Services We Offer:

Here is a list of some of the services we offer at Glynns Photography.

  • Weddings
    Husband and Wife Team, Jenny and Pat with their years of experience bring personal flair to their work. They will shoot the traditional style of Photography, or if you wish they will combine the traditional with some reportage Photography with this combination they will really capture the vibrancy of your great day.
  • Family Portraits
    We photograph families in our Studio, at Patrick Street, Castlerea , but we are also happy to photograph families in their own homes.
  • Restoration Work
    As you can see from the Gallery , we have a high standard of restoration work , again we receive a lot of repeat business from satisfied customers.
  • Public Relations
    Glynn's Photography cover a wide variety of events, and the fact that they receive repeat business from their many clients, is proof that Public Relations Work is a very important part of their business.
  • Make-overs / Glamour Shots
    Jenny looks after the make-over sessions in the Studio, she works with "The Body Beautiful" Hair and Make-up Company in Main St, Castlerea and as you can see from the image achieves great success. The Make over Session makes a great gift and each client receives a "Flip Album" CD of their Photo Shoot. Prices of the Make Over are available on request.
  • Environmental Portraiture
    Jenny and Pat love working outdoors, and will suggest many locations known to them for individual and Family Portraits.


Weddings in Ireland

Table of Contents

  1. Wedding Venue - Castle or Hotel?
  2. What Glynns Photography can do to help you organize your Irish Wedding?
  3. Links to help you organize your Wedding day in Ireland.
  4. Sample itinerary for an Irish Wedding
  5. Travel options to Ireland?
  6. How to Plan an Irish Wedding?
  7. How to Hire a Photographer?


1. Wedding Venue - Castle or Hotel?

What do you think of, when you think of Ireland?, Towering ancient Castles, lush green landscapes?. It's really no wonder then, that many people imagine their fairy tale wedding in a castle such as the gorgeous Ashford and Dromoland Castles pictured below. These historic castles in Ireland are open to the public, and some have been renovated into world-class luxury hotels. These castle hotels offer an oasis of elegance. There are three major luxury castle hotels in Ireland, some of which have been the backdrop to the high profile weddings of a few celebrity couples who have recently chosen Ireland as the location for their dream weddings.

Location: Ashford Castle in the West of Ireland is 30 minutes from Galway City. 90 minutes from Shannon Airport and 45 minutes from Knock Airport. Wedding options: The Ashford Castle can accommodate two styles of weddings, either a maximum of 40 persons or a maximum of 160 persons. Ashford Castle is situated among some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, offering unlimited possibilities for short driving tours. Within a few hours you can sample magnificent mountain vistas, enchanting seascapes, and rugged Connemara. Visit Ashford Castle at www.ashford.ie

Location: Dromoland Castle, located in the west of Ireland (quite near the present-day Shannon Airport). The castle can cater for wedding parties Banqueting Hall with a minimum number of 120 guests and a maximum number of 300. The surroundings are as breathtaking as the castle itself, with spectacular views of lush, wooded parkland and the Shannon river. Dromoland Castle’s interiors are no less majestic than its surroundings with vast rooms, larger than a traditional hotel room and even many city apartments. The décor is pleasantly old-fashioned, with modern functional necessities. Visit Dromoland Castle at www.dromoland.ie

Ardilaun House Hotel, Galway is a much sought after venue for weddings. Not only because of its unique setting and landscaped gardens, but also because you can rest assured when you leave your wedding reception in their capable and experienced hands. Visit Ardilaun House Hotel for all your wedding, business and leisure needs. www.ardilaunhousehotel.ie

Galway www.glenlo.com Glenlo Abbey Hotel located in Galway in the West of Ireland is an ideal location for your wedding reception. Capable of accommodating wedding parties or 28 to 160.

Cloghan Castle, Co Galway Ideal venue for weddings Shannon Airport - 1 hour Galway - 25 mins Sleeps 14 Seats 120
KILCOLGAN Castle, Co. Galway Galway - 11 miles Dublin 125 miles Shannon - 46 miles
KNAPPOGUE CASTLE, Co. Clare Dublin - 3 hours Shannon 10 minutes
Lough Cutra Castle, Co Galway/Clare. Shannon 40 mins Sleeps 12 Seats max 100 Dancing max 250
St Clerans, Co Galway

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2. What Glynns Photography can do to help you organize your Irish Wedding?

