White Tea | Fine Photography Just Add Sugar

As I shoot more and more weddings I’m becoming increasingly drawn to the symbolism of them. You could say that up until a few years ago most weddings were ruled mainly by tradition and it is refreshing now to see couples not only breaking away from expected wedding customs, but also looking into the origin of traditions and incorporating their own symbolic elements representative to their relationships.

For instance, did you know that the tradition for the bride to carry a bouquet came from old times when people had poor hygiene and the floral bouquet was simply supposed to mask the unpleasant body odours? That is hardly applicable now and these days flowers serve as aesthetic pleasure. I really like when couples start asking questions about the origin of popular customs and pick traditions that truly mean something to them.

With Jess & Will’s wedding I really loved how both of them decided to incorporate many unique elements that made the whole wedding feel like their own little world. The maze that they built in the garden was not only fun but also came from Jess & Will’s favourite book, Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ramson. The space elements came from Jess’ passion for science and space. She actually works for European Spacecraft Mission Designs (now, how cool is that?). I could go on and on about different different aspects of this wedding, but I think you’ll be able to pick up different things yourselves from looking at their pictures.

All the different elements made the day very special and individual. I hope you’ll enjoy looking at their colourful and sunny pictures in the middle of winter when it’s snowing outside and maybe even have your own head in the clouds for a few minutes. It is also always a pleasure for me to go back to Castlelyons. Because of its relaxed atmosphere and eclectic style, Ballyvolane House has become one of my favourite Irish venues.

To read more about Jess’ & Will’s wedding inspiration pop onto their feature on One Fab Day.