Category Archives: Wedding DVDs
It’s probably fair to say that we had the same amount of trouble in trying to find Mullaghbane the second time around as we did the first. It’s a small, quiet village, twenty minutes or so away from Newry, population four hundred, and we first visited it for Aidan and Aoife’s wedding a couple of years ago. When her sister Ciana asked us if we would travel to film her Wedding Story we were hugely honoured that she chose us and we jumped at the chance to meet everybody once again.
Ciana’s parents, Rita and Gerry, own the most gorgeous house with a beautiful garden that overlooks Mullaghbane and beyond. It really is a spectacular location and we captured some amazing footage there for Aoife’s wedding. However, on this occasion, we made a conscious decision not to film any exterior shots of the house while Ciana was getting her hair and make-up. Yes, I was tempted to place the wedding shoes beside a garden ornament and hang the wedding dress from a leafless tree but I resisted; Ciana’s wedding was a whole new story.
We met Liam at the church and he immediately struck me as the type who would prefer any attention to be focused anywhere but on him. But, of course, that’s not going to happen on your wedding day or least not until the bride arrives, so even though Liam can be seen in the short film showing off his steady hand as a sign of no nerves, trust me, he was nervous!
Ciana and her wedding party arrived to the church in style with Gerard McGirr Wedding Cars. The cars were spotless and impressive and the drivers were so professional; it’s no wonder that Ciana still heaps high praise on them today! Another supplier who deserves a mention is the wedding designer, Martina Crilly. She was not only helpful in filling us in on all the small details to watch out for but it also has to be said that the floral designs in the church were a credit to her!
Mullaghbane and its people have rich Celtic traditions and the music from Rulya at the ceremony lifted the hairs on the back of my neck. Blaithín sang the most beautiful Gaelic version of Blackbird that I have ever heard and her brother Garrett, a gifted vocalist, sang a note perfect rendition of The Call and The Answer. Powerful stuff and it really did complement the ceremony. It also helped to guide me in what direction to take with Ciana and Liam’s teaser: I wanted to show the stillness of Mullaghbane, a simple village where time seems to stand still, and I wanted to capture the strong sense of community that exists there. Most of all, I wanted show Ciana and Liam, their family and friends for who they really are; great people!
Thank you so much for having us!
Other key vendors and suppliers:
Shanroe Photography – Noelle Marks was a pleasure to work alongside and her photobooth was a huge hit with the wedding guests; great craic!
Cabra Castle – An eye catching castle where we received five star treatment. We even stayed the night in one of their cute cottages.
DJ – Ruairi Finnegan came in for high praise from the bride. Check him out.
I wasn’t happy about the compulsory marriage guidance course I had to attend once a week for four weeks… and the icing on the cake was that it was on Champions League night. “Oh stop moaning” Elaine scolded me in the car before we went in for our first session with Accord {I think it was Accord}. “We both have to do this and it will be easier on everyone else in there if we can do it without you sulking. And besides, think of it as a chance of getting out and meeting new people.”
Wonderful…
Was the marriage guidance course a painful experience? Well, for me, a hardened cynic who didn’t even want to get married in a church, the truthful answer is yes. I took nothing away from it, I missed my football, and worst of it all it cost me money! However, Elaine was right; we did meet some great couples which did ease the pain… in fact, after the first couple of weeks I was actually able to tune out from the nonsense I was being forced to listen to and simply have a laugh with the people around us. The couple sitting next us were a quiet pair; she was a lady through and through and he was a gentleman… but when the guys would start to act like bold schoolboys he was the first to share his infectious laugh. Turns out that this couple were getting married in the same hotel as myself and Elaine… a nice little coincidence.
Weeks later we filmed Una and DJ’s wedding in Tralee and who did we bump into? That’s right, Rosemarie and Berth; the couple we sat next to at the marriage course and we discovered that we were already booked to film their wedding. Roll on several months later and I spotted something during the edit process of Una and DJ’s wedding; watch the teaser and at the 3.05min mark, when Una is walking down the aisle, you will notice Rosemarie and Berth to her right. Una continues walking and she passes another couple, Amy and Philip, and you will notice Amy rub Una’s shoulder as the bride passes by.
It was a beautiful and rare moment in that I noticed the three most prominent people in the shot were past, present and future brides.
As 2010 drew to a close it was finally Rosemarie and Berth’s big day and we could not have been more excited for them. Their wedding was a beautiful event and will forever be wrapped in many fond memories in my mind – like Berth’s reactions as he waited for Rosemarie to walk down the aisle to him – but mostly, I will remember sitting with Elaine during the meal and confirming amongst ourselves that what we do is so much more than just wedding video. It has never been about wedding video.
