Wedding Dingle Ireland | Jennifer and Travis

“I feel like a part of my soul has loved you since the beginning of everything.
Maybe we’re from the same star.” ― Emery Allen

May be they are from the same star. The definitely share the same soul.

The clouds hugged the farm land, shrouded the mountains in an electrifying mist, the morning we drove to Ballintaggart House to be part of Jennifer and Travis’s intimate wedding. The air was crackling and we were giddy with anticipation. Jen had mentioned that she had “envisioned a ceremony in the woods of Ireland, rain or shine. I just want the magic of the beautiful scenery to be in the photos.” For Sean and myself these words made our hearts flutter. Could it be that Jen and Travis believed in Romantic rain too?

As the morning progressed we all chuckled as others started to fret about the weather, which had turned from low cloud to, well, rain. Beaming with happiness Jen read vows from Travis as her mother did up the last lace button. Travis mean while was happy out in another room getting their two beautiful children ready for the journey to the forest. What a keeper he is! All dressed and ready our couple met with Pat Brown who chatted through the ceremony and asked one last time, “Are you sure?” “Yes” in unison they smiled at each other. I don’t know if they knew it but Pat was in fact, talking about going outside. Rain now was streaming down the Georgian windowpanes of the country house.

We all dashed to the cars. Sheet rain danced us across the peninsula up to the lakes and wooded area that Jennifer and Travis had wished for. We all sat in our cars nervously laughing, were we really doing this? Sean looked dubious as the gushing water formed wee little channels across the path into the near by stream….. Okay river. The rain fell that hard that there was zero point in having the wipers on full blast. Okay, I concede, lets check the weather app, even though I know that this is the forecast. Sean smiles, there is break in an hour, lets take them for tea and cake in the near by village and come back.

I motion across to Travis to wind down his window as I leap over a puddle to convey the new plan. I am not sure if I snorted or blasted them with laughter as they asked would it be okay to go ahead now. In.this.rain. When I say they asked, it was as if Travis thought it and Jen said it. Again the same soul.

We are doing it Ted, I say as I slosh back into the car. We get out try prepare our equipment as much as we can. I give up on trying to keep anyone dry. I can feel cold drips of water plopping down my jumper, looking around everyone’s eyelashes have grown droplets.

We find a spot under some trees and the next half an hour is wet, cold, and the cameras fog up; I worry that our couple may actually get pneumonia. Pats sheets of paper fall apart under the weight of the falling water. Clever man has backups laminated, he later joked, “Well once I heard you were the photographers I said, well you cant be too prepared for all conditions” Travis’s white shirt is now a second skin. All the while Johns Uilleann Pipes fills the wood with old Irish melodies, Jens parents watch on beaming with pride. Travis and Jen smile a knowing smile, like this is every dream coming true. It is simply one of the best ceremonies we have ever paid witness to.

On the way back to the car, every one walks through the puddles. Skips even. On the way back to Ballintaggart House, the rain clears, we have the heating on blast, Marvyn Gaye and Tammi Terrell sing out “Aint no mountain high enough” myself and Sean are screaming our heads of to it… then it happens, a rainbow appears.

We look back and can see six very excited humans pointing and squealing at the sight. We all do a u-turn and head for that pot of gold. Jen and Travis spring from their car. This moment strikes me. If it were in a movie, it would be one of those perfect comical scenes. Our couple had been listening to the same song. I’m singing along to the tune blast from their car as we scramble to chase that rainbow.

We kind of miss it, but it doesn’t matter a memory this colourful lasts a lifetime.

When we walk into BT House John half laughs and scolds… WHAT HAPPENED YE!!?

We all dry off and have a bite to eat, warm ourselves by the fire and eat delicious cake. Sean notes… there is to be a sunset followed by a storm soon.

It’s not even a question at this point. We grab jackets, run out the door sending crumbs of cake flying. I swear John must think we are bonkers some times.

Jen and Travis run to the waters edge as the sun falls and the that cloud that hung on the land this morning, well it looks like he is back and pretty mad. The sky turns black as we walk back to the car. What a sight they were, lit up bright and gold against a turbulent sky.

Two people, one soul, illuminating the world with the light of their love.