Love is in the Air - Proposal Photography Cork /  by Jan

Love has truly been in the air this year! The popularity of proposal photo shoots have absolutely skyrocketed this year. I’m delighted, they’re so much fun!

Instead of writing about one specific proposal, I thought it would be fun to show off a whole bunch of proposals I’ve captured this year, with a bunch of new locations.

The Iconic Blarney Castle

First off, we have the iconic and classic location of the Blarney Castle. A perfect location that works time after time and doesn’t just offer the striking backdrop of the castle but also has the massive gardens which are so diverse. There are so many different little gardens on the property, giving endless backdrop options for the couple shoot after the proposal. From beautiful mossy and rocky areas to the Blarney House behind the castle, to the Fern Garden, the Poison Garden, the Belgian Beds, the Dolmen much, much more.

“Jannik was fantastic! I told him I wanted to propose at Blarney Castle, and he pretty much took care of the rest! He sent suggestions of good spots to propose, and detailed maps of how to get to the spot. He arrived 30 minutes earlier than us so he was ready when we needed him. Not to mention the quality of the photos he took were incredible!! I’m very happy I went with Save The Journey for my proposal photos, 5/5 stars for sure!!”
— Peter

Coastal Vibes

The new theme this year has definitely been coastal/beach. I’ve had a lot of requests for cliffs, beaches and the ocean. And I was happy to oblige.

Ben and Valeri were such an adorable couple, I was able to photograph their special moment with the Ballycotton lighthouse in the background as the sun was fading.

“Jan was absolutely incredible! I can’t recommend him enough. I hired him to capture our surprise engagement proposal, and he absolutely nailed it. Photos were amazing.”
— Ben

This Proposal Was on Fire

Then there was the surprisingly action packed proposal of Ehab and Megan. Their proposal happened during the hottest and driest time of the year. Shortly after the gorgeous proposal overlooking the Kinsale Bay had taken place, a fire broke out on the field we were shooting on. Started by a couple using a disposal tinfoil BBQ, the dry grass had caught fire and was spreading quickly. I ran over and stomped out the suddenly sizeable fire, with the help of strangers who helped out, as well as Ehab himself. The fire brigade was later there to drench the burnt area with water, making sure it wouldn’t reignite.

Their proposal was absolutely beautiful to capture, with Megan visibly over the moon! And I was really happy with the chosen location, really showing off Cork’s beautiful landscape.

“Jan did an excellent job communicating, taking + editing the photos, and was extremely personable. If I wasn’t just visiting I’d definitely come back for more photos down the road. Thanks!”
— Ehab

Picnic at the Beach

Ciarán and Marlena also had the Ballycotton lighthouse in the background but Ciarán chose a more beachy location. He was a gent and had organized a picnic, and after a couple of gulps of wine, he had the courage to ask the big question. I especially enjoyed the couple shoot we did after sunset. It was such amazingly soft lighting that made the photos look even more magical.

Wishing for BJJ Lessons

Alberto was a real romantic as well. Having previously been at the Blarney Castle before, back in his single days. He walked down the wishing steps, wishing to find someone to spend the rest of his life with. This year he was able to return to the wishing steps with his long term girlfriend who he met at Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes, and asked her to marry him. What a beautiful story coming full circle!

“Jan was amazing to work with. He helped me plan for an engagement at Blarney Castle. He suggested the optimal time of day for lighting as well as location for the best shots. Coming from the states I was a bit intimidated with planning an overseas incognito engagement photoshoot but Jan talked me through everything and we successfully pulled it off. 10/10 would recommend!”
— Alberto

From Down Under to the Emerald Isle

Liam and Lisa’s proposal was especially scenic I thought. The two Australians were touring Ireland and Liam thought it would be the perfect time to propose. We did the shoot by Charles Fort in Kinsale and it’s quickly become one of my favourite new spots. With just a small couple shoot afterwards, we got some lovely candid and intimate shots.