In our own small way, Velvetine Studios are making friends with wonderful people who stories inspire us and we in turn capture their most precious memories. Una has already given birth to a baby girl, Amy has a little one on the way, and if Rosemarie and Berth are lucky enough to have children some day then who knows, maybe all the children can sit and not only watch their parents wedding stories together but maybe then can watch and find some meaning in the shot of the past, present, and future bride.
It doesn’t get any better than that and that’s why I go the extra mile to infuse each story with all the care and attention they deserve.
Rosemarie and Berth – two amazing people who deserve a lifetime of happiness – thank you so much for having us!
Other key vendors and suppliers on the day:
The Malton Hotel – This was our first visit back to The Malton since our own wedding and it brought back a flood of fond memories. Eimear and Paul are just brilliant at their jobs and make every bride and groom feel like superstars for the day, the staff are just first class, gorgeous food, and five star treatment all round. Unbeatable.
All Seasons – Christina’s floral arrangements at the ceremony were beautiful. Highly recommended… in fact, we used her for our own wedding and her arrangements are still being spoken about today. Brilliant!
The Woodards – We always enjoy working with Keith and Evelyn – a husband and wife team whose wedding photography needs no introduction to brides and grooms in Kerry and beyond. Great craic, too!
I suppose you could say that today marks the start of a new journey in Velvetine Studios evolution of wedding video. Why? Because this was the first of many weddings that we filmed after our own big day so it’s going to be interesting to see how we approach all your stories after standing in your shoes.
Jane and Brian weren’t even looking for wedding video when we bumped into them at the Dromoland Castle Wedding Extravaganza in County Clare. Elaine was looking after our stand – I was very busy in the car listening to Kerry beating Cork in the All Ireland final on the radio – when she noticed Brian and his wife-to-be sampling the tables at Dromoland. She and Brian went to college together so it was a happy to coincidence to meet him and Jane at the wedding fair.
After a lot of catching up, Elaine explained the difference between our story films and wedding video and we were delighted when they booked us!
I was looking forward to filming this wedding because they were a great and a happy-go-lucky couple. Like all our couples, I only hoped that nerves wouldn’t smother any of their enjoyment. Any fears I might have had for Brian and Jane were totally uncalled for – this pair of fun loving people enjoyed every second of their day and I’ve been smiling at their antics for the past week in the edit suite.
The wedding car broke down on route to the church which meant an anxious 45 minute wait for the groom – a feeling I know only too well. Apparently, Jane – affectionately know as “Bird” – lept out of the wedding car, flagged down a jeep, got towed to the venue, and she was still laughing when she arrived. Brilliant! The next problem was on my end; it was freezing outside and I had been standing in the cold for almost an hour… with my camera. As soon as I stepped into the church to film Jane walking up the aisle my camera lens fogged up with condensation. I managed to work it out – that’s the beauty of filming with multiple cameras – and aside from all that, the ceremony was perfect… and Fr. Ciaran McCarthy’s homily was one of the most peotic, well thought out pieces I’ve ever heard from the pulpit.
I must also mention Brendan Landy at this point. Brendan is not only celebrated here in Ireland for his jaw dropping wedding photography but he has also attracted international acclaim for his work. What a lot of people do not realise is how brilliant he and his uber talented assistant, Catherine, are to work alongside. Brendan deserves not one but two blog posts all to himself… so stayed tuned for that in the very near future.
The reception was held at Dromoland Castle – we LOVE this venue – and it looked like a winter wonderland. I’m sure that very little can surprise the wonderful staff at Dromoland but I’ll bet it is not often that they get to see a break dancing groom like Brian! Was I surprised? Yes, a little… But I shouldn’t have been. Brian and Jane were anything but ordinary and we loved them for it.
Thanks for having us!
Other key vendors and suppliers
The Aristocrats – What a great wedding band! I’ve seen these guys in action on several occasions and they are fantastic!
Wild Flowers – Beautiful arrangements at the church and hotel
This wedding video was filmed by Velvetine Studios at the magical Dromoland Castle in County Clare.
Jenny and Gavin’s wedding came at a time when I was beginning to feel like I was carrying a pressure cooker around on top of my shoulders. Velvetine Studios had just navigated our way through a blockbuster summer of weddings and in one weeks time I was getting married myself.
We stayed at The Killeshin Hotel, which was gorgeous, and when I woke the next morning I was feeling refreshed and excited to get going. We also met Trish and Sean, a past couple of ours in the lobby. Sean was giving a motivational speech to some corporate body and Trish and Elaine ended up swapping wedding tales. Once they had finished winding each other up to dangerous levels of excitement it was time to hit the road and film a very special wedding.
