Madness

The title refers to both the actions of the subjects of this photo and the whole day in general...

It all started so well, with a lovely long drive through County Donegal to get to the wedding venue, in a little seaside village called Rathmullan. My first task of the day was to photograph the groom and some friends going for a swim in the sea, a brave move on a cold and grey October morning!

The rest of the wedding was a real challenge, probably one of the two or three toughest weddings I've ever shot. A late ceremony, non-stop torrential rain, rapidly fading light, limited indoor photo locations and a huge list of large family group shots made it a bit of a stressful one! It really felt like a wedding in the depths of winter, one of those days when you wonder why on earth you didn't pick a nice normal job!

It wasn't all bad news though - the couple, their bridal party and guests were absolutely lovely, and there was a really nice cosy atmosphere about the day, with everyone crowded inside around the open fires. When couples organise their weddings in Ireland in October they never expect a beautiful day, but I don't think anyone could have predicted such horrific weather! It didn't seem to phase anyone though, it looked like they were all having a great time.

It almost broke me though.



(Probably best viewed in Large to see the various reactions to the cold water! The groom is just left of middle, looking towards the camera)