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Jayne and Ross got married on a perfect late summer day last year at beautiful Hillmount House. It was a day filled with fun and laughter. I asked them a bit about how they planned the day and any tips for other couples. Check out their fabulous day and list of great suppliers!
What was important to you when planning your wedding day?: We wanted to make sure that our day reflected us properly - so many people feel under pressure to do weddings the “traditional” way to please family or friends. We’d already been together for 10 years and wanted to ensure we stayed true to us - loving, silly, fun and spontaneous! Finding Hillmount House made it easy from the start!
Tell us about some of the little details that made up your day.: We didn’t have a theme per sé but a lot of it came down to the colours. I knew I wanted sunflowers in my bouquet and so that was my starting point. Getting married outside was a goal - a big ask with NI weather but somehow we managed to get a perfect sunny day. The floral arch we had constructed was the most beautiful thing and looking at the photos of it still take my breath away. My engagement ring was rose gold so we asked our stylist to tie that in to the decorations in the barn for the reception (it was perfect!). The rest of it was about trying to keep it about us and our friends and family! I made our table plan, a friend did our wedding stationery and place cards, the groom and his groomsman made a donut wall from scratch! There were lots of little things that made it feel so much more special because we had put time into creating a personal touch.
What was your favourite part of your day?: The whole day! I couldn’t pick just one part. Everyone who was involved in making it run so perfectly made me feel much more relaxed. I was quite a chill bride anyway and wasn’t worried in the lead up but I couldn’t have been in better hands anyway. Getting married at Hillmount was just a dream come true. The owners Andrew and Simon have an ability to make people feel so welcome, I didn’t want to leave! I loved coming into the barn after getting some photos taken and just seeing everyone we love enjoying themselves and all my plans coming to life.
Any funny or unexpected moments you want to share?:Karaoke at the reception was a hilarious highlight - only a handful of people knew a drag queen was going to be hosting it, we enjoyed surprising people with it all!
What would your top tip be to any couples planning their wedding day?:Just remember it’s about the two of you. Do whatever you want to do. Your friends and family will love it more, rather than if you just try to emulate what looked nice on Pinterest - trust me!
It does go really fast - a lot of people say they don’t want to spend ages getting photos taken but you’ll want the memories. Also get a videographer to capture it on film - I wasn’t going to, but Fiona captured all the wonderful moments I missed!
Any particular advice for couples about the photography part of the day?:Do a pre-shoot in order to get comfortable with the photographer! And you’ll not be able to stop smiling on the day so it’ll be easy. Brides - make sure to keep eyelash glue and other make up essentials handy in case you need a touch up in between photos.
Any other comments you'd like to share.: We loved having Lynn and her fab husband Jonathan take our wedding photos. They made us feel so relaxed and they did the most beautiful job. Good wedding photography is worth the money!
Venue:Hillmount House
Photographer: Lynn Stanfield Photography
Celebrant: Julie Antonette
Ceremony/reception musicians: The Eggmen
Florist: Kim Davies, Victoriana Floral
Make up artist: Kerry Moore, By Kerri Bridal Make Up
Hairdresser: Danielle Barnes. DaniBelle Wedding Hair
Wedding dress: Eden Bridal
Bridesmaid dresses: Coast
Bridal accessories: Deborah K Design
Suits: North End Suit Hire
Videographer: Fiona Sloan, Premiere Moments
Venue styling: Mel McGimpsey, Mood Events
Invitations: Karen Murray
Favours: Doughzy Donuts
Cake: Lily Pink Bakery
Reception entertainment: Roxy Tumbledryer
Caterer - Posh Nosh!
Marquee - Maverick Marquees
Jill and Neil travelled all the way from San Francisco for their destination wedding at beautiful Bellingham Castle and what an amazing day it was! I loved how they brought details together to make it a special experience for all their guests and incorporated elements of San Francisco and Ireland into their day - have a read and a look at their fabulous wedding!
What was important to you when planning your wedding day?: Since we were planning our wedding from a distance (we live in San Francisco, and the wedding was in Co. Louth), it was very important to us to work with a venue that was very organised and would make things as easy as possible for us.
