On Friday I was back at Clandeboye Lodge near Bangor for Louise and Neil’s wedding. Louise got her dress from Holywood Brides and the designer completed a beautifully vintage halterneck to match her gown. Isn’t it gorgeous?

Flowergirl Rebecca and sister Suzanne helped Louise through the morning preparations and Mum Anne and Dad George looked proud as punch the whole day.

Louise sent me this lovely email after seeing her photographs online.
Hi Dylan,
We are back from honeymoon and I haven’t stopped looking at the photographs! It’s going to be difficult to decide on which ones to leave out of the album! They are amazing, really pleased with them. You captured some great moments that really bring back vivid memories of the day.
I know you get quite a few messages like this but just wanted to say a big thank you. Your approach to photography has truly provided us with great memories of our day while allowing Neil & I to spend the wedding day with our friends and family instead of being dragged away for a few hours to get photos taken! A lot of people commented on how you blended in and chatted to guests. I know you made me feel at ease even during my nerves in the morning! Everyone has told us they had a great day and the smiles on the faces of our guests in your photos really captures this.
Thanks again,
Louise & Neil

Here are just a few of my favourite photographs from the day.

To contact Joan Moore of
Holywood Brides phone +44 (0)28 9042 8114 or visit holywoodbrides.co.uk

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Or to enquire about your own wedding please Contact Us

How do you choose the right photographer for your wedding? There are a lot of new wedding photographers flooding the market, and the number is growing steadily.

The fact of the matter is that anyone with a camera can call themselves a wedding photographer. How many have the images and client references to back that up? How many are full-time professionals?

We believe that some brides and grooms care enough about their wedding photography to hire a true professional.

Some ‘professional’ organisations out there simply allow anyone to join. Many also award ‘letters’ simply for submitting just twenty images for review.

How just 20 images shot from a handful of weddings is supposed to be indicative of a photographers experience, talent, integrity, and professionalism is a mystery to me. I believe that’s ultimately confusing the bride and groom and I believe it’s detrimental to the industry.

Wedding photography is a demanding profession and provides a host of challenges even for experienced photographers. Only by reviewing complete weddings from a number of weddings can you really gauge a photographers talent.

Good wedding photography requires adapting quickly to uncontrolled lighting situations, and dealing with unexpected equipment failures in a situation with no second chances.

You have to get it right the first time, every time. You have to be a master of the craft and know your gear so well that you can make adjustments on the fly, without thinking or hesitating. And you have to do it for 8, 10, or 12 hours in close quarters with clients who have put their trust in you to get it right.

In this kind of work environment, experience is essential to delivering beautiful images on a consistent basis, week after week. Sure, anyone can claim to shoot photojournalistically, ‘blending into the background’ etc but how do you know they are the real deal?

How do you know your photographer has enough experience? How do you know they operate their business according to professional business practices?

I believe that’s where quality organisations like the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) and the International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers (ISPWP) come in. These organisations screen and review every member before their application is accepted.

Consider this from the ISPWP:

When you hire an ISPWP photographer, you can be confident that they have years of experience, they have shot a LOT weddings in a wide variety of situations, and they subscribe to a professional code of conduct. They truly are the best in the world and each one of them has dedicated their professional lives to their craft. In short, we’ve done the searching and screening for you.

And this from the WPJA:

The Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA) is a professional organisation composed of photojournalists and wedding photographers from around the world. Leading the way in Wedding Photojournalism, WPJA represents the most discriminating talent around the world technically, creatively and visually. Qualified members hold industry-leading standards, skills and business integrity. Membership in the WPJA depends entirely on photographers meeting our high standards for inclusion. One CANNOT simply pay his/her way into the WPJA.

For more details on both organisations (and especially if you appreciate outstanding wedding photography) feel free to check out their respective websites.

You might also just find our listing in there if you go searching for wedding photographers in Ireland or France!

Wedding PhotoJournalist Association WPJA

International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers ISPWP

Saturday saw me back in Fermanagh – this time to photograph Ciara and Jonny’s wedding at Saint Michaels, Enniskillen and then up to the lovely Corick House Hotel in the beautiful Clogher Valley. Ciara and Jonny met in Liverpool and came back to settle in Fermanagh and their wedding was so emotional. Here are just a few of my many favourites.

Ciara sent me this lovely email after the wedding:
“Hi Dylan,
Just a message from Mr and Mrs Elliott!!!!
Just want to say a massive THANKS for Saturday.
You were so discreet on the day we wouldn’t have known you were there! We loved your company and really had the best day of our lives. We are so excited to see the pictures, let alone the album!! Its amazing how quickly the day goes in! And how quick you forget it all!
But really a huge thanks from both of us, everyone is so excited to see the pics! So thanks again and all the best, it really was a pleasure!
Regards
Ciara and Jonny!”

