Trudder Lodge Wedding Photographer | Berit Alits Photography

A Rainy Spring Wedding at Trudder Lodge

There are wedding days where everything feels entirely true to the people at the centre of them. Eleanor and Liam’s wedding at Trudder Lodge was one of those days.

It rained.

If anything, the rain made the gardens greener, the trees darker and the whole place feel even more atmospheric. Eleanor and Liam simply embraced it, umbrellas and all, and I think some of my favourite photographs from the day happened because of it.

A spring wedding surrounded by nature

Trudder Lodge has quickly become one of my favourite wedding venues in Wicklow. What I love most about it isn’t just the house itself, but everything surrounding it.

In May, the grounds were incredibly lush. Mature trees, bluebells, apple blossom, flowers everywhere and a little stream running through the property. It feels established and slightly wild rather than overly manicured — there are little corners everywhere that make you want to wander off and explore.

And that was perfect for Eleanor and Liam.

An outdoor ceremony beneath the trees

Their ceremony might genuinely be my favourite ceremony I have ever photographed.

They married outside beneath an enormous old tree, surrounded by their family and friends. Their ceremony was officiated by Druid monk Dara Molloy and incorporated symbolic elements of earth, air, fire and water.

There were beautiful readings, meaningful rituals and Eleanor’s brother played a song during the ceremony.

It was personal, emotional and completely unlike a ceremony that could simply have been transplanted into any other wedding day. The setting, the people and the ceremony all belonged together.

Portraits around Trudder Lodge

Afterwards, we wandered around the grounds for photographs.

Eleanor and Liam are both artistic people, so I wanted the photographs to feel like them, chosen locations were a collaboration between the couple and myself.

We photographed among the huge trees and spring flowers, beside the house and through the gardens. And when the rain came, we kept going.

I love photographing rain when a couple is happy to embrace it. It can completely change the atmosphere of a photograph, deeper colours, reflections, umbrellas, wet foliage and that beautiful soft light that comes with an overcast Irish day.

There was no sense of waiting for the weather to become “better”. This was the weather, and it became part of their wedding.

A very relaxed celebration

That feeling continued throughout the rest of the day.

Some of the speeches happened informally during the drinks reception, with the remaining speeches after dinner. Nothing felt overly scheduled or performed. Eleanor and Liam had created a day around what actually mattered to them, and those are so often the weddings I enjoy photographing most.

And then came something nobody was expecting.

Two llamas casually walked into the dinner room.

It was one of those wonderfully surreal wedding moments. Guests were able to meet them, pet them and take photographs, and the reactions were brilliant.

From a ceremony beneath an old tree to rain-soaked portraits, spring blossoms, relaxed speeches and surprise llamas at dinner, it was a wedding full of personality without ever feeling like it was trying too hard to be different.

I can’t wait to photograph another wedding at Trudder Lodge.