Eleonora and Jeremy knew from the beginning that they didn’t want to spend their wedding day posing for photographs. With around 25 of their closest family and friends coming together from Ireland, France and Italy, they wanted a small wedding that felt relaxed, personal and very much their own.
They chose The Pavilion in Ballygarvan, Cork for an outdoor ceremony surrounded by flowers and greenery, followed by good food, live jazz, board games and plenty of time with the people they love.
Their approach to photography was equally simple: very few posed photographs and lots of the real stuff. That suits the way I work perfectly. I photograph weddings in a documentary way, paying attention to what’s actually happening rather than constantly stepping in or directing it.
I’m Pamela Brady, a Dublin-based documentary wedding photographer, and I was named one of This Is Reportage’s Top 10 Wedding Photographers in Ireland in 2025. I photograph weddings across Ireland for couples who want to enjoy their day without feeling like they’re spending half of it at a photoshoot.
Wedding Photography for a Camera-Shy Couple
When Eleonora first got in touch, she was very clear about what mattered to them. Neither she nor Jeremy particularly likes posing for photographs, and they wanted to keep anything staged to a minimum — a few family photographs and some relaxed portraits together, but otherwise they wanted to be left to enjoy the day.
One thing she said really stuck with me. They were giving disposable cameras to the children and, in her words, “A blurry photo of half a foot taken by one of them is more meaningful than a posey photo for us.”
That pretty much told me everything I needed to know!
With guests coming from France and Italy and not everyone speaking English, they also felt a documentary approach would suit the day better. I didn’t need everyone looking at me or following instructions. I could just watch what was happening and photograph it.
For couples who are camera-shy, I think that makes a huge difference. You don’t need to suddenly become comfortable posing or know what to do in front of a camera. Most of the time, you don’t need to do anything at all.
Getting Ready at Summer Lodge in Cork
I joined Eleonora, Jeremy and their families at Summer Lodge in Cork on the morning of the wedding. It’s a beautiful old Georgian house with huge rooms, high ceilings and loads of natural light — a pretty perfect place for a relaxed wedding morning.
With such a small wedding there was no big production around getting ready. Hair and makeup were happening, flowers arrived, gifts were exchanged and everyone had time to sit, chat and have lunch before leaving for the ceremony.
Starting photography during the preparations can be especially useful if you’re not very comfortable in front of a camera. There’s no pressure to immediately “have your photograph taken”. I’m just there while everything else is happening, and by the time we leave for the ceremony, having me and the camera around already feels completely normal.
That was certainly the case here. I had plenty of time to chat with Eleonora and Jeremy and get to know them a little better before we headed to The Pavilion.
An Outdoor Wedding Ceremony at The Pavilion
After the ceremony there was no rush to move on to the next thing. Everyone stayed around The Pavilion for prosecco, live jazz and time together before dinner.
Eleonora and Jeremy love to dance, and at some point during the reception the jazz got the better of them and they just started dancing together. No announced first dance or everyone gathered around watching — just a completely spontaneous one in the middle of the afternoon.
They had also set up board games for their guests and a Jenga guest book, and the children had their disposable cameras and gifts to keep them busy. With only 25 people, there was plenty of time for everyone to actually spend time together rather than the day disappearing into a packed schedule.
We did the few family group photographs they wanted and spent a little time on relaxed photographs of Eleonora and Jeremy together, but that was really the extent of anything organised for the camera.
The rest was simply about watching what was happening — conversations, kids doing their own thing, people meeting across different languages, glasses being raised and all the little interactions that made the afternoon theirs.
For a small wedding, The Pavilion worked particularly well. Everything happened in one place and the garden setting gave the whole afternoon a very easy, informal feel.
Why The Pavilion Works for a Small, Intimate Wedding
The Pavilion is a really interesting option if you’re planning a smaller wedding and don’t particularly want the feel of a traditional hotel wedding.
