The Moongate, Co. Carlow, is one of Ireland’s best kept secrets, was the place the bride and groom from England chose for their civil blessing. They had wanted everything in one place….the ceremony and the reception without having to drive or even keeping an eye on the watch! It was a fantastic place with beautiful scenery of the valley with stone walls and plenty of sheep grazing. I happen to know the location very well as my dear friend was living just another mile away from it so I was delighted when I was hired to do the wedding job.

Before the wedding day I had the chance to meet the couple who came over during St Patrick’s break to discuss what they wanted as they wanted to make their wedding day special and very private.

The wedding was small with about 40 guests in total and the cooking for the reception was done mostly by a few of the guests who stayed there with some added staff to help out to lay the table and food. I had the time to take pictures of the bride and groom getting ready before the father of the bride brought Claire outside to the top of the little hilly garden where the ceremony began with guests standing behind in a circle. After the small and sweet ceremony I took photos of the guests mingling and congratulating the wedding couple before spending time alone with them in the surrounding area. The wedding in Moongate, although short and sweet, was one of the nicest place to call it “the gem”.