Wedding: Ruth + Brendan

Laughter, love and big families - that's how I would sum up this joyful day :) It was so fun to capture this wedding, having known the groom and his wider family for years, and seeing how happy he has made his bride. Congratulations Ruth and Brendan, may you have many many years of joy and blessing in your marriage.

Ruth gave her nephews a small camera and told them to "capture their day", allowing them to record the wedding as they saw it - I loved that idea! 

Engagement Shoot: Alex + Adam

I love trees. I wish I'd climbed more as a child, but I try to make up for it from time to time now... Or I get other people to climb them for me.

Enter Alex and Adam.

I was delighted when they told me about where they wanted to have their shoot, but they weren't to know how excited I'd get about the tree we would pass on the way in - my goodness, such an ancient beast of a tree; deeply wrinkled, gnarled and twisted, hollowed out in places, but with life growing all through it. So incredible.

Thank you Adam for so silently bearing the hay fever that was getting to you as I had you lying in a field... I hope when you see these you'll think it was worth it (is it cruel to say I think it was...?)

I do love these photos...

Engagement Shoot: Elaine + Roy

I always feel a little nervous when meeting up with potential clients for the first time, and it was no different when I met to chat with Elaine and Roy. However, within minutes of sitting down with them, warm mugs in hands, I felt completely at ease... I felt like I had been reunited with a long lost aunt and uncle! It was so nice talking about their upcoming wedding, how they met, and conversation freely flowing into more relaxed chat too.

The weather has been pretty unpredictable these past few days, so I was delighted as I drove down to Seapark, Holywood, to meet them for the engagement shoot. The sun was starting to get low, the park was alive with people walking dogs and kids playing on the climbing frames, kites were being flown, and poor Elaine and Roy were patiently waiting for me in another car park on the other side of the park... oops, sorry!

Elaine had mentioned before that she was nervous about the photos, but little did she know that what she would call nerves, I would call my secret weapon - I find that in those nervous moments of laughter and giggles I get my favourite natural shots, and my opinion still stands after this shoot...

Don't you think Roy has a great movie-star smile? 

Thank you both for bravely stepping in front of the lens, and for being so charming and sweet - See you in August!