Cora and Sean's Mount Juliet Wedding by Aidan Oliver Photography

Cora and Sean are the perfect couple, and are honestly one of the most genuinely happy couples I have met in a long while. You'll see in the photos as you pan down the wedding collection. They were married in the postcard picturesque village of Inistioge, Kilkenny last October on a beautiful crisp Autumn day. Inistioge (the jewel of the west) is nestled in the Nore valley in which the river Nore winds an almost semicircle from Ballyduff to Woodstock and is surrounded by magical woodland and walks that take hours to complete, or you could just pop into the Woodstock Arm's, then O'Donnell's pub for a, (ahem!), coffee or latte. Woodstock Gardens and Arboretum, up the hill on the right is listed in Georgina Campbell's Ireland guide. You have many choices upon entering Inistioge, interesting ones, adventurous ones. 

The couple held their ceremony in Saint Columcille's Church in the village, literally side by side with St Mary's Church. Cora had asked for a shot of the empty church, i.e., before guests arrived and I always find solace in sussing out a venue pre arrival of the wedding party - it helps to create the framework in my mind for each and every individual wedding story. After a coffee in the quaint "circle of friends" cafe off I drove to Mount Juliet to meet the groom. Sean had stayed the night in Mount Juliet and was chatting to his Dad when I arrived. I captured a few photos of the Manor House and the groom with his Mum and Dad and headed off to Maidenhill, Kilkenny to meet the bride. 

Cora was as relaxed as can be and there was plenty to see and photograph so I watched and observed, took some time out to grab a few detail shots not forgetting to mention that her red dress was absolutely stunning, even more beautiful on Cora than I envisioned as it waited patiently upstairs. So unusual to see a bride move away from the norm, so refreshing. I wished them the best and headed back to Inistioge (yes, the miles were clocking up well!) to get guests arriving and see the lie of the land. There was plently of banter and Sean was enjoying being pulled left and right by his neices and nephews - they were as excited about the wedding as Sean. Cora arrived and most guests were settled in the church so a few adjustments (bride adjusting drivers necktie) and we were off. 

Ceremony over we grabbed some family shots in the village and then some relaxed couple shots agains the varied backgrounds in Inistioge. Back in the car we all headed to Mount Juliet where we took a few couple shots at the walled garden then they were chauffeured off back to the Manor as requested, and to enjoy the celebrations, the canapés and the people gathered. Spending time with their guests was a prerequisite and I just knew we had some lovely shots in the bag. I spent some time moving around watching guests engage in conversation and capturing this emotion. Speeches were pre-dinner and in the Manor House, the stairs providing the perfect arched podium for some very funny anecdotes. Dinner was called and guests took a stroll in the evening sunshine up to Kendals restaraunt. This is where the guests were treated to a real surprise with the food - it was a mixture of Moroccan, Italian and Irish food, cooked at stations, both laid out and also served to guests - the smells were enticing. You chose what you wanted, spoke to other guests regarding what they are getting and what might tickle your fancy. You could feel the energy in the room, people were excited about what to try next, and there was a giddy anticipation for more. There was of course a star dish, it being a succulent minature beef wellington that people kept going back for. I captured the atmosphere of this very personalised and entirely unique meal and headed back to Dublin. Cora did surprise me with a doggie bag of goodies for my trip home. I thanked them both for being such wonderful people.

I do wish Cora and Sean the very best for their future together they were made for each other.

Suppliers:

Photos: Aidan Oliver Photography

Venue: Mount Juliet

Dress: Miriam Rice

Grooms Suit: Louis Copeland

Makeup: Sarah Bateman

Hair: Antons hair Saloon

Church Flowers: Soah Flowers

WEDDING FAIR WITH A DISTINCT DIFFERENCE

Delighted to be part of a very special Wedding Fair this Saturday/Sunday 20th & 21st February 2016 @ the Dean Hotel on Harcourt Street. See Press release below for more details...

WE DO @ THE DEAN

Wedding Showcase!

Saturday, 20th  & Sunday, 21st February 2016 12:00 – 4:00pm

Appassionata Flowers / Patrick Sheary / Grafton Barbers / Caiomhe Keane of Que-Va / Claire Barry / Trudy Hayes / Grace Flood of Cherry On Top / EF Creative Studios / Judy Wong / Aidan Oliver / Leanne Keaney / The Cake Cuppery / Designyard / DJs

The engagement ring is on. The wedding is ON! What next? If the idea of traditional Wedding Fair sends you into a spiral of dread then fear not. We’re on hand to help you out. We’re putting together our first ever Wedding Showcase at The Dean Dublin. Happening on Saturday, 20 February and Sunday, 21 February, we’ve pulled together some of our favourite friends to showcase their extraordinary talents so you can see how your big day could be.

