Lauren Rutherford Photography Blog » Newborn, family and wedding photography in Northern Ireland.

When Alan and Julie asked me to be the photographer for their wedding at the Dunadry Hotel, it held extra significance for me. Alan has been a friend of mine since our undergraduate days and over the past few years it’s become clear to me that he and Julie are totally made for each other. Not only would I be having the honour of photographing the wedding of two friends, but I knew it would also be a wedding full of love and fun. Previous brides might have noticed that I do occasionally get a little bit emotional at weddings, mainly during the speeches, but it was a first for me to be welling up on the motorway before the day had even started!

Julie and Alan’s ceremony was held in the fabulous St Anne’s Cathedral, in the centre of Belfast, a really stunning location for a wedding. As much as I love smaller, more intimate wedding venues, there’s something very special about a Cathedral setting. I know there were a few worries leading up to the day, with a terrible weather forecast and local comedian Frank Carson’s funeral procession through Belfast threatening to throw a spanner in the works, but in the end it all passed off seamlessly. We even got some gorgeous spring sunshine for our bridal portraits at the Dunadry Hotel, and my emergency wet weather photo locations were not required!

Julie’s beautiful beaded dress was perfect for a wedding in such a grand location, and she looked stunning as she walked down the aisle with her brother Gareth (in his Navy uniform – I know the ladies at the wedding were loving that!). All of the flowers were arranged by Julie’s mum Marretta, who did an amazing job – everywhere you looked in the church and at the Dunadry there were more flower arrangements, and they really finished the venues off perfectly. Alan also hand carved the wooden cake toppers and name plates, which was such a lovely personal touch – he’s a man of many secret talents! Overall it really was a wonderful wedding, which I loved both as a guest and as a photographer. I hope you enjoy looking through this story of the day as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Massive thanks to Alan and Julie for giving me the pleasure of documenting your amazing day, and to both families for being so friendly and welcoming. I stayed on the dancefloor until pretty late (for me anyway, I’m a bit of a lightweight) but I heard the party continued long into the night! If you enjoyed looking through Julie and Alan’s photos, then please feel free to leave them a little comment below. Thanks for reading!