Surpriiiiise!

Family Shoot Turned Proposal

A big ruse to make the surprise even bigger!

Another proposal that really stood out to me and was unique, in the sense that I’d never photographed a situation like this before, were Ettiene and Kyra. They were visiting their Ireland with their family and pretended to book me for a family shoot. Little did Kyra know that it was actually all a big ruse to surprise her with the proposal. We started the shoot with some family photos, and before we knew it, Ettiene was down on one knee and poor Kyra was in tears. Happy tears of course! And so were the parents. It was such a heart jerker to capture. Beautiful!

“Such a great experience. Jan is an amazing photographer but also an amazing person. Added so much beauty to our special engagement.”
— Kyra
“Jan We had an amazing photoshoot with you. Such a great and kind person. The photos came out even better than what we could’ve imagined. Thank you so much for capturing our amazing day in pictures that we can keep for forever.”
— Ettiene

Another Surprise!

Along similar lines, Phil and Susan didn’t have anyone at the proposal itself but to Susan’s surprise, all their friends were waiting for them, ready to mob them with hugs and prosecco after she said yes. Poor Susan needed some recovery time after that one, being positively overwhelmed! Phil had chosen the UCC campus as that was where they had met.

Marriage Stone

I think this was the longest I ever drove for a photo shoot within County Cork, not the furthest but the longest. But it was definitely worth the drive. This proposal took place at Kilcrohane, near Sheep’s Head, where you’ll find the Caherurlagh Marriage Stone, a location that was very symbolic for the planned proposal but also a favourite hiking spot of Emily and Evan. The scenery was absolutely striking and gorgeous. I couldn’t have asked for more, plus it was fun to incorporate the marriage stone into the couple shoot.

If that still isn’t enough proposal content, here are three more standalone blog posts:

And if you would like to book me for your proposal, get in touch with me here to find out about pricing, packages and availability. Do let me know if you have any specific spot in mind or if you would like to got to one of the above locations.

David and Eleanor - Gougane Barra Wedding Photographer /  by Jan

Gougane Barra will always have a soft spot in my heart. I remember the first time I ever visited it. I couldn’t believe it was real! The scenery is so striking, and with the chapel (or rather; oratory) placed on the quasi-island, it looks straight out of a movie. Then you walk inside, it’s filled with those lovely pink and purple walls. Such soft colours that work so well in these wedding photos and give it so much more character than a standard white wall. Elegant!

YUGAL

The day started a little stormy – although I’ll get back to this at the end. This was David and Eleanor’s big day! Eleanor is Filipino and she incorporated some Filipino traditions into the ceremony. I am always really intrigued by other cultures and traditions and love to learn more about them. I’m well accustomed to the hand binding which is an old Celtic tradition. But I got to learn about a Filipino tradition of a ceremonial cord, called a ‘yugal’ that is wrapped around the couple in a figure of eight. The ‘yugal’ represents their commitment to each other, much like the hand binding. It’s so fun to be a part of these traditions and capturing them as best as I can.

Yugal

“The ‘yugal’ represents their commitment to each other, much like the hand binding.”

“OMG!

As the ceremony was coming to a close and David and Ellie, now husband and wife, walked down the aisle and we burst out of the oratory, we stumbled upon a crowd of American tourists who couldn’t believe their eyes. “Oh my god!” one of them shouted. They couldn’t believe that they were lucky enough to see a groom and bride the very second they were there! I’ll never forget that really audible “Oh my god!”. Haha!

TAYTO

I often have couples who are worried about the couple shoot. Some of them just feel awkward in front of the camera and don’t know what to do. Especially on such an emotional day like their wedding day. And if you’re one of those couples, don’t worry! I am there to make it as easy as possible, and actually, also really fun!

Eleanor was in particular very worried about this, and as we were talking about the couple shoot beforehand, I suggested that we should do something. An activity where I can capture some lovely shots and they won’t feel so awkward. She came up with the left-field idea of making and eating Tayto sandwiches, a food item that was very close to their hearts. Definitely not something I would have suggested! Haha! But we got such cute photos of the two eating their Tayto sandwiches.