Tell us about some of the little details that made up your day.: We made an effort to make things as fun as possible for our guests, especially since almost half of them flew in from abroad for the wedding. Since this was a "destination wedding" for many of our friends (not only Jill's American Friends, but Neil also had many people travel from all over Europe, and even some from America and Australia), this wasn't just a single day for us, but there were a few 'mini-events' in the days before the wedding: Jill and her family stayed at Listoke House in Drogheda and had an Afternoon tea there with her friends the day before the wedding. We had a small party in Neil's Parents house 2 days before the wedding, and a welcome reception in Richmond Fort, beside the historic Millmount Fort in Drogheda, the night before the wedding for all of our overseas guests. We had "welcome bags" for all the overnight guests, which included Tayto Crisps, headach tablets (Advil for the Americans, Solpadeine for the Irish), chocolates, and bottles of beer, among other things. Since we wanted to add a personal touch to the afternoon welcome reception, we brought our faviourite beers all the way from San Francisco: Jill's favours "Local Honey" from Woods Brewery, and Neil's favourite "Pliny the Elder" from Russian River Brewing Company. Since almost half of the guest were foreign, we thought they'd especially enjoy some to have traditional Irish Music as part of the day, so we had Rapscallion play traditional Irish music during the afternoon reception.
What was your favourite part or parts of your day?: We loved the Ceremony, and the fact that we were able to make it so personal and create a ceremony that reflected our values. Our Solemniser, who oversaw a Humanist ceremony, Siobhan Walls, was amazing and definitely made the whole thing feel so natural for us.
We loved our time with Lynn and her husband doing our photo shoot after we arrived at Bellingham Castle: it was so nice to have that relaxed, intimate time alone together after the ceremony.
Jill expecially loved her time on the way to the ceremony in a vintage Rolls Royce car: Americans don't do things like this, so they felt like they were in a movie driving through the countryside in a fancy old car. We loved the end of the afternoon reception, where the afternoon band, Rapscallion, played a song for the bride and groom, "On the One Road" by the Wolfe Tones, and we had an unofficial first dance along with our son, Liam. We went straight from there to go outside for a group photo with all our guests, which was also so much fun. The dinner was amazing, and after the speeches we could actually relax and really enjoy it.
And, of course, the music and dancing at the end were great. We had just over 100 guests, but looking at the dance floor you'd think it was 200. It was wonderful to see everyone let loose and have so much fun. We also loved to see so many people continue the party until the late bar closed at 4am. American weddings normally finish at around 11pm, and it was really great to introduce all Jill's friends to the Irish way of celebrating.
Any funny or unexpected moments you want to share?: - We had some drama with the audio for the ceremony. We didn't have musicians for that part, but had a playlist. Even though we did sound checks in advance, some last minute technical difficulties meant that Jill had to wait outside the ceremony venue for about 20 minutes while some Neils's friends (Keith and Robert) stepped up to save the day. In the end, Keith and Robert spend the entire ceremony sitting on the floor behind the Speaker, carefully holding some cables in place, so that we would have the music we wanted during the ceremony. We also loved that our son Liam, who was almost 2 years old at the time, totally stole the show during the ceremony. His funniest moment was, right in front Jill and Neil in the middle of the ceremony, he lay on his back and stared at the ceiling, as if he was thinking "get me out of here. when is this going to be over"
What would your top tips be to any couples planning their wedding day?: To communicate with each other what's important and to stay true to what we truly want. And also to be open to suggestions/ideas/circumstance. For example, we knew we didn't want a traditional wedding cake but didn't really have any idea what we did want. When we met with Sarah from Custom Cakes in Drogheda, within 5 minutes we all came up with a great idea for a cake that was perfect for us: the 3 of us (Liam, Jill and Neil) on a San Francisco Cable car in our wedding suits . In the end, she did a fabulous job on the cake, and it turned out to be another great little personal touch.
Any particular advice for couples about the photography part of the day?: Be open to suggestions and direction from the Photographer, since they really know what they're doing. Even more importantly, enjoy that part of the day, since it's really the only part of the day that we got to be alone together for any period of time.
