All posts by Joe

Wedding Video Kilkenny Abbey Video Productions Kilkenny, Ireland we pride ourselves on providing a professional, affordable and unobtrusive service in Kilkenny Ireland. I have worked diligently to become the finest wedding videography production company in Co. Kilkenny, Munster & Ireland. Abbey Video Productions is a family run wedding videography business, ensuring you personal attention.

Cashel Palace Hotel

Cashel Palace Hotel 2022

November 25, 2021 Joe

Wedding Video Kilkenny - Abbey Video Productions — Cashel Place Hotel 2022

Fantastic news for Cashel, the Cashel Palace Hotel is due to open its doors on the 1st March of 2022.

The Cashel Palace Hotel is situated on a 25-acre site and the grounds lie adjacent to the world famous Rock of Cashel. The building was originally the home of the Church of Ireland Archbishops and has recently been meticulously restored to create a truly desirable destination hotel in the heart of Ireland.

The Cashel Palace Hotel will make a wonderful wedding location in County Tipperary. If you are planning to have your wedding here and are looking for a local wedding videographer please get in touch with us.

I look forward to filming many weddings at the Cashel Palace Hotel in the years to come.

https://www.cashelpalacehotel.ie/occasions

wedding video Kilkenny

St. Mary’s Church, Killenaule Tipperary

October 24, 2020 Joe

St. Mary’s Church, Killenaule was looking fantastic for the wedding of Suzy and PJ. Suzy is a renowned make up artist, very popular in the wedding business in Tipperary and further afield, but today was her day! The sun shone high in the October sky as she made her way to a packed Killenaule church, and of course PJ and the lads were already there, greeting the guests as they arrived. Suzy looked fabulous in her wedding dress as she was proudly walked up the aisle by her dad. Fr O’Donnell tied the knot for them, and with Hilda McMahon being their photographer for the day we all worked easily together. The Newpark Hotel in Kilkenny was our stop for the evening

https://www.weddingvideokilkenny.com/tag/wedding-videographer-kilkenny/

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Wedding Speeches 2021 … Long or Short ?

January 18, 2018 Joe

Over the years in the videography business here in Kilkenny and Tipperary I have heard it all, with wedding speeches anyway! I remember 15 years ago at weddings, the Smokey hotel function rooms and the speeches that were short and to the point. As time went on the smoking ban arrived and the speeches got longer & longer for some reason.

How long is a good speech? Well I guess the way to answer that is how long in a piece of string… who knows, but the attention span of your guests should not be over looked. The total duration of the wedding speeches is usually 20 to 30 minutes max. If you want your wedding speeches to be short, then you have to make sure all the speakers know their limits and no more. Long speeches can risk repetition and guest boredom and I have see this while videoing weddings all over Ireland.

Wedding Videographer New Park Hotel Kilkenny

My advice to couples that ask about what I think regarding speeches is this: I tell them it’s their day but just to be aware a short speech is always remembered and spoken about later, a long speech is soon forgotten because it was too much for people to take in. Also bear in mind that if the speeches are after the meal and are long winded, people get fed up as they need to stretch their legs. I have heard horror comments after the speeches from guests after sitting for nearly an hour listening to a guy that “loves his own voice!” but as I emphasise – it’s your day and your speeches. The traditional scenario of having the speeches after the meal is fine as well, but think of the groom & best man and also the dads all sitting there eating their meal thinking the speeches have to be done soon – it can and will put them off their meal.

A trend that is becoming increasingly popular is to have the wedding speeches before the meal. This really helps people who have a speech to deliver and are somewhat anxious about making it. This will have to be arranged with your hotel in advance so that they can Plan to accommodate it with your meal.

I understand with hotels they have to keep the meal hot while the wedding speeches are being conducted, but from feedback from couples 70% now want their speeches before the meal. This way all involved in the speaking can relax and enjoy their meal knowing it’s done and dusted! It’s a great idea for people that are not used to public speaking. Of course from the hotel’s side of things this can be a nightmare! Also you band can start on time if all is done and dusted before say 9pm, and this way you get value for money from you nights Entertainment as well. The bride and groom tell the hotel they will only be 15 minutes but I have see this 15 mins drag on to an hour! The poor chef is doing his best to stop the veg from sticking to the pans, so i can understand why the hotels frown on this! If your speeches are going to be before the meal tell the hotel this and stay to an agreed time-frame – this way your guests won’t be eating cold food and all will be happy. Brand new blog in the making for next week, very interesting one at that! check back ~ Joe

Another local Wedding Video, award winning Wedding Videographer

I’ve been nominated for a Mrs2Be Brides’ Choice Award 2019!

