The challenge with wedding photography is that there is no second chance as it is generally a once in a lifetime event. A wedding photographer must be able to guarantee success and trusting your wedding to a professional photographer is essential. As one of many Dublin wedding photographers, I understand weddings and I understand people, culture and values. I’m an award winning photographer having won numerous awards from the Irish Professional Photographers & Videographers Association (IPPVA) for my reportage wedding photography.
My aim is to ensure that I capture beautiful images from your wedding day with the minimum of intrusion and whilst doing so, I use a mix of different styles – reportage, fashion, traditional amongst others… My predominant shooting style however is a photo-journalistic or documentary ‘fly on the wall’ approach. That basically means that I’m very discrete and I am out of you and your guests way for most of the day.
Through my album proofing site, you will be able to view the design of your album and suggest any changes before it goes to the print and binding stage. Options regarding the type of cover, size, number of pages or a selection of fine art albums are available to all clients. Album cover options include, linen, wood, genuine leather, acrylic or suede. Parent albums or a boxed set of prints are also possible.
Wedding photographic coverage includes the following
- All the images from your day supplied as high resolution, print-ready jpg files with no watermark;
- A mix of vivid colour & black/white photographs edited in my style;
- Your photographs are professionally edited to the highest standard;
- Opt for an engagement shoot & save €100;
- Heaps of energy, enthusiasm, experience and advice from me to you for your wedding day
Useful info
I’ve shot hundreds of weddings. I know what works and what doesn’t work. Use my experience for your benefit.
Various words can be used to describe it – natural, candid, photojournalism, creative documentary with a little mix of traditional. Overall I strive for fuss-free simplicity and a ‘behind the scenes’ approach using the best natural light available.
First we need to check if I am still available on your wedding date. You can contact me via the contact form or email me at info@djd.ie. If I’m available on your date, we can arrange a chat. This is where you can tell me about your plans for your day and also I can explain how I work. After that, if you wish to proceed and book me as your wedding photographer, I require a completed booking form which I forward to you and payment of a non-refundable booking fee to secure your date. Once I have those, it’s officially in the calendar which I’ll then confirm to you in writing. The date is exclusively yours and I will accept no other jobs for your date.
No. I cannot hold dates on the mere promise or expression of interest of a booking. I will only reserve a date upon receipt of both a completed booking form and a booking fee payment. When there are multiple enquiries for the same date, I operate strictly on a first come first served basis. It’s the only fair way.
Sure, no problem. You can initially book a base option and upgrade to any other option anytime before the wedding.
Your balance is due before or on the day of your wedding. Most clients chose to pay by online transfer before their wedding day and it’s my preferred method rather than cash. Instalment payments can also be made in advance if that’s easier.
It’s not a problem. Every year I have several clients who live as far away as Australia who book me for their wedding. We simply arrange a video call via Zoom rather than a face-to-face meeting and we take things from there. My booking form can be completed online and the booking fee payment is made by bank transfer. After that, the next time you’re visiting Ireland before your wedding we can arrange to meet up if you wish.
Yes, a second photographer is no problem and is advisable especially for larger weddings (120+ guests) or where the format of the day demands one. I need to know in advance obviously and preferably at least a few months before the wedding. The finished photographs will have the same ‘look & feel’ as mine, otherwise there would be little point in offering this additional service. I regularly work with a small select group of photographers across Ireland (and abroad) that I can trust, who have a similar photographic style to me and who use either the same or similar lenses to me. I also edit their RAW files. All this ensures consistency in both their images and my images.
I start 2 hours before I need to leave for the ceremony (ie I provide 2 hours of prep coverage). This gives me loads of time to get what I need during the bridal &/or groom preparations. However, weddings differ so if this time needs to be tweaked, then we can simply look at that. For evening time where I’m staying to the first dance my cut-off point is 10.00pm. Most first dances start before 10pm.
Despite what you will read on wedding blogs written by people who are not photographers, for any experienced professional it makes absolutely no difference if we are familiar with a venue or not. For any location we know exactly what we need and how to make it work.
I’m incredibly fluky when it comes to the weather. My weddings always seem to land on fine dry days. However, yes sometimes it does rain and we always have to plan for it regardless of the time of year. If we are unable to shoot outdoors we use the church, civil registry office and your reception/party venues as locations for the photos. I will have already agreed a ‘Plan B’ scenario with you prior to your wedding anyhow so we will all know exactly what to do if the weather turns.