And when looking for a wedding photographer, make sure you look at their portfolio to see what type of photos they'll take. For us, we wanted someone who would not just do a great job of the typical portrait-style photos that most people expect, but we also wanted someone who would do a great job of documenting all of the other parts of the day, and capturing all the smaller moments of the day involving our guests. When we saw Lynn's portfolio, we knew she'd be perfect for what we wanted. Also, not all photographers stay until after the dinner and for the music and dancing: it's definitely worth having a photographer who wants to be there for this part of the day, when everyone let's loose and when the fun really starts!
Suppliers
Ceremony venue: Woodside Chapel, Castlebellingham
Reception venue: Bellingham Castle
Photography: Lynn Stanfield Photography
Celebrant: Siobhán Walls, from the Humanist Associate of Ireland.
Afternoon Reception: Rapscallion, from Drogheda
Wedding cars: http://www.vintageweddingcars.ie
Florist: Impulse Flowers, in Drogheda Town Centre
Make up artist: Leona Quinn
Hairdresser: Andrea Costello, Drogheda
Wedding dress: BHLDN (pronounced "Beholden") in Walnut Creek, California.
Suits: Neil bought his suit off the rack from Moss Bros, but had it altered in Tailor's Keep in San Francisco.
Invitations: We designed the invitations ourselves, using templates from the website Zola, which also managed all of the RSVPs online.
Cake: Custom Cakes, Drogheda.
Band/DJ: Whitewater did the band and the DJ.
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I enter competitions based on submitting images to be judged by experienced professional photographers and in 2019 I entered a monthly competition as well as two print competitions.
Putting my work in front of judges is a brilliant (if sometimes scary!) experience that then feeds back into keeping the quality of my work fresh and growing. That's the reason I enter, but its also lovely (and exciting!) when I come away with a certificate or piece of glass!
In March 2019 I was a finalist in two categories with the Professional Photographers Association of NI annual print competition - ending up placing 1st runner up in both categories - Reportage Wedding Photographer of the Year and Engagement Photographer of the Year. My first glass!
In October 2019 I won the Wedding category in the Newborn & Portrait Photography Show Ireland print competition.
Throughout 2019 I entered the Guild of Photographers monthly competition and was delighted to be awarded the Photographers Bar - an achievement based on consistently high scoring images (a bronze award or above) over a period of 8 months of the year. This was the third consecutive year I gained the Photographers Bar.
Those scores also count towards the Photographer of the Year and I was delighted be in the Top Ten for Wedding Photographer of the Year, (placing 4th). This was also the third consecutive year I've been in the Top Ten.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to all my amazing couples who trust me to capture their special days and allow me to share the loveliness of their wedding days in these competitions. I literally could not do this without my fabulous clients.
Check out the slideshow below for images from our 2019 Awards.
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Amy and Philip had a gorgeous golden summer day for their July wedding last year. After a beautiful ceremony in a local church, there was welcome ice cream waiting outside for their guests before we all headed to beautiful Ballymagarvey Village in Meath. We wandered round the gorgeous grounds for some relaxed photos before Amy and Philip rejoined their guests who were listening to music and sampling the home made scones. After the speeches and dinner in the banqueting hall everyone headed outside again to enjoy the balmy evening and gathered round the famous 'chandelier tree' with sparklers. The Big Kahuna provided great music for the first dance as the evening party got into full swing! Here's a look at some of their beautiful day!
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With 48 gorgeous weddings, 2017 was packed with amazing couples and fabulous days! From the beaches of Donegal to city centre weddings, Fermanagh to Meath, castles, barns and lovely hotels, rain and sun, tears and laughter - I'll let the slideshow tell the story of my year - 2017 you rocked!
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I've neglected the blog and I have so many gorgeous weddings I want to share! So I'm going to try to blog a bit more often and I'm starting off with a beautiful recent wedding at Larchfield as it was officially our 100th wedding!
I always love weddings at Larchfield and was looking forward to this one as it was the second of three weddings in the same family I've had the privilege of capturing in the past year. Jenny and Andrew had planned an outdoor ceremony and thankfully the rain stayed away, the sun shone, the garden was set with chairs and everyone enjoyed a perfect summer's day. After the ceremony the guests relaxed by the Orangery while we wandered down the the lake for some photos. Dinner and speeches followed in the barn and then what ended up my favourite part of the day - Jenny and Andrew are both vets so we just had to go and say hello to the estate animals! Great dancing to the fab band Freefall rounded off a fabulous, happy, sunny wedding day! Check out some of the loveliness of their day below and watch the slideshow for more.
