Wedding Photography stories & images taken in Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, Ireland by Pauline Dennigan, Wedding Photographer from Tralee, Kerry, Ireland
A very quick post before I sign off and get my butt in gear for the Kerry Wedding Show this Sunday..
This is a shot from Ciara and Damien’s wedding which was on a very cold but dry day in January. It was excellent weather for me mainly because I wasn’t the one wearing the sleeveless dress. I also had the most perfect cloud cover in the sky to produce even, soft light on the skin of Ciara and Damien.
More images to follow and then I’ll tell you about this funky, green VW Van.
“How long do the photographs normally take?” This is the question I get asked the most by wedding couples (sometimes accompanied by a worried look). I always answer their question by talking about the day as a whole rather than just the photography on its own. This approach helps people to understand that for everything to run smoothly, all aspects of the day are to be considered.
For you, I have narrowed these down to the key factors that will influence timing on the day as a whole:
One: It would be the opinion of many that a 2pm ceremony time is perfect as the day is not too long for your guests. Well what about you? Your day disappears rapidly as the Priest may give a longer that expected ceremony (normally 1 hour and ceremonies rarely start on time). It takes at at least a half hour to meet your guests as they come out of the church. Depending on the distance between the church and hotel, it may take a half hour or more to get to the reception venue. We are now at 4.30pm and you still need to allow time for the bulk of the photographs. The chances of mingling with your guests are fast diminishing to make the 5.30pm meal time. Where is the whole day going (a day you spent a year planning)? Remember that your guests have taken the day off to spend with you. Do yourself some justice and plan to have your ceremony at 1pm. An extra hour WILL make a huge difference for all invloved.
Image from http://funnyweddingphotos.net
Two: Be on time for your ceremony. This may be a no-brainer but it doesn’t happen enough. Ten minutes may be okay but remember you will also need to allow time for some shots with your Dad/Mum before you walk up the aisle. Some time to compose yourself is also important. This is not going to happen if you know you are late.
Three: A major time consumer is how many family photographs you decide to have. I always recommend no more than six formal groups (less would be even better). This frequently gets stretched to many more, and brides & grooms find themselves with a pain in their jaw and wondering when they will be able to mingle with their guests. Be strict, don’t get carried away with these shots. I know they are important but by keeping it simple at least you will have the family groups you really want and a chance to enjoy some drinks with your other guests.
Image from http://funnyweddingphotos.net
Four: The weather. I would consider myself to be a very efficient kind of gal. No stone is left unturned in the lead up to ensure that we (myself and my assistant) know exactly how will get great shots no matter what the situation. We have a wet day and dry day plan but there is no denying that rain can slow down proceedings. Small things like having to place towels on the ground under dress trains will add minutes . Rain can be an inconvenience and cause disappointment but my mental attitude is to be prepared for anything to happen. And remember if you have booked a good (qualified & experienced) photographer, relax knowing that she/he will produce the goods no matter what the weather.
Image from http://funnyweddingphotos.net
Five: Spontaneous or formal shots. I could make this very complicated but I have decided to keep it simple. Both spontaneous and formal shots need time. Approx 95% of my couples want both spontaneous and formal shots in their wedding albums. Spontaneous shots require the Photographer to wait, wait and wait some more for a moment to happen that is worthy of photographing. It is not simply a case of being snap happy. The one trade off however is that you are amongst family and friends as opposed to going overboard on the formal side of being photographed on your own. The more formal shots you have the more it will eat into the spontaneous opportunities.
If you have found this helpful, please add a comment. You can also ask any related questions and I will do my best to help you.
I am trying to meet a deadline but really wanted to share this shot with you. I mentioned Niamh & Tom in an earlier post on their rainy day wedding. Well I have just edited another one of their shots which I really love. This was shot within seconds of rain falling on us. Kerry is such a beautiful county but boy does it rain a lot. I can still say, hand on my heart, that it is THE best place in Ireland to get married…
Whether you are getting married or not, November is a time when we could all do with some extra hugs and kisses so why not practice some photogenic kissing…
Rule One – Do not pout like a trout! Partners lips should be just touching and not protruding or squashed against each other.
Rule Two – Do not have a collision of noses going on! Tilt your heads in opposite directions so that you fit together comfortably.
Rule Three – Feel free to use your hands around the face or neck for a more passionate embrace but without squashing your partners skin. Hands need to rest gently or risk distorting your beloved’s face.