May 12, 2019 Joe

As a wedding videographer based in Tipperary and Kilkenny covering all Ireland it’s fantastic to have been nominated yet again for the Mrs2Be Brides’ Choice Awards 2019. I won it in 2016 and again in 2018. Entrants are judged on a range of criteria including professionalism and quality.there is lots of other awards out there but the Mrs2Be Brides’ Choice Awards are Recognising the best of the Irish wedding industry.Over the years I have worked hard to understand the needs of couples who choose me as their wedding videographer for their special day, every couple has different ideas for their wedding video production and I encourage each bride and groom to give me their ideas and what they might like in the final production … after all it’s their day.

Down through the years I have invested both time and money to keep up with the latest cameras, editing software and all the bells and whistles that go along with the job as i feel only the best is good enough for your wedding day

I don’t use wedding fairs, I have attended 2 in all my time as a wedding videographer, as i feel a lot of the couples that come along on the day often have their wedding suppliers booked before hand, and that can include me! So I work on the “word of mouth” system and it really does work. As you are reading my blog you will see I also depend on my website like any other business, and of course a quick google and you should normally find me at the top of your search both in Tipperary & Kilkenny – I’m working on the other counties as we speak.

Getting back to the Mrs2Be Brides’ Choice Award 2019, every wedding I cover and produce both locally and everywhere else is an Award for me as the feed back I get is truly out of this world and 100% recommendation from Brides & Grooms. So I get Awards every year in my own way when couples contact me after they have viewed their wedding dvd and tell me that not only did they like their dvd but loved it and are so glad to have got a wedding video. So a happy customer is happy days! But of course in saying that the Award would be nice to receive, but we will let the powers that be make that choice, there are a lot of other fantastic videographers around the country and I wish them all the best.

The wedding industry is booming at the moment and next year looks like a bumper year as well. The budgets are still in place of course and rightly so, but I have often said you get what you pay for. Of course you can get your wedding video for 300 euro for the full day but is that all your memories are worth? The average price for the day can be 800+ and I think that’s fair – it often can be an 11 hr day and that’s only the wedding day, editing has to come into play after that. So I would say if your are planning on getting married and having a wedding DVD give time choosing your videographer. You don’t need to pay 900+ unless it’s a 2 man crew with 2 manned cameras, if that is what you need go for it, but I like to film with the “fly on the wall” approach. This way both you and your guests are often unaware of cameras there at all, but of course all the little details get covered, with your guests enjoying themselves and your full day captured in detail.

So I would like to thank you all for the nominations and I will keep you posted on the outcome

~ Joe

wedding video Kilkenny

Sunny Fethard for Jillian & Laurence

January 1, 2019 Joe

wedding video Kilkenny - abbey video productions Fethard Church was the call last Friday in fantastic sunshine and a great local wedding in Tipperary, Jillian & Laurence got married in this lovely old town. Jillia was just 2 km from Fethard was a nice easy call to her house that morning on my way from Cashel, the house was a great success as there was lots going on to film. Andrew Mc Dermott was on hand as her photographer, we both worked on her sisters wedding 4 years ago so its great to be called back again, we must have done something right last time.

wedding video Kilkenny - abbey video productions Moving on to Fetahrd to capture Laurence and the lads, meeting people in McCarthy’s pub, just settling the nerves of course 🙂 Laurence is from Cloneen which is not far down the road in the parish of Drangan & Cloneen so a near meet for both familys, Cashel flowers supplied the fabulous flowers on the day and made the church look lovely.

Fr Tom Breen was the man that tied the knot, a lovely guy and did not delay us to long in the warm church.

wedding video Kilkenny - abbey video productions Andrew their photographer took both family’s to have the family photos done to the rear of the church, in the shade I might add, this is a great way to have this bit of the day over for them as after this they are free to go to the reception.

wedding video Kilkenny - abbey video productions The new park hotel was our last stop for the evening, and I must say its the best hotel in Kilkenny for a wedding, their attention to detail and personal attention to the couple on the day is second to none.

