As a film wedding photographer, I am constantly in awe of the beauty and intimate moments I get to capture at weddings, regardless of circumstances or location. But at the end of September, I had the privilege of shooting a very special wedding in Tuscany featuring two brides, Lilian & Alexis, two individuals that I’ve created beautiful work with and bonded with over the last few years. Asking me and Ryanne to travel to Italy so we can capture the overall experience of their wedding day made us both excited and nervous in a way that has never happened before leading into a wedding day. In hindsight, when looking back through the photos I quickly realize that the photos had a distinct ability to transport me back to this highly emotional and career defining moment where the people and place equally left a mark on me, giving me new insight into who I am as a person and ultimately as a creative. An experience unlike any I’ll likely ever have again as a film wedding photographer but I’ll do my best to put it all into words which I thought would be impossible given the emotional state I fall into when reliving the memories of the wedding as I look through the photos.
It’s funny because as a former photojournalist people often assume that I’m an expert “fly on the wall” but the reality of what that career taught me was that engaging with people and my surroundings is what really helps tell a proper story through a photo. For the first time, probably ever, I felt like I was back in the old days of shooting for the Globe and Mail or Toronto Star where I was thrown into the fire and was deeply involved in the images I was creating. The wedding photography industry has so many buzzwords and I’ll do my best to avoid them all because this day transcends the concept of traditional wedding day experiences. Being an international wedding photography or luxury wedding photographer have never been my goal and I know the idea of shooting a wedding in Italy is a benchmark for other wedding photographers in the industry but to me, genuinely, this wedding goes far beyond any of that, in fact, none of that stuff is even relevant to the core of the overall experience.
What can I say besides this entire wedding day was a dream. The ceremony was held at the bottom of the stone steps, where guests gathered and sat to witness the exchange of vows in front of the rolling Tuscan hills and vineyards. Not to be outshined, their fluffy pup Miso stole the show as he decided to sit at his mothers’ feet during the ceremony and had a front row seat to their vows and first kiss as a married couple. The wedding was filled with handcrafted details that added to the beauty of the day, such as personally written letters to each guest, a long harvest table outside the villa so everyone could sit together and appreciate the stunning Tuscan backdrop and the incredible sunset during dinner. The two brides didn’t disappoint with two highly stylish looks, Alexis with a beautiful white wedding dress from Kamperett and Lillian ,being the Ying to Alexis’ Yang, wore a black dress to contrast her new wife’s aesthetic. The terms modern bride and anti bride were invented for brides like Alexis & Lillian and they’re the archetypes for cool brides all over the world. The couple had asked all their guests to wear colourful clothing which elevated everyone’s cool and modern style to become an effortlessly iconic part of the wedding day details, not to mention the perfect compliment to the black and white outfits of the brides’.
The atmosphere was enhanced even further by candlelight, the party and conversations went deep and late into the night and early into the morning. As the photographer, I was so engaged in the atmosphere that I went to bed at 6:30 AM, feeling grateful for such a beautiful and intimate experience that gave me the opportunity to connect with like-minded people and engage in deep conversations and dance for hours on end. Rarely do our minds and soul get to feel such a spectrum of feelings that have real impact on us, but this wedding had it in abundance and everyone in attendance can and will agree to that statement.
The use of analog film and our trusted Leica cameras added a nostalgic and timeless quality to the final images. Using these classic tools also channeled a different part of my mind's eye when viewing the experience through my own lens. The limitations of film, such as the need to carefully consider each shot and the unpredictability of the final result, forced me to slow down and truly experience the moment, rather than just capturing it. The end result was a set of images that not only captured the beauty of the day, but also the emotions and atmosphere of the wedding in a truly unique and timeless way. 40+ rolls of film later we’re left with tangible memories of our unique experience of not only photographing a beautifully wedding in Tuscany, but also our own personal memories of what it was like to be there and truly live through the experience as an engaged participant and guest.
As a film wedding photographer, I believe that capturing these intimate and beautiful moments is what makes my job so rewarding, but this experience had a deeper layer to it that was unlike any other wedding I ever photographed. I’m so grateful to have been a part of Lillian and Alexis' special day in Tuscany and I hope that the photographs I took will bring back fond memories for them and their guests for years to come, at least I hope the same level of fondness and nostalgia that I feel when looking through the images.
The feeling of saudade is a complex and profound emotion that is difficult to put into words. A term created and expressed within my Portuguese culture at various facets of life. It is a mixture of nostalgia, longing, and bittersweetness that is evoked when thinking about past experiences or events. In the context of the wedding in Tuscany, the feeling of saudade is heightened by the use of analog film in capturing the images. Film photography has a way of imbuing images with a timeless and emotional quality that digital photography often lacks. The organic and textured feel of the images, combined with the unpredictability of the final result, gives the images a sense of authenticity and emotion that is difficult to replicate with digital technology for some reason.
When I look at the images from Lillian and Alexis' wedding, I am transported back to the beautiful hills of Tuscany Italy, the intimate atmosphere of the ceremony, and the love and joy of the two brides as well as their surrounding tight knit group of chosen family and friends.. The photographs evoke a deep sense of longing for the fleeting and beautiful moments that were captured, but also a sense of gratitude for the privilege of having been a part of such a special day.
