Tullyglass House Hotel Wedding | Catherine & Matthew

Catherine & Matthew got married on the 7th of May. The ceremony took place at Christ the Redeemer and their wedding reception was at the Tullyglass House Hotel.

Matthew initially reached out to us to photograph his and Catherine’s wedding and we made arrangements with him to meet up with them both and have a chat about their plans for the day. It was a pleasant surprise to find out when we met with them that Laurene & Catherine already knew each other.

On the morning of the wedding we met with Catherine and her bridesmaids at her mother’s home in Dunmurry to photograph everyone getting ready. Everything ran like clockwork and there were no worries about running late for the ceremony.

We met up with Matthew and his groomsmen at Christ the Redeemer and had plenty of time to get a few photos of the boys and to get ready for the ceremony before Catherine and her bridesmaids arrived.

After the ceremony we made our way to the Tullyglass House Hotel in Ballymena for the wedding reception. Catherine and Matthew arrived a little later than expected but it wasn’t an issue for us as they opted to split their bridal photographs to before and after their wedding meal.

It was a beautiful, bright sunny day which is what most couples want on their wedding day but can cause some issues for us as photographers. All Northern Ireland wedding photographers keep their fingers crossed for cloudy skies. As we have photographed weddings at Tullyglass before, we already knew of a more shaded area that we where able to use for family photographs and by the time the wedding meal was over the sun wasn’t as high in the sky so we were able to use the more open spaces around the hotel.

Like us, the most important thing in Catherine & Matthews lives is their children and this was evident throughout their wedding day. From early in the morning we watched Catherine taking time out to play with her kids right the way through to watching them both spend time with their kids on the dance floor after the first dance. This was a very family orientated wedding and we loved being a part of it.

Orange Tree House Wedding | Elaine & Tomas

Elaine & Tomas got married on the 27th of April at Orange Tree House in Greyabbey. This venue has a unique atmosphere with a beautiful stone barn style building which was once a church used for the ceremony and the reception.

Before making our way to the venue we met up with Elaine at her Mum and Dad’s home in Dollingstown to photograph everyone getting ready. It was a relaxed morning with Elaine showing no signs of any wedding nerves at all. As well as getting to meet Elaine’s Mum, the bridesmaids and the flower girls we were also able to make friends with the family pet Roxy, a beautiful and very friendly Husky.

Upon arriving at Orange Tree House, we were immediately blown away by the amazing view across Strangford Lough. This was the first time we have photographed a wedding here and it is easy to see why it has become such a popular venue. Tomas arrived in style, as a last-minute surprise Elaine had arranged for Tomas and his groomsmen to brought to the venue in an awesome bright yellow Camaro which was a replica of the car used in the Transformer movies. Elaine arrived in a white stretch limousine not long after Tomas. Unfortunately, some of the guests had some problems with transport to the venue from a local hotel and arrived a little later than expected. This meant that the ceremony had to be delayed until everyone had arrived.

Grant who performed the ceremony did an amazing job of making it a relaxed and fun wedding and this was one of the most laid-back ceremonies we have photographed without a doubt. As you will see from the photographs there was plenty of laughter and huge smiles. Karissa Glenn Music sang beautifully throughout.

After the ceremony we left for the ruins that Greyabbey is best known for with Elaine & Tomas. This is somewhere we do know well having visited many times before. Elaine & Tomas where really good fun and we really enjoyed this little bit of time that we had with them. The ruins themselves provided an interesting backdrop for the photographs. Normally we like to photograph the bridal party and family just before or just after our couple but as the ceremony had been delayed we had a lot less time than normal so we opted to leave those until after the speeches and dinner.

The speeches where brilliant, really funny and emotional too. Afterwards as well as photographing the bridal party and family we had time to grab a few more photos of Elaine & Tomas on the beach at Strangford Lough. Once back at Orange Tree House it was time for the first dance with music from the awesome wedding band, The Promise.

