Organising a wedding is not easy at the best of times, and the past year has thrown an additional set of complications at couples looking to tie the knot. Is it any wonder so many brides and grooms are swapping large, traditional weddings for much smaller celebrations? The trend for intimate ceremonies is on the rise, particularly in outdoor locations with Instagram-friendly backdrops. And when numbers are tight, couples are more likely to rely on friends or family to take photos, rather than including a professional wedding photographer on the guest list.
With this in mind, we turned to wedding photographer and planner Steph Zakas for advice on how aspiring photographers can capture the beauty and intimacy of a couple's special day. Steph, who specialises in helping couples planning to elope, started out photographing small weddings in New York, USA, before moving her business 4,500km across the world to Iceland.
And while the tiny European island's stark landscapes certainly don't hurt her photographs, shooting outdoor weddings in one of the world's most extreme environments can definitely be challenging. "There's been a bunch of times when we've had to hide in a cave until a crazy hailstorm blows through," she laughs. "It's a flying-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of thing!"
Here, Steph shares her top advice on how to capture one of the most important events in your friends' lives. Even if you don't have the benefit of a career's worth of experience, Steph's tips should elevate your photos, whether the sun is shining or you're in the middle of a blizzard.