We'll certainly do all we can to be a point of Contact and if we don't have the information we'll help get it for you. Please E-mail us or call with specific questions jennypat@eircom.net and stevenglynn@hotmail.com We want to hear what you want to know? Do you want everything to be organized for you or will you organize the majority of it yourself with a helping hand?

  • Methods of communication: It's easiest to contact us via phone +353 (0)94 96 20094 or you can e-mail us. We can help you plan the perfect wedding in Ireland.
  • Hours to contact us Tuesday to Saturday 10:00 to 6pm GMT (5 hours ahead of New York.
  • You will will need to start considering;
  • Where in Ireland would you like to have the wedding?,
  • What is the size of wedding, how many guests?
  • What style of wedding are you considering?
  • What is your budget?
  • When would you like to have the wedding? The weather is always something to consider here!
  • Ask for a contact list for Wedding services in Ireland.
    Irish wedding traditions, which ones are for you?
  • Photographs and timing: We can also make ourselves available after the wedding day. We can accommodate this if couples feel they have a special place where they would like to get additional photographs taken. Just get all dressed up and get your pictures taken at your leisure. There's no better time.
  • Reportage Photography: One of the many advantages of having a husband and wife team is the opportunity for Reportage Photography. A very nice touch is to mingle with the crowd and take shots in a less formal setting. You can't be everywhere on the day and what better way to capture the day. Reportage Photography really captures the vibrancy of the day.
  • Disposable cameras: Another option to capture as much as possible, is the use of disposable cameras at the dinner tables for the guests. Everyone takes whatever pictures they want and then leaves the camera behind so that the couple can develop them. There can be a few gems in the bunch that can make it all worthwhile.
  • Seeing it all come together can be a fun process, we want to be there every step of the way. We would love the opportunity to Photograph your wedding.
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3. Links to help you organize your Wedding day in Ireland.

Please email us with your preferred wedding website. We want to know what's hot at the moment and would love to hear what forums and websites you find beneficial. We want to stay up to date. In addition to this please email us about advertising your website with us, all we ask is that you allow us to advertise with you.

ServiceLocationContact Information
No 1 resource for Irish weddingsIrelandwww.irishweddingsonline.com
Ireland's Complete Online Wedding DirectoryIrelandwww.wedding-ireland.com
Nationwide Information on WeddingsIrelandwww.irishweddingday.com
Wedding planning links and information.Ireland and UKwww.topweddingsites.com
Irish wedding websiteIrelandwww.simplyweddings.com
Wedding Vendors in and around GalwayGalwaywww.galwaybrides.com
Irish wedding guideMagazinewww.4321.co.il/guide/Ireland
Vintage car RentalGalwaywww.tombrett.com/vintagecars
Limousine hireGalwaywww.irishlimohire.com
FloristGalwaywww.flowerpowerireland.com
Soloist Ballyhaunis & the West of Irelandwww.brianflanaganmusic.com
Wedding DVDGalwaywww.weddings.daveyav.com
Sean Brown Wedding DVDsRoscommon Contact Glynns Photography
String QuartetGalwaywww.orielquartet.com
Suit HireGalway, Ballyhaunis & Castlereawww.martinfeeney.com , Eddie Murphy, John Mulligan.
Hand crafted cardsGalwaywww.amanda-designs.net


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4. Sample Itinerary for an Irish Wedding

DAY 1 - BRIDE & GROOM ARRIVE IN IRELAND
Rental Car waiting
Drive or Chauffeur driven to your new humble abode in the west of Ireland (Mayo?)
Early VIP check-in to a discreet, luxury country hotel
Lunch with wedding coordinator
Dinner at the hotel

DAY 2 - FAMILY & GUESTS ARRIVE
Sleep late, Breakfast in bed
Family and friends arrive
Welcome lunch in local pub
Dinner with parents
Evening in town

DAY 3 - REHEARSAL & DINNER
Sleep late, Breakfast in bed
Massages for Bride & Groom
Early afternoon rehearsal at Gothic Style Church
Fresh mussels and seafood dinner at Hotel

DAY 4 - WEDDING DAY
No sleep in today !
Breakfast with the respective parents and family
Bride has make up and hair done at the hotel
Groom relaxes with family and friends
Late afternoon Wedding
Reception at famous seaside location
Reception includes a 4 course Irish Dinner, followed by a traditional Irish Ceili of music and dancing

DAY 5 - FREE DAY
Sleep late. Breakfast in bed
Goodbye lunch
Bride & Groom to begin honeymoon in Ireland

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5. Travel options to Ireland?

