Introduction

As a professional wedding photographer with over 12 years of experience in the Irish wedding industry, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing hundreds of beautiful celebrations. While every wedding I’ve photographed has been a success in its own right, I often reflect on certain days and feel that, with just a few small changes, couples could have enjoyed even more of what makes their day truly special.

This guide is designed to help you do just that — make the absolute most of every aspect your wedding day. In my experience, three key elements play an equal role in shaping a smooth, joyful, and memorable day:

1. Location
   This includes where you're getting ready, the ceremony location, any scenic spots you’d like to visit for photos, and of course, the reception location. Each place should be chosen with care and considered as part of the overall flow of your day.

2. Timings
   The ceremony start time is absolutely crucial as your entire day is centered around this decision, but it’s not the only timing to get right. When you start getting ready, travel time between locations, the dinner call, speech duration and the decision of when to have the speeches — these all have a knock-on effect on your experience and how much of your day you actually get to enjoy.

3. Trust
   The trust you place in your family, bridal party, and your team of trusted suppliers will make a world of difference. Surrounding yourself with a reliable, experienced team allows you to relax and truly soak in every moment.

My hope is that this guide gives you some simple, thoughtful insights that will help you get the most joy, ease, and beautiful memories from your wedding day.

Location: Making the Most of Where You Get Ready

Whether you’re getting ready at home before travelling to the church, or preparing on-site at your civil ceremony venue, there are a few important factors to consider.

Bridal preparations at home are always a popular choice — it’s a familiar, comfortable environment surrounded by family and friends and never an issue unless there is a considerable distance to the ceremony location.

If you're having a civil ceremony at a venue, it can be incredibly beneficial to get ready there with your entire bridal party. If the venue doesn’t offer preparation facilities, staying nearby in an Airbnb or similar accommodation is a fantastic alternative.

There are several reasons for this :

• You wake up at (or very close to) the venue, which means there’s no time lost travelling on the morning of your wedding, no risk of traffic delays, road closures, or transport mishaps.

• Being near the ceremony location creates a sense of calm — you're not racing the clock or dealing with external stress. You can truly settle in to the moment, rather than feeling like the day doesn’t really begin until you arrive at the venue.

• All the packing, organising, and transporting of bags and dresses is done the day before — not in a rush on the morning itself.

• Elderly family members (e.g., grandparents) don’t have to travel between multiple places.

• You start your day surrounded by your bridesmaids, parents, and other family in a relaxed atmosphere.

• There’s also the option to enjoy a quiet drink and some food the night before, which sets the tone beautifully for the day ahead.

• There’s more control over the space - you can choose accommodation with plenty of natural light (ideal for makeup artists and photographers), and enough room for everyone to move around comfortably.

• You’ll have space to hang dresses and lay out accessories and allow your hair and makeup team to set up properly in a designated room / area — all of which helps everything run smoothly and makes for beautiful preparation photos.

• If the groom is also getting ready at the venue or nearby, it's possible to photography and video his preparations too. Capturing both the bride and groom getting ready makes for a fantastic start to the story told through your photographs and video.

• Less travel means more time for meaningful moments — with family, your bridal party, or simply to pause and take in the day.

• The photographer and videographer can stay longer during preparations, as they don’t need to travel to another location and set up again.

• The makeup artist can stay with you right up until a few minutes before the ceremony for any last-minute touch-ups.

• If you are getting ready in the bridal suite that you are staying in on your wedding night you won’t have to get anyone to move bags or other items, they are all there waiting for you - one less thing to organize.

Location: Making the most of a Church Ceremony (skip to next section for civil ceremony)

Choosing to have a church ceremony is a beautiful and traditional way to begin your wedding day — and Irish churches, often rich in history, tradition and charm, provide a truly meaningful backdrop. That said, there are a few important considerations to help you make the most of this setting, both practically and photographically.

Be Clear on Timings - Church ceremonies often have fixed times (usually between 12:00–2:30pm), which can affect the rest of your day. It’s important to build your timeline around this and be realistic about travel, prep, and photo opportunities before and after the ceremony. Try to avoid arriving late — not only does it add stress, but it cuts into time you'd otherwise spend enjoying your day later on, puts pressure on venue staff, chefs, photographers & videographers. I highly reccommend a 1pm (at the latest) ceremony time if gettng married in a church with a religious / traditional ceremony, even earlier if there is a considerable travel time to the reception afterwards. Remember - it was normal to have 11:30am ceremonies until very recent times! (We’ll deep dive into timings in a following section).

Consider the Travel Between Locations - If you're getting ready at home and the church is in a different town or county, allow more time than you think you’ll need — especially if you're relying on multiple cars, vintage transport, or buses. Remember: every journey eats into the precious time you have to celebrate with your guests later in the day and always take about 30% longer than planned (packing items into vehicles, ensuring not to forget anything, elderly family members that need assistance, traffic) It is a regular occurrence for me to see couples lose an hour of their drinks reception time due to longer travel than planned. The photoshoot with family, bridal party and you both on your own has to be done during the reception time, and the dinner bell will ring at the agreed time no matter what. I strongy urge precise planning here.

