A New Year’s Eve Wedding in Clonlara and Castle Oaks Hotel

There is something special about a New Year’s Eve wedding. Not only are family and friends gathering to celebrate a marriage, but everyone is already in the mood to mark the end of one year and the beginning of another.
Mags and Neil chose New Year’s Eve for their wedding day, bringing together family and friends from Ireland and abroad for a celebration that began in County Clare and finished with fireworks at midnight in County Limerick.
As a wedding photographer covering Clare, Limerick and the West of Ireland, I always enjoy seeing how different couples put their own stamp on the day, and this one had plenty of memorable moments.

Morning Preparations in County Clare

I started the morning with Neil and his groomsmen.
Neil certainly had not spent the morning sitting around waiting for the wedding to begin. Being a farmer, he had already been out working earlier that day before getting ready with the lads.
From there I headed to Mags’ family home.
The house was full of people, champagne was flowing and there was a great sense of celebration. Family members had travelled from the United States for the wedding, and every corner seemed to have somebody catching up, laughing or helping with the final preparations.
Mags looked fantastic when she was ready. With her flowing red hair and elegant styling, there was a little bit of old Hollywood glamour mixed with a touch of fairytale magic.

A Wedding Ceremony in Clonlara

Mags and Neil were married in their local church in Clonlara, County Clare.
After the ceremony, rather than rushing away, they took time to greet their guests outside the church. I always like seeing couples do this. Weddings move quickly, and taking the time to speak with family and friends straight after the ceremony gives everyone a chance to share in the moment.
Of course, one of the most popular wedding guests on the day wasn’t a person at all.
The couple’s black French Bulldog arrived dressed for the occasion in a tiny tutu, attracting plenty of attention, as is only right!

Castle Oaks Hotel Wedding Reception

The reception took place at Castle Oaks Hotel on the banks of the River Shannon in County Limerick.
One of the challenges of a winter wedding is that you never quite know what the weather will do. Thankfully, conditions were kind to us and we were able to spend some time outdoors creating a few relaxed portraits of Mags and Neil around the grounds of the Castle Oaks.
Back inside, we used the beautiful staircase in the old house for family photographs before everyone settled into the celebrations.
During the drinks reception there was fantastic traditional Irish music, creating a warm atmosphere as guests mingled and caught up.
The speeches were short and sweet before dinner, leaving plenty of time for what turned out to be a very lively evening.

The dance floor was busy from the moment it opened.
Some weddings take a little encouragement before people get up to dance. This wasn’t one of them!
The floor stayed full throughout the evening, with guests making the most of both the wedding celebration and New Year’s Eve itself.
As midnight approached, everyone gathered outside for a fireworks display to welcome the new year. It was a fitting end to a day that had started on a farm in Clare and finished beneath fireworks in Limerick.

 

bride getting ready at her home in Clonlara Co.Clare Father of the bride practicing his speech on the morning of the wedding portrait of the bride, her expression serene and her hair like Ariel bride and her bridal party of brides maids and bridesman portrait of bride with her parents on the morning of her wedding bride arrives to the church in Clonlara County Clare bride and groom walk down the aisle of Clonlara RC church wedding couple meet their guests outside Clonlara church wedding couple with their french bull dog in a tutu bride and groom portrait at Castle Oaks Hotel Limerickblack tie groom with bride at their wedding in the Castle Oaks Hotel County LimerickBride and groom in the grounds of the Castle Oaks Hotel bride posing on the stair case at the castle oaks hotel in Limerick wedding speeches at the castle oaks limerick wedding couple enter the dance floor at the castle oaks hotel limerick dance floor wedding photographs from the castle oaks irish wedding sparkler shot with bride and groom and friends at the castle oaks in limerick

 

Why I’m Always Delighted When Couples Choose An Album

After the wedding, Mags and Neil chose to have their photographs turned into a wedding album.
I’m always pleased when couples decide to do this. Please do this with your wedding photographs!
Digital galleries are brilliant for sharing photographs with family and friends, but there is something completely different about sitting down with a beautifully printed album years later. It is a beautiful way of telling the story of the wedding day through about 100 photographs. It becomes part of the family story rather than another folder on a computer. Wedding photographs deserve to be held, shared and revisited, and an album remains the best way I know to experience them. Mags and Neil choose the “Essence” wedding album with “sea breeze” cover fabric and gold foil print. The album is from Folio albums, who I use as my album supplier because of their excellent eco credentials. Sustainability and trying to be as low impact as possible is very important to me. I admire Folios ethos in this regard.

 

folio wedding albums every album with sea breeze fabrick and gold foil photographs printed across the spine of the wedding album full page of folio every album

Thank you Mags and Neil for having me along to document such an important day and for trusting me to create a record of it.

If you’re planning a wedding in County Clare, County Limerick or anywhere in the west of Ireland and you’re looking for natural, relaxed wedding photography, I’d love to hear from you.