This is one from the archives, but definitely one of my favourite couples portraits from a wedding I've photographed, whether in Dorset or further afield. Let me tell you the story of this image.
This wedding wasn't blessed with good weather, and we had a very short period of time allotted to carry out the bride and groom portraits. As the time for the couples shots grew nearer, the heavens opened and the wedding guests had to dash indoors. Whilst it was an absolutely gorgeous wedding venue inside (the wonderful Stanbrook Abbey), the couple had particularly set their heart on having some shots outside by the lake, with the background of weeping willows.
So, we started shooting the couples shots inside... and with ten minutes to go before the time we were scheduled to bring the couple to the wedding breakfast, suddenly the rain stopped and the sun came out. So, we hotfooted it outside to the lakeside, where the light was soft, gentle and perfect to backlight this lovely natural couples portraits on their wedding day.
When time is short during the couples portraits - or whether there are other pressures at play, such as when the weather is uncertain - it can sometimes be difficult for the couple to relax and enjoy the moment. Not so this lovely pair, who were so thrilled that they could get some photos in the spot they had hoped for that they immediately relaxed into the moment. As you can see, the bride was so chilled out that she kicked off her shoes!
Seated shots for the bride and groom pose many challenges, normally to do with the fact that outfits can bunch up and not look their best. However, the bride's voluminous dress was perfect for a seated shot in this case, as it frothed out around her beautifully - and by shooting from behind to get this more documentary style of wedding portrait, we kept the feel of the image perfectly in tune with the moment and allowed the couple to interact beautifully together without undue interference.
Wedding portraits that feel like documentary wedding photography are, for me, the best of both worlds - which is why I love this image so much.
