C&P - Elopement Photography Cork / May 18, 2026 by Jan

Elopement Photography at the Registry Office

You will often find me down by the registry office on Grattan Street photographing elopements. They’re really fun to shoot and it’s always interesting how each couple structures their day and communicating to me what they find important.

Elopement Packages

This is why I have three different packages:

The Ceremony Package – Which includes photos of the ceremony and group photos.
The Couple Shoot Package – This includes group photos and a couple shoot.
And the ‘Complete Package’ - Which includes the ceremony, group photos and the couple shoot.

Extras

Couples can then also book me for an hourly rate at a secondary location afterwards.

So this would be if the whole crowd is booked in for drinks at a hotel. I would then take candid shots like I would do at the reception of a full wedding. Which is what Clodagh and Paul booked me for.

Clodagh and Paul

But we started off at the registry office. Clodagh and Paul didn’t want the ceremony itself to be photographed but I met them there for the couple shoot and we started with the classics; the mural at the registry office and the courthouse steps! The sun was shining so beautifully, and Clodagh looked amazing in her white dress! This was one of the first, properly sunny days, of the year which is always such a joy for a photographer like me.

We then headed up to the Hayfield Manor for more couple photos, the family group photos and some candid photos of the whole family celebrating and enjoying their drinks and having a good time. I then left them just as dinner was served so that they could enjoy the rest of the day without me.

Couples choose to get eloped for a bunch of different reasons, and my aim is to make your day feel as special as a wedding day should. I really enjoy capturing these beautiful moments to a high standard and allowing you to personalize your big day however you’d like, so that you can look back on these photos fondly!

The couple were so happy with the experience that they wrote me this lovely 5-star Google review:

“We couldn’t have asked for a better photographer for our registry office wedding. Jan made us feel completely at ease from the start, which made the whole experience so relaxed and enjoyable.

The photos came back sooner than we expected, which was a lovely surprise, and there were so many amazing shots to choose from. He captured the day perfectly, from photos of just the two of us to group shots with our family and friends.

Jan was a pleasure to work with. We would 100% recommend him to anyone for any event.”

— Clodagh

Other Elopements

The following photos are some of my favourite moments from other registry office elopements.

Inclusion

Shirley and Tony only wanted their ceremony photographed. It was also very important to them that their son Ethan would not be left out on their big day. So he got to be the ring bearer and we made sure that he was in plenty of photos too!

First Off; The Couple Shoot!

Most of the time we’ll do the couple shoot after the ceremony. But some couples, like Darragh and Rachel prefer to do the couple shoot beforehand, so that they can then just relax after the ceremony and go for drinks and food, or whatever the rest of the day has in store.

In this case we didn’t do any city shots, but just went to the nearby Fitzgerald’s Park.

Thanks to Rachel for this amazing 5-star Google review:

“We can’t thank Jan enough for being available to take photos for our wedding at such short notice! (24hrs 😅)

The photos are fantastic, Jan really knows what he’s doing and had them back to us in just four days! Super service ***** ”

— Rachel

Port of Cork

Both Erik and Greice moved to Ireland for work and met each other here. They fell in love with the Port of Cork and really wanted some photos there and by the city hall. They went the extra mile and booked a wedding car to drive us around to those locations which we could then also incorporate into the shoot.

I think we got some lovely shots and Greice seems to think so too, with this 5-star Google review:

“We had a fantastic experience with Jan as our elopement photographer!

Jan was so easy to communicate from the start, quick to respond and understood what we wanted and worked to make it happen. In our special day he was there ahead of time, present during the whole ceremony and after discussed with us the best places to go, that were meaningful to us and would create beautiful photos taking advantage of the great weather.

Jan suggested great poses and locations. The whole experience was smooth, stress free, fun and a real joy and pleasure. The photos are absolutely stunning and we will treasure them forever!

We fully recommend Jan to everyone looking for a photographer for their special moment!”

— Greice

Spray the Champagne!

I’ve never had this before, but Dáire and Jessica were so happy to get married that they celebrated with a bottle of champagne. This was so fun to capture and a great photo opportunity!

Dáire kept it short and sweet with this 5-star Google review:

“Would highly recommend!! Thank you!”

— Dáire

Full Circle

When John and Louise contacted me, they had one non-negotiable; they absolutely had to have photo shoot on the bridge they met on! This is always so lovely when a love story comes full circle. I’m always happy to take requests to make your elopement uniquely yours!

Louise was a gem by writing me this 5-star Google review:

“Jannik photographed our registry wedding last week and we could not have been more impressed with how the photos turned out.

He was so accommodating with our requests and ensured we got all the photographs we wanted.
A really lovely man, who helps you to feel relaxed and confident while photographing you.

We would highly recommend him.”

— Louise

Surprise Visit

Abbie’s colleagues surprised the couple after their ceremony, cheering and congratulating the newly married couple. It was totally unexpected and a really sweet surprise.