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2015 was a fabulous year and my busiest year yet for weddings! I know I've been neglecting the blog, I promise to blog more wedding loveliness this year!
But for now - here's a look back over some of the moments and memories of last year and all the beautiful weddings I had the privilege and pleasure of photographing. Congratulations to Sophie & David, Ruth & Eddie, Julie-Ann & Jonny, Sharon & Robert, Corinne & Ross, Sarah & Will, Amber & Jonny, Mandi & Reggie, Rachel & Michael, Rachel & Stephen, Victoria & Aaron, Lisa & Brian, Olivia & Matt, Cathy & Trevor, Janice & Matthew, Sylvie & Honza, Jennifer & David, Pauline & Adam, Suzie & Richie, Kate & Leslie, Orlaith & Paul, Louise & Colin, Helen & Andy, Roseann & Peter, Sarah & Brendan, Nuala & Dave and Adele & David!
Thank you to all my fabulous couples for making 2015 such a fantastic year! I met amazing people, listened to beautiful love stories, saw families share together in much joy and happiness, heard some fantastic speeches, bopped about on the dance floor during the evening fun and was just delighted to capture the happiness, laughter, smiles, tears, tenderness, fun, creativity, style, talent, beauty and love that make up the wonderful day that is a wedding!
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On arrival at Galgorm we went down to the riverside where the mild spring weather held for us for a few more photos and then on to the beautiful newly opened Renaissance Suite for speeches, dinner and dancing. What a fabulous day!
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Kylie and Ben won an engagement shoot in my wedding show competition and when we were arranging the shoot they asked if we could head to Newcastle to recreate their very first date - how romantic! We were fortunate to get a dry and not too windy day so were able to wander by the sea and through the town - here's Ben describing that date that started it all off...
"Kylie and I met through some friends at a bar. We're both from Belfast but our first ever date was to Newcastle in County Down. We walked the promenade hand-in-hand and peered through the various shop windows, even having a go on the 2p machines in the arcades. When Kylie saw me flashing all of this loose change around at the slot machines, she knew I was a keeper. We finished the day with a romantic meal in the Avoca Hotel.
Some years later, with enough coppers saved, we managed to afford a holiday to New York where I proposed at the top of the Empire State Building. Everyone cheered and clapped when Kylie said "Yes" and we finished the day with a cruise around the Statue of Liberty, where a beautiful sunset filled the sky.
We're looking forward to getting married in 2016 and spending the rest of our lives together."
What a fun afternoon with a delightful couple! Here's a bit of what we got up to...
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I first met Joanne and Neal in Autumn 2013 when they were planning their wedding, and as their reception was to be in the lovely Malone House they wanted to go to nearby Lady Dixon Park for photographs, so I met them again there a few weeks before their wedding. That was a gorgeous summer evening and they were blessed with a perfect summer day for their wedding too!
Joanne's sisters were her bridesmaids and I arrived to a house of getting everyone ready and a lot of fun and laughter. On to Newtownards for the ceremony, which was followed by an afternoon tea in the church hall. Joanne is a teacher and her pupils had made pretty paper hearts to decorate the hall which was lovely. Sir Thomas and Lady DIxon Park next for some photos and then on to Malone House for speeches and cake.
I really enjoyed Joanne and Neal's wedding, it was a fabulous day full of smiles and joy, the sky was blue, the sun was shining and the bride and groom couldn't have looked happier! Here's a few of their day...
Venue - Malone House
Flowers - Norah Mitchell Flowers
Cars - Klass Cars
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My aim when doing an engagement or pre-wedding shoot is that it's relaxed and fun and I sometimes tell couples that 'it's literally a walk in the park' as that's what it often is. Parks are great locations for engagement shoots and there are usually a few quiet corners to be found.
