Love On The West Coast - Freya and Dylan at the Connemara Coast Hotel, Galway
My 3 favorite ducks....
3. Duck spring rolls
2. The Mighty Ducks
1. Freya & Dylan (duck is their pet name)
Saturday I got to hangout on the West Coast of Ireland in the brilliant @connemaracoast_hotel for these two legends wedding day. I always say my couples are unapologetically themselves but that also goes for the people they surround themselves with. This is the maddest job in the world where you can meet 100 different people in a room and feel like one of them. I'm so grateful to all my couples this year as I take all of October off from weddings I'm feeling reflective and appreciative 😁
🏩@connemaracoast_hotel
💄@blaithingriffin_makeupartist
💇♀️@louise_ruby_hair
💌@zelda_connolly
🎶@hifi_band
💐@skehanaflowerfarm
If you told me couples truly are made of salt air, wild skies, and sea-sprayed laughter, I’d believe you especially after a stay at the Connemara Coast Hotel. Nestled on the rugged edge of Galway Bay, this four-star hotel (yes, four stars, not four fish) is the kind of place that makes even city folk feel like they’ve stumbled into a romance novel.
Why the Connemara Coast Hotel Captures Hearts
From the moment you arrive, you sense the magic. The hotel is spectacularly set along the Wild Atlantic Way, its grounds sweeping down to the water’s edge, views over Galway Bay, and a natural pull that whispers: slow down, breathe, stay awhile.
This is a venue built for moments. As a Documentary wedding photographer, I’m always on the lookout for venues that feel real where you don’t have to pretend to be magical, because the place already is. No forced poses. Just raw light, real laughter, and the occasional gasp at how wild the ocean looks at sunset.
For Couples Who Love Nature (and Don’t Mind Getting Their Shoes Dirty)
You don’t have to be an extreme hiker to fall for Connemara just someone who appreciates a wind-blown coastline, a rocky beach, or a trail that meanders through heather and peat. There’s something beautifully grounding about watching waves crash, hearing seabirds wheel overhead, or stumbling upon a quiet cove for two.
Wedding portraits framed by the Atlantic, a breeze tousling hair
Golden hour walks along the shoreline - if you are lucky enough to get one we weren’t unfortunately
or a trip to barna woods 7 mins down the road
If your ideal wedding or couples session includes heartbeats syncing with waves, Connemara Coast Hotel is your backstage. It offers enough raw beauty to carry your story, without needing you to perform.
For Families That Want a Bit of Everything
Now, I get it not all guests want salt spray and shins splintered on rocks. Good news: this hotel is also family-friendly (like, actually).
Indoor swimming pool, gym, sauna, steam room perfect for rainy days or when the kids need to burn off energy.
Spacious rooms and interconnecting family / triple rooms (ideal for parents and kiddos alike) Connemara Coast
The Gallery Restaurant (on site) offers a relaxed but elevated dining atmosphere trying to keep both palate and temper in check. Grounds to explore, nature walks, and that irresistible call of the wild for explorers of all ages
So while I’m off chasing a couple’s sunset shot, your niece might be finding the perfect seaweed to bring home (for her science project, of course). It’s a venue that lets love, family, and nature coexist which is no small feat.
Why I’d Recommend It to My Couples
As a photographer, I pick venues where you don’t get lost in the surroundings, but you become part of them. The Connemara Coast Hotel nails that balance: zero forced glamour, all real beauty. It lets me shoot what’s true — whether that’s a parent’s tear, a child’s cheeky laugh, or couples walking hand in hand toward the Atlantic dusk.
And let’s be honest if your hotel can survive Irish weather and still feel magical, it’s got stamina. That speaks to me.