We’ll have wine tastings. We’ll have some gorgeous canapes, a DJ spinning some tunes. We’ll have beautiful cocktails, and our expert mixologist will be on hand to chat to you about drinks options. Plus, our team will be there and happy to talk to you about all the possibilities.

So, banish thoughts of cocktail sausages and satin bridesmaid outfits. Come to The Blue Room at The Dean Dublin. Grab a cocktail and come and talk to the experts who will be on hand to answer any of your queries and show you their wares. We’ve handpicked some fabulous folk and we know you’ll love what they do.

We’ll have the amazing award winning Appassionata Flowers there, showing off some of their incredible displays. They’ve created a flower set for Barack Obama, dressed the CCD for Queen Elizabeth, made Christmas magic for Brown Thomas, put together tropical jungles, winter landscapes and worked with the likes of Christian Louboutin, Tiffany and Tom Ford to name a few. If you dream it, they can do it. They’ll be on hand to talk to you about all the possibilities for the big day in order to create flowers tailored to suit your tastes and personality.

For the gents, we are delighted to say we have one of Dublin’s most exclusive menswear specialists, Patrick Sheary’s Menswear, displaying some of their finery to check out. Patrick Sheary is renowned for his personal service, which has earned him legions of loyal fans. We’ll also be welcoming Bonagrew, a unique and sophisticated Irish accessories label, who craft simple and beautiful products inspired by the glorious colours of the garden. Their goal is to create well-made products that can endure beyond trends and be worn by any generation in any setting. These guys are the first and only Irish label with a signature white and black self-tie bow tie designed and made in Ireland using premium Irish linen.  Plus, the wonderful Grafton Barber will be displaying all their bespoke wares and packages for the groom/s and his party.

One of the leading names in bridal couture design, Caiomhe Keane of Que-Va, will also be with us on the weekend. She provides a bespoke designer service creating exquisite bridal wear and complimentary accessories her whimsical and romantic timeless creations with chic cutting edge style. Caiomhe incorporates her commitment to social and environmental responsibility into her creations collaborating with top master craftspeople and often using organic materials such as hemp, cashmere, silks, reincarnated materials such as recycled cashmere, vintage trims and hand dyed silks with ribbons, lace, crystals and hand painted embellishments in her bespoke couture inspired bridal designs.

For tresses, we have the incredible Claire Barry on Saturday. Claire also styles hair for fashion photoshoots, magazines and TV. She’s skilled in creating classic up-styles like the Chignon, the Audrey Hepburn, the Ballerina Bun as well as many red carpet looks and is a dab hand at creating vintage styles too, such as glamorous Hollywood Waves, 1920's Finger Waves and 1940's Victory Rolls. On Sunday, we’ll be welcoming the uber talented Trudy Hayes. She has worked on many publications such as Style, Image, Tatler, Noise, Vox, U, Stellar, Kiss, Totally Dublin, Life, Vouge.com, Irish Brides to name but a few. She has also worked with many leading designers and celebrities over the years and regularly works in film and TV and we’re only thrilled she’ll be with us!

Nail technician Grace Flood, owner of Cherry On Top, prides herself not only on beautiful, pretty and simple nail work, but also on keeping on top of the latest nail trends. She’s been recognised for her work across the globe, with shout outs from UK New Look Magazine, ASOS, Beyoncè's personal stylist Ty Hunter. She’s worked with brands like Rimmel, Sally Hanson,  Butter London, NYC,  and Isa Dora and looked after Beyoncè and Nicki Minaj’s dancers! Grace will be on hand (!) to talk to you about all your nail requirements

All about the face? On Saturday, we’ll have a leading make-up artist from EF Creative Studios on hand to discuss different looks for the wedding. EF Studio make-up artists have years of experience in fashion, TV and media. They make sure that you get the look that you want! The lovely Judy Wongwill be with us on Sunday. As one of Ireland's most recognisable faces in the make-up industry, Judy is seriously in demand! Working for everyone from Kanye West to Alexander McQueen, Judy will be showing you some tips and tricks, and will be happy to talk through what would suit for your wedding. 

