Crazy Season is over!

So the last couple of weeks I have been quite quiet right, that is so unlike me!  I met with someone today about a job I am doing for my dads GAA club (congrats Dad on making chairman again) and one of the first things Cara said to me was, Rachel your dad tells me you are a bigger waffler than him!!!!  Thanks Dad, but it is true, I do get it from him though.  So I haven't waffled much lately and I have had a hell of a lot to waffle about, what is going on?

CHRISTMAS IS HERE

The last few weeks my mind has been completely consumed with Christmas, really.  I have spent a ridiculous amount of money on decorations but it is soooo worth it as I now have not 1, not 2 but 3 Christmas trees in my house.  We have one in the porch for the passerbys to see, we have the tackfest in the playroom as there was never a hope in hell of the kids decorating the main tree and then we have the main one in the living room. 

Finally the time came when I could get THE tree, whatever tree I wanted, I worked hard this year so why the heck not....?  Then when it came to it I couldn't help but say, do I really need to spend €250 on a tree?  No I didn't.  Still though, I went to homestore and got a fab tree for €100, 7ft of artificial beauty and adorned it with the most gorgeous decorations, poinsettia flowers, red glitter butterflies, gold stars and snowflakes and oversized bows tied by myself and my little Kelsie, poor Nikki just couldn't quite get hers right and gave up as soon as she started.

This year I decided to go ahead and do them when Kev was out working.  Well, I had 2 choices, do it while he was gone or do it while he was home.  Previous experience has told me that best let him off altogether as he gets quite upset when I redo the tree after him.  Thankfully though there were no arguments over it, last year for once I gave Kev full reign, he wanted tack I said ok, do what you like.  It was a lesson learned though as after a week or so he did admit that all previous trees looked better and I was right, he was wrong.

Wow girls, don't you love it when they admit you were right, I mean admit without pressure, just out of the blue. 

So yes, I took my mind away from weddings for the last few weeks a bit and focused on my favourite time of year, but boy am I happy sitting here beside this piece of beauty!

What happens when you leave a wedding photographer at home alone, bored and hungry????

As we were shopping last night I noticed a novelty mug, I asked my hubbie who did he think would buy it for me for Christmas.  He laughed as we both know someone will, it was one of those along the lines of 'we can't all be a domestic goddess'.  It is so true though, that cup is destined for me.  I have a friend come and clean for me because I just can't do it, I took a tracksuit out of the clean washing this morning to find it not cleaned, I only washed it!!!!  Somehow I can manage to make a nice stew, lasagna and bolognese but I do quite often burn the pasta or overcook spuds.

Why am I telling you all of this?  Walking around the supermarket with Julie & Celine this morning I was starving, the smell of bread makes me so hungry, I thought no, not today!  Then in my boredom waiting for Julie to stop yapping I looked at the cheese aisle and thought, that's what I will do today..... make a cheese filled croissant.

When I was a kid I looked forward to meeting my nanny in town on a Saturday morning, true every kid would look forward to ice cream from their nanny for breakfast and that did play a part but mainly, right next to the elevators to the car park was La Croissanterie, yes, my dreams would all come true when my mam said, come on and we get a croissant, and so I did, every week.  Being a teenager eventually it was no longer cute to bring me along, thankfully though another branch opened close to my home.  I loved the girls in that shop, especially when they upgraded me to a large size croissant.  Then it closed down...  Then the one from when I was a kid closed.  Now there is one left, every couple of months we venture in sadly though, last time in the rush I got a take away, only to open it in the car and realise everything was different, I couldn't eat it, I was sad for days...... I have yet to find a replacement so I thought you know what, I will learn to do it myself.

I melted the butter, I had no plain flour so used self raising, no cream so used milk to create the most disgusting looking mixture I have ever seen.  But it was ok, stashed in the back of the press was a sachet of white sauce powder.  As it bubbled I added the cheese, stirring slowly, filled the croissants and topped off with some more sauce.  When they came out of the over I thought, nobody is going to believe that I did this, not me so I grabbed the camera.  With the plate by my side cooling down I started to upload thinking yes, I have just kicked la Croissanteries butt!

