Tania & Jacob

The Story

It has been one year since my last blog post. And what a year it has been. Being overwhelmed with gallery openings, international travel, and the COVID pandemic I almost forgot about this humble blog of mine. So much has changed in the last twelve months. In 2019 my personal life was flipped on its head and to cope I doubled down focusing on my work. Staying busy and distracted led to career openings I never would have dreamed of 5 years ago when I first picked up a camera at university. I mean, being published and winning international awards weren’t really at the forefront of my imagination when I began making photographs. Vogue? S Moda? Insider? Guatemala.com? Who would have thought? Not me…

Before all of that though, I met Tania & Jacob for happy hour in a tiny oyster bar tucked away in Williamsburg. We chatted about basketball and fashion way past happy hour. We clicked so instantly that I actually forgot to talk much about wedding photography. Instead we focused on their family’s unique culture and the parts of their wedding that would need special attention. “Oh, and I’m not sure if it matters, but we aren’t even engaged yet,” chimed Tania. I will admit I was nervous at first. We were putting in a lot of planning in advance for a wedding. But, I knew that their relationship was a special one, and I was incredibly excited to be a part of it.

Traditional Indian weddings are multi-day affairs. And although I would only be contracted for one of the days, I felt fortunate to have the responsibility to capture the story of the cultural part of the wedding. Tania explained that for this day she would be designing all of the outfits for each of her guests from around the world with her fashion label WESTxEAST. This was going to bed a huge event and every detail of every piece of clothing and tradition mattered. For this reason I called my long-time friend Franco Giomi to fly in for the wedding as the second photographer. I trust Franco’s expertise in the industry more than just about anyone I know and knew that together we would capture the magic of the day perfectly.

*Tania & Jacob walking through the garden of Convento Capuchinas.*

INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION

What do you get when you mix a beautiful couple, the ruins of Antigua Guatemala, and some of the most talented wedding vendors in Guatemala? Answer: an International award-winning wedding!

When Mario from Escenica Events called me to ask I sign a contract for submission to the 2020 Belief Wedding Awards I had no idea it would lead to so many good things. The day after signing it was announced that Tania and Jacob’s wedding won two international awards: Best Black and White Photo and Wedding Concept. I think I speak for the entire team involved when I say that we were thrilled. Insider featured the wedding on a list of stunning award winning photos and blogs as far away as Brazil used the photos to illustrate beautiful wedding blogs. And the craziest part of it all is that as I sit here writing this, there are even more wedding blogs and magazines requesting use of the images.

THE WEDDING DAY

The day of the wedding Franco and I went for my usual pre-wedding meal: an espresso from Artista de Cafe and a slice of pizza from my favorite Italian pizza joint in town. We met up with Jacob and Tania at Porta Hotel to get some of my favorite shots of the two alone together. Franco helped with the directing and I hung back and captured shots of the couple dressed in beautiful designer outfits.

When we finished there, our team headed to Capuchinas to grab photos of the guests, family, and decorations. Saguzo Eventos and Escenica Events had the ruins looks flawless. Everything was top. During this time I snuck Tania and Jacob away for a few photos in the garden and terrace of Capuchinas. Then it was time for dinner and a show.

Tania dressed in her brand WESTxEAST

If you’re not familiar with the beatification process of Indian weddings, I encourage you to google it. The entire process follows century old traditions and involves dancing, hair cuts, and henna. While capturing the moments I couldn’t help but feel I was in the middle of a Bollywood film. The entire night was so well organized and choreographed. Transitions between prayers, dancing, and eating flowed seamlessly. It is a night that I won't soon forget.

Keep scrolling to see photographs from this amazing wedding!