We arrived at the church and Elaine and I were a long way from home but I have to say, we got the warmest of welcomes from the wedding guests. Not only had Jenny filled most of them in on our Wedding Stories but they were also congratulating us on our own big day next week.
We had a brief chat with Father O’Byrne before the ceremony and he suggested that we not record his homily. I thought he was only joking but he was very serious. So now I was faced with a mini dilemma. I knew my clients would want the homily recorded but I also wanted to respect the celebrants wishes. I made a decision not to record the homily.
Jenny arrived to the church and she looked radiant. Her documentary wedding photographer – David McElland – allowed her to exit the car and make her way to the church without any interruption or staged poses. I love documentary photographers because they allow a day to take its natural course. An added bonus was that David was a joy to work alongside and we had mighty craic during our dinner at the reception. Back to the ceremony, it was obvious that Jenny had put a lot of thought into this and all other portions of the day. Her flower and candle arrangements were stunning, she chose meaningful readings, handpicked great readers, and there was an obvious connection between the couple and their priest…
Father O’Byrne started his homily.
My hand reached for the stop button and Fr. O’Byrne started to weave a story about a cornflake box around a theme of ‘coincidence’. I was hooked. The more I convinced myself that I needed to push Stop the more I found my hand drifting away from the camera and down to my side. The priest’s words brought me back to the coincidental meeting with Trish and Sean at the hotel that morning. I found myself looking back at a crammed summer of weddings and wondered how different my life would be if I hadn’t been ‘lucky’ enough to have met so many great brides and grooms. I wondered where I would be if I hadn’t found myself staring at a €2,500 camera in a London shop window back in 2003. I was pretty broke but I bought it on a credit card in a moment of madness… That moment of madness took me on a journey into a new career and back to Ireland where I met Elaine. In just one weeks time, we would be married.
I’m glad I recorded that homily. It carried great meaning to the couple, it gripped an entire congregation, and it made me reflect upon my own good fortune and somewhat prepared me for the week ahead.
We could not have handpicked a better couple than Jenny and Gavin to film before our own big day. Coincidence? Probably… but I’m so thankful that we got to share in their amazing day just the same!
Other key vendors and suppliers:
Shane Black – He was magic
Bridge House Hotel – They went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that Jenny and Gavin had a fun and unforgettable day.
I suppose you could say I’m a people watcher.
Even back in the day, when I could not afford to own a video camera, I used to find myself sitting in cafés observing how people interact with other. For instance, what did that hug between two friends really mean: was it a comfortable embrace or simply a polite but strained exchange? In answering my own questions I would find myself building stories inspired by the strangers around me. I’ll come back to this but first, let me tell you a little about Caroline and Brian’s wedding day.
The wedding ceremony took place in the same Cloheen Church where 32 years ago, Caroline’s parents, Frank and Eileen, were married and Father John celebrated both ceremonies; a beautiful touch!. As soon as this fact came to my attention I began to see this teaser in Black and White. Their full Wedding Story is awash with vibrant colours but B&W always summons up a nostalgic aesthetic for me so where better to use it than in their teaser.
Caroline and Brian are a fun couple and the only time they ever got choked up was when they spoke about both sets of parents. Their appreciation and love for their parents was there for all to see on the day so, of course, there is a strong theme of family connections driving the teaser and Wedding Story.
The wedding reception was held at Dunmore House Hotel, County Cork where the views are just breathtaking. Caroline and Brian could not praise the hotel enough so it turned out to be the perfect venue for them. Another fantastic service provider who always deserves a special mention is documentary wedding photographer, Roger Overall. We love working with him because he allows a wedding day to unfold with zero interference and he respects all aspects of the wedding experience. Weddings are all about the bride and groom: some vendors only pay lip service to this fact but not Roger; his actions speak louder than words! Most of all, we love working with Roger because he has become a very good friend and, like myself, he thrives on reading people and the moments they create.
And that brings me back to people watching. What I noticed on Caroline and Brian’s day and what made me smile while I edited their film were the people in the background, especially Caroline’s friends. They are beaming. Huge smiles light up their faces. You can see them craning their necks for better views during the ceremony. It’s a sure sign that Caroline and Brian are loved by their friends. And these reactions say more than words can ever say about this couple!
Thanks for having us Caroline and Brian; it was a pleasure for us to share in your wonderful story!