Butt..... but I haven't.  Not a hope.  So I sit here disappointed looking at what appears to be my perfect croissant sitting next to me, thinking of how I could have written this with pride about the perfect texture and taste, but I can't, instead of what was to be a moment of pure excitement and delight I have now realised I have wasted the last hour and a half of my life!

Nice pics though;)

Wedding Photography for Keith & Ian Tankardstown House

Taste, elegance and style in every sense of each word, details in excess......

From the ultimate venue, to the sequenced boxers, everything was thought through. Yes some wait all of their lives for their day, for Ian & Keith though, finally they could take their vows legally in Ireland and they made sure that they did so in high class.

Arriving at the venue, I was greeted by both grooms, standing by the door they were the perfect hosts, greeting every guest personally and even helping carry bags to rooms.

The day was obviously going to be different from my norm, but I was super excited as today we were doing a first look. Both Ian & Keith would dress in seperate rooms off their suite and we would have the big reveal when they would first set eyes on one another. In that moment, those few seconds, I had a glimpse into their hearts, the joy, the happiness they both felt that this was their day and they truly deserved their day.

So to Ian & Keith I wish you many many more moments to set eyes upon one another and remember this moment, when looking into each others eyes brought tears of happiness.

All of my love and congratulations xxx

Quirky.... Inspired.... Original.... So many words....
 


 Within minutes of arriving I was so excited for the day ahead, a pageboy with converse, a completely individual dress, a flower girl with a quirky here comes the bride sign, so much to work with...








 And then came Michael Schumacher who was so kind to look after the veil for the couple of weeks prior to the wedding!



A school teacher with a dad who looked like he might possibly be the most intelligent person I have come across, Niamh is perfection, simple elegance through and through, she was so excited to be marrying her man of dreams that she had her special stash of tissues to hand all day.
 





 When the heavens opened upon exiting the church even the inches of rain couldnt dampen the mood, whilst sheltered indoors for the few minutes there was laughter and joy.

We enjoyed an afternoon of racing, girly twirls, jumping contests and I am sure after I left the fun just went on and on.





So to Niamh and Peter, the biggest few weeks of your lives have gone by, filled with sadness and joy, ups and downs. Those weeks have finished off making you man and wife and as you stood together before your wedding holding each other up, I hope you continue to do so for the rest of your lives, all of my love to you both and best wishes for your future xx

The Newest Addition - Wedding Memory Key

The sample memory key arrived this week.  In the moment I signed for it I never loved anybody more than I loved my postman!  As I tore open the package with anticipation I thought right I have gone crazy, this is what my life has come to, the best moment of my week, receiving a work sample haha.




I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.  In fact, I beamed all day long and thankfully it was not only me who was excited.  As I walked into the school yard I was collared by Susan, a recent bride who said Rachel, please can I have one, please? 







And after all that, here it is, make your own mind up about how crazy I am but I adore this!

Heather & Colin - Wedding Photography St. Marys Lucan and Leixlip Manor

 I was so excited about this wedding. As soon as Colin mentioned the yellow pick up truck I just thought, yes this is going to be fun.

As is the norm for me, whilst discussing the truck I mentioned to Colin that my dad bought his trucks through that garage and of course, yes there was some recognition there, I can't go anywhere...... 

Putting that aside and focussing on the day itself, entering the bridal suite this morning I was greeted by 3 gorgeous little girls and the handsome baby Conor. I love kids at weddings, they give so much opportunity for photographs and these ones certainly did not disappoint. From the gorgeous flowers in the girls hair to baby Conors smiling face these kiddies were the height of cuteness. Junior bridesmaid Emma really was sure she was the most beautiful girl in the world, but then Heather put on her dress and sure don't we all know, there is nothing in this world that makes a girl look so fabulous as the bridal glow, the glint in the eye, the excitement, the emotion and the months of planning coming into fruition and well, yes, Heather truly was absolutely stunning.
  Colin had an air of giddyness (if that is really a word) about him when I met him and the boys at the church. His eyes watered as he first saw his gorgeous daughter Rebecca but he held himself together like a true man and looked lovingly upon his bride walking down the aisle. The ceremony itself was a delight, the sly whispers here and there, the smiles and laughter, like little schoolkids messing when they weren't supposed to....
 
