Lynne & Jason / Collooney Church Wedding at Markree Castle

Lynne & Jason at Markree Castle

Lynne and Jason’s wedding brought together a traditional Catholic church ceremony in Collooney with a relaxed celebration at
Markree Castle.
Their day moved naturally between the quiet anticipation of the morning, the formality of the ceremony and the atmosphere of a full castle reception with family and friends.

Photographed in October 2024, this gallery follows the wedding from preparations at Markree Castle and the Radisson Blu through the church ceremony, drinks reception, portraits around the estate, speeches, dinner and the first dance.

Lynne began her morning at Markree Castle while Jason prepared with his side of the wedding party at the Radisson Blu. They chose not to see one another before the ceremony, so their first meeting of the day happened in the traditional way at the Church of the Assumption in Collooney.

After the ceremony everyone returned to Markree Castle for the drinks reception and the rest of the celebration. It is a wedding-day structure that works particularly well here: the church gives the ceremony its own character, while the castle becomes the place where the pace can relax and the couple can spend the rest of the day with their guests.

Portraits Without Losing the Wedding Around Them

Lynne and Jason wanted their photographs around Markree Castle and its grounds, but the day was never designed around a long photoshoot. We could step away for portraits when the timing and light worked, then return quickly to the celebration happening around them.

Knowing the castle well makes that easier. Instead of spending time searching for locations on the wedding day, I can work around the weather, the light and the natural flow of the celebration. You can read more about
my experience photographing weddings at Markree Castle.

A Traditional Ceremony and a Relaxed Celebration at Markree

Lynne and Jason’s wedding had a lovely balance to it. The ceremony at the Church of the Assumption in Collooney gave the first part of the day a traditional rhythm, while returning to Markree Castle allowed the afternoon to become much more relaxed.

With their guests gathered back at the castle, the focus shifted naturally towards conversations, drinks, photographs around the grounds, speeches and the evening celebration. That change of pace is one of the things I enjoy most about photographing weddings at Markree.

“The mix of candid shots and portraits is exactly what we had hoped for. Each photo tells a beautiful story.”

A harpist played during the drinks reception before everyone moved into the Dining Room for speeches and dinner. These parts of the day are often where the photographs become especially personal, because attention shifts away from the couple and towards the people around them.

During the wedding speeches at Markree Castle, I am watching just as closely for reactions around the tables as I am for the person speaking. Those expressions, glances and bursts of laughter often become some of the photographs couples remember most.

The same is true throughout the reception. Some of the strongest photographs come from guests simply being themselves, which is why I treat guest photographs at Markree Castle as an important part of the complete wedding story rather than background coverage.

A Wedding Day First, a Photoshoot Second

Lynne and Jason’s review describes the balance I look for at weddings very well: natural moments happening around them, combined with portraits that still feel considered and beautiful.

That approach is also at the heart of my
Markree Castle wedding photography guide,
where I explain how I photograph the different stages of the day without turning the wedding into one long photoshoot.

Every Markree Castle Wedding Feels Different

After photographing many celebrations here, one thing has become very clear to me: the castle may stay the same, but the weddings never do. Different seasons, ceremonies, families and personalities completely change the way the venue feels.

You can explore more Markree Castle wedding photos and real weddings, or visit my main Markree Castle wedding collection for the wider venue story, photography and planning resources.

Planning Your Own Markree Castle Wedding?

If you are planning a wedding at Markree Castle, tell me a little about the day you have in mind. I would love to hear what you are creating.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR WEDDING