Becky & Dan – Mount Juliet Wedding Photographer
Rebecca and Dan, who came from Phoenix, Arizona, married at Mount Juliet Estate’s Manor House. Dan, a keen photographer himself, was drawn to the photographer’s natural and candid style. They wanted to be part of their party and not be away from proceedings for too long. They knew that they would get the images and the party they wanted by booking the photographer.
Bridal Preparations at the Presidential Suite – Mount Juliet Wedding Photographer
Becky got ready in the Presidential Suite with two of her bridesmaids. Dawn Ryan and Valerie O’Dea were on duty, looking after hair and make-up. Dan was downstairs with his sons, trying to figure out how to work the bow tie for the black tie wedding! I myself donned a tux, eager to camouflage myself in the crowd. Those 56 guests were ferried up to the walled garden ahead of the ceremony, leaving just Becky and me at the Manor House, where they had a quick portrait session and then jumped in the buggy. Jimmy, the amazing wedding coordinator, at our beck and call all day, took us right the way up.
Ceremony in the Walled Garden at Mount Juliet – Mount Juliet Wedding Photos
Becky made a grand entrance through the Moonwall in the Walled Garden at Mount Juliet. The weather was perfect, a lovely warm summer’s day. Not too sunny, not too cloudy. Mount Juliet had just put up a new canopy in the garden, just in case the weather would fall foul, but everything was perfect. Dan’s son was the officiant, but the couple were already legally married, so the pressure was off. They read some fantastic vows. A quick exchange of rings, a kiss, and then down the aisle.
Wedding Portrait Photographer Session at Mount Juliet Estate
After the ceremony, I and the couple made a quick 15-minute trip around the grounds to pick up some quick portraits. The main aim was to get a shot of them with Mount Juliet Manor House in the background, and it worked absolutely perfectly. We never intended to spend any more time. The plan was to get to the wedding party.
Drinks Reception Photos at The Manor House Mount Juliet
The couple walked into the party in full swing. Champagne and cocktails were on the go and of course, the amazing canopies. The couple had about an hour and a half to mix and mingle. Lenny Wall was the florist on the day, and she did an absolutely amazing job dressing up Lady Helen Restaurant. The couple had a sweetheart table at the top, and everything looked absolutely perfect.
Michelin Star Wedding Food
The chef John Kelly, whose wedding I shot the year previous, has one Michelin star. This was going to be a spectacular wedding meal. The guests were called in and seated. There were some quick speeches first, followed by dinner. The bride and groom were not having dessert today; they were eating a special cake made by John, but they had a plan about how they wanted to cut it:
“We are not doing a “traditional” cake cutting. Our guests will enjoy a lovely dessert while Dan and I have a mini cake at our sweetheart’s table. We’re not formally announcing our cake-cutting as it will be a more intimate moment, but we wanted to share it with you so you could be on the lookout. Before cutting into the cake, our friend is going to take a Polaroid picture of us while we’re sitting at the sweetheart table, and once developed, we’re going to pop that picture onto a stand as our “cake topper” on the mini cake. I thought this would be fun to catch!”
Family Photos with the beautiful Kilkenny Estate backdrop
After dinner, the photographer and the couple went out to the back of the manor house by the hill overlooking the River Nore to get some family photos. The backdrop was absolutely spectacular, and the photographer finished it off with a lovely photo of all of the main family members lined up together with the rolling hills of Kilkenny in the background.
Wedding Dancing at the Majors Bar in Mount Juliet
Becky and Dan had long planned a special dance for their first dance. It was a complex routine, and they had to practice before dinner to make sure they knew the moves, but they pulled it off, and the crowd went wild for it. After that, they danced into the early hours with the intention to go to Club 1757 in the basement for the after-party.
Immediately after the wedding, Becky reached out to me with some touching words …
“Oh Shane, where to even start?! We cannot thank you enough for everything. You were everywhere at once! And everything felt so natural, allowing us to really enjoy and soak in the day. Having you for the day was like having an old friend we’ve had all along in the festivities. You blended right in with our wild crew, a friend we have recently met and know we will keep!
Hiring a photographer was the #1 vendor we prioritized booking for the wedding. It’s such an important role; it’s how we look back and remember our amazing day during good times and in tough. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate what special care you took with our day. We cannot wait to see how the images turn out!”
And then when she recieved the wedding photographs …
“OH MY GOSH we are absolutely blown away! Speechless. (And so many happy tears!) These images have so far exceeded our expectations (and that is saying a lot since we are already huge fans of your work)! What a beautiful narrative. Shane, you are so truly gifted in the way you capture such beautiful, tender moments in an artistic and creative way that is truly powerful and emotionally moving. Just WOW.
Can’t wait to see all the portraits from when we snuck away after the ceremony 😊
We are just loving anything you send our way and can’t thank you enough!!!
Shane — it’s Dan. The B&W is astounding. Contrast and black point that are powerful and deeply evocative. Also, what comes out is that Rebecca is GORGEOUS and likely stone blind because sometimes I appear in pictures with her and she chose that. Anyway, I cried during the slideshow (naturally), and you have exceeded my exceedingly high expectations. The candid moments tell so much more story… beautifully done, sir. You have my deep admiration.”
Rebecca & Daniel – June 2024
If you would like to talk about having me as your Mount Juliet Wedding Photographer, contact Shane Here
VENDOR CREDITS
Photographer: Shane O’Neill Aspect Photography
Planning & Production: In-House at Mount Juliet Estate
Venue: Mount Juliet Luxury Wedding Venue
Florals: Lennie Wallflower
Entertainment: DJ Eoghan O’Sullivan
Videographer: Best Day Productions
Hair: Hair By Val O’Dea
Makeup: Glamour by Dawn
Cake: Chef John Kelly