Liam and Jan’s Wedding
My brother-in-law, Liam, finally got married to (his now) wife on September 16th 2021. The wedding had been delayed twice due to Covid, so they were delighted to be able to hold a good party with the restrictions lifted. It was held in the lovely Virginia Park Lodge Hotel, in Cavan. The grounds are so picturesque, and with woodlands and lakes, I couldn’t leave the camera at home.
In the end I became a second photographer and videographer, live-streaming the event to family in Australia. The title-photo is of the marquee, where the meal was held. I intentionally shot this with the lowest f-stop on my camera to enhance the candle effect of the lighting. It really captures the mood of the setting, even if some of the detail is lost. This photo is my pick of the weekend, because it really captures the tranquility of Virginia Park Lodge, and the attention to detail of the staff there, making for a fabulous wedding. The ceremony itself was held in the hotel, and during the waiting, I captured the parents of the groom in deep contemplation of their own 30+ year marriage.
The meal was lovely. It was the nicest piece of beef I have ever eaten. Even better than the couple’s own beef ;), which they now sell directly to locals. There was lots of down-time between servings. I really enjoy that at weddings, because it gives time for food to settle between courses, and there is added time for socialising with family and friends. During one of the breaks between meals, I caught the lucky couple in conversation.
The next day, they hosted a party for extended family and friends who couldn’t make the limited numbers of 100 at the ceremony. They pulled out all the stops decorating a hay-barn.
I admit I wasn’t able to party late on the second night after a 3am finish on the first night. The outdoor party was great, and the weather was lovely. Unfortunately, my Panasonic camera is not very good in low-light situations. Or maybe I have more to learn about taking photos in difficult lighting conditions.
The wedding was a lovely weekend, and I hope the couple have a long and happy marriage. On the photography front, I took ~280 photos, and I filtered that down to 60 images that were presentable. A good couple of days photography.
