I treated Christina and Sean to a honeymoon couple shoot at the gorgeous Blarney Castle and Gardens, one of my favourite places to do a couple shoot. Why? Besides the iconic Blarney castle, the gardens also offer so many sweet nooks for special and happy vacation couple photos. It’s also a hop, skip and jump away from the docking point for cruise ships in Cobh. So obviously that’s where we went for Christina and Sean’s honeymoon shoot.
Christina and Sean came from America on a cruise, stopping at Cork for just one short day; so I was determined to make sure they saw the best bits the city has to offer.
Honeymoon Love
After some photos around Blarney Castle, we had to spend some time at Blarney House for the sheer fairy tale factor the house has to offer. And then – to the gardens!
The gardens are a beautiful array of different types of plant life; some of it classical Irish fare, and some corners seeming almost tropical; all of it dense and lush with trees that dwarfed the couple. It’s really just nature showing off.
Christina and Sean had actually been married for a while already before finally getting this opportunity to go on their honeymoon, but they seem just as happy and delighted with each other as if they’d just walked down the aisle.
They took much delight in the poison garden. Some of the plants are so deadly that they’re found in medieval cages. The garden boasts Lily of the Valley, which featured in Breaking Bad, as well as Woflsbane from Harry Potter. There are also less severe plants among them, like tobacco, tea and rhubarb.
The Witch of Blarney is said to come alive and cause mayhem after dark, but luckily the gardens close at 6 so no one need fear. And then there’s the Blarney Stone, which must be kissed for the gift of eloquence and persuasiveness.
We also checked out the wishing steps, which promise to grant your wish within the year if you are able to walk down and back up them with your eyes closed while thinking of your wish.
Of course, Ireland will have its way, and the day started out chilly, before moving on to drizzly and damp. But there’s nothing a cute umbrella won’t fix! The canopies of trees also shielded us from the showers. By the end of the shoot, the rain had left us and we were boiling hot and we headed back to the castle for some pics in the sun.
After the shoot I took them around the town, stopping for lunch at The Muskerry Arms Bar where they serve some traditional Irish food; I had the cabbage, ham and potatoes – mmm!
If you would like to book me as your couple photographer at a beautiful location like Blarney Castle, feel free to say hi and contact me here. I am also available for wedding photography.