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We WON! The Mrs2Be Brides’ Choice Awards 2018

August 17, 2016 Joe

Last Wednesday evening I got word that I had won the Mrs2Be brides choice awards for wedding Videography in Ireland!

The Mrs2Be Brides’ Choice Awards were launched in 2014. The awards are the first and only Irish wedding industry awards that are based on a detailed review process involving each entrant’s previous customers. Entrants are judged on a range of criteria including professionalism and quality. Entrants are judged primarily via a review system involving previous couples who have recently used their service. These reviews are independently verified and cross-referenced to ensure credibility.

I was nominated last year and was honoured to become a finalist. This year I was nominated by a couple whose wedding I filmed early in 2017 and I progressed once again to the finals, but this time I went all the way and won! It’s a nervous wait to see how things go with the judges and of course how the couples vote. But as I always say, every wedding video I complete is a winner for me – when I get an e-mail, text, Facebook review or a phone call to say how delighted a couple are with their wedding DVD, well I just won all over again!

Wedding Video Kilkenny - kilkenny weddings — Wedding Video Kilkenny

Wedding videography can be a strange business sometimes, no two couples have the same taste in filming or the music they pick for the final product. Over the years I have seen the way weddings are delivered – these times of course it’s DVD and also flash drives are making their way on stream. But I have always kept up-to-date with all the latest technology, including the new Sony cams, the very best in software, computers, and of course my own creative and unique way of filming weddings all wrapped into a professional, affordable and unobtrusive style. And by the looks of things it’s working both for the couple and for me, so happy days there!

Winner Mrs2Be brides choice awards 2016

It’s time to get ready for this week’s weddings – some more fantastic couples to meet, new places, new faces, and hopefully more referrals, that’s how my business works best. It also helps that my website is at the top of google for wedding video in Tipperary, along with Kilkenny and Carlow – I love SEO and how Google works behind the scenes, and by the looks of things it has paid off again! Thank you to all my 2107 couples that took the time to vote for us. ~ Joe & Breda

All photos are ((c) of Abbey Video.

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Great local wedding

October 20, 2016 Joe

Last week I had the pleasure of filming a lovely fun wedding for a family I know very well, John and Tess Ryan (Bob). Their lovely daughter Aoife married Frank Cussen from Galbally in Oola Church. I called to Aoife’s house to capture the excitement on the morning – the usual stuff, hair, make up, more hair and more make up, and that was only her dad and the the lads! But seriously it was great to film all the fun of the girls getting ready- it’s a lovely start to a wedding DVD. Earlier in the week I had done a little bit of filming with Frank to get his thoughts on his upcoming wedding and on the morning of the wedding Aoife spoke her thoughts on camera and I mixed the two together to make the lovely clip you will see below.

As I mentioned, Oola Church was my next stop. What a huge amount of friends they have, guests from Galbally, Cashel and all over the world turned up! The ceremony was conducted by Fr. Jack O’Neill and when Aoife and Frank were married we moved on to Aoife’s granny’s house, a lovely farm setting with the old milking steps providing a lovely backdrop for the photo session.

Aoife and Frank had thought of every thing, with green wellies for the lads and flowery ones for the girls! Their photographers captured some great photos here and I got some lovely footage.

The Bunratty Castle Hotel was our last stop for the day. Aoife and Frank arrived soon after me – I like to try and get to the reception venue before the bride and groom to film the drinks reception so they can see what was happening elsewhere on their day. The function room in the hotel is splendid and looked fabulous on the day. The wedding cake was fantastic and the speeches were excellent – funny, emotional, and just the right length. One of the highlights of the day for the lads was when both mothers sang “The Voyage” together after the speeches; it sounded fabulous so well done to the mams for that!

Their entertainment for the night was “The Seducers” band and they had the huge crowd rocking the night away.

I’d like to wish Aoife and Frank congratulations on their marriage, and all the best for the years to come.

