Poulaphouca House Wedding - Beth and Stephen

We have crossed paths with Beth and Stephen at so many weddings over the years. We have photographed them in bridal parties, family groups, and often just caught them in the background, doing their best to avoid the camera. By the time their own wedding came around, they were probably well and truly sick of the sight of us.

And what a wedding it was. We always love a trip to County Wicklow. It is so close to the buzz of Dublin, but once you arrive it feels like the rest of the world melts away. This was our first time at Poulaphouca. It took us a lot of attempts before we could say its name without butchering it.

The venue itself is wonderful. It is built around the idea of being outdoors and embracing the weather, whatever it brings. We love that kind of optimism. Luckily, Beth and Stephen got married in the middle of our unexpected little May heatwave. There is something special about a space that manages to pack so much charm into a relatively small area. You can nip off for photos without vanishing for ages or wandering a million miles away from the celebration.

We had so much craic at this wedding. A big part of that was down to the number of familiar faces. We counted a half a dozen couples we had photographed before, and a few more who have booked us for the future. We always love catching up with our couples on down the line.

And then there’s Beth and Stephen. Two absolutely amazing people - easygoing, warm and full of craic. This was class from start to finish.

St.Malachy's Belfast and Balloo House Wedding - Emma & John

Let’s get this bit out of the way first. Emma and John got married in New York, where they both live, and they did not have a wedding photographer to capture it. We are still not quite over the fact they did not ask us to fly out. We may forgive them eventually.

After eloping in New York, they decided to hold a small ceremony in Belfast to celebrate with friends and family at home, along with plenty of others who had travelled in from all over. Emma is from Belfast, but John’s Cork family looked completely at ease in the Belfast sunshine.

The ceremony took place at St Malachy’s Church in the city centre, which is, for more reasons than we can explain here, one of our absolute favourites to photograph. It is the kind of building that makes you stop in your tracks. And there’s a good chance you will leave with a sore neck from staring up at that incredible ceiling.

After the ceremony we took a few quick portraits around the church before following a busload of guests to Balloo House, just outside Killinchy. Weddings in restaurants always feel different, in the best way. There is a calmness to them. It’s like a bit of the formality is loosened slightly.

It was one of those days where everything felt effortless and cool. Yeah, ok, it wasn’t NYC but still, it was pretty perfect.

Cyprus Avenue Wedding - Joan and Eddy

Joan and Eddy wanted their wedding to feel simple and relaxed, with no unnecessary fuss, and their photos reflect that. This was our first time photographing a wedding at Cypress Avenue in East Belfast, tucked just off the Newtownards Road, it is full of character and charm. We already knew the food was fantastic, but seeing the venue come to life for a wedding with people, music and good energy made it feel even more special. If great food is high on your list of wedding priorities, it is well worth a look.

After a lovely humanist ceremony, we stayed mostly in the background, capturing quiet moments as guests chatted, sipped cocktails, and enjoyed the canapés. Joan and Eddy are not ones for the spotlight, so the focus was never just on them. It was about the day as a whole, and the people they love.

That said, we did manage to sneak them away for a short walk over to the greenway, stopping on the way to admire the cherry blossoms lining Cypress Avenue. They were in full bloom, and the spring light filtering through was a bit magical.

What stood out most about the day was the ease of it all. It was just a joyful celebration of two people doing things their way. The kind of day that reminds you how good the simple things can be.