So after the all the stresses and strains of christmas, I had a lovely New Years Eve Wedding to look forward too. So I stayed off the wine the night before (very hard) and kissed my kids goodbye (not so hard) and headed back to the wonderful world of work.
I had spoken to both the bride and groom a few days before the wedding, so we all knew what to expect from the day. Peter (the groom) had mentioned that he would love a few photos taken which would match those of his grandparents (serious face, no pouting and stiff upper body) which I thought was a lovely idea and well worth the effort. I could see them hanging on the wall beside their grandparents wedding (the photos… not the people) and thought it would be nice to have a “timeless” wedding photo and as soon as I laid eyes on the dress, I knew the image would work.
Mary and Peter are currently living in New Zealand and were staying in the Slieve for a few days before the wedding. The atmosphere in the Slieve was fantastic, everyone was in good form and the hotel looked fantastic and seasonal. When I first entered the room I thought it was going to be a nightmare, I don’t think I have ever seen so many people in such a small space, but thanks to the organisation skills of the bride and her bridal party, the fabulous Claire (Central Hair Studios, Newcastle), Ramona Burns (Real Makeover), Carly (my wonderful assistant) and myself were able to move around the wardrobe, sorry I mean room very easily (it wasn’t that small, but there were so many people in the room it felt like a wardrobe, not slaggin the rooms in the Slieve at all).
The bride wore a stunning bridal gown which was designed and made by her mother in law (how cool is that?), the attention to detail was amazing, but the main problem was trying to get the dress on, as there was no zip (not a design flaw, but all part of the end result). The stress levels in the cupboard were getting a bit high as visitors popped in and presents were handed out, so I decided to take Mary out in to the hall for a few shots and to give her an opportunity to catch a breath. I used the lovely big windows in the hall for one shot and also used the beautiful ambient light in the corridors for another beautiful bridal portrait.
As all photographers (who like to complain) will tell you, a winter wedding is so hard a) the lighting is harsh (if there is any at all) b) its freezing which can affect your batteries as well as your bridal party and c) It is harder than it looks to push that shutter button in lower temperatures. But there is nothing nicer than a nice crisp outdoor winter wedding portrait.
Unfortunately New Years Eve, was not the best day for a wedding, it was windy and cold with regular showers, but Mary was the most accommodating bride and after promising to take no more than 10 minutes, she agreed to brave the elements and the results were well worth it. The bridal party were not such an easy buy and bargained me down to 5 mins right outside the Slieve and the promise of a hot port, when it was all over. Thankfully the grounds of the Slieve both inside and out, are every photographers dream, so I was able to capture a lot of photos in a very short space of time, which meant the bride and groom had plenty of time to chat with their guests and the bridal party could throw hot ports down their necks, when no one was looking.
The atmosphere in the Slieve on New Years Eve was amazing, the room looked beautiful and the lighting was moody and reflective of the season, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this wedding and I am quite sad that Christmas is now over for another year, but my liver and scales are delighted. My next wedding is only a few weeks away, so might be a good idea to get the flasks and blankets, as the service is being held in a church with no electric!!!