What about capturing the moment? Fear not, we have 2 amazing photographers! Professional photographer and artist Aidan Oliver is all about telling a story. Specialising in capturing the excitement and happiness of your wedding day, as well as the intimate moments and little details that can really tell the true story of each couples celebration. Aidan will be with us on both Saturday and Sunday to talk to you about possibilities. Photographer Leanne Keaney mixes her background in photojournalism and Fine Art to create the perfect memories for your wedding day. Over the last 10 years she has become an expert at predicting when a bunch of guests are about to erupt with laughter or a groom is about to wink at his bride. At the end of the day you will have a collection of magical images to tell the story of your day. Leanne will be with us on Sunday only.

It’s all about the cake, too! Domestic Diva Cat Lawlor of The Cake Cuppery and her expert team, create bespoke cakes to suit all tastes. From traditional tiered masterpieces to mouth-watering miniatures, every creation is distinctive in design and truly delicious in taste. All her cakes are made with the finest fair trade and free range ingredients and decorated with handmade edible decorations. They want to bake your dreams come true! Cat will be around to talk ideas and show you some of her work.

Last but certainly not least, we’ll have Designyard, who have a well-deserved reputation for stocking the most beautiful contemporary jewellery in Ireland. Each designer is handpicked by Designyard and is a master designer – they work with more than 60 Jewellery Designers from both Ireland and abroad. They develop a special collection of rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings in precious metals and gemstones. These pieces are exclusive to Designyard and you cannot find them anywhere else on the high street.  Some pieces are even one-offs. They will be showing you some of their gorgeous pieces and can talk to you about jewellery options

Come and check out our first Wedding Showcase!

The Dean Dublin |  33 Harcourt St | Dublin 2 | Ireland

For more information contact Jenny Headen /  Jenny@pressup.ie / 0879815585

@thedeandublin

Anita and Conor's August Wedding in Castle Durrow

Anita and Conor were married in Durrow this August just gone. Anybody who is familiar with Durrow knows that not just is it a quaint little village with a wonderful castle right smack in the middle of its centre - but that it hosts equally wonderful creative Scarecrow Festival every year. I though it fitting to start and finish with a shot from this festivals entries as a tribute to what you see when you enter and leave. I also made a little trip to the Church as I normal like to get the lie of the land if it has been a while since I've been there last. 

Photographing the bridal preparations is made much easier when you have a large room with plenty of light and the natural backdrop of the castle gardens always provide great scenery to muse over, loose a minute or two. It was a very relaxed affair, and I even managed to nip over to Conor's room to grab a few photos of himself to tie all it in nicely. 

The lovely couple were married locally in Cullahill Church by the wonderful father Tom McGree who by all accounts was a lively priest for his 75 years of age. The ceremony was celebrated with smiles and genial laughter. A quick greet post ceremony and we all headed back to Durrow for an outside reception in the blistering sun. I love watching people, having a laugh, a joke and just generally interacting. We took some informal photos of the families and bridal party then headed in when called for the meal, through the garden pavilion and to the banqueting hall. 

Speaking of food, much of the castles organically grown produce is used for their weddings fare and the very same gardens are a joy to see in seasonal bloom, August being no different. Food is their speciality here so it is important to see everyone sat in time as it can be a long day. 

Grace was said and my day was done. I had a tasty bite to eat in the main bar and back off to Dublin I went, delighted and honoured to be able to have captured Anita and Conor's wedding. I wish them the very best for their future together. 

Ailish and Paul's July Wedding

Ailish and Paul were married in July this year. Ailish is a cousin of mine and I was chuffed when she asked me to photograph her wedding. Ailish also hails from Rathvale, Co Meath while Paul comes from the heart of Connemara, both speaking Irish as their first language and both talented musicians in their own right. Rathvale is a stones throw from Rath Cairn which is one of two Gaeltacht areas in Meath, the other being Gibstown in Navan.

I started the photography in the Ailish's house in the morning, capturing this story through the eyes of one who looks for the fun, the laughter, the little things that all make weddings a real pleasure to photograph. The ceremony was in Kilbride Church (North Meath) as opposed to the Kilbride which is near Clonee. It was a surprise when I was told that TG4 were their to video their ceremony for the news next day - what a delight. This quaint little church is located between Trim and Athboy, slightly off the beaten track. Bective Abbey was our chosen venue for some bridal shots and then back to Trim Castle Hotel for the reception. I was invited to the next day celebrations in the Clubhouse in Rath Cairn (which I believe were stellar) but I had to decline as I was more worried about backing up the days images and getting some rest as it was a long but thoroughly enjoyable day. 

What a beautiful couple, both independent, caring and most of all up for some fun. Have a look at some of the images that were captured throughout the day below. 

Suppliers

• Photographer: Aidan Oliver Photography
• Hotel: Trim Castle Hotel
• Car: AT&T Chauffeurs

www.aidanoliver.ie