Group shots are hit and miss at any wedding. At least in terms of three things – how many of the wedding guests you’ll actually have in the shot, how many of them will be looking at the camera, and whether there will actually be anywhere suitable to take the shot. I tend to set expectations for couples who ask for a group shot by being up front about this. Also, most people have been at a wedding where the photographer has stretched the patience of guests by taking too long trying to get that “perfect” symmetrical group shot outside the church or hotel while the guests get tetchy, cold and, perhaps, a little hungry. I don’t want to be that photographer. So if I am asked to take a group shot, my approach is to make it quick, relaxed, informal, and whatever will be will be. So it’s nice that for Clodagh and Michael’s wedding last weekend, in the beautiful little church in Kiltartan, near Gort in Galway, all the elements came together to create a very lovely group shot. It was helped by the fact that there was a good vantage point for me, that every single guest made it into the shot, and that pretty much everyone is looking at the camera. That’s three for three. It was just one of a number of things that went right on the day.
The day started in Clodagh’s family home in nearby Coole, where there was a busy house and lots to photograph, not least her beautiful niece Ailish:
While things were gearing up downstairs, I went in search of the dress and shoes upstairs. The dress is, with the greatest respect to the other brides I’ve photographed, one of the nicest I’ve seen, and Clodagh looked absolutely stunning in it. Also, for whatever reason, this photo of her shoes is actually one of my favourite shots of the day. Funny how that can happen:
The bridesmaids – Clodagh’s sisters Thelma and Audrey – looked pretty good too:
I mentioned in the previous post that lots of Clodagh’s aunts and uncles were at the house in the morning for a Skype call. One of Clodagh’s aunts lives in South Africa, and her and her husband were unable to travel for the wedding, so the Skype call was to them, and she was particularly excited to get to see Clodagh in her wedding dress before she headed off to the church. Isn’t technology great?
Kiltartan Church is about a three minute drive from Clodagh’s parents’ house, so at least traffic wasn’t going to be a problem for that part of the journey.
The church was just perfect for a small wedding, and unusually for a church still afforded me lots of light and lots of space too. I loved the flowers on the back of the seats too:
After all the excitement of the house, I suspect Ailish found the church ceremony a little, well, less exciting:
Meanwhile at the top of the aisle, Clodagh and Michael were making it official:
It’s not often that the groom picks up a camera and starts taking photographs on his wedding day:
With the group shot done it was time for the guests to head to Glenlo Abbey just outside Galway city while I took Clodagh, Michael, his camera and I diverted to nearby Coole Park first. A few shots from the latter part of the day are coming soon, but first, check out the very cool wedding car:
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