When Mike & Emma invited me to photograph their wedding in Marrakech I was beyond excited. The exquisite tapestry of texture, color, and culture of this country is a photographer's paradise. I arrived the day before the wedding and I was made to feel welcome and part of the event from the off.

On the eve of the wedding, we all went to a restaurant and it was a great way to get to know the rest of the guys. Destination weddings afford the luxury of getting to know people just that little bit more than you usually would simply because you have the time. It’s a great way to break the ice creatively.

Then you are kind of shooting the wedding as a guest. If I have that additional time beforehand to get to know everybody it makes my approach a whole lot smoother. The images I want to get are personal. I love character, I’m a street photographer by default, a people photographer, and I want that love of character reflected in my photographs.

On the topic of street photography, having that few days either side of the actual wedding was a gift. I was able to venture out for a few hours and capture some of the local street life. There is a great deal of poverty on the streets of Morocco. In fact, there is a real contrast of poverty and wealth so it is important to be appropriate.

The trick with street photography in a foreign land, where you haven’t quite got a feel for the streets, is to be congruent and alert to the moment, your surroundings. Photography is never and should never be a one size fits all approach. There is no harm in offering a little money in exchange for being able to get a few portraits of a local.

For me, it was important also to capture some of the local culture as I know Mike, the groom, is passionate also about photography and street photography. The wedding ceremony and reception was a wonderful experience and took place at the Taj Villa in Marrakech We had the entire complex to ourselves and it was literally paradise in the sun.

The guests spent the morning swimming and lounging around the pool before tucking into some beers around 2 pm. It goes without saying that the ceremony was outdoors. It was a very relaxed build-up, all adding to the relaxed pace of the day. The bride arrived at the aisle led by a Morrocan troop of acrobats and contortionists which was a sight to behold. Like a mini carnival of Morrocan life.

As we drifted into the evening, food was plenty, speeches were given and the band arrived. Mike is big into music and he had flown the band in from the UK especially. They gave an awesome performance late into the night. The entire few days was an incredible experience and one I won’t forget.

I got to work with Mike on projects in the years that followed. He’s a great guy. A wonderful family man and a hard-working fellow with a real love of creatives. Hopefully, we get to work together lots more in the future. The images below are a brushstroke of the day. For a more in-depth look at things check out this gallery.

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