And let’s look at these couple photos. Didn’t they do an amazing job?? I can’t believe they ever had any worries at all. They were adorable!

5-Star Google Review

Eleanor was also amazing and wrote me this 5-star Google review:

“We booked Jan for our wedding and he was a delight to work with! Very friendly and accommodating. Our wedding venue was so small, but I didn’t even notice that he was around documenting everything. He made us comfortable on camera and the photos came out so beautiful! The setting was very scenic but he made it look more magical. Thank you, Jan! More power to you”
— Eleanor

A Storm at Gougane Barra

And before we wrap up this blog post, I mentioned I would come back to the storm. I photographed Maddy and Matt’s elopement also at Gougane Barra, but in this horrendously stormy weather. They were a great couple and were so committed to these photos even though it was miserable out. I was committed as well and happy to keep going but I did feel sorry for the couple. However, when I got home, I couldn’t believe how beautiful these photos were. I wouldn’t wish this type of weather on any couple, but actually, they’re so strikingly beautiful! They’ve become one of my favourite set of wedding photos ever! I hope that Maddy and Matt feel the same way.

5-Star Google Review

Well, we actually see from their 5-star Google review that they were also over the moon!

“Jan was so amazing to work with - exceeded all our expectations and then some. My now husband and I are not very photogenic, photo-loving people but Jan really captured us in such a natural, appealing way and we love them all. He was so easy to work with on site, incredibly prepared and professional, friendly, and had some really cool ideas for types of shots and locations - all of which were especially helpful not being familiar with the Cork area or taking photos in general. His wife also assisted with the shoot and was so kind and helpful, making it a truly a wonderful experience overall. Can’t recommend him enough!”
— Maddy

Hey!

If you would like to book me for your upcoming wedding day, say hi to me and my wife here, we’d love to photograph your wedding!

More Gougane Barra Wedding Ceremony Photos:

Forest Adventure - Midleton Family Photographer /  by Jan

Family Photoshoot

Daniel initially contacted me, he wanted to book a family shoot as a mother’s day present for his wife Shona. Now that’s a great present, one that will always be remembered! Kids grow up so fast and it’s great to pause every now and then and capture the whole family together.

What An Adventure!

Daniel chose the bigger family package that I offer with around 45 photos, and I think this shoot perfectly shows the variety of shots I am able to get with that package. At the beginning of the photo shoot, I usually start with the well behaved posed family photos. Everyone is on their best behaviour.

As we continue the shoot, I am able to capture more candid shots of the kids having fun and let’s just compare a posed group photo from the beginning of the shoot, to one I took at the end. The first one you would send to family members, maybe make some postcards of and the next one is one you would have on your fridge door. Such different vibes.

Couple Shoot

The great thing with the bigger family package is that we can also squeeze in a small couple shoot for the parents, who are sometimes left behind a little in a photo shoot when it’s usually the kids who the focus is on (pun intended). Although Harry was itching to be a part of this too!

It’s always so much fun to photograph the kids having fun and running around. I give them some directions at times, like smelling all the flowers. But then other times, they just surprise you with what they get up to and they’re suddenly climbing the wall ruins. Haha!

I think we all did a great job of getting the balance just right of having loads of fun candid moments, while still having loads of lovely posed group photos that you would frame and put up in the house.

Midleton Location

These woods, near Midleton, have quickly become a favourite of mine. It’s disorientating because they’re so close to the ocean, they’re filled with sea air. It’s so odd being able to smell the ocean in the middle of the woods. At least to me. But I love how wild this forest looks. It’s not immaculately looked after, and that gives it so much character and its own kind of beauty.

Hi!

I’d love to come back here again, so if you would like to do a similar kind of family shoot with me, say hi to me here. I’d love to hear from you!