This is part 1 of 2 parts from an incredible Château Grimaldi wedding in Aix en Provence, South of France. This stunning wedding was special to me because the bride is not only a talented photographer and student of mine, but she is also a good friend and amazing person. Nix (as we call her) from Nicola Denby Photography  asked me to be her photographer last year after hanging out at some industry event. I was honored and humbled. It is not easy shooting a wedding for another photographer but Nix and Adam made sure they made it clear to me that they wanted me to just be me and that is what they love. I have a special place in my heart fro Nix and Adam. Nix and I have had some amazing photography experiences on workshops that I held and as I have gotten to know her, I love her more and more as a great friend, she is an asset to me and my career. We all need good friends in this industry and she is certainly one of mine. Adam and I officially met in France and I can see why Nix has fallen in love with him. He is a Nobel, upright, funny, loving man who clearly loves his family and friends. These great qualities are what make Adam a great man in business and in his personal life. Friends and family became my friends and family over the course of 4 days and I must admit, I do miss the northern crew. I even had a bromance with Daniel from Israel, man I miss you, I hope we stay in contact. I made so many friends, hugged so many new faces and laughed a lot with everyone. These are not just Nix and Adams moments, but they are also my moments. Moments I will cherish for my entire life. I am so blessed to be able to travel the world, meet the most interesting people from all walks of life and we all come together to celebrate two people getting married. I can not count how many new friends I have made traveling but with 12 destination weddings this year alone with an average of 3 days per wedding, I know I have amazing memories I will have with me for life.

Every week, I receive approximately 20 inquiries, yet I limit myself to 12’ish weddings a year. Next year i will lower this to approx 5 weddings. However, how can I receive 20 emails a week yet only shoot 12 a year? Most people think I can turn up and take pictures and they will turn out how you see. This is not the case. I need connection for a reason. For example, I have a carefully written bit of text on my site for a reason, click here to see. I simply can not produce what people see unless I have creative freedom. As much as I would like to take on more work, It just can not happen. Most people don’t read what is on my site, I know because that’s one of the first things I ask and if it is a yes, we are on the right road. If a bride has read it and understands it then we are half way between making magic. Nicola and Adam completely understand and share the same approach towards family, moments, truth and story telling as I do. This will only end positively. It is a two way thing, not my way, and not the clients way but a mutual respect. Believe me, I have been doing this for 8 years now, shot every kind of wedding there is, been to the top of my industry, broken records, made stupid mistakes and learned a lot in both personal life and in business. What I have learned is that I am not God, I cant change the weather, make people on time, change how someone looks etc etc, but I can tell the truth.

The wedding took place over 4 days in the stunning region of Aix en Provence in the South of France. It was their dream to have the wedding with their closest friends and family in an exclusive Chateau, in this case Chateau Grimaldi. We had amazing pool parties, food, wine, music, dinners and much more pre wedding fun. The Wedding planner was Kerry Bracken from Lavender and Rose who done and outstanding job making sure everything run smoothly and without fault. A great wedding planner on your side is a must. Production and outcome is a team effort, it is not all down to me, thank you Kerry and your team.

Anyway, I’ll stop talking and let you enjoy their story… part one of it anyway.