Wedding Photography

Ian and Rachel - The Imperial Wedding Photographer by Jan

The great thing about weddings is how personalized they can be. Some couples love to do a bouquet toss, other couples prefer to do a walk-out under sparklers. Some want it big, others want something smaller. And just because you’re going for something smaller, doesn’t mean you should be getting less.

Ian and Rachel decided on having a formal wedding ceremony followed by a more informal remaining day, which meant that they only wanted me for a couple of hours of photo coverage.

I started the day photographing Rachel in her hotel room with her father and sister, she was busy adding the final touches to her outfit and once fully ready, we captured the full outfit; the wedding dress, the bouquet, the jewellery.

The clock was ticking so I headed off to the The Imperial’s ceremony room. I always really like their ceremony room and find it such a pleasure to photograph in. I believe the Imperial is taking a break from hosting weddings while they renovate, but I hope they get back to it soon, as it’s a great venue.

As part of the ceremony, the couple lit the candles and I then already found themselves slipping the rings on each other’s fingers. All the while I’m photographing the guests’ laughter and tears, or the embarrassing moment when Ian’s mother realized she had forgotten to bring the rings. Thankfully, they were just in her hotel room and with a quick sprint down the corridors, the crisis was averted.

Rings

“…the embarrassing moment when Ian’s mother realized she had forgotten to bring the rings.”

We were then able to enter the penthouse suite which features this lovely balcony that almost wraps around the whole building. With the views overlooking the city and the sun already being low, we had this amazingly soft light. It was still so radiant, so we had so much colour in the skin tones, making the two love birds just glow!

And as a finishing hurrah, we did the group photos with family and friends.

I always bring my A-game to these kinds of weddings, as that is a lot to squeeze into just a two hour time window, so I come prepared by knowing exactly what I’m photographing and when. I still have to capture a lot of the same moments and details, but with a lot less time on my hands. There’s definitely more pressure on each photo being pergect. It’s a fun challenge and I love how the photos came out! Ian and Rachel thought so too, and were kind enough to leave me this lovely 5-star Google review:

We hired Jan as our wedding photographer and he did an amazing job. He made us feel very at ease as was very professional. Our pictures turned out amazing. We would highly recommend Jan!
— Rachel

When it comes to booking a package, it’s important to book a package that fits your idea of what your day should be. I love getting those dancing shots at the end of the evening, when everyone is relaxed and having a blast (which I did here for instance), or photographing the wedding couple with their camper van, which was specially requested by the couple!

Either way, I’d love to hear from you! Say hi to me here and fill me in on what your wedding plans are!

More Wedding Couple Photos at The Imperial

More Wedding Ceremony Photos at The Imperial

O&R - Garryvoe Wedding Photographer by Jan

A wedding at the Garryvoe Hotel. Strange, usually when I’m in east Cork for a wedding it’s in Ballycotton.

This was my first wedding of the year between Oisín and Rachel. It was still winter, in the middle of February, so too cold for cliff backgrounds or beach photos, but we did have the lovely, cozy warm ambiance of the Garryvoe Hotel.

I always like to highlight three things that stood out to me at a wedding.

1) An Indoor Couple Shoot

I have done partial couple shoots indoors or unexpected ones indoors because the weather changed suddenly but this was a couple shoot I planned from the get go to be inside. With the Garryvoe Hotel having this lovely library that I could set up as a photography studio with my lighting equipment was amazing! As always, I had to move some furniture out of the way with the help of some strong waiters but the effort was worth it and I love how these photos came out!

Before every wedding, I get in do a video call with the couple to get to know them and to understand what’s important to them on their big day. Oisín and Rachel had mentioned that as much as they wanted to have a couple shoot, it wasn’t something that was that important to them. This isn’t uncommon and those couples often find it more important to be around friends and family. And I absolutely understand that, so this couple shoot actually just took 10 minutes. They were delighted. They had some beautiful shots of them as a newly wed couple and didn’t miss a thing.

2) The ‘Friends’ Ceremony

Oisín and Rachel had such a laid back and funny ceremony, no doubt because of the celebrant who did a fantastic job on the day. But amazingly, it turned out that the celebrant was the uncle. Because of that he was able to create such a unique ceremony for them and part of that was reading out Joey’s (from Friends) best man speech:

“We are gathered here today on this joyous occasion to celebrate the special love that Oisín and Rachel share.