Photo Opportunities at the Church - Many churches in Ireland are surrounded by scenic grounds, gardens, or stonework that make for beautiful post-ceremony photos. If you’d like family photos at the church, it’s best to plan for that in advance — ideally letting your family know they’ll be needed for 15–20 minutes after the ceremony ends. (If you get photos with parents and elderly relatives done straight after the ceremony it will save time at the reception and allow them to relax knowing that they are not needed for any more photographs)

Check with the Priest or Celebrant - Every church — and every priest — has slightly different preferences. Some are very relaxed about photography and video, while others prefer minimal movement or flash. It's always worth asking the priest early on what they're comfortable with, so you and your vendors know what to expect. (Tip: let your photographer or videographer handle these conversations directly if you're unsure!)

Have a Weather Plan - Irish weather is famously unpredictable, and not all churches have covered areas for guests to gather or for portraits. If it’s raining, it’s useful to have umbrellas ready and a backup plan for where group or couple photos can be taken afterward (either at the reception venue or a nearby indoor location).

Allow Time to Take It All In - One lovely tradition that sometimes gets skipped over in the rush is simply having a few quiet minutes in the church once the ceremony ends — just the two of you, or with close family. It can be a really grounding, emotional moment before stepping into the celebration part of the day.

Location: Making the Most of a Civil Ceremony in Ireland

Civil ceremonies in Ireland have become incredibly popular — and for good reason. They offer flexibility in both setting and structure, allowing couples to craft a day that feels personal, relaxed, and entirely their own. Whether you're saying your vows in a dedicated ceremony room, a garden space, or a private estate, here’s how to make the most of a civil ceremony setting:

Get Ready On-Site or Nearby - If you're having a civil ceremony at a venue, it’s often possible to get ready there too — and this can be a huge stress reliever. It cuts out travel time, allows your hair and makeup team to work without time pressure, and ensures that everyone (including the photographer and videographer) is already on location. If the venue doesn’t have prep facilities, booking a nearby Airbnb is a great alternative. (See previous section on making the most of where you get ready)

The Ceremony Time - As mentioned, I will write more on timings in the next section. With a civil ceremony you have great flexibility, just be wary if some venues don’t let you have a ceremony earlier than 3pm, as a 3pm ceremony can put huge pressure on your photographer to capture the family and bridal party photos before dinner call, it also steals time away from your drinks reception that you have paid a lot of money for! In my experience a 2pm civil ceremony in the same location as the reception combined with a 5:30pm dinner call is the best combination.

Choose the Right Ceremony Space - Look for a location that offers good natural light and enough space for guests to sit comfortably, as well as room for your photographer and videographer to move around discreetly if needed - this is very important as your photographer and videographer will be restricted if they are stuck in one corner or to only one side, chat to the venue and celebrant on this, sometimes it’s just as simple as moving the ceremony table and bride and groom chairs 3 feet backwards to allow for a seamless workflow!

Think about where you are going to sit - if you sit slightly to one side and facing the crowd you will feel more of a connection with your guests, it’s also easier for the photographer and videographer to capture you both and the crowds reactions too.

Plan which way you will face when you light candles, do hand fasting, etc - if you do these parts of the ceremony facing the crowd instead of facing the alter / celebrant the photographer & videographer won’t have to keep moving back and forward, and your guests will have a clear view of you both during this vital part of the ceremony.

Think about the ceremony backdrop — whether it's a fireplace, large windows, or a floral arch — and how that will look in photos. Remember that in most cases you can control the lighting too, if there are any spotlights overhead that cast harsh shadows on faces or lights with heavy orange or green hues you can request that these be turned off in favor of more pleasant lighting - Remember, you will have your photographs and video forever, don’t let a few lightbulbs ruin your ceremony lighting.

Personalise the Atmosphere - With a civil ceremony, you can choose your own music, readings, and tone — formal, casual, spiritual, or humorous. It’s worth working closely with your celebrant to make the ceremony feel truly yours, and to allow time for meaningful moments, not just the legalities.

Design the Space Like a Feature of the Day - Unlike a church (where decorations are often limited), you can really make a civil ceremony space your own. Florals, candles, seating arrangements, and personal touches all help set the tone. Treat the ceremony room or outdoor area as a key visual feature of the day — because it is.

Use the Venue’s Surroundings for Photos - Many civil ceremony venues have beautiful grounds, courtyards, or nearby spots for couple portraits. Talk with your photographer in advance to plan when and where you’ll take some time together for photos. Doing this immediately after the ceremony (Couple photos, bridal party photos and family photos) can give you a lovely pause before rejoining the party, and once you’ve rejoined the party you are more relaxed as you know all of the photoshoot is done.

Smooth Transition Into Celebrations - One of the best parts of a civil ceremony is how seamlessly it flows into the rest of the day. There’s no travel between church and venue, no waiting around for guests to arrive — you say your vows, step out for a glass of prosecco, and the celebration begins right away.