The two major International airports are Shannon International (SNN) on the west coast and Dublin International (DUB) on the East coast. Please click the following links for great deals on airline tickets to Ireland and Irish car rentals.

Jetlag & Hotels

When landing in Ireland, most people experience a bit of jet lag and may be tired. Ireland is on Grenage Mean Time (GMT), which is 5 hours ahead of the east coast USA and 8 hours ahead of the west coast. Most hotels do not allow guests to check into their rooms until 2:00pm. If you know you suffer from jetlag, you may want to book your room for the night before so that you can check in as soon as you arrive or at least make sure to ask ahead.

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6. How to plan an Irish Wedding?

A wedding in Ireland is a great opportunity to reconnect with your roots and re-identify with your heritage. With so many sacred locations, Ireland is an ideal place to make a life long commitment.

Steps:
  1. Select a date for the wedding. The last day of the year is considered an especially lucky time for an Irish marriage
  2. Choose Claddagh rings for your wedding bands. These traditional Irish rings, when worn on the ring finger of the left hand with the heart facing in, tell the world your heart is taken forever.
  3. Select and book a Photographer to ensure he / she is available. Get the right mix of technical ability and friendliness.
  4. Ask a child to present a satin horseshoe to the bride at the conclusion of the ceremony. This represents good luck. Insert the horseshoe open end up (so the luck won't run out) into the bridal bouquet.
  5. Honor the person who introduced you to each other with a special toast at the wedding. This tradition stems from the days when a matchmaker had that role.
  6. Serve a traditional Irish wedding cake, which is a fruit cake filled with almonds, raisins, cherries and spice, and laced with brandy or bourbon. You can order this or make it yourself.
  7. Sign up for ceilidh (dance) lessons for the bride and bridal party prior to the wedding to learn some Irish dances to perform at the ceremony.
  8. Hire a band that can play popular Irish songs, such as "The Irish Wedding Song," "Oh Danny Boy," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," and "My Favorite Irish Rose."
  9. Include a song or dance that reflects your family's specific heritage.
  10. Tie harvest knots out of straw and decorate them with small flowers or bells to give to guests as favors. Attach a scroll explaining the significance, which is that young Irish men traditionally gave these to their girls to show their devotion.
  11. Suggest your florist weave tiny harvest knots into your bouquet.
  12. The Catholic Church has some strong opinions on the suitability of music for the wedding ceremony. To that end it has produced Guidelines which exclude secular love songs it does not consider appropriate. Songs like "the Rose" and "Lady in Red" feature in this list. Surprisingly songs like the "Ave Maria" also feature, because it is a song to the Virgin Mary and not "appropriate to the sacred character of the occasion". Similarly the "Pie Jesu" which is part of the requiem mass and particularly inappropriate for weddings. Whether or not the list is enforced is up to the priest performing the ceremony. Generally there is little to worry about; but it is worth running it by the priest beforehand. Choirs or orchestras should have priests check their playlist before a performance.
  13. Photos can be set up during the ceremony or after.
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7. How to Hire a Photographer for Your Wedding

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What yours say about your wedding day will depend a lot on who's behind the camera.

  1. Ask family, friends and recent newlyweds for recommendations, and set up interviews. You can also consult the yellow pages and wedding vendors, but exercise extra caution in checking work samples and references if you find your photographers in this manner.
  2. Request to see a complete coverage of each photographer's work - that is, ask for a picture portfolio of an entire wedding for which he or she was hired.
  3. Choose an overall photographic style that suits you, whether photojournalistic, candid, formal posed portraits, artsy with added dramatic flourishes, color, or black-and-white for a romantic, classy look - or select a blend of a number of styles. Which can the prospective photographer deliver?
  4. Consider the photographer's personality. Decide if you share a vision and will get along well. Remember, the photographer will be your shadow before and during the event.
  5. Check prices, including those of packages offered and numbers of prints included. Remember, it may be worth it to invest in a good photographer if it means that the memories of the day will be captured perfectly or near-perfectly on film.
  6. Schedule a follow-up meeting to hammer out specifics ' specific shots you want and don't want, the shooting schedule on the day of the wedding.


Tips:

Confirm that the photographer you hire will be the one to actually shoot the pictures.

Book early; the best wedding photographers get booked a year in advance.

Find a photographer who either is a pro or is excited about shooting weddings, and who brings some personal flair to his or her work.

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