The couple were also great sports with the rain that we had that day. I mean, they say that if it rains on your big day, it’s a sign of good luck. So Abbie and Lee have a lot of good luck to start off their marriage! Although a drink or two will warm you straight up again!

Thanks to Abbie for taking the time to write this 5-star Google review:

“Jan was our photographer for our wedding in January. From the first point of contact he was so lovely and helpful.

Even though it was raining all throughout our photo session it didn’t phase him at all. He was such a great presence to have around and so positive. He gave us great direction on how to pose so we didn’t look incredibly awkward!

We absolutely love the photos and can’t thank him enough. We would 100% recommend him to anyone!!”

— Abbie

Let’s Cut Some Cake!

We were lucky with the weather on this winter’s day! Look at that gorgeous yellow sunlight! I took Conan and Zeina to St. Finbarr’s church for some very striking photos. To them it was very important to also book me for the hotel afterwards, so that they could get some cake cutting photos and the obligatory pint shots!

Contact

So if you’re planning an elopement at the Cork registry office and you’d like something similar to this, say hi to me here. I’d love to hear from you and send you my elopement packages!

Diamond Wedding Package - Wedding Photographers Ireland / April 27, 2026 by Jan

A huge portion of the photography that my wife, Nic and I do is wedding photography. We offer a three different wedding packages which suit a large range of weddings. But in this blog post it’s all about our largest package that we offer; the ‘Diamond Package’ with the option of a second shooter. This has quickly become our most popular package, tied with the ‘Gold Package’.

Couples have the option to book Nic as a second shooter, or, if they want a more low-key wedding, they can just book me. But we are the dream team so almost all couples choose to book both of us, which is great because we love working together!

So what does the ‘Diamond Package’ include and what does a day look like when you have two photographers at your wedding? Well, it’s actually more relaxed than having just one photographer.

First off, what does the ‘Diamond Package’ include?

• 12 hours of coverage

• 650 photos

• a larger 40 photo couple shoot

• plus an additional after dark couple shoot of 5 photos

• 2x A4 framed prints

• -20% discount on all print orders

• and a digital slide show

The Dream Team

We love photographing weddings together!

The Wedding

Inchydoney Island Lodge

“Beautiful backgrounds in every direction, with cliffs and oceans, what more can we ask for?”

Mairéad and Sean’ s wedding had a beautiful location! The wedding took place at the Inchydoney Island Lodge Hotel, overlooking the ocean and splitting the beach into two. We love these kind of locations, because it gives us so much to work with for the couple shoot. Beautiful backgrounds in every direction, with cliffs and oceans, what more can we ask for?

Getting Ready

Having the pre’s covered was very important to Mairéad, so we arrived nice and early. The great thing about having two photographers there in the morning, is how, contrary to popular belief, it actually makes the morning more relaxed. I suppose people might think that having two photographers there would mean loads of instructions and photographing and stress, but really, it allows for a way very laid back atmosphere.

The reason being, that Nic is able to stay with the bridal party the whole time and capture really authentic and happy moments, with a few scripted and posed ones in between, when it suits. In the meanwhile, I am able to photograph all the detail shots of the rings, the bride’s and the bridesmaids’ dresses, shoes and all of their accessories, the bouquets, gift bags and any other items that might be important.

Groom

Once that is done, I then run over to the groom and his groomsmen for some shots of them getting ready and some fun group photos.

And of course we can not forget the rings which were hand modelled beautifully by Sean’s best man!

When that is captured, I head to the ceremony room to photograph the empty room, the decorations and flowers, the all important green folder, the usual ‘getting married’ sign and more, before I then capture the guests filing in and getting ready for the ceremony. This also gives me a moment to chat to the celebrant and go through any last minute changes and amendments that might have been made to the ceremony programme.

All the while, Nic is still with the bride.

This is great as it allows for way more timing fluctuations. If the bride is only able to get in her dress half an hour later than planned, that’s fine. Or if one of the bridesmaids smudged her make up and needs a re-touch before doing the group photos, that’s fine, we have the time for that. So there’s a lot less pressure and the schedule can breathe a little. And I think that especially shows in these photos. They had such a fun and relaxed time together, that they were even able to capture all these extra photos like playing Scrabble. A game that is very important to the couple.

As a sidenote, Mairéad and Sean live in the UK, and Mairéad loves her local hairdresser so much, she flew him to Cork to have him do her hair before the wedding. Incredible!

The Ceremony

The ceremony room was gorgeous. The hotel is pointing to the south, so we had all of this gorgeous sunlight shining in through the windows. This allowed us to capture not just the couple beautifully but also the guests.

Personally, this is one of my favourite parts of the wedding, to capture these genuine split seconds of emotions, be it tears or laughter. I’m ready with my telephoto lens to shoot this moments that only last a fraction of a second!

