Documentary wedding photography is all about tiny, individual moments of magic, woven together to create a stunning story landscape of an unforgettable day. Moments which come and go in a fraction of a second, yet when brought back into the memories of those who were there via a photograph, will live on forever in sharp and glorious remembrance.
I watch and wait for those moments which tell the real story of a wedding day. It can be a touch, a laugh, sometimes just body language. Often, it's a look which I see and capture, as I know it tells of a story which runs much deeper below. When two people in love look at each other and they connect, so often they can't help but let their eyes and faces show the rest of the world exactly what they're feeling. We're let into a private moment, and we're privileged to be there. And that's what I look for, that's what I want to capture for the couple to look back on and remember just how they felt in that exact moment.
Sometimes, it's not even the case that I need to photograph two sets of eyes connecting together in a moment; sometimes, you only need to see one person to just KNOW that the other has the exact same look on their face. That's why I love this particular image, which was shot at a recent wedding at Brympton House in Somerset during the speeches. The bride's face is absolutely lit up with love and admiration; for her, no-one else in the room matters right now as she watchers her new husband give his first speech as a married man. Nothing else exists. And what a wonderful moment for us to be able to share and wonder at. This is what documentary wedding photography is all about; this is why posed lineups can never come close to the real magic of a wedding day.
