In mid-November I had lots of fun taking part in a styled shoot in the gorgeous Loughcrew Estate in Co. Meath.
Earlier in the Autumn I was contacted by Sophia T Photography to see if I wanted to collaborate on a project. Myself and Sophia worked together last year on a photo shoot which turned out brilliant, so I was delighted to be working together again.
Woodland Theme & Collaborators
We discussed ideas and decided to try for a woodland theme. We both liked the idea of doing most of the shoot outdoors, although it is always tricky with the Irish weather. But we decided to give it a go anyway, and talked about venues. I suggested Loughcrew and contacted Aine Hussey who works there and they were happy to have us come in.
We thought it would be a fun concept to give a real-life married couple the chance to put on their wedding clothes again and come for a fun shoot. Luckily my sister recently got married and was more than happy to milk the bride and groom thing a bit longer! They agreed to be our models for the day, my sister delighted that she was getting a chance to wear her stunning dress again.
Her dress has a purple underlay and this was used as the base colour for the flowers and tablescape, mixed with a palette of plums, greenery and accents of gold. I immediately contacted Sharon Beatty of Flower Maven who I had worked on a previous styling job with, and she was happy to come on board.
The Day of the Shoot
On site at Loughcrew stands the ruins of St. Oliver Plunketts family church. This is such an amazing ruin to have a wedding ceremony in. I loved the drama of the place, and it is the perfect venue for couples looking for something a bit special. Obviously weather permitting! We were lucky on the day of the shoot that the skies were blue, although a pesky wind was blowing that made it difficult to keep candles alight.
Sophia did some shots around Loughcrew House with Dannielle and Tom first while we got set up in the church area. The altar there was decorated with candles, orchids and greenery and looked fab. I did a make-shift aisle with eucalyptus leaves and candles. The rawness of the ruin itself really added to the atmosphere. We did some shots in the church area, with me putting on my dress and playing the part of Celebrant again. They ‘tied the knot’ in a traditional Celtic hand-fasting, mirroring their own wedding ceremony which we did a month previous.
Then it was into the woods to shoot the tablescape and woodland scene. I had found the perfect spot in amongst the trees. Dream catchers were hung throughout the trees to give a bit of a magical feel. We had a wooden tipi complete with deer skull, a piece I had my very talented brother in law build for their wedding, and which suited this location even better! The tipi was draped with ivy and orchids and looked amazing.
The table setting was dark and moody with rich colours and tones. A black table cloth, gold rimmed glasses and plates, gold cutlery, the beautiful table display Sharon had created, surrounded by lots of candles really came together to create what I thought was a stunning table. It fitted in with the location beautifully and really worked well with the look and feel we were hoping to achieve.
Saving the day…..
Oona from Splash Graphics Wedding Stationery saved the day when our original stationery did not arrive on time. With a days notice, Oona came on board and after a quick brief on colours, types of flowers and the overall theme, she came up with a beautiful suite of stationery. Ruta Vysniauskyte provided the cake, again stepping in at the last minute, and the result was stunning and so yummy looking!
As the sun was setting the light coming in through the trees in the woodland really set the scene and Sophia got some gorgeous pictures of the couple. We finished with shots of the table, and even had the couple share a cup of tea in the fanciest tea-pot I’ve ever seen, provided by The Dish Dolly, along with the cutlery.
The light left us but we were all delighted with the days work.
Collaborators on this shoot were:
Styling & Concept: Yvonne Cassidy Weddings
Photography: Sophia T Photography
Florist: Flower Maven
Venue: Loughcrew Estate & Gardens
Stationery: Splash Graphics Wedding Stationery
Make-Up: All Dolled Up
Cutlery/tea-set: The Dish Dolly
Models: Dannielle & Tom Nolan
Celebrant: Yvonne Cassidy Weddings
Bridal Dress: Coco Melody Online
Grooms Suit: Jack Dunne & Son Gorey
Cake: Ruta Vsyniauskyte
Yvonne Cassidy is a wedding stylist, planner and Independent Wedding Celebrant. Based in Dublin, she works nationwide with couples who are looking for new and alternative ways to add their own personality into their wedding day. Contact Yvonne to discuss your vision for you wedding day.