Other ker suppliers and vendors:
Seroca Bridal, Limerick – Bride’s Dress
Virginia’s Bridal, Limerick – Bridesmaid’s Dress
Tom Murphy Menswear, Cork – Suit Hire
‘something borrowed’ Louise McCarthy – Bride’s Shoes
Maria Fitzgerald, www.wedding singer.ie – Church Music
Patsy Sweeney, Dunmanway, Co. Cork – Transport
Aisling Flowers, Wilton Shopping Centre, Cork – Florist
This couple will always have a special place in our heart!
The Boland family live on the Galway and Mayo border and from the second we were welcomed into their home on the morning of the wedding, Elaine and I bonded with this family in a very special way. There was a huge well of good feeling toward the bride and it was heart warming to see all the bridesmaids rally behind Darre as the nerves cranked up by the second. Not only that, but everyone couldn’t do enough for myself and Elaine and our time with the Boland {and O’Malley} family was one of our most memorable 2010 moments.
A huge amount of care and attention went into every aspect of the day and the ceremony was no different. The church decor by Wedding Couture was elegant and stylish and Darre’s entrance was one of my all time favourites; after all her efforts, after all the build up of nerves, her moment was here and one couldn’t help but be touched by her reaction.
The homily by Father Michael Crosby was just amazing. The inflection in his voice was dreamy and somewhat nostalgic and his message was simple and yet, meaningful.
After the ceremony we travelled with the wedding photographer, Melissa Mannion to the picturesque village of Cong where The Quiet Man starring John Wayne was filmed. Melissa’s reputation proceeds her so although I had never worked with her before I had heard many good reports; as it turns out, all well deserved. She was a pleasure to work alongside and I look forward to seeing her again in the future.
Our trip back to the hotel, in unfamiliar territory and without our Sat-Nav, was fraught with nerves in case we got lost. Despite a couple of wrong turns {I will at least try to listen to Elaine in future} we managed to get to the Claregalway Hotel before our bride and groom. Relief!
Darre made sure we were fed and watered with a gorgeous meal at the bar and again, we are so thankful to the kindness extended to us by these incredible people!
Darre and Matthias; thank you so much for choosing us to be a part of your day and congratulations on your little bundle of joy that’s on the way!!!
Key Vendors and suppliers:
Claregalway Hotel – Darre and Matthias raved about the first class attention from the wedding co-ordinator, Nora Gill. Elaine and I were very impressed with all aspects of the hotel!
Melissa Mannion – wedding photography by an excellent photographer. Check her out.
Shirley in Branch Florists Galway – Florist
Tracey Bridals in Galway – THE DRESS by Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids dresses by Lazaro in RK Bridals, New York City
Make up by Caroline Coyne – Such a pleasant girl and great make-up
Helga Kampff – Another fantastic girl who looked after the hair styles
I know I’ve said this before but there is something truly magical about Dromoland Castle weddings and I know the Australian – and Irish – guests were very impressed with Maryanne and Phil’s big day.
Maryanne is an Irish girl living in Australia where she met her new husband, Phil. They have an adorable boy, Ethan, and although he was quite ill on the eve of the wedding, the little fella pulled through on the big day and he played a stormer.
Elaine and I travelled up to Clare the night before and we stayed in our favourite guesthouse, The Courtyard, because we had an early rise next morning to film the bride and groom preparations at the castle. The girls were very well behaved but the boys’ camp was full of mischief and I struggled to keep the camera steady as I laughed at three grown men trying to dress little Ethan. Off the top of my head I can’t tell you for certain if they ever managed to get his shoes on….
The ceremony was held at St. John’s, Cratloe and we love working with the parish priest, Fr. Liam Enright. He is an absolute gentleman and his common touch always puts to bed any nerves that a couple might have during the ceremony.
Margaret Daly and Nico Hernandez from Dromoland Castle made sure that the everyone – including myself and Elaine – had an incredible time at the reception.
Thanks for having us, Maryanne, Phil, and Ethan!!!
Key vendors and suppliers:
Dromoland Castle – just magic!
Fr. Liam Enright – no wonder so many Dromoland couples choose St. John’s, Cratloe.
Cormac Byrne – despite being on the end of some tragic circumstances at the time, Cormac carried on with his duties with a big smile on his face. True professional and a pleasure to work with!
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!
The groomsmen were trying hard to convince me that Edmond was nervous underneath his happy, charming exterior. They failed. Edmond was by far the coolest man in the church; in fact, I think my usual pre-bridal arrival nerves far outweighed any jitters the groom was experiencing.
Speaking of bridal arrivals, this one happened at about 100km an hour in a Maserati. I was setting myself up for a creative shot of the approach and I nearly had to dive out of the way of incoming vehicle. And, someone somewhere was definitely in a hurry to get Clodagh, the stunning bride, up that aisle to Edmond because her parents were just short of running her to the top of the church. Clodagh joked about it in her speeches and promised her parents that “only the finest of nursing homes await you…”
Dunloe Castle and general manager, Jason Clifford, deserve a big shout out for the part they played in this amazing event. Exquisite food and first class service for the guests and as ever, Elaine and I were made to feel right home.
