Clandeboye Lodge Wedding | Lauren + Greig

Lauren and Greig plus most of their guests travelled over from Dundee to get married in Bangor, and the reason behind it was a beautiful one. Lauren wanted her great granny to be part of the day, and rather than ask her to make the journey to Scotland, Lauren and Greig decided they would come to her instead. It meant a wedding away from home for both of them, but it also meant the whole day was wrapped up in something far more meaningful than logistics. Lauren and her bridesmaids got ready together in an Airbnb in Bangor, and the morning was full of the usual mix of nerves, laughter and last minute fussing over hair and dresses that makes getting ready mornings so special to photograph. From there it was straight to Clandeboye Lodge in County Down, where the whole day, ceremony, photos and reception, would all unfold under one roof.

Wedding Photos at Clandeboye Lodge

Lauren and Greig chose a humanist ceremony, and it suited them perfectly. Humanist ceremonies tend to feel far more personal than a civil ceremony, since the whole thing is written around the couple rather than following a fixed script, and that came through in every part of theirs. The handfasting was one of the loveliest moments of the ceremony to capture, with tartan ribbons wound around their joined hands as they made their promises to each other. It is a tradition with real history behind it, and there is something wonderful about photographing a moment that couples have been sharing for centuries.

Then came the quaich, the traditional two handled cup passed between the couple as a symbol of unity and shared life ahead. Lauren and Greig gave it their own twist by filling it with Fireball instead of whisky, which got a huge laugh from their guests and set the tone for the rest of the day perfectly. It is always the small personal choices like this one that make a ceremony feel truly your own.

Because the ceremony and reception were both held at Clandeboye Lodge, Lauren and Greig made the decision to keep all of their photos on site too rather than travelling elsewhere for a change of scenery as itt meant they could stay close to their guests throughout the day. Clandeboye Lodge has made a real effort to improve the grounds around the venue in the last couple of years, so there was plenty of beautiful spots around the grounds to work with, so there was no shortage of options for photos.

Clandeboye Lodge Wedding Photography

We grabbed some further photos with Lauren and Greig after the speeches and dinner. Those quieter moments away from the crowd for 10 minutes in the evening are always among our favourites to shoot, a chance for the couple to step outside for a few minutes when they are much more relaxed than earlier in the day, catch their breath and just enjoy being married before heading back in to their guests.

Then it was straight into the evening celebrations. After their first dance, a ceili got underway, and if you have never watched a room full of guests get thrown into a ceili having never done one before, you are missing out. There is always a moment of confusion followed by a lot of laughing, spinning and mixed up steps, and it makes for some of the most fun and energetic photos of the whole day.

What stood out most about Lauren and Greig's wedding was just how much thought had gone into making it entirely their own. From the humanist ceremony and the handfasting, to the quaich with its cheeky twist, and a ceili to send everyone off dancing, every part of the day reflected who they are as a couple. There was so many personal touches throughout the day, including Greig wearing a watch passed from his grandad to his dad and then on to him and Lauren’s mum hid her baby bracelet inside her wedding bouquet. Add in the fact that Lauren's great granny got to be there to share in it all, and the day carried a real depth of meaning alongside all the fun.

Clandeboye Lodge continues to be one of our favourite venues to photograph weddings at. It gives couples the flexibility to host ceremony, photos and reception all in the one place, and Lauren and Greig used that setup perfectly to stay close to their guests for the entire day rather than travel between locations.

If you are planning a wedding at Clandeboye Lodge, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch through our Clandeboye Lodge wedding photographer page and let us know a bit about your day.