So if your planing on getting married in, 2017 / 2018/ 2019, give me a call and lets chat about YOUR wedding because I get booked very early!

wedding video Kilkenny, http://www.kilkennycastle.ie/, kilkenny River Court Hotel, River Court Hotel

Kilkenny Hotels ( Kilkenny River Court Hotel )

July 8, 2016 Joe

As a wedding videographer covering all of Munster and further, Kilkenny is one of my most visited areas along with Tipperary. This week, the Kilkenny River Court Hotel was my stop after a lovely church service in Callan for Sarah and John.

The moment I arrived at the kilkenny River Court, I was greeted by James Leonard, General Manager, and Colm Nolan, Deputy Manager. They had a beautiful red carpet out awaiting the bride and groom and were interested in how the day went for the lovely couple, along with wondering the time frame regarding the photographs to gauge the meal time. It’s very important for the hotel and for the guests that dinner is served on time. James and Colm were waiting with champagne and strawberryies on ice to greet the couple. Parking at this great hotel is so easy due to the fact they acquired some land behind the hotel, which is a welcome to all parking.

When the couple arrived atthe hotel after some photographs at Kilkenny Castle, they were greeted and taken inside to a fabulous reception area to relax and enjoy some of the River Court’s tasty before-dinner treats.

The hotel itself is in a spectacular location, with its unique backdrop overlooking Kilkenny Castle on the banks of the River Nore, and is regarded as one of the finest wedding hotels in Ireland. The Kilkenny River Court Hotel is very proud to host exquisite weddings right in the heart of Kilkenny City.

Dinner was called on time and served piping hot in a professional manner. I must say the staff in the River Court are second to none where service and friendliness is concerned. James and Colm were on duty Saturday and made sure I was around for the all important speeches! The turn round for the evening party was very prompt; the couple’s band was set up and ready to party at 9.45, which is fantastic for us poor videographers who have been on our feet all day.

As a videographer I see behind the scenes of a hotel on a wedding day, and I personally would give the River Court Hotel Kilkenny 100%. If you are planning your wedding in the River Court Hotel, why not give me a call and let’s chat about your wedding DVD package and to see some footage I filmed in this great hotel. More reviews next week of Hotels In Kilkenny. Joe ~

Wedding Videographer Kilkenny, Abbeyleix Manor, Jenkinstown Co Kilkenny

Mary and CJ Wedding Video

April 17, 2017 Joe

https://player.vimeo.com/video/212957279

Mary and CJ were recently married in the lovely Church of Jenkinstown Co Kilkenny, Mary’s home place is just a hundred yards from the Church, her home is a lovely farm house and was in tip top shape for Mary’s wedding as you can see from some of the stills on the post, and old pump feature in the yard grabbed my attention with some beautiful yellow flowers planted.

That morning it felt like the month of July so sunny and warm and made for a fantastic day for filming. I arrived about 2 hrs before the wedding for the bridal preps which were going well when I arrived, the girls were busy with hair, makeup and all that you might expect on the morning of a wedding, Mary was as calm and so easygoing and the girls were planning the day as the make up person was busy with the final touches.

The ceremony was lovely and friendly and carried out by Fr O Gorman, after the service we moved across the yard to Jenkinstown House, a fabulous five-bay single-storey private (estate) Catholic chapel, c.1825 for the family photos, and also used the grounds which were full of blossom for bridal party photographs.

Abbeyleix Manor was the reception venue and what a hotel, its family run and ran so well and professional I would have to recommend it! Mary and CJ were greeted and taken in to sample some lovely finger food to keep them going till meal time. some lovely music was keeping their guests entertained while most people sat outside in the glorious evening sunshine, again a good sign of a hotel the guests were called into the fabulous reception room at 5.30 for their meal.

Speeches were preformed before the meal which I think is the best way as the lads can sit and enjoy their meal, some hotels frown on this practice and make every excuse under the sun to put you of it, by saying your guests will be hungry but thats why you provide some food when they first arrive to the hotel, but its YOUR DAY and you have every right to carry out your speeches when you want, after all your paying!

Their band for the evening was the ever popurler “The Bottle Brothers” and wow did they get the party started and kept it going.

Best wishes to Mary and CJ, they were a lovely couple to work with, along with their family and guests. ~ Joe

wedding video Kilkenny

Happy New Year everyone!

