Louise and damian at cloughjordan house

19 Nov

There are weddings, and then there are weddings—the ones that stick in your memory long after the last sparkler fades, or in this case, the last crisp has been crunched. Louise and Damian’s day at Cloughjordan House was exactly that. As one of my absolute favourite venues in the country, Cloughjordan never fails to deliver, but this wedding truly took things to a whole new level.

Let’s start with Louise. Her choice of wedding dress? A jaw-dropping red dress and cape by The Vampire’s Wife. After nearly 20 years of photographing weddings, it’s rare that something stops me in my tracks, but seeing Louise in that dress had me picking my jaw up off the floor. Damian’s reaction during their first look wasn’t much different — a mix of awe and pure joy. It was a moment I’m sure either of them won’t forget anytime soon.

The day was packed with incredible moments that had me grinning behind the camera. Damian being gifted a deep-fat fryer (best wedding gift ever?) was one particular highlight, as was watching guests trying and failing to dodge the big red inflatable wobbly tube men (yes you read that right). I honestly think these need to be a staple at every wedding going forward. Special mention has to go to the most incredible place settings I’ve ever seen—no exaggeration. Damian deserves full credit for this brilliantly madcap idea: he and Louise photoshopped their faces onto iconic record covers for every guest, with each vinyl carefully chosen to match the person. Yes, you read that right.

With Louise herself being one of Ireland’s best wedding photographers, it was no surprise that so many fellow wedding photographers would be attendance. So you can imagine the mix of honour and pressure I felt when she asked me to capture her day. That said, any nerves I had quickly disappeared. Everyone was far too busy having the best time to pay much attention to me, and honestly, it was just pure joy being part of it all.

This day wasn’t just about the incredible outfits, or the wobbly tube men, or even the fryer. It was about Louise and Damian, two people completely wrapped up in each other and their love. Being trusted to capture that kind of magic is why I do what I do.

To Louise and Damian—thank you for letting me be part of this unforgettable day. It was an absolute honour, and one I’ll be talking about for years to come.

Now, I just need to figure out how to get wobbly tube men into every wedding from now on.

The folk who helped make the day what it was.

• Hair: Sarah Boyle

• Makeup Artist: Mary Ellen Darby

• Flowers: Tina The Wild Bunch

• Dress: The Vampire’s Wife

• Shoes: Terry de Havilland

• Damian’s Suit: Magee 1866

• Damian’s Shoes: Dr. Martens

• Videography: VowArt

• DJ: Velvet DJs

• Celebrant: Romy McAuley

• Cake: Solo Bake