Mount Juliet Wedding Photography | Brian & Suzy

Sep 10

5 min read

There was something particularly lovely about photographing Brian and Suzy’s Mount Juliet wedding photography story because I had already been there for one of the biggest moments in their story.

Mount Juliet Wedding Photography

Natural wedding photography at the Manor House at Mount Juliet Estate Kilkenny

A Christmas Proposal at Mount Juliet

Back in December 2024, Jimmy from Mount Juliet contacted me about photographing his client’s proposal to Suzy at Mount Juliet. The plan was to do it beside the Christmas tree at The Manor. I worked with Brian and Jimmy beforehand so everything could happen naturally without Suzy suspecting a thing. I waited at the top of the stairs as they came from their suite, and when Brian proposed beside the Christmas tree I was there to capture it. Afterwards, once the surprise had settled in, we took one of the hotel buggies around the estate for about half an hour and made some photographs of the two of them together. So when Brian and Suzy later asked me to photograph their wedding at Mount Juliet, it really felt like i was coming back for the next part of their story.

An American Wedding With Strong Irish Roots

Brian is a very proud Chicago man, but Ireland is a huge part of his family story. His family has strong connections with both Waterford and Kilkenny, and he has travelled back to Ireland regularly over the years to keep those family ties. For the wedding, a huge group travelled over from America, and you could feel that mix of American energy and Irish family connections throughout the day.

Wedding party photographs in Thomastown village Kilkenny

The Wedding Morning at Hunter’s Yard

Suzy got ready at Hunter’s Yard in the large upstairs room, which worked beautifully for the morning. There was breakfast, gifts, people coming and going and all the usual excitement that builds as the ceremony gets closer. Dawn from Glamour by Dawn looked after the makeup, while Amanda was on hair. It was a really relaxed morning and exactly the kind of atmosphere I love photographing. Rather than directing everything, I could just watch what was happening and pick up the reactions, conversations and little moments between everyone.

Brian and the Lads at The Manor

Brian was getting ready with the lads over around The Manor. There are some great photographs from that part of the morning, particularly around the pool room, with everyone enjoying themselves before heading into Thomastown for the ceremony.

Two Buses Full of Americans

One of the things that really gave the day its character was the number of guests who had travelled from the United States. Two buses brought the American guests to the church, which gives some idea of the scale of it. There was a brilliant atmosphere from early in the day, with families and friends who had travelled a long way to be part of it.

The Church in Thomastown

Wedding ceremony in Thomastown church before Mount Juliet wedding reception

Brian and Suzy were married in the Church of the Assumption in Thomastown.

Father Purcell celebrated the ceremony, with Sinéad playing harp, Eileen singing and Seán on organ. It was also an incredibly warm day. The church was packed and fans were being used throughout the ceremony, which became another little part of the story of the day.

For me, church ceremonies are always about watching the people as much as the ceremony itself. Parents, friends and family reactions can say as much about the day as anything happening at the altar.

After the Ceremony

Once Brian and Suzy came out of the church, there was time for everyone to meet, congratulate them and enjoy that first bit of excitement after becoming husband and wife.

Because I work in a very natural way, I try not to interrupt that part of the day unnecessarily. There is so much happening around a couple after a ceremony that sometimes the best thing a photographer can do is simply watch and capture.

Jerpoint Abbey

This was part of the couple photographs and bridal party photographs. I was driving that day, and the plan was to go straight from the church to Jerpoint Abbey, but on the way from Mount Juliet to the church I passed through Thomastown and saw there was a festival going on in the town. Straight away I thought it would be incredible to bring the lads into the middle of that busyness and use it in a more natural, street photography kind of way. Thomastown has that lovely, quintessential Irish village feel, and with the festival happening it gave us something full of life before heading on to the ruins. From there, we went to Jerpoint Abbey for photographs. It gave us something completely different from Mount Juliet and worked beautifully as a portrait location. The ruins and old stone created a fantastic backdrop without us needing to make the portraits too formal. I always try to keep this part of the day moving. I want couples to have beautiful photographs, but I don’t want photography to become the wedding. We got what we needed and then headed back to Mount Juliet so Brian and Suzy could get back to their guests.

Back to Mount Juliet

Mount Juliet is one of those venues where there are photographs everywhere you turn.

Once we arrived back at the estate, we used the electric BMW to move around for some portraits without losing loads of time walking between locations. That meant we could make the most of the grounds while still keeping everything relaxed and efficient.

Drinks in the Gardens

The drinks reception had a great atmosphere, with guests outside enjoying the estate, drinks and canapés. Two traditional Irish musicians played during the reception, which fitted the day perfectly, especially with so many guests having travelled over from America.

These are often some of my favourite parts of a wedding to photograph because everyone has relaxed after the ceremony and people are simply enjoying themselves.

Dinner at Hunter’s Yard

Dinner was back at Hunter’s Yard. While everyone was eating, I was brought into the restaurant for my own meal, and I have to mention it because it was genuinely one of the nicest meals I have ever had at a wedding. It was incredible.

Speeches and Brian’s Chicago Cake

The speeches had plenty of great reactions from Brian, Suzy, their families and the best men. There was laughter, emotion and all the expressions that make speeches such a good part of a wedding story. There was also a separate groom’s cake for Brian.

This is something you see much more commonly at American weddings, and Brian’s was in blue and orange as a nod to his Chicago pride. It was another small detail that made the day feel very much like Brian and Suzy rather than just another wedding at a venue.

Natural wedding photography speeches at Mount Juliet Estate Kilkenny

Brian and Suzy’s wedding had everything I love about photographing weddings in Ireland. It had a beautiful setting, a bit of travel, real family energy, a brilliant Irish-American mix and enough space in the day to let things happen naturally. Mount Juliet gave us the elegance, Thomastown gave us the life and Jerpoint Abbey gave us something timeless. It was a wedding that felt very much like their own, and that is always what I want the photographs to show.

If you’re planning a wedding at Mount Juliet Estate or anywhere in Kilkenny, I’d love to hear about your plans. My approach is relaxed, natural and documentary-led, with enough direction when needed but never too much time away from your guests.

You can view my wedding photography packages here or get in touch to check your date.

If you’re also looking at Kilkenny wedding venues, you might like my Mountain View wedding photography story.