Ballygarry House Hotel and Spa has long been one of my favourite wedding venues in Kerry so I was honoured when they asked me to produce some short promotional videos for their new website. Here’s a look at an overview of the fantastic service that the hotel and its staff provides.

OVERVIEW:

Overview from Maurice O’Carroll on Vimeo.

Ballygarry House is probably the busiest hotel in Kerry for hosting weddings because they are renowned for quality service and fantastic food. I love filming at this hotel and I can’t recommend them highly enough to anyone who is looking for a wedding venue!

WEDDINGS:

Weddings from Maurice O’Carroll on Vimeo.

The hotel has many great features and their rooms are simply gorgeous. The bridal suite oozes old world charm and the master suite is a blend of the old with modern day comforts; very stylish. They have been busy renovating over the course of the summer and I think they have done a fantastic job.

ROOMS:

Ballygarry Rooms from Maurice O’Carroll on Vimeo.

Nadur Spa is one of the more recent additions to the hotel and I’m told that it has been a massive success for Ballygarry. But don’t just take my word for it: They recently won Day Spa & Spa Manager of the Year 2008.

NADUR SPA:

Nadur Spa from Maurice O’Carroll on Vimeo.

Ballygarry House really is a great destination where the management and staff will happily cater to your every need: And they won the prestigious AA Courtesy & Care Award 2008/2009. Call them on 066 712 3322 or visit their stylish new website Ballygarryhouse.com for more details.

Six of the best wedding filmmakers in the world got together and started a new movement called Re:Frame. It’s aim is to share their knowledge with like-minded filmmakers who are actively changing the face of wedding video with contemporary, cutting edge films.

Imagine my surprise when they contacted me to inform me that I had been voted as “The Peoples’ Choice Speaker” by the attendees to come and speak at their first event!

At the time it seemed like a great idea and a free holiday… until I got on the plane; now there was no turning back. Reality hit home when Re:Frame had a limo driver collect me at New Orleans Airport and drop me off at The Royal Sonesta Hotel on the famous Bourbon Street. I was informed on check in that I was a VIP guest (I tried to argue that I was a simple towns person from Ireland but they were having none of it) and there was a wad of cash waiting for me in an envelope: speakers fee and expenses…. now I was really nervous.

The seminars kicked off and I felt humbled by the quality of the speakers. I didn’t bring a pen and notepad but believe me, my brain was feeding on every morsel of information that these guys were sharing out! Truth be told, I was hoping that at least one of these guys would present a horrible, boring seminar but no such luck – they were awesome!

My turn. Just before I’m about to deliver my presentation a mischievous journalist (who spent some studying in Galway – no wonder!) asks me how I feel about all these people who have paid thousands of dollars to come and hear what I’ve got to say. “Are you nervous?” he asked. Well I am now, thanks to you!

I figured that my strange accent would buy me a good ten minutes where I could waffle on before the novelty factor wore thin so I did my best to shake off the nerves during this period. And it worked a treat.

The seminar and Re:Frame event was one of the best professional experiences of my life. My storytelling seminar hit a positive nerve and confirmed my own belief that wedding video needs good storytellers. Their next convention is being held in Austin, Texas and these people are definitely moving the wedding video industry in the right direction.

I wonder if I can convince them that Re:Frame Ireland is a great idea?

I’ve stood before countless couples exchanging their wedding vows but until I met Elaine, I never thought I’d see the day when I’d be saying “I do.”

However, two days before we were due to fly out for our holiday in Tunisia I asked her parents for their blessing to marry their daughter. It was a nerve racking experience but it needn’t have been because they were great: “We hope she says, yes!” they both said. And so do I.

I hid the ring in a compartment of my camera bag, flew out to the sun, lazed around by the pool, and proposed mid-week after a fantastic meal. Thankfully, she said yes and now we’re planning for our wedding!

No 1 on our list… finding a great wedding filmmaker!!