 I could not fault this pair in any way at all, having chosen my locality to celebrate their big day, St. Marys in Lucan village is a highly sought after church and the Leixlip Manor is a hidden gem with a very country chic feel about it. After an enjoyable day photographing Heather & Colin, or should I say, Mr & Mrs Fairbrother, I sat down to enjoy the most beautiful bowl of soup I have had in a long time which was presented perfectly in a bowl matching my first impressions of the Leixlip Manor house, country chic to the core......

Congratulations to both of you, I had a fantastic day with you and cannot wait to meet up very very soon to go over all of these gorgeous pics I have waiting for you.

Engagement shoots - wedding invitations featuring photography

I really do enjoy engagement shoots, I wish all brides would want an engagement shoot as it really gives time to bond and enjoy both that shoot and the wedding day.

Take Adel & Joe for example, I really love this couple, a word I do not use often but uber friendly!!!  Seriously!  We had so much fun getting the shots for the engagement shoot that when it came to the wedding day these guys were unbelievably comfortable, ready and willing for everything, even wanting more and more, as they had seen the results from a 30 minute session they were more than willing to give that little bit more time to me than usual on their wedding day.  In the end we had indoor pics, outdoor pics, bedroom pics, cake pics, gym pics, tonnes of pics which is JUST the way I like it!

Another option with engagement photos is to have personalised wedding invites made with them.  A simple relaxed photo with caption on a nice 6x4 card is an affordable way to invite guests to a wedding without having to spend a fortune.  Cards are often ordered as thank you cards with images on the front so why not invite cards too?  A set of 100 cards with white envelopes comes in at €120.

There is food for thought for you, speaking of food ........ brekkie!

Wedding Photography Blog - New found dedication

It is quite unfortunate that I do allow my blog to fall to the wayside from time to time - well no more I say!  Yes I do update daily on facebook but lets face it, facebook is not for everyone so for those of you who are not interested in social networking, I hereby promise to update regularly to the blog and feature weddings, thoughts, photos and so much more.

So from me to the world of internet - I apologise, this is it, I mean it now - HERE I AM, wedding photographer blogger extraordinaire!!!!!!

Different ideas for photography

Photos can be so much, a single photo can be so important to someone it might be the most valued thing they own!  I often think photography can be underappreciated, I don't mea that in a selfish way, I actually mean it.  We can do so much with photos, we can portray a feeling by capturing an image of a flower, we can remind someone of the emotion they felt on their wedding day by capturing that one stray tear or the huge bear hugs from friends but what else can we do.....

I love cuteness, I love attention to detail and ok, I may not be the most artistic person in the world but I have a terrible habit of making a fuss of family occasions.  It mainly began when my dear old dad ;) (dad I know you're not really old, sorry) turned 50, an uncle had written a poem about him years before and I decided to use it, I designed a folded card with old images and verses inside and left them at each table.  After that I decided, well I can do this more often, so I did it for another family friend, this time writing my own poem, then for my mam, then for my dads wedding blessing and so on and so on. 

Anyway, the point is, I have realised a simple and easy way to make the kids feel special, and here it is:

A personalised invite, designed by myself through photoshop and printed at the local photo lab giving me cost effective personalised invitations for my kids parties.

Happy Birthday Baby, love you lots and lots like jelly tots xxxxxx

Susan & Daniel - Army wedding at the Spa Hotel, Lucan - Wedding Photography

When Siobhan first contacted me I was already jealous, a bride who did not even have to arranger her own wedding as it was not Siobhan getting married but Susan, her sister.

Meeting the girls at the hotel to discuss how the day would go I was excited about it from the start, come on girls, you would all be excited to photograph an army wedding with guard of honour, i.e. hunky men in uniforms....

From the very start of the day I knew I was in for some fun, photographing the guys in the hotel getting ready I was in my element, this was my first army wedding and as I photographed the medals and patches on the uniform I was told what each stood for, also being informed that the best man would be the highest ranking soldier there, which worked great to my advantage! Why you ask? How much fun did I have photographing the guard of honour with the best man on my side shouting orders, the lads had to obey, standing to order on command. Pity though, no matter how much I asked they would not salute me, but salute Susan they did and sure why the hell not, from the moment she put her dress on she felt like a princess. Beaming ear to ear, this was her day, this was her dress and he was her man! So to Mr. & Mrs. Hooper, congratulations I wish you all the best in life, let every day be as happy as your wedding day xxx