Earlier this summer I was engaged in taking a pre-wedding photo shoot of two couples in Asolo, Italy. These 2 couples (Melanie & Tom + Kara & Jerry) have more than friendship in common – the two brides are engaged to two brothers, Tom & Jerry, and will both get married this year. They do get married in two different countries though – France and Italy. The pre-wedding shots took place in a lush and elegant hotel – Hotel Cipriani -  in the historical town of Asolo, one of the Giro d’Italia’s stage, the world famous cycling competition. The 2 brothers are very fond of cycling and every year they go to Asolo to witness the athletes getting to the finishing line. In this occasion I was shooting a wedding in Tuscany, not too far from Asolo, therefore it seemed very natural to take their pre-wedding photographs in a place so close to their hearts.

Here Sarah & Dino, with their son Elyah, are having fun in Cambridge, weeks before their big day. Their wedding took place last Monday and Tuesday at Podere Finerri on the amazing hills near Siena in Tuscany. We all had a lovely time and were lucky to get beautiful and hot Italian weather. I will post their wedding pictures in a couple of weeks.

Having been in a relationship for more than 10 years and married for two, I love to think about simple ways to celebrate the first love that brought my partner and I together. It’s very easy in our busy life’s to let life pass by and forget to celebrate the spark that brought us together in the first place. Perhaps that’s why Valentine’s day is so popular amongst couples. But I find spontaneous initiative and personal touch more rewarding. I will always remember what a bride once said in her wedding speech: one thing that made her feel very special is that her now husband was taking her out every Wednesday since they first met. I truly believe that spending time acknowledging love strengthen the bond between lovers. Revisiting places that have meaning for you as a couple has the power to bring intimacy back into your relationship. It is a great gift for your partner and yourself.

Our love birds, Lana and Jonathan, celebrated their love by bringing the memory of their first meeting in London back to life. They allowed themselves to forget about the hustle and bustle of their busy life in order to live a few hours just in the playful embrace of their union. They wanted to capture on film this moment and chose as a backdrop the old City of London, which is where they first met and worked.

Pre-wedding sessions are a great opportunity to have a feel of how much fun it can be to be photographed. These short sessions often help both the couple & the photographer to get accustomed to each other and make a connection that will establish a sense of trust, peace and fun, especially for people who are camera shy. On one hand, the couple will have the opportunity to communicate their preferences over locations, poses and overall look of the photos. On the other hand, the photographer will be able to understand the couple needs and suggest ways to feel confident in front of the camera based on extensive experience. These sessions are most valuable for people to get insights and tips on matters such as best positions and angles to enhance their features, use of props, how to maximize their venue location or make the best of the season’s weather.

Here we have Deborah & Mark, a perfect match. We started the pre-wedding session at their home and followed with some funky shots close by, in the very photogenic London neighbourhood of Islington. I also photographed her fitting at Morgan Davies, in Cross Street, where we had a bit of fun in the shop window.