GOODBYE TWENTY FOURTEEN

Twenty Fourteen saw me ramp up my commitment to weddings by becoming a full time wedding photographer.  A simple step really.  Should I do something which I love for my full time job? I answered that rhetorical question with a resounding yes. 

I was in County Fermanagh quite a bit this year and got to shoot at the Lough Erne Resort and the Killyhevlin Hotel.  Both of these hotels benefit from the view of Lough Erne, a view that never gets old.  I was at the Lough Erne Resort for Michael & Wendy's wedding.  This wedding was featured on the Northern Ireland wedding blog, The Promise.  You can read more about this wedding here.  Nipping a little further down the road I got to visit the quaint village of Belleek (home of Belleek Pottery!) for the first time.  Scott & Julie got married in a little Church, equally as quaint as the village itself, and afterwards travelled to Donegal to  Lough Eske Castle for their reception.  Stunning venue, amazing food and beside a Lough.  Any venue near water is a friend of mine.  

Back in County Down I had the pleasure of shooting five weddings at Larchfield Estate, including my first outdoor ceremony, which in Northern Ireland, makes me so happy.  The gardens were looking 'blooming' wonderful.  I never get tired of this venue.  I also had the opportunity to shoot at The Carriage Rooms at Montalto Estate.  I was treated to this venue twice this year, once in the Autumn and again in Winter.  This venue is nothing short of exceptional.  The layout, design, interiors and attention to detail throughout the venue is to such a high standard it is actually quite hard to describe.  Such a hidden gem.  All those times driving through Ballynahinch, little did I know what lay up in the hills!  Just out the road in Downpatrick I returned to The Mill at Ballydugan a couple of times this year.  I always find The Mill to have a very relaxed, laid-back feel.  Being a family-run establishment probably adds to this.  If you like rustic, it's hard to beat.

The most unique wedding venue prize, if there was such a thing, would go to my good friends Jamie & Natalie.  They chose the Queens University Belfast building of Riddel Hall for their wedding reception.  The reception room is a renovated courtyard.  A big space, surrounded by red brick listed walls and an enclosed glass roof.  Really beautiful.  Somewhere to bear in mind if you are looking for something a bit different.  This wedding was featured on The Promise.  You can see it here.  A close second for the unique wedding prize would go to Andrew & Elaine.  They had a winter marquee wedding on their farm.  There was a concern about it being cold so they had a purpose built shed erected on the farm for the Marquee to fit snuggly inside.  It was the biggest shed I had ever seen.  And the warmest wedding I had ever been to.  Well done Andrew & Elaine.  Well done.

So there we go, the first year of full time wedding photography.

I hope there are many more to come, as I really do love my work.

Goodbye Twenty Fourteen!

Esther x