Thanks a million to Clodagh and Edmond for having us!
Key Wedding vendors and suppliers on the day:
Dunloe Castle Hotel – Jason Clifford and his team played a huge part in making this an amazing day!
Collage – They played at the “After Party” which we also filmed and they were brilliant.
When John and Maria {who are living in Sydney} re-introduced themselves to me at Karen & Barry’s wedding in Clare – the week before their own big day – I couldn’t place them at first. I had met the couple about a year beforehand for a nice cup of tea and even though they had left a huge impression upon me at the time, right now I couldn’t for the life of me remember who they were.
It was September, I was working on a wedding for Ireland’s biggest and best known wedding planner, we were in the middle of my busiest summer of shooting ever, our enquiry rates had gone through the roof, and my own wedding was less than one month away. I got up at 6 every morning and spent 12 hour days editing weddings, when I finished work our families discussed nothing else but my wedding, and when I’d take a drive to get a break from it all I would find huge billboard campaigns on the roadside advertising wedding fairs and the like… There was no escaping My Big Fat Wedding Life.
One week later, we made the short trip back west to Castlegregory and Dingle and we found ourselves on very familiar territory. Keith and Evelyn Woodard – who we love working alongside but never get enough time to continue our great chats with – were looking after the wedding photography. Christina from All Seasons {who was our amazing florist for our own wedding} was looking after the floral arrangements, Marina Cassidy {who was one of the stars of my wedding!} was the musician, and Father Michael Hussey was the celebrant and he is well known to myself and Elaine.
The ceremony was amazing.
I may have been going through an overload of all things weddings but this day’s events had an almost hypnotic affect on me… In fact, Elaine commented afterward on our way to the Dingle Skellig Hotel that I looked lost in the music as I gazed into Marina’s harp while she played. The woman is an amazing artist and she has a gift that very few possess; what she does is very special.
Then Father Hussey delivered one of the most poetic homilies I’ve ever heard about friendships and home. It was beautiful and very meaningful to the couple, their families, and friends.
As the day unfolded, Fr. Hussey’s words stayed with me and the theme of “home” grew stronger and stronger as I looked and listened closer to John and Maria’s story. I also learned that they are the nicest people you could wish to meet and although it took me a few moments to place them just one week before, I can honestly say that after sharing in their amazing day I will never forget them!
Thanks for having us, John and Maria!!!
Key wedding professionals on the day
- Photography – The Woodards
- Music – Marina Cassidy
- Reception – Dingle Skellig Hotel
- Florist – All Seasons
Miriam Kelly first introduced herself to us face-to-face as one of our future brides at Bernie Gleeson’s wedding in Jan 2010. We liked her immediately and herself and Elaine fell into a deep and meaningful conversation about shoes, jewellery, bridesmaid dresses, shopping in New York, handbags… I think I even heard them mention umbrellas at one stage. So, we were really looking forward to Miriam’s big day and when it finally arrived she could not have wished for better weather. We met all the family at Miriam’s parents farmhouse which was bustling with make-up artists, hair stylists, and a couple of lads lazing about in Liverpool jerseys.
We met lots of familiar faces at the church and a couple of past brides and grooms of ours; Bernie and Finbarr who I already mentioned and John and Jennifer Coffey from Castleisland. Another familiar face was John Walsh the wedding photographer who we hadn’t worked with in quite some time so it was great to catch up and grab quick chats at quiet moments through the day. Father Sugrue – who we have worked with on many occasions – was the celebrant and his very kind words to us at the end of the ceremony were very much appreciated!
When Miriam entered the church she looked absolutely amazing and her lucky groom, Donnacha, could be heard stuttering all sorts of compliments as she arrived at the top of the aisle.
The reception was held at The Earl of Desmond Hotel in Tralee. It was our first time filming a wedding at this recently renovated hotel (I have filmed an event for Kerry Airport there though) and Liz was the perfect hostess. I have to say that the banquet hall looked gorgeous; exposed stone work, high ceilings, and mocha table linens against white chair covers were easy on the camera lens. Liz and her staff made sure that we were looked after at every stage of the evening and through the night and Elaine and I want to thank them for all their hard work and consideration.
We must also thank Miriam and Donnacha for making sure that we were well fed. They even insisted upon seating us with their guests and their kindness made us feel like such an important part of their day. Thanks a million for having us, Miriam and Donnacha!