So I was happy to be heading off to a park to meet Orlaith and Paul for their shoot. They'd come prepared with an umbrella but we didn't really need it. We wandered round, chatting and laughing and it was just so easy to capture the love between these two. Here's some of their romantic park engagement shoot. Looking forward to their wedding later this year.
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A bit of rain didn't put a dampner on the day however, especially with the beautiful St Patrick's church for photographs, but when we ventured outside again to find the rain had stopped - it was straight to the beach! A wet afternoon meant the usually busy Portrush Strand was almost deserted giving a beautiful backdrop for photographs - I have to admit I love a bride who walks barefoot on the beach! It did get a little cold and chivalrous husband Sam took off his coat to keep his new wife warm - what a beautiful gesture of loving care on their wedding day!
Back to the church hall for speeches, hogroast and a ceilidh to round off the evening. It was a fabulous and fun day, seeing two lovely families joining together in celebration of the marriage of this delightful couple. Wishing them every blessing in their future together!
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It was lovely to meet up with Barbara and David again for an engagement session. They decided on a forest park for their shoot and it was a perfect place to bring David's dog Dakota along too. I love engagement shoots as they're a great opportunity to relax and have some fun with the photography as well as us all getting to know each other a bit better. We went for a wander, Dakota was very well behaved and the rain stayed away!
A few from their shoot.
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It was lovely to meet up with Mark and Rachel again for their recent pre-wedding shoot. We hadn't got very far when it started to rain - fortunately there were plenty of trees and a gateway to a walled garden to shelter under! Despite the rain we had a fun shoot and then stopped for a cuppa afterward to discuss plans for their big day. I'm really looking forward to photographing the wedding of this lovely couple later this month.
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There were lambs, wellies, haybales, cows and a fabulous tractor! Plenty of places to explore and great locations for photographs. Richard came up with the idea of putting the engagement ring on the tractor - two prized possessions together!
I had so much fun on this shoot and I'm really looking forward to Suzanne and Richard's wedding.
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We had a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to being back at Edenmore Country Club in the summer for the wedding of this lovely couple!
(If you'd like any more info about engagement sessions or wedding photography in Northern Ireland - check out the Engagements page and the Wedding Info page.)
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On a Saturday afternoon at the end of August I headed to the Ulster Folk Park at Cultra to photograph the wedding of Kerry and Jonathan. Kerry had gone for a beautiful vintage black and ivory theme for her wedding styling, which was perfect amongst the historical buildings of the folk park - with a splash of red (check out those shoes!).
As both the ceremony in the Meeting House and the reception at the elegant Cultra Manor were on site, this meant that while the guests headed down to Cultra Manor for refreshments we were able to visit the Folk Park - perfect for wedding photographs! Back for family photographs and speeches before dinner and then the dancing.
A fabulous day with a lovely couple and their families and friends. Here are some of my favourites from the day...
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"We had such a fun time at our engagement shoot at the Tudor Cinema. Lynn made us feel so relaxed and comfortable. We loved our shoot!"
I'd been thinking about doing a shoot at the delightful retro and vintage styled Tudor cinema and when Julie-Ann and Jonny booked me for their wedding at La Mon Hotel just outside Belfast in 2015 I immediately suggested it as a location for their engagement shoot.
They arrived to find their names up at the front and we got some shots outside before heading inside where we visited the ticket booth, the cinema itself and finished with them having some fun with the jukebox - and a bit of a dance!
"Our engagement shoot was very enjoyable. Lynn made it so comfortable for us which was great as we've never done anything like this before. She had our best interests and ideas in mind, which was great as she listened to what we wanted whilst inputting her own own ideas. Great teamwork, can't wait for our wedding day now."
Really looking forward to capturing this lovely couple's wedding next year!
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I've known Adrian a long time and had met his lovely bride Karen when they were dating, so it was a pleasure to hear they were getting married and to sit down and plan their photography for their special day. I love Edenmore Golf and Country Club as a venue for wedding photography - with the rolling green course, lake and old trees it's a lovely setting. We'd had a spell of very hot weather the week before but woke up to rain on the morning of the wedding! Fortunately that soon cleared and the slight breeze kept everyone cool (and allowed us to have some fun with Karen's veil!).
