Real Weddings.

Pretty sure this was the best start to the wedding season I could have asked for.

How It Happened

After being chosen as a finalist for the 2021 International Wedding Photographer of the Year Awards, Luis spotted a post about the winners and swung into my DM’s with a casual “Hey Stuart, it’s Luis from Costa Rica.” Immediately brushing it off as potential spam, I sent a jokey reply saying “Hi Luis from Costa Rica, it’s Stuart from the UK.” It was here that the booking was in the bag.

A quick video call later over coffee (wine in my case, given the time difference), we were all 100% confirmed in and I was on the British Airways website checking out flight options.

Given that I was flying to the other side of the world, I thought we’d make the most of the situation and turn a wedding booking into something a little bit bigger. Little did I know this would snowball into a Costa Rican extravaganza spanning 12 days and going to just about every part of the beautiful country with Luis and Tathi to capture some amazing moments and memories.

What Went Down

We had a little warm up shoot at La Paz waterfall outside of San José which really gave me a flavour of how these two interact. Spoiler alert, I barely had to direct a single photo. Amazingness just unfolded and I just had to push the button and point the camera in the right direction.

We then headed over to Guanacaste where the wedding was being held at Hacienda Pinilla, which is a private residence right on the beach with it’s own beautiful open-sided chapel. 

The beauty of destination weddings is that you spend so much time with the couple and the guests that you really end up feeling like one of the family. Combine that with some Latin American hospitality and I was in for something truly special. By the time the wedding came round, I was on first name basis with just about everyone there. 

I floated between seeing Tathi and Luis in the morning as we built up to their first look right there on the beach. This was one of the sweetest of moments, their reactions were just pure gold and the following photos of Luis screaming his lungs out to Highway to Hell while whizzing up to the chapel is a memory that will always stick with me.

From the ceremony it was just a short 5 minute car ride down to the beach club for the reception. Cristoforis’ Get Funked band were already busting out the tunes for everyone upon arrival with DJ Tocuma primed and ready to go for later in the evening.

I took the couple off for some quick photos to catch the sunset, navigating the crabs as we went. Such a great time to catch a breather before their first dance and before the carnage began. And when I say carnage, I mean carnage. No explanation required, just look at the photos and you’ll know what I mean. I’m often driving so I don’t have much of an opportunity to have a drink at a wedding. This time was different and these two are a terrible influence. It only took about 2 minutes of dancing before guests were loading me up with drinks and cacique was being poured into my mouth from a great height by the bride. Ever the professional, I soldiered on. Though I’m pretty sure the seemingly endless stream of drinks aided my performance and allowed the party to be captured in the best way possible.

The Aftermath

I won’t lie, the next day was a total write-off. After backing up all of the files, I spent the rest of the day nursing fruit smoothies and trying to feel human again. We then headed off on a multi-day Costa Rican adventure session together in Las Catalinas, La Fortuna, Tabacón and Limón before heading back to San José. 

I also managed to break not one but two of my cameras from a combination of dropping them in the water at Tabacón and lasers hitting the sensor during the party. Was it worth it? You’re damn right it was. 

This is definitely one to remember and a career highlight. Can we go back please?

Autumn weddings always have a special place in my heart The colours, the light, the frosty mornings and chilly evenings. 

Brympton House is a gorgeous venue in Somerset and one that I hadn’t had the opportunity of shooting at until Kathleen and Ross’s absolute stunner in November. Kathleen, as I quickly found out, has an unbelievably enormous family. But fear not, these guys thought about this and ensured that everyone was kept entertained and well fed throughout the entire day.

The day started off with Kathleen and the girls up in the bridal suite, while Ross and the boys got ready in one of the adjoining cottages. As this was such a big wedding, I had my second photographer Isabel giving me a hand who spent the morning with the guys while I was with Kathleen and the bridesmaids. 

It’s safe to say that spirits were certainly high. The energy and the buzz that everyone was giving off was hugely contagious, it was hard not to get swept up by it all! Kathleen looked unreal in her Sassi Holford dress, and the bridesmaids didn’t look half bad either in their matching TH&TH dresses. 

The ceremony was in the cute little chapel on the grounds, though this wasn’t a religious ceremony and instead conducted by one of Kathleen’s friends. I always love this style of ceremony, as it really does just feel that little bit more special and personal. Plenty of soggy eyes and big cheers throughout, the sign of a great wedding.

A few drinks and canapés later, it was time for the singing waiters to do their thing. Everyone’s minds were blown, as they should be, and the light coming through into the main lobby while this was all going on was just the most unreal experience. There’s something about an autumnal sunset, flying napkins and Nessun Dorma that feels like poetry in motion.

Some rowdy speeches later, it was time to throw some shapes on the dancefloor. And by shapes, I mean SHAPES. Everyone brought their best moves for Kathleen and Ross’ big day. Such a great day and can’t wait to be heading back to Brympton House again soon!