For Eleonora and Jeremy’s 25 guests, the size felt just right. They could have their ceremony, drinks and reception in the same place, so there was very little moving around and no long gaps in the day.
Being a garden centre also gives The Pavilion a completely different atmosphere to a conventional wedding venue. There are plants, flowers and greenery everywhere, plenty of natural light and lots of interesting little spaces without needing to leave the venue for photographs.
What I particularly liked was how informal everything could be. After the ceremony, people could grab a drink, listen to the jazz, play a game or simply sit and chat. Eleonora and Jeremy could spend their time with their guests rather than disappearing for a long photo session.
If you’re planning an intimate wedding and want somewhere a little different, particularly if a relaxed atmosphere matters more to you than wedding-day tradition, The Pavilion is well worth considering.
Wedding Photos When You Don’t Like Being Photographed
One of the things Eleonora and Jeremy told me when they first got in touch was that they usually don’t like posing for photographs. Some of their family felt exactly the same way.
That doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to feeling uncomfortable on your wedding day, or spend weeks beforehand worrying about what you’re going to do when a camera appears.
My approach is pretty simple. For most of the day, you get on with your wedding and I get on with photographing it. When a little direction is useful — family photographs or a few relaxed portraits together — I’ll give it, but it doesn’t need to take over the day.
After seeing their sneak peek, Eleonora and Jeremy sent me this:
“It was really a pleasure having you with us for the day! We were impressed how you were able to communicate with our family even with the language barrier. We were all very comfortable with you from the beginning, which is a big deal since a few of us usually don’t like to be photographed 🙈”
For me, that’s as important as them loving the photographs.
FAQs About Weddings at The Pavilion Cork
Is The Pavilion in Cork suitable for a small wedding?
Yes. Eleonora and Jeremy had around 25 guests and it worked really well for their intimate wedding. Having the ceremony and reception in the same place also meant the day could move along naturally without everyone travelling between different venues.
Can you have an outdoor wedding ceremony at The Pavilion?
Yes. Eleonora and Jeremy held their ceremony outdoors at The Pavilion, surrounded by the plants and greenery of the garden centre. It made for a really unusual and beautiful setting for a small ceremony.
Is The Pavilion good for documentary wedding photography?
Very much so. There’s plenty happening naturally within a relatively small space, which works particularly well for documentary photography. Guests can relax, mingle and enjoy themselves without the day feeling overly structured around photographs.
Do we need to leave The Pavilion for couple photographs?
Not necessarily. We took Eleonora and Jeremy’s couple photographs at The Pavilion, so there was no need to disappear elsewhere for a separate photo session. We kept it short and relaxed so they could get back to their guests.
What if we’re camera-shy and don’t like posing for wedding photographs?
You don’t need to spend your wedding day posing. My approach is mainly documentary, so for most of the day you can forget about the camera and enjoy yourselves. I’ll step in with a little direction when it’s useful, such as for family groups or a few photographs together, but I keep that part simple and relaxed.
Eleonora & Jeremy’s Wedding Suppliers
Venue: The Pavilion Garden Centre, Ballygarvan
Celebrant: Cathrine (Rena) Noonan, Cork Registry Office
Florist: Between The Briars
Hair: Mary O’Mahony @hairbymare02
Makeup: Charlotte O’Mahony
Live Music: Brew House Jazz
Photography: Pamela Brady Photography
Looking for Relaxed Wedding Photography?
If you’re planning a relaxed wedding in Dublin or elsewhere in Ireland and would rather enjoy your day than spend it posing for photographs, have a look at my wedding photography page.
If it feels like the right fit, you can get in touch here.
About Pamela
Pamela Brady is a Dublin-based documentary wedding and family photographer, photographing relaxed, unposed weddings across Ireland. She was named a Top 10 Wedding Photographer in Ireland and Top 100 Worldwide by This Is Reportage in 2025, and Ireland Family Photographer of the Year in 2024.