At the end of the first dance Elaine arranged for a slideshow to be projected on to the ceiling while she shared a moment with her Mum. The slideshow was a tribute to her Dad who unfortunately due to illness was unable to attend the wedding, this was an emotional moment for everyone. There was then some tradional dancing before everyone hit up the dancefloor.

The Old Inn Crawfordsburn Wedding | Michelle & Nathan

Michelle & Nathan got married on the 5th of May at the Old Inn. Once the ceremony was over we made the short trip to Crawfordsburn Country Park and then back again to the Old Inn for their wedding reception.

Michelle and the rest of the ladies had arranged to get ready at the hotel so we met up with them early morning at the Old Inn. There was plenty of laughs during the morning and everyone was ready with plenty of time to spare. Nathan arrived a little earlier than expected so we also had time to have a quick chat with him before the ceremony. There was no sign of any wedding morning nerves from these two, Nathan even hit up the gym before arriving at the hotel.

The ceremony was lovely with a couple of laugh out loud moments and the room was packed too capacity. Once the ceremony was over we left for Crawfordsburn Country Park. This is the most popular location for wedding photography if you are getting married at the Old Inn and somewhere we have visited many times before for weddings, engagement photography and portraits. The Country Park is a really good choice if you are getting married at the Old Inn or one of the other nearby hotels as it’s only 5 minutes away and has both a beach and forest area. We spent most of our time with these guys on the beach.

When we got back to the hotel it was time for the speeches and the cutting of the cake. The speeches went well, Nathan got a bit emotional at times with his but hid it well, by sipping on his pint. Nathan’s brother Aaron who was best man on the day, told a hilarious story about a family trip when they were kids. After dinner Michelle and Nathan made there way to the dance floor and rocked there first dance, with everyone else joining them not long after.

If you are looking for an Old Inn wedding photographer do check out this winter wedding we photographed there as well.

Leighinmohr House Hotel Wedding | Rachel & David

Rachel & David got married on the 10th of April at Magherafelt Baptist Church, with their wedding reception being held at the Leighinmohr House Hotel in Ballymena.

We started the morning with a trip to Rachel’s parents beautiful home in Magherafelt to photograph everyone getting ready. It was a relaxed morning, everything went according to plan and there wasn’t the need for the usual last-minute dash to get ready before it was time to leave.

Upon arriving at the church, we had just enough time to say a quick hello to David before Rachel arrived. The ceremony itself was lovely and as so often happens we got quite caught up in the moment ourselves. After the ceremony we where approached by one of the wedding guests who said it was the first time he had seen wedding photographers joining in with the hymns during the wedding service. Rachel & David walked out of the church to fistfuls of confetti being thrown by their guests which was lovely to see as so often we speak to couples who want to do this but the venue does not allow it.

After the ceremony we left for Springhill House, a beautiful National Trust property in Moneymore. This was our first visit here but we are sure it won’t be our last. The grounds around the main house even at this time of the year are amazing and proved to be a really good choice of location by Rachel & David for their bridal party photographs.

It had been threatening to rain all day but luckily enough it stayed away until we reached the Leighinmohr Hotel for the wedding reception. Once back at the hotel, it was time for the speeches and the cutting of the cake. It was very important for Rachel & David to spend as much time as possible with there guests and with that in mind they decided not to have the tradional first dance so that instead they could spend that time chatting with their guests.

If you are looking for a Leighinmohr Hotel wedding photographer do check out this other wedding as well.

Tullylagan Wedding | Victoria & Darrach

Victoria & Darrach got married on the 24th of February with the ceremony taking place at the Church of Assumption in Pomeroy and with the reception at the always amazing Tullylagan Country House Hotel.