While I take the lead with the ceremony, Nic is also there, not just to photograph from a different perspective, but also to support the bride and the bridal party. She’ll be accompanying the bridal party to the ceremony room, and making sure that each bridesmaid and the bride walk out at the right time to the music and especially for me to capture each one of them the best. We want to make sure that every bride has the best possible photos of them walking down the aisle, in this case with her brother.

Having Nic help capture the ceremony from a second perspective is also great as one of us might have a better angle for certain moments, and while I do move around a lot, it is always refreshing to have more perspectives available of the ceremony.

This ceremony had it all, starting with a ring warming, then lighting the candles, readings by multiple guests, and a hind binding. They’re such beautiful traditions that are always so fun to capture!

After the ceremony, we kinda play it by ear. Usually, I’ll stick with the couple as the guests line up to congratulate them and give them hugs and kisses. This is such a fantastic time to get some lovely, genuine moments.

The Reception

While I am photographing all the hugs and kisses and the congratulations, Nic goes around the reception and makes sure that every single guest has at least one photo. She’ll either do couple or candid group photos. We even get some cheeky kisses, handheld fans or other props, holding their polaroids from the polaroid station for the guest book, and of course, some tasty drinks!

We are then prepped for the couples big entrance again! Sporting sunglasses and drinks, the party can start now!

Bingo!

Also, friends of the couple hosted a game of bingo during the reception. A wonderful injection of energy, especially at this time of the day!

It was pure coincidence, but Sean, the groom won himself a prize!

Bingo

Consider hiring these guys for some bingo!

Cake Cutting

We’ve never seen this one before. A sword for the cake cutting. It certainly made for a very memorable photo opportunity and had some of the guests looking on nervously!

Group Photos

We always encourage couples to make a name list for each group photo they would like. We can of course help and make suggestions but every family is different and to some couples, certain friends might be incredibly important or a specific family member or godparent. We will then have that list with us so that we can then be 100% sure that we get every single one of those shots with everyone included.

With two photographers, we can herd and organize everyone better more swiftly so that all the guests can get back to the party as soon as possible!

Couple Shoot

After the group photos, we usually do the couple shoot. We always make sure to do the group photos and couple photos in the best possible light on the day without messing the scheduling up too much.

Nic and I do the couple shoot together, alternating taking shots. It’s also great to have an extra person to keep an eye on the outfits, hair and prevent things like phones in pockets or hair bobbles on the wrists. We can also do some more fancy shots with Nic there, like having the veil blow in the wind. While a bridesmaid could do this as well, it’s always better to have a professional do it who’s done it hundreds of times before.

Nic and I sometimes also do the poses with each other to show the couple visually. When you’ve just gotten married, your head can be all over the place. This is why we structure everything to be super easy and enjoyable. Most couples also love doing the couple shoot as it’s great time have a bit of breather and break from everything and to have some time on your own to process it all. This is at least the feedback we get from nearly every single couple.

After Dark

With this being the ‘Diamond Package’, the couple gets 40 couple photos, instead of 30 and 10 photos with the Gold and Silver Packages. And we also include a second, after dark couple shoot, as well.

While the first couple shoot is all prim and proper with perfect hair and pristine white shirts, the second one after the sun has already started setting, is more of a hair down affair, usually done by the bar with some lovely stout pints. But with the beach right at the doorstep, we figured it’d be a shame to not go out again!

No suit jacket this time, rolled up sleeves, top button undone. Mairéad in sneakers and without her bouquet but still looking gorgeous, we took some more casual, yet intimate photos.

Speeches

In between the two couple shoots we had the speeches followed by dinner. As per usual, the groom got absolutely destroyed and we got to laugh along to the anecdotes told. Snapping everyone laughing and crying, similar to the ceremony photos.

Dancing

Now this is one of the major benefits of booking the ‘Diamond Package’ is that we also get to stay for the evening and photograph the dance floor!

Getting those dancing shots is such a fun highlight of the day and really rounds off the whole wedding album. It’s not just about capturing the wedding couple having a blast and their first dance, but also getting these lovely intimate moments among couples.

Recap

So with the ‘Diamond Package’ you’d get a full day of coverage. From the morning to night.

Once the wedding day is over, you get to look forward to more photos and you get to chose your two favourite photos to be printed in A4 size with beautiful wooden frames made in West Cork.

With Nic as your second shooter you’d have:

• A more relaxed and fun morning

• Someone to take you to the ceremony room and pace your walking down the aisle

• More variety of photos of the ceremony

• Guaranteed photos of every single guest

• Quicker group photos so that you can get back to partying sooner

• More support at the couple shoot

• More opportunities for entertaining candid moments to be captured

We really love photographing weddings and celebrating your big day with you! And for us to maintain this high standard, we limit the amount of weddings we do every year to just 12. This allows us to be well prepared and full of creativity for each individual wedding.

So if this sounds like a wedding package that you would like to have for your wedding, get in touch with us here. We’d love to hear from you and see if we’d be a good match for you on your big day!

David and Eleanor - Gougane Barra Wedding Photographer / July 8, 2025 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.

“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