Mark & Cian

Good Friday. Clontarf Castle. Two men in velvet tuxedos. A room of people so full of love that when the moment came, they didn't just clap — they roared.

I've photographed a lot of weddings. A lot of first kisses. A lot of rooms full of people who love the couple at the top of the aisle. But Mark and Cian's wedding at Clontarf Castle on a bright Good Friday in March 2025 was something else entirely. There are days that remind you exactly why you do this job — and this was one of them.

The day started quietly enough. Getting ready shots, a few laughs with the lads, and — because this is Ireland and no one said the craic stops for a wedding — two pints of Guinness waiting on the table before a bow tie was straightened. That image says everything about the pair of them. Relaxed, ready, absolutely themselves.

The pre-ceremony energy at Clontarf Castle is always something special. The venue has this remarkable ability to feel simultaneously grand and warm — the ornate interiors, the deep carpets, the sconces and chandeliers — and yet it never feels cold or stuffy. Mark and Cian filled every room they walked into with laughter. Their guests picked up on it immediately.

The Ceremony

Clontarf Castle's ballroom is one of the finest ceremony spaces in Dublin. High ceilings, warm candlelight lining the aisle, and a room packed with people who had clearly been waiting a very long time to see these two men get married. The energy was electric from the moment the first person took their seat.

I always try to position myself so I can see both the couple and the reaction of the people around them. At a wedding like this — a room so visibly, openly, overwhelmingly happy — that decision pays off tenfold. The laughing, the crying, the catching each other's eyes across the room. All of it is the story.

And then the first kiss. I had been watching the room build and build throughout the ceremony — the laughter, the vows, the rings — and when the moment came, I was ready. The image speaks for itself. Every single person in that room on their feet, hands up, noise erupting. It's one of the most joyful photographs I've ever taken, and I say that having photographed hundreds of weddings.

After the Ceremony

Walking back down the aisle as husbands — hand in hand, beaming — with a standing ovation echoing around one of Dublin's most beautiful ballrooms. It's a moment that lasts about thirty seconds in real life. I try to make it last forever.

After the ceremony we took a little time outside — a wander down the street near the castle, which gave us some wonderfully candid, relaxed portraits. No direction required. Just two lads, absolutely delighted with themselves and with each other.

Clontarf Castle has extraordinary interiors for portraits. The grand staircase, the wood-panelled lobby with its piano top creating natural reflections, the golden damask wallpaper — it's a photographer's playground. Mark and Cian were total naturals in front of the camera, which meant I barely had to direct them at all. The best portraits always look like the camera wasn't there.

The Reception

The speeches were everything you'd hope for — warm, funny, emotional, a hand or two in the air at exactly the right moment. The dining room at Clontarf Castle has incredible atmosphere in the evening — candles, the ornate curtains, the room full of people who've been celebrating all day and aren't planning to stop.

Mark and Cian — thank you for having me along for such an extraordinary day. Good Friday will never mean the same thing to me again. You were an absolute joy to photograph, and this is a set of images I'll be proud of for a very long time.