It is therefore really important to consider this possibility when choosing your locations. Are they pretty enough for an indoor photo shoot? Do they offer enough possibilities for a nice range of photos? Are they bright enough for photos? It’s surprising how many top hotels in Ireland are actually not suited at all to wedding photography.
Yes of course. However for a successful photo these type of shots need proper planning and precise execution. Fire, hair spray, sharp pointy sticks and drunken guests don’t necessarily make a good combination…!! I recommend that you discuss this with me well in advance of the wedding so I can explain how & when it needs to be set up and managed to ensure success.
Yes – always, always, always.
Yes. My insurance company requires it.
By law, copyright always stays with the photographer but you will have the right to use your photos privately in any way you like. You can make as many prints as you wish and as big as you wish, send them to friends, hang them on your wall and so on.
Absolutely… It’s your album so you decide what photos are to be included and I’ll then go away and come up with an initial design for you which you will be able to review and suggest any changes to it online. We will then work through it from there until we are all happy with the final layout. Your album design and images will then go to the manufacturer and your album will be then ready generally within 6 weeks.
Lets start by stating what I don’t do.
I do not adopt a ‘Dark and Moody’ style where everything is gloomy. Nor do I adopt a ‘Bright & Airy’ style where everything is completely overexposed to the extent that you can’t even see the detail on a wedding dress.
Instead, my style is ‘True to Life’ with a little touch of warmth. This style shows the scene for what it was rather than fake everything to make it look unnatural.
I do work in a free-flowing documentary manner and I don’t take gazillions of posed photos. I generally go with the flow of the day and not get in the way of things. So I will never dominate and take over your day.
Preferably not but do talk to me in advance about requested shots.
Shots lists are fine for new inexperienced photographers and uncle Bob’s but they are probably the last thing you should give to any experienced documentary photographer. I shoot the day as it is and from experience, shot lists will only distract me from doing my proper job of documenting your day in a creative manner. Having an extensive shot list turns a photographers job into purely a box ticking exercise. It kills any creativity as we run around focused on trying to complete ‘the list’ as opposed to properly focusing on and photographing everything that is actually happening around us.
However, do let me know in advance of anything that is of particular interest so that I can be ready for it and capture it in my own style.
No, I just specialise in photography. However I do know some awesome videographers that I can highly recommend.
I work to a maximum 8 week turnaround time however quite often I have them ready much sooner. The time of year and how busy it is will determine how quickly I can have your photos ready.
That depends on how important those photos are for you and how much time you can find in your schedule. The amount of time spent on this is ultimately your choice – I don’t dictate here and I’m happy to fall into your schedule and your wishes. Everybody is different and I have couples looking to spend anything from 10 minutes to over an hour on their photos. However, I’ll adapt to your wishes and whatever your timescale is on the day.
I guess to give you an idea, on average most couples I work with allocate 20 to 40 minutes of couple photography time. Sometimes it’s longer and sometimes it’s shorter. It depends on the individual couple but it can be dictated somewhat by the venue also. For example are there loads of lovely spots for photographs or just a few? Will there be a lot of walking involved to get from one photo location in the grounds to another…? If so, does the venue supply a golf buggy for us to get around quickly…? Do you also want some indoor photographs (these tend to take a bit more time)..? There are quite a few factors to consider which will all eat into your photography time. I will have a discussion about all of this prior to your wedding.
To be honest, the majority of people I work with are. However with the way that I work, there is no need to be in any way anxious…!! And I will prove this to you on the day or during an engagement session if you choose to opt for one. Most couples really end up liking their photo time as I keep this part really chilled out and enjoyable. Most of the time, you’re not even looking at the camera. I’m just getting you walking, talking, laughing…. I’m facilitating you to easily interact naturally and in a way that doesn’t look posed. Anyway, this is an area I will always discuss with you prior to taking a booking. It works best if during the portrait session that you have some time away from your bridal party and guests as this will result in more natural relaxed photographs. Most people don’t like an audience…! Also, it’s generally the only time during the whole day that you are nearly alone.
When booking the registry office/town hall, church and reception venue etc…, do factor in the time to greet guests after the church/civil ceremony and the travel time between the different locations. Think about the time it takes for photos to be taken and how much time you wish to spend mingling with your guests. Then add a bit extra…! It is very easy to under-estimate the amount of time that is taken up by travel, the church or civil ceremony itself and guests wanting your attention.
Think about what family group photos are required. This comes with a little health warning as from experience, I can guarantee you that these photos will always always take longer than you think as some people will without fail go missing, leaving everybody else hanging around. My advice here is to keep these photos simple and try not to go overboard with requesting photos featuring loads of different combinations of family members.
