I’ve never been to Ireland, but spotting the kilts at the departure gate at Edinburgh Airport made me feel right at home. It seemed there was a large Scottish contigent travelling to the same wedding. We touched down to be greeted by lashing rain and some unfamiliar sounding accents. Robert was there to meet everyone and soon had us organised into cars for the short journey to the village of Adare. A last minute recce to Adare Manor had me raring to go and looking forward to an early start the next morning.
Sarah and the girls picked me up at first light, and headed into Limerick for their appointment with the salon. It’s sheer size and slick production line approach was something I’d never witnessed before, but it offered me plenty of room to hide and pick off the little moments of preparation. We finished up with an amusing cover shot using magazines to cover their faces, before piling back into the car and heading over to Sarah’s home. The pace quickly picked up as the dress and shoes made an appearance.
With the dresses on I packed up and was chauffeur driven to the church in Limerick. We heard en-route that the hired Jag which was supposed to take Sarah to church wouldn’t start, and had me fanatically checking the camera’s LCD to see if another car was parked in her driveway. Best laid plans! Meanwhile, Robert and his best man were bustling around the church as guests began arriving out of the icy cold wind. One o’ clock came and went with no sign of Sarah, before the church clerk finally confirmed they were on their way.
Sarah and the bridal party suddenly appeared looking a bit flustered and keen to get going. I got myself into position at the alter and tracked Sarah being walked down the aisle, the spectacular interior adding to a sense of drama as everyone watched on. In fact, as the happy couple took their seats it proved irresistible not to go walkabout and seek out new vantage points. As singing broke out, the grand scale of the church simply took your breath away. Sarah and Robert turned to face each other and said their vows.
With the register signed, the clerk took it upon himself to organise the bridal party on the steps of the alter. Another first for me, but he seemed to be doing a good job so I went with the flow before inviting the newly weds to sit for a formal shot. My usual ‘just married look’ joke followed as they grinned for the camera. All that remained was for Sarah and Robert to walk back down the aisle together, a stroll that took a few moments to complete due to it’s length. They stopped at the entrance of the church and greeted all their guests, one by one.
The bridal party met up again at the Abbey opposite Adare Manor for a few family photographs before repeating the trick on the steps of the manor, eager to use every last minute of remaining daylight. With darkness almost upon us, Sarah and Robert went for a stroll under a 300 year old cedar tree en-route to a picturesque bridge. The floral bouquet was abandoned as they posed in each others arms. I could hear the cameras shutter dragging as the light began to fade. It was time to call it a day and explore the manor.
With an estate the size of Central Park, the spectacular rooms of the manor provided plenty of space to breathe and take it all in. The manor features 365 windows, 65 chimneys and 56 rooms, plus a massive dining room featuring what must be the highest ceiling I have ever seen. The first tripod shot was taken in the drawing room as guests were being seated ahead of the wedding breakfast. A one second exposure and a fisheye lens captured the moment as Sarah and Bob held hands, gazing into each others eyes.
I was lucky to be joining their guests for dinner on this occasion, and found myself getting to know many of the medical profession who had made the trip across. As the band setup, Sarah and Robert took to the dance floor to kick off the evenings entertainment. Caledonia rang out in the huge hall as the fun and games began. I can imagine no more a potent mix that an Irish – Scottish combo and that it pretty much how it looked. It was hardcore celtic fun at it’s very best and a fitting way to celebrate a great couple who were so easy to like.
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