Wedding Photographer isn’t something I advertise myself as, but every now and again I get contacted by couples asking if I can shoot their big day as they feel my style of photography would suit the image they have of their wedding. This is a huge compliment in and of itself, and if our schedules align, of course I’m more than happy to oblige. Having said this, due to a fairly busy work schedule the number of weddings I can shoot a year isn’t particularly high.
At the start of this year Claire and Yuki reached out to see if I could shoot their wedding which was being planned for the coming spring. We met up for a coffee one morning, and a chat – they told me all about their plans for the wedding, which was to be held in Kamakura, and detailed their vision for the photography. It sounded like it was set to be a lovely day, and they were both very easy to talk to, exactly the kind of people I like to connect with. I was really happy they got in touch and that I would be covering their special occasion.
The plan was to have a small ceremony in a local shrine, then head to the famous and very picturesque Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine in central Kamakura for more photos.
In this post I will share some of my favourite images from the day…
The day started early in the morning at a beautiful Japanese-style house in Kamakura, where both Yuki and Claire were being dressed in traditional wear (kimono for her and hakama for him). Both of their families were there, making for a nice, cozy atmosphere. The garden was also lovely and made for a great location for the first round of photos.
Once they were ready we headed to the first shrine for the main ceremony, which was small and intimate. The exchanging of vows, which was conducted by a shinto priest involved a traditional Japanese tea ceremony while the guests sat around the couple on their knees, in the traditional “seiza” position. Once the ceremony was done we headed outside for a round of family and group photos.
Next up Yuki and Claire were taken to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine, which was located about 1km away, by rickshaw. We did the next round of group shots here and also a few of Yuki and Claire in various parts of the grounds. The atmosphere at Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine is always great and it has a lot of excellent locations for portraiture.
If you’re ever in Kamakura and want somewhere to shoot some interesting and creative photography, I can highly recommend the grounds of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine, it has a number of beautiful and highly visual backdrops.
The day finished at a beautiful private restaurant where the family enjoyed good food and great music together. All in all this was a lovely wedding, and it was a real pleasure to be a part of. Here is wishing both Yuki and Claire a very happy future together.
