Wedding Morning I had the pleasure of photographing Bernie & Kieran’s wedding in Dromoland. We’d met a couple of times beforehand, with their practise shoot being the more recent before their big day. They were relaxed & happy out that day & it was no different on their wedding day. Bernie & co were super organised & chilled out that morning in the bridal house & Kieran & groomsmen were no different when I met them at the church.
Ceremony Fr Reilly is a lovely man & I love working with him, if that’s the correct phrase, but you know what I mean. Myself & the videographer Neil were made feel very welcome & were told to “work away” & that it was our job to get the best shots & coverage that we could. And the sacristan deserves a medal for the most considerate person ever; it was the first time I was ever told to help myself to a coffee during a wedding! They make a great team.
Needless to say the mass & ceremony was heartfelt & sincere, with Fr Michael allowing time for the congregation to take their photos.
Location Shoot The drive from the church to Dromoland was a breeze, being motorway all the way there. Dromoland Castle kindly gave their permission to use the grounds so we stopped there with the bridal party before making our way to the Inn at Dromoland for the reception & night of celebrations. The castle grounds are just superb & there are several great spots to stop for photos. In the summer time the gardens are in full floral spray & colour & should be renamed the magic garden 🙂 And from the Inn, there is a gorgeous secluded area & viewing platform of the castle so we made a quick pitstop there before the great welcome from Claire & her team.
Without further ado, here is the couples story …..
When & where did you both meet? We met in The Dail bar in Galway city May 2016
Who & proposed & how did they do it? I proposed to Bernie. I surprised Bernie with a weekend away on her birthday weekend in December 2018 at Ashford Castle. I asked her parents permission for her hand in marriage on the Friday afternoon before we went away for the weekend. I had to tell a little white lie to surprise her on our diversion to Cong in Mayo. I told her I had to pick up an electric fence I bought from a farmer across the road from Ashford Castle. I pulled up to the entrance gates of Ashford and Bernie started freaking out that I can’t just pull up here! The concierge greeted us and bid us on our way and from that moment on it was just magical. There was a storm (Deirdre) forecast for the Saturday and it was just so luxurious, and cozy tucked away in the castle. I suggested we go for a quick walk on the Saturday morning before storm Deirdre set in. We walked around to the fountain out front of Ashford where it overlooks Lough Corrib. I asked Bernie to take a picture of the castle and when she turned around I was on one knee. I think she yelled YES! YES! Before I had even finished proposing along with “Now get up of your knees!!” we returned to the castle for Champagne to celebrate. It was truly wonderful as the castle was decorated for the festive season. The open fires and the scent of Christmas trees, fresh wreaths and the sound of Christmas Carols playing in the reception will stay with me forever.
How long were you planning your wedding? We took about 6 months to plan our wedding. We’re both easy going so it was a hassle-free experience. The location was The Inn at Dromoland, Co. Clare. It was perfect as a location for both families from Galway and Clare. Our ceremony was in Castlegar Church and we were permitted to use the grounds of Dromoland Castle for our wedding pictures which was wonderful. The wedding coordinator Claire Coughlan was a pleasure to deal with in organizing everything. She really put us at ease and was so accommodating to any requests we had.
Do you have a top tip either specific or general about the day? Sit back, enjoy the day and know that everything is taken care of! Everything just falls into place and once you’re happy and confident in your bridesmaids and best man and grooms’ men they’ve got your back.
Is there anything that you’d do differently if you were planning your wedding day again? Absolutely nothing, everything was just brilliant.
Where did you go (or are planning to go) on honeymoon? We wen to an all inclusive 5 star resort in Cancun in Mexico. Called Secrets Maroma, it’s a top honeymoon destination and they really cater for their guests every need on honeymoon. It was a total pampering and well warranted after all the organizing in the run up to the wedding.
Videographer: Neil Hynes – Hynesight Video productions, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare.
Venue: The Inn at Dromoland, Newmarket On Fergus, Co. Clare
Wedding dress: Belladonna Boutique, Liosban, Galway City
Bridesmaids dress: Ellie and Dal, Galway
Groomswear: Patrick Bourke Menswear, Ennis
Cake: Sandra’s Cakes, Kinvara, Co Galway
Flowers: Flower Haven, Oranmore, Co. Galway
Entertainment: Tightrope Band and DJ
Hair: Carrie Buchanan (Beautiful you-Ireland)
Makeup: Sandra Gillen Makeup Artistry
Any other service provider you’d like to mention: Grace Events decorated the function room at the hotel and were brilliant to work with. Orga Wedding Car hire, Toonagh Co. Clare were brilliant also, very professional and very accommodating.