I also shoot winter weddings but obviously not as many as during the busy summer season. Aside from a much greater chance of a grey wet day, winter weddings present additional challenges in terms of the cold meaning potentially very short periods outside and there is also the very short duration of light on the day. Remember, good light is crucial for photography and sometimes the light can be gone by 3pm or earlier in December..!
When planning your day, consider at what time it will start to get dark and remember that if it turns out to be an overcast day, it will get dark even sooner….! Most couples planning a winter wedding will hold their ceremony earlier in the day and/or skip their receiving line. Please discuss with me well before your wedding as light on your day will be crucial to your photography and what is possible.
Be warned, Christmas weddings are very popular in Ireland and the better venues and photographers tend to get booked up 18 to 24 months in advance.
Yes. I generally just don’t show them on my portfolio or blogs. I look for a formal family shot list from you in advance of the wedding as this speeds things up greatly. We will agree where to take the photos (church or reception venue for example) and then I’ll ask the groomsmen or some family members to help round up everybody. I prefer to have this done quickly within 15 or 20 minutes at the most.
Popular as they are, unfortunately a lot of wedding blogs are full of misleading or plain bad advice….. Seriously, when it comes to what you read on wedding blogs and especially wedding FaceBook groups whether it is positive or negative, it’s generally best to ignore most of it.
Weddings blogs are mostly written by people who have no actual real experience of weddings or the wedding industry including photography and videography services. These blogs are written for SEO purposes to drive visitors to the site to earn advertising revenue and not so much for any real useful advice to couples. In other words, they are written for ‘clicks’ and not for good advice.
As for the wedding FaceBook groups, well everybody there is an expert and has an opinion whether they are right or wrong. Unfortunately these forums are a breeding ground for misinformation.
Honestly, FaceBooks groups are fine if you are just looking for general ideas but if you want sound advice and proper recommendations they are the worst place to go in my view. I’ve seen so much bad inaccurate advice regularly dished out on FB groups. Thousands of members with a whole load of different conflicting opinions. All from strangers that you know nothing about, who have different budgets, different standards to you and different expectations as to what is ‘good’ or not.
If you want proper sound advice there are probably 3 people who can deliver it. Your wedding planner is the first point of call as they are experts and can provide tailored advice to you. However, most Irish couples don’t avail of the services of a wedding planner and prefer to plan everything themselves. Therefore the next best 2 people for advice are either your photographer or videographer (assuming that they are experienced in weddings of course). Photographers & videographers are the only other 2 suppliers who are with the bride and groom for the whole wedding day. We see everything and after living through hundreds of weddings, we know what works and what doesn’t work. Honestly, please use our experience for advice rather than some complete stranger or troll on FaceBook.
Yes, I am. My destination wedding photography packages are simply my standard packages plus the cost of travel and reasonable accommodation. Sometimes depending on location I may need to include car hire. I also have a base in both Kenya and The Netherlands where I photograph a lot of weddings from expats from all over the world and of course locals who love my style. This can make it easier sometimes for me to photograph a wedding in Belgium, Germany or France for example.
Sure…
Try to keep on time and be realistic about your expectations for your day. If you overrun on your day by anything in excess of 30 or 40 minutes it will most likely have an impact on your photos particularly your couple photos and family photos. Why? Because the time that was allocated to capturing those images has now been squeezed. We will be in a situation where the hotel will be demanding to call for dinner and we are trying to get your photos done. You will most likely end up not getting the range of photos that you anticipated. There will have to be compromises. You will also lose out on time with your guests. Also be realistic regarding last minute demands of your photographer or videographer. What you think is possible or easy may not be for many reasons.
Consider skipping the receiving line after the ceremony. This takes up more time than most people think and maybe it’s time better spent at your reception venue (that you have paid loads of money for) mingling with your guests.
Best time for speeches. Either before or after the meal but not in between different courses as this always drags out the dinner service and makes everything overrun. I’ve noticed that it tends to frustrate your guests also. As a guide, fathers speeches should really take no more than 5 mins each, groom and best man 10 minutes each. Anything longer than that and you will start losing the attention and interest of your guests.
Videographers. If you want a videographer make sure you choose one that has a similar style and working approach to your photographer. Also, if you have paid good money for a really good photographer and are tempted to skimp on the cost of a videographer – don’t. You will regret it. Either find the money from doing without something else or don’t hire one at all. I have a list of videographers that I can recommend for mid to high end budgets.
Bridesmaids. They can turn out to be the very best people to have around you on the day but occasionally, also the worst. Choose them carefully for your own enjoyment of the day and leading up to it.