This is a lucky couple, not only were they lucky enough to find each other, they also have two amazing daughters, Niamh and Ethain. They have been together since they were teenagers and had been planning there wedding for some time when lady luck smiled upon them again and they won a competition run by Belfast Live and the Wedding Journal to win the wedding of their dreams. The prize they won included a wedding reception at Tullylagan, venue styling, a honeymoon in Dubai, the wedding and bridesmaid’s dresses, suits for the boys and their wedding rings. A wedding photographer was not included so they had the option of choosing any wedding photographer in Northern Ireland so we were especially pleased that they decided to choose us.

We started the morning by meeting up with Victoria and the rest of the ladies at the Glenavon House Hotel in Cookstown to photograph everyone getting ready. Victoria had originally planned to get ready from home but with the distances involved, they decided at the last minute, that it made more sense to get ready closer to their ceremony and reception venue. As it turned out this was a good choice as the ladies took a little longer to get ready than expected and ran quite late for the ceremony as can sometimes happen with so much going on.

We met up with Darrach at the ceremony who looked relieved to see us, as he then knew that Victoria was on her way. Victoria arrived a few minutes later and made her way down the aisle to a beautiful song played by Davey Music Weddings. After the ceremony we made our way to Tullylagan, we did not need to stop of anywhere else for photographs, as the grounds at Tullylagan are perfect for wedding photography.

We have photographed a few weddings at Tullylagan Country House Hotel and it is one of our favourite venues. The staff here are very friendly and it was good to see a few familiar faces from other times we have visited. The reception room was stunning and as per usual the staff at Tullylagan put everything together perfectly to make sure that Victoria & Darrach had an amazing day.

If you are looking for a Tullylagan wedding photographer do check out this other wedding.

5 Apps that will make planning your wedding a whole lot easier

When you get married, it will be one of the happiest days of your lives but actually planning your wedding will take a lot of effort and organisational skills. Thankfully, these days there is an app for everything and wedding planning is no exception.

If you are anything like us you will spend a large part of your day messing around on your phone so instead of checking out crazy cat videos on YouTube why not spend some of that time planning your wedding with this list of useful wedding planning apps. While there are tens of thousands of wedding planning apps, these are the most recommended by couples whose wedding we have photographed.

1. Pinterest – Wedding Inspiration

Pretty much the obvious choice to start with, most people are well aware of what Pinterest can do. For those of you that do not, Pinterest is a digital scrapbooking app that you can use for bookmarking images found online. You can use it via your web browser or you can download either the iPhone or Android app depending on your preference. Use this app to pin images you find on the web for everything from wedding dresses, wedding flowers and Jewellery.

Pinterest is also one of the only wedding planning apps that photographers sometimes get concerned about. Every wedding photographer in Northern Ireland at some point has had a bride who has showed them a Pinterest board made up of wedding photographs taken in front of an epic waterfall in Iceland and been asked to recreate that at a registry office wedding in Belfast. Do not be that bride! This app should be the first one you download after you get engaged. Set up individual boards for everything you need for your wedding and use it as a reference tool for later on. For example, set up individual boards for wedding gowns, wedding bouquets and so on.

2. Appy Couple – Everything you need all in one place

This free app, which is available for both iPhone and Android, is a complete solution for keeping your guests up to date with all of the information they need for your wedding. This app will allow you to share information on travel options, accommodation and contact details for the wedding party with your guests all in the one place.  Your wedding guests can also download the app free and can read your story, book their travel and direct message you with questions all direct from the app.

3. Top Table Planner – Take the stress out of the seating arrangements

Putting together, the table plan for your wedding can be a real headache and can be even more stressful than choosing who you should to invite to your wedding. This website will do all the heavy lifting for you. Simply add in your table type, the number of seats and the names of your guests and you can move them around until you are happy. Top Table Planner can be used on a PC, Mac, tablet or a smartphone. Visit http://www.toptableplanner.com for further details.