Groom Suit: Edit Suits Co

Cake: Edible Essence

Hair: Joanna Ricardo

Make-Up: Charlotte Tillyer

Flowers: Brympton Styling

Videographer: Christopher James

First timer at the Snape Maltings Concert Hall and hopefully not the last. I mean, this place is unbelievable. I arrived extra early to have a good old snoop around to see what was going on, and couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing. The absolutely stunning wooden auditorium, the surrounding coastline, the vines and flowers growing on every single structure. Unreal.

As avid appreciators of classical music, this really was the only place for Linnea and Gareth to get married. Having the ceremony on stage in the wooden auditorium with a flute four-piece genuinely made my hairs stand on end. 

Traditions also went out of the window entirely. Getting ready to together to the point of Gareth actually helping do up Linnea’s dress, walking to the ceremony together as a family, walking into the ceremony together…as a family. It really was just extra special in every way. 

We even had the opportunity to stop for a few impromptu photos en route to the ceremony in front of the beautiful creeping vines and autumnal tones. 

I would tag the dress designer but there’s no need, as Linnea only went and made it herself. Seriously, what a boss move. All about that vintage aesthetic too, especially with flowers from Southwold Flower Company finishing the entire look. 

After the ceremony, it was drinks and canapés out by the water, where we headed off for a few sneaky photos in amongst the reeds. So many opportunities for beautiful photos here, especially on a day like this! 

The kids were kept busy with an array of colouring and puzzle games across entire benches, which is an amazing idea as it meant they all got to play together and make loads of new friends.

Between speeches and food, the sunset was too difficult to resist and we headed out for a few more photos. The direction of the sunset wasn’t quite on our side, so we ended up in a field alongside the venue to grab the best view and it ended up just being the most amazing spot. Who needs a dramatic landscape when you have these two looking as good as they do, in front of an absolute stunner of a sunset and seemingly endless geese flying past. An empty field is all we needed.

Devon, clifftop, festival. These are all good words when it comes to a wedding—and Jaz and Ali’s absolute stunner certainly didn’t disappoint.

It’s always an honour to be photographing another photographer’s wedding, especially when they’re as damn good as Ali. The pressure certainly wasn’t on though, because it really was hard to go wrong because the entire day was just a big pile of good vibes from start to finish. 

The day started with me literally chasing Ali around between the Airbnb and wedding field on his bicycle while Jaz got ready upstairs in the house with the girls. I was photographing on my own but the schedule was so relaxed which meant I could just float about and capture whatever was happening at that moment. 

The ceremony itself was outside on top of a cliff with the most stunning views across the Devon coastline. Hardly a tradition in sight—with a friend conducting the ceremony, a big old singalong with Ali on guitar. There was a ring exchange though, so that’s something.

After the ceremony, everyone was basically left to just take it all in. The views, the experience, the activities. I’m all for a long drinks reception if there is plenty for everyone to do—Ali and Jaz certainly thought about this and made sure everyone had what they needed. Plus, we were treated to a cowtastic spectacle which got all of the kids very excited. And yes, I did just use the word cowtastic.

Dockside Revolutions saw us through into the evening with banger after banger. The dancefloor was absolutely bonkers and champagne being poured onto people’s faces is always an entertaining photo opportunity when people least expect it.

10/10, would do this again. 

Table Art: Niki Usagi

Table Plan: Made.By.James

Food: Koocha Mezze Bar

Suit: Natalino.co

Marque: Hatch Marquees

Another enormous highlight of the 2022 season. I mean I’m a sucker for a back garden wedding at the best of times, but when your back garden is THIS beautiful and your wedding is this bloody amazing—it is just the perfect set of ingredients.

We started and ended the day at Robyn’s family home, which is this absolutely stunning 16th century manor house on loads of land in the Cotswolds. These windows, these tones, this wooden panelling—I mean come on.

Robyn looked incredible in her elegant and minimalist Suzanne Neville dress, so much so that it all became a little overwhelming seeing herself in the mirror. Not a dry eye in the room at that moment.

The ceremony itself was just down the road in a cute little church which was giving me all sorts of gothic vibes. After we were all shuttle bussed back up the parents house, it was time for drinks and canapés in the garden by Foxy Ladies and Anscombe & Hay.

The marquee itself was a bit of a stunner, supplied by Space Intense and fit so perfectly in the beautifully landscaped garden. 

With such a beautiful house in such a beautiful part of the UK, it really was hard to go too far wrong when taking Robyn and Andrew out for photos of them together. We even got the chance to head down the road and photograph the sunset over Gloucestershire and the birds living their best lives.

The rest of the evening is exactly what you’d expect. Good drinks, good people and good vibes. What an amazing day! 

Hair: Louise Always

Make-up: Christy Waterfall

Band: The Kings of Soul