Following the ceremony and the family photographs, the guests had fun trying their hand at a mini golf tournament while we jumped into golf buggies to visit a few locations round the course for some romantic photographs. Below are some of my favourites from the day.
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My Silver Bar winning image - shot during a live gig with a fab band called 'The Blues Collective'. This image was also printed and part of an exhibition at Belfast City Hospital.
And my Bronze Bar winning images from 2013...
Many thanks to all my wonderful clients over the past year. Looking forward to 2014! x
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On a damp and drizzly autumn morning we headed out for an engagement shoot with Sarah and Darren. Having got engaged myself only days before, it was lovely to hear about Darren's romantic proposal!
If you're interested in an engagement shoot, please get in touch for a chat :-)
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As the tour moved up the wide staircase to continue to the next level one member of the tour stood beside the tree... waiting... then the music started. As Feliz Navidad played, he was joined by his partner and they began to dance Argentine Tango.
They were joined by another couple and then another, as more and more people walked down the staircase from the tour - and soon the floor was filled with couples dancing tango around the Christmas tree.
As each couple danced for a while, then changed partners, a security guard came over to see what was happening - he was immediately invited to join in - and he did!
Meanwhile, the rest of the tour stood and watched, delighted by this special extra entertainment in their tour!
So what was all this about? It was a Tango Flashmob organised by the Belfast Argentine Tango Society to promote the launch of their Tango Festival - Titango, which takes place 20-22 June 2014.
If you want to try tango for yourself, there is a FREE beginners class at 7-8pm, Saturday 30th November at the Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast, followed by the (also free!) launch party for Titango and a performance by visiting teachers Guillermo Torrens and Maria Maragaki. This is a great opportunity to give tango a go - come along and try it!
Here are a few more from Saturday...
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The Silver Bar image 'Blues Singer' was from a shoot covering a gig with the Blues Collective. I'm delighted to be awarded a Silver Bar for this one because it's a personal favourite as to me it sums up the passion the guys in the band put into their music. I love dancing to the Blues Collective - great blues band with a mix of music - worth going to hear (or you might catch them at St George's Sunday market in Belfast).
I also got another two Bronze Bars this month. The two Bronze Bar images were from a shoot a few months ago with Karma Hair Design in Ballyclare. A fun afternoon with a creative team of stylists - Dee Taylor, Erin Eakin and Nicole Dempster and MUA Megan Taylor. Model Alice Christie
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Check out his website - Buddy the Clown
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Otherwise known as 'Clarkie's BBQ' because its organised by Peter Clarke, the Dromore Road Music Festival has been running as an annual fundraising event each June for a number of years, with local musicians and local businesses getting involved to help raise money for cancer charities. Held in a yard, there is plenty of cover provided if it rains, large BBQs are lit for people to cook on and in between the music acts there are quizzes and games. Its a fun afternoon and evening which I've gone to many times and this year I brought my camera.
It did rain for a good part of the afternoon - but it didn't dampen anyone's spirits as the music was great and everyone was having fun. In fact the music was so good that some mad people even danced in the rain... well I have to put the camera down sometimes! I left it in the care of a photographer friend so there are a few rare shots of me on the other side of the lens!
The afternoon started with Christine Bailie singing and then local bands Bad Penny and The Icemen kept everyone entertained, followed by Jonny Quinn with some Michael Buble songs. The finale as always was the popular Elvis act. As soon as Elvis came out - the rain stopped! And so the dancing started again (with more than just two of us this time!). Jonny came back on stage to duet with Elvis to round off the performances.
The partying continued for a few hours longer, but my photography ended there as I had to go and cover the Belfast Argentine Tango Festival.
A good amount was raised for charity and a great evening had by all. :-)
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Lauren and Rob - August 2012
Back to Bangor Castle for the third time this summer, this time to photograph the wedding of Lauren and Rob. A rainy forecast didn't dampen the mood and the threatening rain clouds moved away meaning we could also visit the lovely walled garden. Lauren and Rob were so relaxed and clearly having such a fun day - from the Mustang car, the 'sweetie table' at the reception - to the skipping bride! I had a fantastic day capturing the story of their day for this delightful couple. A day of smiles, laughter and much love.
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Full album here.
The full set from the evening is here.
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