Wedding Photography

Erin and Charlie - Blackrock Castle Wedding Photographer /  by Jan

Erin and Charlie’s wedding day was a big day. With a crazy and wild reception at The Angler’s, a venue I’m almost a regular at, this day started off however in unfamiliar territories. For this stunning wedding, I found myself at the Blackrock Castle Observatory – a new venue for me. The castle itself is, of course, such icon of Cork that it even features as the city’s coat of arms. Now that makes this location truly special to be at such a historically important site!

A Wild Afterparty

Dancing and partying at The Angler’s.

Starting off the wedding, Erin and Charlie paid tribute to their own history with a table dedicated to the loves that weren’t with us anymore. Wedding pictures surrounded by roses and candles made a beautiful gesture to past romances in the families.

And family always plays such a pivotal role on a wedding day – as a photographer I get to capture these moments. Even just a brother adjusting the jacket of a groom and doing last minute checks carries a special kind of emotion.

A few more shots of the family and friends and the bride arrived in a fancy wedding car – this luxurious entrance was a last minute surprise from the bride’s friends and it certainly added an extra bit of extravagance to the occasion. Although with its classic vintage style it blended in beautifully with the muted greens and rustic décor of the wedding. We had to come back to it later on in the day for the couple photos.

Blackrock Castle Observatory Wedding Ceremony

Some traditions look great on camera, and one of these is the confetti toss (remember, throw the confetti up!). It always captures the joy of the newly married couple as they realise that this is the start of their new life together.

After the ceremony we took the group photos of friends and family, followed by the couple shoot. With an all-access pass we were able to go to the roof and all sorts of other corners of the castle that usually aren’t accessible to the public. I love that about my job!

Blackrock Castle Observatory Wedding Couple Photo Shoot

5-star Google Review

“Jannik photographed our wedding on the 3rd May 2024 and we cannot thank him enough for being so accommodating and easy going, everyone was so complimentary of him and we were all blown away by how easy he made everything. The photos were beyond incredible, and every single one showed the spirit of the day. Jannik is an absolute gentleman who goes above and beyond to capture even the smallest details, thank you again Jan you are a star! 🌟”
— Erin

With these gorgeous couple photos done, the wedding then entered the next chapter; the reception. The reception was being held at The Angler’s, a familiar place for me to photograph at. I have photographed full weddings there, 2nd wedding days, receptions, family reunions and birthdays there. It’s an amazing spot for it and I am always able to come back with some gorgeous photos!

Wedding Reception and Afterparty at The Angler’s

If you would like to book me for your wedding, I only have one spot left for next year but I am taking bookings for 2026 as well. You can say hi to me here!

Aidan and Lorna - Ballymaloe House Wedding Photographer /  by Jan

Relishing Ballymaloe

Ballymaloe, not just a culinary experience but also such a beautiful wedding location! Ballymaloe House has rightfully earned its stellar reputation not only for its delectable farm-to-table cuisine and artisanal relishes but also as a stunning space to host a wedding celebration. While some popular wedding destinations don't always live up to their hype, that's certainly not the case here. Stunning gardens and the house itself make the perfect, picturesque backdrop for your special day.

But let’s start at the ceremony. Taking place at the registry office in Cork city, it still holds a special place in my heart as it’s where I got married. The nerves still kick in sometimes as I remember my own vows, and I’m always impressed how lovely the ceremonies are for being a government run entity. The officiants really do their best to make the ceremonies still feel special. You’re invited to bring any music you may want and an opportunity for speeches is given. While the ceremony itself may be brief, it's undeniably sweet and meaningful. Perfect for Aidan and Lorna, who will still have a proper wedding in France, but needed to get the paperwork done in Ireland first.

5-star Google Review

“Jannik was fantastic. Super friendly, very accommodating and he captured our day superbly. The turnaround for the photos was extremely quick. Would 100% recommend!”
— Lorna

Usually, after an elopement ceremony, I’d take the couple around the city for their couple shoot. However, with a beautiful venue like Ballymaloe waiting for us, I decided to go straight there instead, eager to capture the moment.

