Castle Leslie Wedding - Niamh and Patrick

Castle Leslie feels like our second home, we’ve shot so many times there. And yet, it’s always a unique experience. This was our fourth visit this year and, ten years after our first visit, our first ever outdoor ceremony.

We’d been looking forward to this wedding ever since doing engagement photos with Niamh and Patrick in Belfast. We bonded over a shared love of books and an obsession with the movie Arrival – both of which featured prominently in the ceremony and reception.

There’s always a story you hear during the wedding that illustrates how much a couple love each other. Maybe it’s a little sacrifice or going that extra mile. In Patrick’s case, it was embracing Niamh’s love of dogs despite being completely allergic to them. So even if it means gasping for breath when there are no antihistamines on hand, he dotes on their dog, Bailie, like the best dog-daddy you can imagine.

The couple got ready a stone throws away from each other in the Mews at Castle Leslie, and decided on a first look with most of their wedding photos after. Where possible, this is a great idea as it gives you more time after the ceremony to hang out with your guests. We also love that cute moment when they see each other for the first time.

I absolutely loved Niamh’s style. Her gorgeous Wona Concept dress with a stunning, colourful bouquet from The Rosehip and Berry Floral Studio was simple elegance.

Videographer: Ian Higginson Media

Makeup artist: Maid by Sinead

Hairdresser: Sinead Williams Bridal Hair

Florist: The Rosehip and Berry Floral Studio

Cake: NI Cake Design

Ceremony Music – The Cellists

Band/DJ – The Cazettes

Bride's dress: Wona Concept from Forever Bridal. Steve Madden shoes, earrings Six Stories

Bridesmaids: Rewritten Bridesmaids from Archive 12, earrings AnnaRae Jewellery

Groom/Groomsmen Suits: Ludlow Menswear

Larchfield Estate Wedding - Katie and Jack

The last couple of years have thrown a lot at us, so we found ourselves quite often doing and seeing things at weddings for the first time. Katie and Jack’s was no different; It was our first wedding ceremony that also featured a christening - of their adorable son, Lucas.

We loved that Katie and Jack decided on a first look. Getting their portraits and family shots done before the ceremony meant we could avoid the stress of chasing the setting winter sun after the ceremony, and get great shots around Cathedral Quarter.

Jack founded the award winning bar, The Dead Rabbit, with his business partner, Sean Muldoon, in NYC. It’s been named as the best bar in the world for its cocktails and craic. So it was no surprise to see that they continued the theme of cocktails and craic at their wedding.

As much as any wedding we’ve shot, this one was about family. Katie and Jack pride themselves on their close connection to their family, and you could get a sense of it at every stage of the day. Sadly, Jack’s lovely mummy, Donna, passed away this year. She was the absolute life and soul of the wedding, from morning prep banter to heckling the speeches, before ripping up the dance-floor at night.

Finally, a big thanks to the great suppliers we worked with. We cannot believe the job that Hollie from Rosehip and Berry did with the reception room at Larchfield - it looked like a total dream. And, as always, Olivia Muldoon and Ricky from Rabbit and the Fox films were a pleasure to work with.