Rule Four – Close your eyes when kissing. The rabbit caught in headlights look is not good when kissing your partner! Much more passionate when you allow yourself to be lost in the moment.
Rule Five – You don’t always have to kiss on the lips. Forehead, cheek or neck can sometimes look really good.
Now practice!
The landscape shots from my last post were a result of research done for Niamh & Tom’s wedding which was happening in Lispole. I felt great excitement at the potential for their shots. Visually I knew exactly what I was aiming for. Well to get to the point, none of this happened. It rained sporadically throughout the day and in fact every time I even suggested we put a toe outside the door of the church, the clouds would systematically spill down on top of us. Finally, I was given a 10 minute reprieve and this was what we got…
Oh and it wasn’t just the rain.. The tide was in with no sand left to stand on, the rocks were slippy and my feet were buried in slimy seaweed (I was hauled out by a gallant groomsman). The funny thing was that we were all happy to work with what we had and there was no disappointment to be seen on Niamh & Tom’s faces. The beach below these rocks was where Tom proposed to Niamh by writing it in the sand. They were happy regardless..
Crazy busy at the moment but I had to post this shot of Elva and Eoin who came from Dublin to get married in Sneem. They have a huge appreciation for this part of Kerry so I really wanted to do justice to the beautiful landscape and to their sense of excitement about it. I am in the middle of editing Elva and Eoin’s wedding and believe me there are many more gems to be posted over the coming week..
What amazing shop fronts in Kenmare. I could spend all day photographing the colourful doors. I photographed Jennifer & Paul recently while stopping off at the gorgeous Cupan Tae cafe (cup of tea for any non-irish speakers). We were heading to the Kenmare Bay Hotel for celebrations but a quiet cuppa was in order first…
People say to me all the time that it is no wonder I get such great shots. I have places like Kenmare, Killarney, Sneem, Derrynane, Waterville, Dingle with mountains and sea at my disposal wherever I end up photographing a wedding in Kerry. I agree! I have an extensive and dramatic palette here to create great shots. Castlegregory was the location for the bridal portraits below.
We had great fun going to some less obvious spots including this one which was the gable of a man’s house who had a non-stop yapping dog as we took these. He almost had a seizure trying to get his paws on that veil…
We headed back to Tralee for this shot. I had my eye on this paint-chipped wall for quite some time and finally got to use it. I couldn’t believe the timing of this as the same wall was painted over the very next day…
Don’t get me started on how great Irish clouds are…
Did I also mention that we also have a lot of wind here in Kerry? It sometimes requires a ton of hair spray but great for veils…
Love the Happy Face in the background. This was our last shot and it just sums the day up..
After being diverted into other projects I am now back on the wedding vibe. In the coming weeks I will showing off some more wedding photographs that I love..
Leah and Shane’s wedding was probably one of the toughest weddings I have photographed which had nothing to do with Leah and Shane but with the severe time constraints involved. The wedding reception was in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, Powerscourt in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. There was the presumption that as we were on the Powerscourt Estate that we could use the grounds around the beautiful Powerscourt House for our shots but this was not to be as there was another wedding being hosted at the house. There is a policy of no two weddings being on the same turf and I agree with this but we had to find a way to get the shots as Leah had her heart set on the old world, stately look of the house and its grounds rather than the very new design of the Ritz Carlton. Through a bit of coercing and our promise that we would vanish from the grounds before the other bride & groom arrived we managed to secure a very short time slot of 20 minutes to get the job done. Although I had been here many times before, I needed to walk the grounds in advance with my camera t0 plan the exact shots I was going to take. In my minds eye I placed the bride & groom in the best positions within the scene. On the day we all knew what was required to get these beautiful shots that they would have forever. Myself, my assistant and Leah & Shane all concentrated on this one task of being the best we could in all of our capacities and there was something very satisfying in the feeling that all of us, together got the job done. The hotel manager relayed news by radio that the other bride & groom were on their way up the avenue and so we vanished. Leah feeling like Cinderella darting away at midnight except she didn’t leave her Jimmy Choo behind….
Meanwhile back at the Ritz….
Editing, editing and more editing..I am google eyed, sometimes very early in the morning, sometimes very late at night, sitting (slouched would be more apt) in front of the computer to make a deadline. I open up a beautiful image such as this and I know I am in the right job because the joy within me lets me know…
