married couple for some photos of just the two of them. I can reiterate enough that when I do these short sessions of photographing just the bride and groom. Thats its all about the couple and their relationship, its all about the two of them together sharing a few moments and unwinding after they’ve finally and officially tied the knot. So these images you see below are taken without a moment of awkwardness or anything forced or staged. I give some minor directional advice to make sure the couple are always looking incredible in the photos and then I just want them to be themselves.
As a photographer one of my main concerns when it comes to weddings is the light. So you can imagine that shooting a winter wedding at Adare Manor could be quite worrying. Though after years of experience I’ve learned that if the light isn’t good enough to make excellent wedding pictures then I can just make my own light with my portable flashes. I absolutely love these ballroom wedding speech photos I’ve made for Emma and Gavin. Not that I’m to take all the credit for how good these images look. It has a lot to do with the moments that have been made by the subjects and the gorgeous decor. Adare Manor is a pretty beautiful place to take photos anyway, so add in some good looking people and stunning decor and you’ve got yourself something special.
The final entry to the blog post of a winter wedding at Adare Manor is of the wedding party. The celebrations were just fantastic here and after the first dance from the bride and groom the party was excellent. Over the years some weddings have been more mellow than others and some have been over the top crazy though one consistent that I’ve always found is that New Years eve weddings always have an amazing vibe. Especially during the party, and when the clock strikes midnight the atmosphere is hard to beat. This is exactly what this wedding was.
