Engagement Shoot – Abbey Hotel – Aisling & Keith

Engagement sessions aren’t particularly well known here in Ireland but they are definitely something that will increase in popularity soon. I was recently contacted by the Abbey Hotel in Roscommon. They asked if I’d be interested in working with them on an online promotion. Given their popularity as a wedding venue it was an easy decision. After some chats back and forth we decided an engagement session shoot would be a great idea. So Geraldine from The Abbey Hotel got to work on a Facebook promotion and after a lot of liking and sharing we found our lucky couple, Aisling and Keith.

My own experience of an engagement shoot was a number of years back when I was married in Hong Kong and on the other side of the camera. Because of this I knew what to expect from the day and how it can take a while for the couple to get comfortable with it. Thats why I took the time at the start of the engagement shoot to explain to Aisling and Keith how it would go and how to enjoy it. The entire idea is to have a relaxed and fun afternoon and get some beautiful photos to show your friends in the run up to the wedding.

An engagement shoot allows couples to feel relaxed in front of a camera. This means that on the wedding day they are well used to being photographed and given direction. The best part is because it’s so casual then the couple can have fun and the interaction can be less styled and posed than it normally is on a wedding day.

It took a small while but I have to say that once they got the hang of the style of the day Aisling and Keith became pure naturals in front of the camera and we were able to capture some beautiful images all in the grounds of The Abbey Hotel. The hotel is filled with great little spots scattered around the garden and grounds that lend themselves to wonderful photos. I was also very lucky that Geraldine had organised the use of a few accessories too. These were a stunning wedding car from MS Wedding car hire and some very cool light props from Love Light Letters.

For me it was an great day to see Aisling and Keith start to enjoy the experience. I feel its my responsibility in these situations to let the couple have a day that they will remember as a good time, an easy day to be a part of and have some beautiful images to share with their family and friends. This time around I feel it was a job well done and I think they’ll be well prepared for their big day.

Thinking back on my own experience from my own engagement session 7 years ago – at the time it was an unknown concept for me. In fact I’d never heard of it at the time. But thankfully my wife convinced me to take part and I’m glad I did. By the end of the day we were having great fun and it gave me a great sense of what a shoot like this should be all about. If given the chance a lot more Irish couples would jump at the chance to take part in an engagement shoot if given the chance.

A fantastic day all around it was even better when I received the following kind words from Geraldine, the Marketing and PR Manager of the Abbey Hotel:

We were very pleased with the results of Jeff’s work and the way in which he captured the engagement shoot images so naturally, particularly the way in which he captured all the pretty scenic locations and lighting in and around our 18th Century Castle Manor Hotel.  With the old Dominican Ruins at the rear of the hotel,  I was keen for Jeff to use this as a backdrop for some of the images, however as with all photography the shoot is dependent on the weather conditions and achieving the correct lighting. Thankfully the sun shone for us for our Abbey Engagement Photo Shoot.  We would highly recommend Jeff to any couples looking to have a similar photoshoot done and we hope to see him back shooting some Abbey Wedding Couples in the near future.

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If you’re interested in having wedding photos or engagement photos taken please contact me on jeff@p3bphotography.com or call me on 0867279638. For general enquiries or prices for photography packages feel free to get in touch as well or use the contact form.