Sunset engagement pre-wedding photoshoot at Dunluce Castle, Northern Ireland.
Read MoreHello, Lovelies! I'm coming to you today with an interview with Tara Fitzgerald from Planned by Tara, who's an Irish wedding planner in Malta! I've known Tara online for a few months now, as a destination wedding photographer I'm a member of her supplier forum & I we follow each others Instagram accounts (that's a big one, right?! :D). I approached her about this interview and I'm so happy she said yes - 2018 has been the best so far for making connections with vendors and creatives all over the place, and it's all for the benefit of my brides! I love the fact that Tara so relatable - she was a destination bride herself once, she loves to travel & she's committed to making your day as stress-free as possible.
Tara explains why hiring a good planner for your destination wedding will make everything much easier & shares her tips about weddings in Malta. We teamed up to give you some guidance & insights on getting married abroad because so often brides would feel pinned down to get married at home thinking there is no other option. With little encouragement and a smaller budget (!), they could be married off on a beautiful island and have a wedding day of their dreams.
For the past 3 years, I have been pretty committed to exploring Northern Ireland and it's raw coastline, forests and hidden gems, but I somehow managed to miss Islandmagee. It just never occurred to me it exists. It was a total blind spot until I heard about Rob's Heart & Soul workshop from my friends Sheena & Christin. They were raving about the workshop itself, the energy and fuel it gives, about the couples they were photographing and the location.
Fast forward to late May when I attend it, not only learned a thing or two about having a wedding photography business in Northern Ireland (and destination in my case!:)) but most of all met some amazing people. The couple that we were photographing on the island, Charlotte and Michael, are getting married in July and I'm more than sure they will make a wonderful bride and groom. I'm a huge fan of natural, sweet and candid photography focusing on the couple and their loved ones, and I always express how important it is to have your pre-wedding shoot. Not only because it's a great chance to bond a bit with your photographer, but also because on your wedding day you can focus on the moment, on being present and not on the fact that you are being photographed.
Islandmagee will be definitely joining my list of places to elope in Northern Ireland and I'm just delighted I was able to attend the workshop and make some new friends. Keep your eyes peeled for more of Charlotte and Michael, as they have agreed to help me with the secret project I'm planning for August.
Read MoreI'm so happy to be able to finally show you this creative elopement inspiration I photographed in April in the South of France. It has always been a big goal of mine to photograph a Destination Wedding in France and I truly couldn't have better clients and suppliers to work with. Lucy and Hayden are the sweetest coupe a photographer could ask for, an amazing team of vendors making all our ideas possible and a very private, romantic Château De Roussan. Every corner of this amazing, hidden provençal gem was photo-worthy, starting from the front entrance, long driveway, pool, garden and all the greenery around. Everything provided a stunning backdrop for our beautiful destination couple. We wanted this shoot to feel more like a luxury elopement at the French Château and give some ideas of how you can incorporate pastel pink, grey and Provence into your own wedding. I'm so excited for my upcoming destination weddings and I'm hoping to be back photographing a destination wedding in Provence soon!
Read MoreI am incredibly grateful for all the opportunities coming to my life every day - and I am blessed with the clients that I get. People like Eva & Killian who are true wandering souls just like me, they love new places, they love discovering. They are also incredibly kind, loving, comfortable in front of the camera and just happen to be stunningly beautiful.
It was my first time in Morocco and it won't be my last one - the smells, the bustle and the craziness of Moroccan drivers seem like a distant memory now, but the whole trip was a true experience. So different from typical holiday destination and yet so close to Europe. It won't be forgotten because it was also my first destination elopement wedding outside UK or Ireland.
Read MoreStraight from the sunny Provence and the love story of Lucy & Hayden, coming to you today with this utterly beautiful and adventurous engagement shoot in Northern Ireland. I previously mentioned how I love Causeway Coast and wrote a special blog post talking about all the places to elope in N Ireland. I was beyond excited to hear Melissa & Stephen, who live in Armoy - right next to the Dark Hedges, wanted to have their engagement photos at the beach. The obvious choice was Whiterocks near Portrush! Not only because I photographed another engagement there a year ago and I know all the places for the best light, but also because of the sunny weather forecast. Last time we had a completely different weather, and I wanted to make the most of our adventure day in the sun. I thrive in the sunshine and love bright and airy photos.
Melissa & Stephen brought their tiny dog, which is always a good idea when comes to couples photoshoots. The attention was divided and they could just relax and take a good walk - or run, straight into the cold water!
Read MoreI recently came across my old website notes, the ones I made when creating the pricing, about me, and so on sections. One of them clearly said, amongst many locations one of the places I'd like to shoot was Provence. As always in my case, a ton of work plus piles of motivation lead us to the day Im finally able to show you my very recent engagement shoot in Provence. So far 2018 only prooves there is no dreams too small - first year as a self employed photographer and a big Love My Dress feature, shooting in Provance at the Chateau, fully booked for 2018 (the last date sold yesterday! :D), Florence, business grant and many, many more. If you follow me from the begining you know that I'm not a local - I don't have an army of aunts ready to share anything I post, don't have a hudge following. But the one I have is the strongest. A few brides will deffinitelly be awarded ''NUMBER ONE FAN'', that's how much love they are sharing. And for that I'm thankful.
Read MoreThere have been a few funny stories between the Weir family and me, but possibly the funniest one dates back to 2016, of how we met. I have never photographed a wedding at that stage, but I had 2 booked for late summer and autumn and I knew I want to pursue it. Tasha dropped me an email because she was pregnant and she liked the look of my baby photography. I wasn't overly professional at that stage, so I read her email exactly a month after she sent it. Boy, was I mad at myself. But if you ever talked to Tasha you know, that these small things are not a problem for her. She is a pure walking kindness.
Read MoreWhen I first arrived in Northern Ireland in 2014 to study Politics & Journalism I signed up for a Photo Society at Queens University. I had a big passion for photography and wanted to learn and improve my style. For the next couple of months, I travelled the coast of Northern Ireland nearly every weekend with friends I met at the society. Then with friends who visited me here. Then with my boyfriend Neil, whom I also met at the photo society. Little did I know, four years later my love for Northern Ireland will continue to grow and my love for photography.. well, it will reach the next level. It will become my lifestyle, my daily bread, my ups and downs (mostly ups tho!) and I'll be able to share with you my puppy love photos and videos of Northern Ireland I took nearly 4 years ago.
If you're planning an engagement shoot or an elopement in Northern Ireland - or simply want to walk down memory lane with me, here are some of my absolute favourite locations.
~Paula
The second part of my Italian images arrived - Kinga & Radu wondering about gorgeous Italian Villa in Tuscany, this time pure wedding portraits and beautiful surroundings. We had an opportunity to work with the most amazingly creative sisters from Puscina Flowers (providing the flowers and location, styling by Chic Weddings Italy, previous shoot check here) and they kindly agreed to have some photos taken outside their amazing house and garden.
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