I’d like to send my best wishes to Ciara, Jonny, Rosie and all the family. I’m so pleased to have have been with you all on such a special day.

My thanks also to Sinead, Paula and all the staff at Corick House. See you next time!

Best regards,

Dylan

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Last Saturday I photographed a lovely wedding at La Mon House Hotel and Country Club just outside Belfast. Corrina and Andy booked me as their wedding photographer last February and Caroline & I both instantly fell in love with Corrina’s name.

I’m proud to say that Corrina herself was a big inspiration for naming our daughter. I seem to be blessed with such lovely clients!

Corrina & Andy have beautiful mirrors in their home and I love capturing moments in mirrors. They lend themselves well to the voyeurisic, journalistic nature of my work.

Anyway, I shot the first image below of Corrina contemplating her day ahead, clasping her hands. Later, when she did the exact same thing right after the first kiss – my heart sang! What a beautiful moment!

To me, good wedding photography is about recognising these fleeting moments and capturing them – like lightning in a bottle.

The wedding day saw perfect early spring weather and this was the first wedding in a while for me where I haven’t had to worry about snow and ice. It feels good to be entering into the springtime!

Personally, it was lovely for me to hear Corrina’s name all day and this was such a lovely relaxed wedding.

Here are some of my favourite photographs from the day.

Thanks for reading – I’d love to hear your comments on any of the images.

Cheers,

Dylan

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It’s hard to believe we’re almost two weeks in to the second month of the new year already! It’s around this time of the year where I look back at my work from the past twelve months and look again with fresh eyes at the weddings I’ve covered. So I thought you might find it of interest to know which photographs are my personal favourites from the whole year. I figure it might give you an insight into my approach.

The first image is from Miranda and Arthur’s wedding in Dublin back in June. The photograph was taken with a long lens to isolate the moment. I could see Arthur whispering into Miranda’s ear during a quiet period in the ceremony. A wide lens aperture blurs out the background so that all you see are Miranda’s smiling eyes. This image to me just sings! It just sings of the romance of their moment and the beautiful dynamic in their relationship. It’s a beautifully intimate portrait and I’m proud to say it could just be my favourite of the year!

The second photograph above was taken in September at Gemma and Scott’s wedding in Belfast – and for me this image is another pure storytelling moment. Gemma’s parents had been married in the very same church over thirty years ago. As Gemma and her Dad pulled up outside the church, the car door opened and before stepping out, Dad just planted a little kiss on her cheek. Again, it’s a really heartfelt moment from real life captured in the photograph – without any staging or directing from me. The reflection of the bridesmaids and the little flowergirl waiting in the background adds another dimension to the image.

Aside from photographing such lovely fleeting moments, one of the best things I see (where possible) is the couple’s reaction to when they first see their album. I love just sitting back and watching them thumb through the book with big beaming smiles. More than anything, that’s the reason I do what I do. Last week, Gemma received her album over in York in England and she sent me this lovely message:

“Hi Dylan,
Thank you sooooooooooooooooooooo much for the beautiful album we are both so pleased with it, I couldn’t put it down last night, every time I looked at it I saw something different in the photos! Again thank you for all your help it has been a pleasure working with you, you made the whole process so easy and enjoyable.
Take care.
Kind regards
Gemma and Scott”

I’m really proud to get great feedback like that and I have to say I can’t wait for my new wedding season to begin next month.

Rachel and Peter brought me down to Bray in County Wicklow just after Christmas to shoot their wedding at the beautiful Christchurch and Esplanade Hotel.

I received this lovely email when they saw their pictures last week:

“Hi Dylan,
Just wanted to send you a quick email to say thank you so much for the photos, they are fantastic, we had been waiting with baited breath for them and you really didn’t disappoint, really captured the day perfectly.
There are some in particular we just cant stop looking at.
Thanks so much again.”

Here are just a few of my many favourites:

Donna-Marie and Paul came home from London just before the New Year to tie the knot in St Mochuas, Derrynoose, Co Armagh (with reception at Darver Castle, Readypenny, Co Louth). Donna’s Grandmother had married in the same church forty years ago so there was a wonderful atmosphere during the ceremony and through the remainder of the day.

Donna-Marie sent me this lovely message yesterday after she had seen her photographs:

“Hi Dylan, Paul and I have seen the photographs and we are just delighted with them – was so emotional this morning when I seen them. Thank you so so much for capturing such wonderful moments.”

Here are just a few of my many favourites from the wedding: