Winter Wicklow Gaol Wedding by Aidan Oliver Photography

When you are contacted by a client and they tell you that they are getting married in a jail well, your eyes open, you ask them “what jail?” and they say “Wicklow Jail”, then you get an idea of the setting for their wedding. 

Evelyn and Chip were doing just that and Evelyn gave me a shout in November to discuss the setting and their plans for the day. I have to say that I was as excited as they were and agreed to meet them at the Gaol to go through the day just as they had planned and envisioned it. If you have ever been inside this building then you would see that the Gaol part is a long rectangular building three stories in height with an open stairs connecting the first floor to the second floor landing. The couple planned to have the wedding ceremony at the foot of this stairs just in front of the large window. The 70 odd guests would line up along the two sides (and two levels) of the walkways which were approximately a metre across in width so any photography would have been restricted. As he works in the film industry Chip mentioned that he was going to install production lights back towards the ceremony area which would allow guests to see the proceedings and I knew that this was going to be spot on (excuse the pun) as the light would be directed on on the couple, the celebrant, the proceedings and the guests would be illuminated with (for the most part) any remaining light, thus creating the perfect mood. Oh, did I mention that Wicklow Gaol is supposed to be one of the most haunted buildings in the world? - I’ll leave that up to your imagination here.

We chatted about a second photographer and agreed that it would be ideal to leave one person focus on the ceremony and a second person float around considering the width restriction on the landings. Having been the second photographer at a Kinsale wedding with my friend and wonderful photographer I knew that Leanne Keaney www.leannekeaney.ie was the right person to help me out here - thankfully she was available. I trusted Leanne to focus on the ceremony while I was able to nip around and capture other angles. It worked a treat and we both managed to get numerous same shots from different angles which threw a different perspective into the photos.

Chip was getting ready in the Bridge Tavern so I arrived there first. Evelyn was to leave from cell 30 which was located on the second floor, her two bridesmaids Kim and Fiona, would go before her and this was to surprise guests (that at this stage) had lined up all along the walkway to the entrance hall. Chip was well ready as were all the guests. There was an air of excitement and expectation building up. Everyone was mesmerised at the location.

The ceremony was simply awesome, the love that these two people have for each other was very much prevalent and you could see the pure glee in the guests faces as the ceremony proceeded. It was a lot of fun as well as part emotional, a tear was shed by Fiona (Evelyn’s sister) as she spoke a few words. Fiona lives in Australia and quite a few guests traveled from afar to be there hence the emotion. Fiona’s son Ryder looked the dapper part handing over the rings to the beaming bride. 

Post ceremony (and after the kids had shot off all their confetti cannons) I left the very capable Leanne to capture guests mingling and the general ambience of a reception and myself, the newly married duo and Adi headed over to Black Castle to the salty air to capture some couple photos.  I've interspersed a few photos of the reception amid the coastal shots to show what was happening simultaneously. To say it was windy, cold and wet was an understatement but Chip and Evelyn were ready to rock here as well and were fearless; I salute you both for your steadfast determination by the way!!!. We captured the few cracking photos at Black Castle the same scene where (if I remember correctly) Chip proposed to Evelyn.

Back to the Gaol we went for the family photos and the wedding feast and true to form the 8 hour whole roasted pig was very ready and looking a damn sight tasty. Coupled with this fine beast (and the delicious crackling) there was potato gratin and braised vegetables served in a red wine jus plus baby roasties to accompany the meat and also for the vegetarians. Many guests were back up for more and the roast more than amply served all present. A few words were said in the speeches and the DJ was ready to take the wedding party onto the floor with some seamlessly mixed vinyl tunes.

I said goodbye and thank you was presented with one of the wedding bouquets (for my fiancé) and headed back to Dublin, delighted with the days events and chuffed that I was asked to capture this rather unique wedding.

Supplier List

Main Photographer: Aidan Oliver Photography

Second Photographer: Leanne Keaney

Ceremony and Reception: Wicklow Gaol

Flowers - Austen Flowers

Pastries & sweets - The Rosie Apple Bakery

DJ - Funky Funktion

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