December 26, 2017 Joe

Happy New Year everyone!

Well I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas, and a lovely time with family and friends as I did. And congratulations! if you have received that special ring over the Christmas holidays… or even if your are expecting it over new year! January is the time to start with your wedding planning , a new year and some great and exciting planning ahead of you, Give me a call if you are thinking of hiring a wedding videographer, and I can promise you wont be disappointed with my prices or quality. Wedding Video Bookings for 2018 are pouring in the last few days. Even January this year is as busy as July! It’s something I have never encountered before but is great to see. Even 2019 is well booked at the moment .Throughout the year, I have had to recommend some well heeled colleagues of mine to brides for whom I was booked for their date. If I am booked, I don’t just send them a name of the first videographer that springs to mind. I have a few professional guys that I hold in the highest regard and we always recommend each other, should one of us be booked. With this way of working, no couple will get the run around with different prices. I would never recommend someone I would not use my self.

Tomorrow its back to work with my first wedding of this mad busy time of year and its a local one in Knockavilla just up the road from where I live, its great to have all local wedding videos this time of year with the weather the way it is or the way it could end up! of course New Years eve is a very popular choice with couples all over Irelaand, I love the Christmas & New year weddings

The last few weeks has been hectic filming weddings and school shows in and around Tipperary along with Kilkenny and Waterford as well as editing. But ALL my weddings even the last one on the on the 16th of December, was with the couple in time for Christmas for them to enjoy with family and friends over the holidays, I cant understand some videographers that I hear of leaving couples without their wedding DVDs for Christmas, Breda and myself make sure we have all the info for their wedding on our computer inc their titles, music choices, so when I have the film downloaded to our system we are ready to go!

While looking back on last year, most visited wedding reception areas was Clonmel Park Hotel Hotel Minella, Clonmel, Hotel Kilkenny , New park hotel Kilkenny I also visited Waterford and Limerick. And I would like to thank all the hotels for their help on the day, and look forward to working in all the local hotels around Tipperary, Kilkenny and Carlow and the others again in 2018 So wherever you might be getting married, give me a call and I will give you the most competitive price you will find anywhere in Munster.

So, with a fantastic looking year ahead and with 80% of my work in and around Tipperary and Kilkenny, I guess I can’t complain. However, with every new year I try and create a new and unique way of crafting wedding videos and editing and the coming year brides will get a lovely suprrise with a brand new editing system with every bell and whistle that I need. Anyone can give you a wedding video, but I try and make it that bit special. It’s this that has kept me ahead of other other “video guys “, while still offering a Professional Affordable and Unobtrusive service. So, if you are planning your wedding for this year, you’d better be quick and contact me now, or 2018 / 2019/ 2020 as I am being booked very fast. To see my new and unique way of how your wedding video could look, give me a call. I will try to match your service area, along with the hotel that you might be using, with a full wedding DVD to view at home. This way, you get a feel of my true work

Weddings are huge business in every country, and your wedding needs planing a lot of planing I know I hear it all first hand so to help you along with your big day have a look at BRIDES IN MUNSTER again a local wedding suppler site but covering Kilkenny and Carlow for the local brides in 2015/ 16 its packed with 100% top notch wedding professionals covering wedding video , wedding photography, wedding cakes , wedding flowers, wedding rings, wedding dresses, wedding sweet carts any thing wedding its there! as I said before if you don’t see a Wedding a suppler on this great local wedding supplier site are they worth the call?

Also I got many thank you cards over Christmas from couples whose weddings I have filmed over the year, with 80% of them from around Tipperary where most of my work is. It’s great to get feedback from brides, it shows we are doing a great job and they enjoyed their wedding DVDs.

Wedding videography is a record of your day the way you would like it told, and along with our camera skills and editing this can be achieved. No wedding is the same and any videographer that goes out to do a job should never treat it like “yesterdays wedding” – every couple has different ideas of what they think their wedding video should look and feel like and I love to hear this, because it gives me a clear picture of what they are seeing. When the day arrives I keep this in mind, and work to achieve it.

So Happy New year to you all. and If your planing on ” tieing the knot” or you know someone who is, give me a call I can guarantee you wont be disappoint in price or quality ( photos © wedding video Kilkenny ) and https://pixabay.com