Get ready for some destination wedding inspiration!
In September, I was blessed to photograph Sian and Ricky’s beautiful wedding in Lanzarote. Affectionately called ‘The Island of Eternal Spring’, Lanzarote gets less than two weeks of rain in a whole year, making it a pretty safe bet for a sun-drenched wedding day (take that, Alanis). Not only is it reliably sunny, it’s also stunningly beautiful. With emerald waters, sandy beaches and real-life palm trees only a short flight away, Lanzarote is a fantastic choice for a destination wedding!
I love weddings on a beach. There’s nothing more romantic than saying your vows beneath a bright blue sky, sand between your toes, palm trees waving sleepily in the breeze and waves lapping gently behind you. For Sian and Ricky’s wedding in particular, I was so in love with the white cotton archway, framing them against the gorgeous backdrop of the blissful sea.
The colour scheme of the wedding was a subtle shade of light blue, wonderfully mirrored by the flawless cyan of the Lanzarote sea and sky. The bridesmaid dresses, Sian’s shoes and the groom party ties all carried the theme; gorgeous streaks of blue against a sea of cream and white. In every photo you can spot a flash of cyan, whether it’s the blue skies, the crystal sea, a glimpse of Sian’s shoes, or one of the many nods to the theme you can see if the outfits of the guests.
I’m a great believer that the key to a beautiful wedding is all in the little details. Styled and planned by Lanzarote wedding planner, Anne Leneghan every facet of the day was perfect. Sian’s personal touch shone through as well, with lots of little handcrafted details all made by the bride, from the travel themed stationery, to the hand crafted wedding shoes she wore.
My favourite part of the day was the couple portraits. One of the best things about destination weddings is the opportunity to take shots you’d never get to take! Those epic showstopper shots you get blown up and framed, and years later find yourself standing in front of and staring at in your living room with a smile on your face! Sian and Ricky trusted me to take them on the rocks by the sea (not a small thing, considering they were in their wedding clothes!) and I’m so glad they did, because they made for some stunning and dramatic couple shots.
With every destination wedding I offer a free shoot on either the day before or the day after, to give the couple a chance to make the most of the destination. Sian and Ricky chose to have a pool party photo shoot for the bridesmaids. Sian’s Bride Tribe were brilliant! Great fun, incredibly photogenic, up for anything I threw at them and always so full of laughter. They made me feel like part of the gang and the pool party shots have got to be some of my favourites from the whole weekend.
Sian and Ricky’s love for each other, their sense of fun and adventure and the inescapable feeling of love from all the friends and family made this such a special weekend for me.
What I love most about this wedding though is that the gallery as a whole so perfectly captures what’s so wonderful about destination weddings. The romance of the beach-front wedding, the cyan flashes in every outfit, the dramatic couple shots on the rocks overlooking the sea, the glamour and fun of the bridesmaids’ pool party the day before….it all comes together to show us that your wedding doesn’t have to follow any set of rules, it can be whatever you want it to be: fun, adventurous, beautiful, glamorous, and maybe even beneath the palm trees on a beach far, far away.
I love shooting destination weddings. I’ve shot weddings all over the world and the one thing they all have in common is how the fun and romance of adventure shines through in every shot. If you’re thinking of getting married in the UK or abroad and are looking for a someone to capture the magic of your special day, please get in touch to check my availability and get a personalised quote.
The gallery highlights