And it wasn’t just Ballymaloe that was gorgeous, but how about these wedding outfits? Lorna deciding to go with a custom made suit instead of a dress. We alternated the shots in terms of the blazer, taking some photos with it on, and some without. Although personally, I loved how the outfit really came together with the blazer on, just absolutely flowing.

Ditching the dress

“Lorna deciding to go with a custom made suit instead of a dress.”

I’m definitely looking forward to photographing at Ballymaloe again! So if you’re thinking of booking this venue for your wedding, say hi to me here and I’d be delighted to send you my wedding packages. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Anthony and Mairead - Kilkenny Wedding Photographer /  by Jan

It’s not often that I leave the rebel county behind! Surprisingly all of my photo shoots so far have been within County Cork. It is the biggest county after all, although I did get close to the border of Kerry several times, just a stone’s throw away. But this was officially my first time leaving the safety of Cork behind me. Save the Journey is now branching out into neighbouring counties!

Kilkenny. What a place!

I had previously met Anthony and Mairead as guests at this beautiful Sea Church wedding of Ann and David that I had photographed. So when they asked me if I could photograph their wedding, I just had to say yes. Anthony was surprised that I immediately agreed, thinking he was just chancing his arm by asking, but I was up for the travel, treating the whole wedding as a little weekend getaway. Plus it would be great to see Ann and David again - Ann this time a bridesmaid. Also, as a lovely surprise on the day, Noreen, who I did this newborn shoot with, was also a bridesmaid. What a coincidence!

We start this wedding day at Mairead’s family home. With the ‘Child of Prague’ having kept a watchful eye on the weather, we were set for a beautiful day. He really put in his overtime for this wedding as it was absolutely pouring rain the day before and would again the day after the wedding, but on the actual wedding day it was sunny and warm. Last minute preparations included hair, make-up and some prosecco. Oh yes, and some quick mechanical work to attach the ribbons to the cars.

The wedding ceremony took place just a short drive away at St Patrick’s church in Kilkenny city centre. I thought it was quite a pretty church, very striking. And was it full! Coming in at 180 guests it was the largest wedding I had ever photographed. Although I learned later on that this is considered intimate in Kilkenny. A normal sized wedding in Cork would be considered to be between 80-120 guests, so 180 was huge! I still find it funny how you don’t have to travel far in this small country for cultures and accents to change so much. I was informed later on that 250 guests is a normal size in the Marble City.

5-star Google Review

“Jannik and Nic were amazing!! They were so accommodating, enthusiastic and made the whole experience so relaxed. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough. The quality of their work is fantastic! Amazing work and an amazing couple! 10/10!”
— Anthony

After the ceremony, Anthony and Mairead had requested that we go to St Kieran’s College for the couple shoot and the group photos of bridesmaids, groomsmen and all the important family members.

The stairs provided a beautiful setting with the incredible architecture of the college. I love photographing groups on these large staircases as there are so many different arrangements one can implement and it’s great to have people of different heights perfectly visible.

I also really enjoyed doing the couple shoot with these two. The setting under the tree just worked so well on such a sunny day. I feel like so many of my shoots lately have been in overcast conditions, so to have some actual summer sun was amazing. The leaves almost glowing in the background. The two were also so smitten with each other that getting these candid moments was such a breeze, and it was just so beautiful to be a part of!

The next stop for the reception was the Newpark Hotel. The Newpark Hotel is absolutely no stranger to weddings and it shows. I think this was the most organized and efficient, yet completely stress-free wedding venue that I have ever photographed at.

After some mingling and ice-cream, I took the two into the gardens for just a handful more couple photos. And before I knew it, it was time for the speeches! With these many tears and so much laughter, it was clearly a good set of speeches.

Another cultural difference that I experienced was that each table had a bet of how long the speeches would be, they were then timed and the winner of each table got a free drink I believe. This must be a Kilkenny thing because I’ve never come across this before. My bet was embarrassingly low, which I will put down as benefit for the quality of the photos. No drink for me.

If you are interested in booking me for your wedding day, be it in the county of Cork or elsewhere, say hi to me here. I’d love to hear from you! I only do a limited amount of weddings per year so make sure you get one of the final spots in my calendar.