Melissa Mannion March 27th, 2008
The school holidays are nearly over (bad news for Lily, good news for my workflow!). I managed to kidnap one of Lily’s best friends and have her over for a visit before its back to school time.
Is anything more fun than a sleepover?!
We went over to see all of the baby lambs that are popping up around us- so cute!
Here are the girls in the back of grandad’s tractor.
Melissa Mannion March 26th, 2008
One of the really nice parts of my job as a photographer is the opportunity to develop relationships with my clients. I photographed Alison and Karl’s wedding back in 2005 and have since photographed her first bump, and then her son on a couple of occasions and just last Friday had the pleasure of returning to their house to photograph bump no. 2.
Bump number one:
Bump no. 2 (with a special guest appearance!)
Mommy, Daddy and baby makes four.
This little man just oozes personality, he had me in stitches!
Best of luck to you all in the next two weeks…and see you soon for the next shoot 
Melissa Mannion March 23rd, 2008
I am just about to head down to a lovely Easter sunday dinner courtesy of my irish mother in law but before I go I wanted to do a quick post mainly for my mother in New York. Every year the field of daffadils beside my in law’s house bursts into colour heralding the coming of spring and I break out the camera for my annual photo of my daughter, Lily, in the daffs. I have pulled a couple of photos from past years and added a couple of new ones from this week.
It is amazing to see how much Lily is changing and growing!
2006
2007
2008
I hope everyone enjoys a relaxing and peaceful Easter sunday.
Melissa Mannion March 21st, 2008
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of spending the day with Andrina and Rossa, their families and their many friends. Despite the careful placement of the Child of Prague statue in the garden the weather gods were against us. The rain, however, took nothing away from the day or Andrina’s fabulous smile.
The flowers were by the one and only Branch Flowers who are in a class of their own.
And the shoes were by…
The ceremony was held at the Claddagh Church, right across from Spanish Arch in Galway, so much character around here! This photo was taken by my assitant Angelo Mercone who not only took many fantastic photos on the day but also kept my car from being clamped outside the church!
Still smiling…
I love being able to capture moments like this one. I love the look of anticipation on Rossa’s face as Andrina and Tom make their way up the aisle.
and moments like this, I’d love to know what Andrina was thinking here…
Rossa’s uncle was the celebrant which made for a very relaxed and personal ceremony.
Rossa’s grandmother congratulating him on his marraige, another magic moment.
Unfortunately the rain kept us from venturing outside for some photos but thanks to Branch Flowers the church made a perfect alternative.
The reception was held in the Galway Bay Hotel which allowed the guests to look out over beautiful Galway Bay from the (dry) conservatory.
Michelle and Mary were great fun and they had great fun helping Andrina partake in the chocolate fountain.
To be honest, these photos of Andrina leaves me speechless. They remind me of the classic hollywood portraits of the forties. These are going straight to my website!
And, just as the sun was actually going down on Galway Bay and just before they sat down for their dinner…one last photo of the newlyweds.
Many, many thanks to Andrina, Rossa and their friends and family for allowing me to photograph their big day. I hope they are enjoying themselves in South American now where the irish weather is but a distant memory!
Andrina & Rossa’s slideshow, press play to begin show:
Melissa Mannion March 12th, 2008
This might take a few attempts to get right (I’m a bit tech challenged!) but here goes nothing…
I’ll start by posting my last wedding. Ellen and Proteus were married in Scotland but decided to have a second ceremony (and a terrific party) in Ireland for their friends and families. I am so grateful to Ellen and Proteus (and their lovely families) for including me in their beautiful day. I do hope I will cross paths with them again.
I was lucky to be assited by Mike Patterson as a second photographer who helped me capture this very special day.
The wedding ceremony and reception were held in Cloghan Castle, County Galway. I love this venue not only because it is a beautifully restored castle but also because it attracts unique couples that are looking for something a bit different. Ellen & Proteus were no different- a truly unique couple with buckets of character.
Ellen & Proteus wrote their own vows which really made the ceremony special, I wanted to incorporate these vows into the photo of their wedding rings.
Ellen looked stunning- a real classic beauty. Her hair was done by the amazing Helga of It’s Fabulous and I have never seen such a gorgeous upstyle- it was perfect for Ellen and really suited the castle atmosphere.
Ellen & Proteus decided to see each other before the ceremony (well, they were already married!). Here they are seeing each other for the first time- a beautiful moment.
It was an honour to be in the presence of two people who are so full of joy and love.
The ceremony included a celtic hand fastening blessing which seemed perfectly fitting for the Cloghan’s banquet room.
The happily married (again!) couple.
The bridal party were such fun- they were really troopers as we had to brave the elements for these photos.
There was such beautiful detail in Ellen’s veil- from the minute I saw it I know I wanted to capture the drama of it in a photograph.
A fairy tale ending to a perfect day…
If you would like to see a slideshow from Ellen & Proteus’ wedding click on play on the screen below: