Getting Married at Ballyvolane House?
Ballyvolane House gives you something a little different for a wedding in Cork, especially with the house, grounds and that beautiful woodland ceremony setting all within the same place. If you're planning your own wedding here and like the way I photographed Andzelika and Evan's day, you can see more of my approach and recent work on my Cork Wedding Photographer page.
See More Cork WeddingsAndzelika & Evan’s Wedding at Ballyvolane House
There is a story behind every wedding.
Actually, there are a few stories behind every wedding.
How they met. Who liked who first. How the proposal unfolded. All those little stories and little chapters that eventually lead to the wedding day.
I feel like Andzelika and Evan’s book has only really started. Sure, the first few chapters have already been written, but I have a feeling the best ones are still to come.
As a Ballyvolane House wedding photographer, I get to walk into somebody else’s story for a few hours and photograph whatever happens in front of me. And some weddings surprise you.
This was one of them.
Not because anything enormous happened. It was the people, the energy, the emotion and one of the most beautiful woodland settings you could ask for.
Full of Laughter
My day started with Andzelika and the girls.
And what a group of women.
There was so much energy in that room that there was absolutely no chance this wedding wasn’t going to turn into a party.
They were brilliant.
They had their own ideas for photographs they wanted to try, but they weren’t interested in standing around trying to create perfectly traditional wedding photographs.
They wanted to laugh.
They wanted to mess around.
Most importantly, they wanted to be themselves.
So that’s what we did.
The laughter never really stopped.
Andzelika looked incredible once she stepped into her wedding dress. I could see the tiniest bit of nerves beginning to creep in underneath all the laughing, though.
The girls could see it too.
And I think they knew exactly what their job was.
Keep her laughing.
Keep the energy going.
Enjoy it.
That laughter in the morning ended up setting the tone for everything that followed.
They were going to enjoy this wedding.
Arriving at Ballyvolane House
When I arrived at Ballyvolane House, one of the first things that struck me was the staff.
They were fantastic.
There didn’t seem to be enough they could do for people, and everything just felt relaxed and under control.
It was a beautiful sunny autumn day in Ireland, and only a short walk from Ballyvolane House itself, the ceremony was waiting in the woods.
And what a setting.
You walk away from the house, through the trees, and suddenly you’re standing in this incredible woodland ceremony space.
It had that fairytale feeling without anybody having to manufacture it.
The place already had its own atmosphere.
Evan Was Cool as a Cucumber
Evan, meanwhile, was cool as a cucumber.
If there were nerves floating around somewhere, he’d done a fairly good job of dealing with them.
Guests began taking their places amongst the trees and before long it was time for all of us to head into the woods.
Andzelika had arrived.
She was still laughing as the car pulled up.
Then she saw Joseph.
Her son was standing there all dressed up in his suit.
And that was it.
The tears started.
There’s something about a mother seeing her son dressed up like that on a day this important. Andzelika was out of the car and straight over to him for a huge hug and a kiss.
For me, that’s the good stuff.
You don’t have to manufacture it.
You just have to be there when it happens.
A Woodland Wedding Ceremony at Ballyvolane House
I made my way up through the woods and took my place near the top of the ceremony.
Then Andzelika appeared through the foliage.
That’s an image I’ll remember from this wedding.
She began making her way down the aisle with these enormous old trees surrounding her, almost guiding her towards Evan.
It was stunning.
We had our groom.
We had our bride.
It was time to get married.
And somehow the story of these two being told in the middle of the woods felt completely right.
We heard about how Andzelika and Evan met and how they fell in love, surrounded by trees that had been standing there long before any of us arrived.
Then came the vows.
Vows That Felt Almost Too Fragile for the Woods
Their vows were incredibly heartfelt.
Fragile is probably the best word I can use to describe them.
Everything around us seemed quiet enough that you could hear nature between the words.
And there was something about hearing those promises being made in that setting that made them feel even more personal, almost as though the woods would keep those words safe for them forever.
The tears started flowing amongst the guests.
And probably for good reason.
I keep coming back to the setting at Ballyvolane House because it was just perfect for these particular words to be spoken.
It wasn’t simply a beautiful background for a ceremony.
For those few minutes, it felt like part of it.
Wedding Photography at Ballyvolane House
I was with Andzelika and Evan on a half-day photography collection, so once the ceremony was finished we didn’t disappear for hours trying to create hundreds of portraits.
We photographed the family formals, spent a little time making photographs of Andzelika and Evan together, and then I went back to doing what I love most.
Watching people.
There were hugs, conversations, laughter and all those little interactions happening around us.
That’s why I never want a wedding to become one long photoshoot.
There are photographs I’ll help create when the opportunity is there, but there are plenty more that simply need to be noticed.
And this group gave me plenty to notice.
An Autumn Wedding at Ballyvolane House
There was something particularly beautiful about Ballyvolane House at this time of year.
The sunshine, the woods and the beginnings of autumn all worked together without us having to chase anything.
And that’s probably the best way I can describe this wedding.
Nothing felt like it was trying too hard.
The girls were themselves.
Andzelika and Evan were themselves.
The ceremony was emotional because the words meant something, not because anybody was trying to create a moment for a photograph.
And once it was over, everyone could simply enjoy being together.
Sometimes that’s all a wedding needs.
Good people, a beautiful place and two people who actually remember why everybody is there in the first place.
Ballyvolane House Weddings
From a photographer’s point of view, what stood out to me about Ballyvolane House wasn’t just how beautiful it looked.
It was how the wedding felt there.
The house and grounds give you plenty to work with photographically, but being able to walk from the house into that woodland setting gives a wedding another completely different atmosphere without turning the day into a road trip.
And the people running the venue deserve a mention too.
The staff were genuinely fantastic with me from the moment I arrived. Helpful, welcoming and clearly very used to making a wedding day work without making a fuss about it.
That’s something couples might not see in photographs, but you certainly notice it when you’re working at a venue.
I’d happily return.
Andzelika & Evan
Andzelika and Evan, thank you.
Thank you for trusting me to come along and photograph this little chapter.
For the laughter in the morning.
For letting the emotions happen when they happened.
For not worrying about whether every photograph was perfectly posed.
And for simply enjoying the day with the people around you.
There are already a few chapters behind you.
Meeting.
Falling in love.
Building a family.
And now, beneath the trees at Ballyvolane House, getting married.
But this isn’t the end of the story.
I think the book has only really started.
And I hope the best chapters are still to come.
Congratulations, Andzelika & Evan
Planning a Wedding at Ballyvolane House?
If you're getting married at Ballyvolane House and want photographs that capture the people, the atmosphere and everything happening around you, I'd love to hear what you're planning. My approach is relaxed for most of the day, with a little direction when we need it and plenty of room for the real moments to happen.
You can also see more of my work as a Cork wedding photographer or get in touch and tell me about your Ballyvolane House wedding.
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