Wedding Story Films by Velvetine Studios

I think it’s fair to say that Mark planned his wedding day with Eloriana to military precision… Every last second was accounted for, no detail was overlooked and yet, like every other wedding day, somethings didn’t quite go to plan.  However, that’s the beauty of a wedding day.  It is often a dream come true that takes on a life of its own through the people who celebrate the event; in other words, the people who misplace the cuff links… or who delay the hair or make-up… or whatever the case may be that makes us all human.

Mark first rang me from Romania back in 2010.  

We spoke at length and once business was out of the way we talked about the ongoing recession, his new life abroad, and of course, Eloriana… better known as Ellie.  Weeks later I met his parents, Frank and Francis, in a Tralee hotel to iron out some of the finer details and we had a great old chat about Mark and Ellie and the ever building excitement surrounding their wedding.

When the day finally arrived we made our way to Dromoland Castle to meet the couple as they got prepared that morning.  

Ellie’s hair appointment in Ennis was running behind and she was delayed in getting back to the castle for her beauty treatments at the spa.  It’s no wonder she was a bag of nerves when we met her but, in our line of work, it’s something we are quite used to.  In fact, we believe that most brides do not reveal their true selves until the ceremony is over.  Ellie later kindly commented that Elaine set her at ease the minute we arrived and true to form, the bride began to reveal her true self as the day unfolded.

Mark was exactly as I expected.  Calm. In control. Mobile phone stuck to his ear.  Always two and three steps ahead of everybody else.  The only thing his groomsmen had to worry about after the clay pigeon shooting and go-kart racing was “Who’s got some deodorant?”  Of course, Mark came to the rescue and his brother Shane showed everyone how not to apply it.

It really is a man’s world!

My favourite part of the day was the ceremony and Fr. Larkin’s homily was inspired by the Celtic Cross that took Mark’s mother over 100 hours to hand stitch onto the priest’s vestment.  The colours of Romania and Ireland were intertwined into the cross; it was a lovely touch.  Fr. Pat highlighted the symbolism of the cross and its colours and he stitched a story of eternity and the importance of love around it.  It was heartfelt, meaningful, and much appreciated by the bride and groom.

This wedding had everything: drama during the morning preparations, lots of thoughtful presents, two traditions meeting at the stunning Dromoland Castle, singing waiters, fireworks, and the bride was kidnapped.  Which leads me to another favourite moment.  Meeting the real Ellie for the first time.  Let me explain…

It is a Romanian tradition to kidnap the bride from the wedding, take her to another location, and demand a ransom from the groom.  Not only was this fun for me to film but I also got to speak with Ellie; no more nerves and any tension had long since evaporated at the cathedral.  Her true self had appeared and her warm, friendly and caring personality won over all the bemused locals at a pub in Newmarket-on-Fergus.  To say they were all shocked to see a stunning bride breeze into the bar at 11pm is an understatement but it was a pleasure to watch Ellie make friends with the locals; especially an old lady who was in her nineties.

Mark and Ellie: Thank you for your hospitality {our meal was delicious!} and thank you so much for having us as part of your day!!!

Other key vendors and suppliers:

Bluebell – Ellie and Mark identified the wedding stationary company as one of their star suppliers.  In Ellie’s own words “Tara was absolutely awesome in every respect”.  High praise, indeed, and we always highlight five star service here on the blog so well done Tara and Bluebell.

The Woodards – Keith and Evelyn were looking after the wedding photography and it was great to work alongside them, as always.  I don’t think I laughed as much at a wedding in 2011 as I did at this one

Dromoland Castle – Margaret, Nico, and the staff are legends in the wedding industry and they can never do enough for us.  We get to film a lot of weddings at the castle and Elaine and I get to experience the wonderful service at each of them and one happy face we would like to bring to your attention is that of Roisin.  You can see her serving nibbles during the teaser and she is a regular at all the wedding events. She is so friendly, great with the guests, and  it’s smiling faces like hers that makes a couples day special.  Well done, Roisin!

April.  A fantastic month of weddings for us and first up was Eimear and Niall in Wicklow.

We pulled into Blessington the morning of and assumed that such a small town could only have one Catholic Church.  So, we parked the car and unloaded the gear but something about the church didn’t quite feel right.  Elaine made it her business to find the local priest and he informed us that Blessington had three churches… and the wedding was not taking place in this one.  Luckily enough we had allowed loads of time so we drove five minutes up the road and found our ceremony venue.

Eimear and Niall are living in Sydney so it was great to see them at home enjoying their day with family and friends.  It was very obvious how much all these people meant to them and the day was an emotional rollercoaster for all involved.

The reception took place at the impressive Tulfarris Hotel and I must say, the staff and service were second to none.  Elaine and I stayed as guests at the hotel for two nights and marked it into our calendar for a revisit whenever we get the chance to take a weekend off to recharge our batteries.  Another added bonus was that we got to meet Martin Hill and his assistant Chris again.  They are wedding photographers based in the UK but it’s always a pleasure for us to work with them. Two great guys who produce amazing, dramatic images and their fun attitude really kept the wedding party buzzing during the photoshoot.

Thanks a million to Eimear and Niall for having us part of your day!

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In some ways, this wedding event was a fond trip down memory lane for me. Since I first decided to try and redefine wedding video into something more film like… and cool… I always had an idea of where I needed to go and one of the early steps in my evolution was taken in Connemara when I filmed a wedding for a couple of American families at Rossleague Manor about four years ago.

So when a Canadian couple, Susan and Shane, enquired to see if I would travel from Tralee and into the heart of Connemara to film their day at that same country house I jumped at the chance.

The wedding party was made up of close family, friends, and the priest. Eighteen people in total, if I remember correctly. And I’ve got to admit, I love filming these type of days where the guest list is small. I can learn so much more about the couple through watching and listening to the people around me… and it is so easy to capture a sense of the tight bonds these small groups hold for each other.

I’m not sure what Susan and Shane expected from their Irish wedding but it couldn’t get any more romantic than what they got; a quaint church in the middle of the countryside, a charming Irish priest, candlelit ceremony, pints of Guinness, and old manor house, and of course, rain. It was a fantastic day and I know it’s one they will never forget!

Susan, Shane, and your family and friends: Sláinte!