Some couples plan a first look in a quiet corner of the garden. Alice-May and Rory chose the edge of the Wild Atlantic Way.
They met while working at the same publishing house in London, two people who understood the power of a good story long before they became one. So when it came to planning their wedding day, it made sense that they wanted something with a little more drama than a hotel corridor.
The day started early, with Rory and his groomsmen heading to a nearby beach for a swim before getting ready. There's something about cold water on a wedding morning. It clears the head, settles the nerves, and gets everyone properly present for the day ahead. I might be biased here. I'm a cold water swimmer myself, and there's no better way to start a big day than a shock of Atlantic salt water and a laugh with your closest friends.
From there it was straight into prep, and by early afternoon we were on Inchydoney Point for the first look. Rory stood facing the water, his groomsmen lined up in front of him, Alice-May's bridesmaids gathered behind. She walked up quietly behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.
I'll be honest. I've photographed a lot of first looks. That one stopped me for a second. The sound of the waves, the wind, the way he turned and just stopped. That's the kind of moment you can't direct. You can only be ready for it.
The day was glorious. Blue skies, full sun, the kind of heat that had half the wedding party catching a sneaky sunburn without realising it, thanks to a cool sea breeze that disguised just how strong the sun really was. After the first look, we took the wedding party for photographs across the Point and down onto Inchydoney Beach itself, before heading back to Dunmore House for the ceremony on the cliffs.
With 150 guests, the cliffside ceremony at Dunmore House was exactly what the location deserves. Wide open sky, the Atlantic stretched out behind them, and not a single seat with a bad view.
I covered the full day, from that early morning swim right through to the first dance, and honestly, days like this remind me why I love what I do. You don't get a swim, a clifftop first look, a beach shoot and a sunset ceremony very often. You get a day like Alice-May and Rory's once in a while, and you remember it for years.
Dunmore House Hotel is one of my favourite venues to shoot in West Cork. The light off the water in the evening is something else, and the combination of clifftop ceremony and beach photography gives a day like this a sense of scale that's hard to find anywhere else in Munster.
To Alice-May and Rory, thank you for trusting me with a day this special. I hope every time you feel a sea breeze, you think of Inchydoney Point.
Dunmore House Hotel is one of my favourite venues to shoot in West Cork. The light off the water in the evening is something else, and the combination of clifftop ceremony and beach photography gives a day like this a sense of scale that's hard to find anywhere else in Munster.
It's a venue close to my heart for another reason too. My own wedding reception was held at Dunmore House. It's family run, and you feel that the moment you arrive. Every member of staff treats you like you're the only couple getting married that year. That kind of warmth and attention to detail isn't something you can train into people. It's just who they are. So when I photograph a wedding here, I'm not just working at a beautiful venue. I'm back somewhere that means a great deal to me personally.
Looking for a wedding photographer for your Dunmore House Hotel wedding, or planning a ceremony along the West Cork coastline? I'd love to hear from you.