4. Shazam – Find your first dance song

You are out for the night and a song gets played that you have not heard before and you think to yourself that would be great for our first dance song but you never quite get around to finding out the name of the song and before too long you forget all about it. While not strictly a wedding app this is where Shazam comes in. Hear a song you like and want to find out what it is called or want to add it to your music library, Shazam will do this for you and is available for both iPhone and Android. You can check out a list of our top 10 first dance songs here.

5. Wedpics – Photo sharing app for your guest’s photos

This free iPhone and Android App can be used to gather all of the photographs taken by your guests from your wedding. Those out of focus iPhone photos your Aunty Doris took when she jumped in front of us as you walked down the aisle can now all be collected, stored, and shared from one place. In truth these type of Apps can be useful. Even though you may have booked amazing wedding photographers like us to photograph your wedding, the photos your guests take can often be amusing and show you a part of the day you would otherwise have missed. For example, photos from the antics that happen late on in the evening after your wedding photographer has long since left or photographs from your guests journey to your wedding.

We also have a group on Facebook filled with wedding vendors with everything from videographers, make-up artist, hairstylists and much more check it out here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/466214243532635/

Wedding planning in 2018 is easier than it has ever been before. If you know of any other great wedding planning apps and websites, please share them with us in the comments below.

Hugh McCanns Wedding | Aileen & James

Aileen & James were married on the 15th of January at St. Pauls Parish in Lurgan with their reception held at Hugh McCanns in Newcastle.

Before the ceremony, we met up with Aileen and her family at her Mum & Dad’s home in Lurgan to photograph everyone getting ready. Aileen’s mum and James & Aileen’s lovely little daughter Robyn kept us entertained all morning. Everyone was ready on time and we were able to get too St.Pauls with plenty of time to spare.

From a photography point of view, St. Pauls Parish was ideal for us. There is plenty of natural light to use inside and we did not run into any of the normal issues you expect to have when photographing an indoor religious marriage ceremony.

After the ceremony, we made our way to the seaside town of Newcastle in County Down for the reception, which was held at Hugh McCanns. Unfortunately, James, Aileen and the majority of their guests where delayed by a jack-knifed lorry and arrived at Hugh McCanns a fair bit later than expected. However, there was enough time for us to get the photos of Aileen & James on the beach that they really wanted.

No trip to Newcastle is complete without hitting up the amusement arcades so we were pleased when Aileen & James agreed to letting us grab a few quick photos in the arcade as well. Big thanks to the staff at Kent Amusements for accommodating us at such short notice! This place is a bit of a local institution even our parents can remember going there as kids.

Once we got back to Hugh McCanns it was time for the speeches and the cutting of the cake. Before the first dance Aileen was serenadedby a young guest and then they had a fun game of Mr. and Mrs. 

Engagement Photography Northern Ireland | Crawfordsburn Country Park | Laura & Andy

We recently met up with Laura & Andy for their engagement session at Crawfordsburn Country Park in County Down. They will be getting married in early 2019 at the Clandeboye Lodge in Bangor.

We normally prefer to let our couples choose the location when they book us for an engagement session and Crawfordsburn was not Laura & Andrew’s first choice. They had originally planned to use Portavoe reservoir in Donaghadee but unfortunately it is currently closed to the public so was not an option. They had asked us for recommendations and straight away, we thought of Crawfordsburn Country Park. It is somewhere we have visited a lot recently to photograph weddings and other things. It is one of the few local locations that offers both a beach and a forest area and always works well.

We chose early morning for the session, as Crawfordsburn can get quite busy even at this time of the year. We had a little bit of concern about the weather leading up to the session and although the weather forecast was for a dry day when we arrived, it had started to rain. Thankfully, it was not heavy and was gone before too long.

As you would expect Laura & Andy are both excited about their wedding and seem to be well on their way to having all of their arrangements made. This was the first time we had met them both so the engagement session gave us a good chance to get to know each other a little better before we photograph the big day. We have not doubt that their wedding is going to be a lot of fun.