It is a love based on giving and receiving as well as having and sharing. And the love that they give and have is shared and received. And through this having and giving and sharing and receiving, we too can share and love and have... and receive…”

It had everyone in stitches!

3) The Entrance Song

This was just a small element of the day, but it stood out to me. When entering the dinner hall for the speeches and the dinner, couples will often have a special entrance for that moment, sometimes accompanied by music. On this day, Oisín and Rachel chose a very untypical song for a wedding; “The Next Episode” by Dr Dre featuring Snoop Dogg.

They came dancing out, absolutely loving it. They really made their big day uniquely theirs, and I love to see that!

5-star Google Review

Rachel left us a lovely review, I thought I’d share it here.

We would highly recommend Jan and Nikki to anyone looking for a wedding photographer.
They were very professional and attentive and truly made us feel at ease. The photos are brilliant and we got them back very fast.
Thanks again Jan and Nikki
— Rachel

If you would like to tempt me away from Ballycotton and shoot at the Garryvoe or somewhere else in east Cork, say hi to me here for wedding packages and the chance to book in for a video call with me.

See more photos from this lovely Garryvoe wedding down below!

Garryvoe Wedding Photos - Ceremony

Garryvoe Wedding Photos - Getting Ready

Garryvoe Wedding Photos - Reception

Garryvoe Wedding Photos - Speeches

Louis and Laura - Glucksman Wedding Photographer by Jan

5-star Google Review

I’m gonna kick off this blog in a bit of a different way and start with Laura’s 5-star Google review:

We had the absolute pleasure of working with Jan for our wedding photography last month. From start to finish, working with Jan was seamless. He captured the essence of our day perfectly and we are just delighted with the photos. We were also so impressed by the quick turnaround time. I would absolutely recommend Jan and I hope we have the opportunity to work together again in future!
— Laura

The Glucksman Wedding Ceremony and UCC couple shoot

As a photographer, I've had the privilege of capturing many beautiful moments, but Laura and Louis's wedding at the Glucksman Art Gallery was truly something special. Nestled on the University College Cork (UCC) campus, this wasn't your typical wedding venue – and that's what made it magical. A wedding in an art gallery? That’s very cool.

The Glucksman Gallery provided a stunning backdrop for their ceremony, with its contemporary architecture and artistic surroundings creating an unforgettable setting.

There was a ring warming, an opportunity for guests to pass around the rings and fill them with love and good wishes – a beautiful ritual that symbolises the community's support for Laura and Louis's union. They also incorporated a hand binding ceremony, another deeply symbolic tradition that literally tied them together.

Ring warming

“There was a ring warming, an opportunity for guests to pass around the rings and fill them with love…”

A playful element was brought to the ceremony: their younger guests were given bells and were under strict instructions to keep quiet until the perfect moment. As Laura and Louis shared their first kiss as a married couple, the air suddenly erupted with the sound of ringing bells.

The Glucksman Gallery's entrance proved to be the perfect spot for group photos. With the stunning UCC architecture in the background, we captured some truly memorable shots of the couple as well. Laura and Louis opted for a smaller couple shoot, if you’d like to see more couple shoots in UCC you can click here.

Emergency refreshments

A little top up of food and water for the bride and groom halfway through the couple shoot.

The celebration continued at Henchy's, one of Cork's most beloved pubs – a quintessentially Irish ending to a quintessentially Cork wedding. As a photographer, I always love the moments after the formal part of the day, when everyone relaxes and truly enjoys themselves. The traditional music – a vibrant mix of guitars, violins, and accordions – created the perfect atmosphere.

Wedding Afterparty at John Henchy & Sons

Being a local wedding, with Laura hailing from Ireland, the day felt like a true celebration of Cork and its traditions. And of course, what's a pub photo session without capturing a few shots with the celebratory drinks?

Some of my favourite photographs from the day capture the pure joy and relaxed atmosphere – especially those candid moments in Henchy's that really showcase the spirit of the celebration.

If you are looking for a wedding photographer for your special day, and you’re looking for someone fun, calm and professional? Say hi to me here for my wedding packages, I’d love to hear from you!