Climbing Rocks For The Best Shots..

A blog post written by Samantha 04/09/2017

I have accompanied my husband Ian to many weddings that he has worked on and I am always in complete awe of his dedication to getting the very best photographs. A lady at a wedding one weekend referred to him as "a rat up a drainpipe" she laughed so much at this reference but I knew just what she meant.

We recently travelled as a family to a resort in Cyprus, we were honoured to be asked to be guests at a family wedding. The wedding was to take place between Simon, Ian's younger brother and his Fiancé Sacha on the beach in Cyprus as it was the couples dream to get married with their feet in the sand.

I was asked along with our daughters to be a bridesmaid and Blake a pageboy, Ian was truly delighted to not only be asked to be best man but also the photographer. Simon and Sacha have supported us in our dream to make Art Me photography into a successful business right from the very early days, in fact it was due to the arrival of their first son Ethan Luca that Ian was inspired to purchase his first home photography set up.

As the weeks went by Ian considered the best way to capture the day and he researched Cypriot weddings alongside thinking up the best anecdotes for the speech, trying not to forget the many brotherly misdemeanors of days gone by.

On the day of the wedding we arrived early, myself and the girls went off to beautify ourselves along with the maid of honour (Sophie the brides sister), the bride and her mum Kim, Ian flitted between hotel floors ensuring he caught all the best bits of the bridal prep, dashing from the poolside to room 310 careful not to miss the girly giggles or the brotherly banter and not allowing the 32degree heat to stop him capturing the build up and excitement of the day.

Just as the very calm maid of honour carefully fastened the last button on the brides dress the videographer and his assistant arrived Ian, Theo and the assistant (I never caught his name but he was fab) all worked alongside each other so harmoniously an onlooker may have thought they were a team. Theo panned the room and Ian snapped away, taking images of everything from rings to shoes. We all posed all the time Ian was ensuring that the sunlight shone through at just the right angle.

The 4pm ceremony seemed to arrive in the blink of an eye, The beach aisle was adorned with shells and candles. The music started, A THOUSAND YEARS by Boyce Avenue, the older children were first out, little Ethan was eager and carried a sign saying "don't cry Daddy, Mummy is coming" he pulled his pretty cousins in the direction of his very anxious daddy who was standing ready and waiting for his bride. Sophie and little ted were out next followed by myself and Blake, Ian snapped away frantically somehow getting everyones expressions whilst grinning excitedly himself. Next of course was the bride, She looked sensational in her fitted, backless lace dress, walking barefoot accompanied by her dad, they headed towards Simon and tears filled our eyes as David gave Sachas' hand to Simon and i'm sure he said something like "look after her or i'll kill you".

The vows were written by the bride and groom themselves and were meaningful and perfect for them, I sobbed throughout the entirety. Ian listened as best he could but shot from one side to another practically unnoticed taking photos from all angles, carefully capturing every emotion and meaningful look between the happy couple. After the service the bride and groom cut their cake and i wonder if it is tradional in Cyprus to feed each other the first spoon, this was where the ever playful Sacha and her new husband Simons playful side was captured with a few funny but lovely photos of cake on the nose.

The bride and groom danced their way back down the aisle and were showered with confetti and we were offered very welcomed drinks. Then Ian, Sacha and Simon and the videographer alongside his assistant graciously disappeared to get some posed shots at Cape Greco some miles down the road.

This is when the real work began, Ian shouted from one rock to another calling over various poses and climbing higher and higher in order to catch the best shot as the sunset and only slowing as the animal loving couple stopped to sit with some resident kittens.

The evening reception was just as magical as the day had been, the food was delicous and fresh from the barbeque, the delicately made wedding favours sat amongst beautifully handcrafted table settings. 

The first dance followed the incredibly tasty deserts and this is when I think I cried the most, They danced to HIGH by the lighthouse family and just when emotions were running high enough the fireworks began and it was honestly one of the most stunning and touching sights i've ever seen.

We left the beach gleefully at around 11pm feeling tired but still beaming filled with pride, love and Cypriot wines. The rest of the holiday went very well and was enjoyed by all of us and when we returned the bride and groom eagerly awaited their photographs and were extremely happy when the first batch was ready in time for their uk blessing and reception. Ian took his camera again, afraid he may miss some incredible moments.

Whether it's the fifth family photoshoot of the week or he's climbing rocks for the best shots, my husband is 100% dedicated to his work. His passion shines through in every photograph making me proud daily.

Book with him today and it'll be the best decision you ever make.