Mr and Mrs Sheppard.
Bali. How do I begin? It's so exciting when someone puts enough faith in your work to ask you to shoot their wedding overseas. I had never been to Bali before but I had heard from friends and family that it was a really chilled out, relaxed, beach-holiday atmosphere. Pretty spot on - everyone was happy to be there and having a good time.
It hardly felt like work at all; Mark and Sarah both have a natural talent for talking to people and were really welcoming. Family and friends spent the day before the wedding together, kicking off the celebrations on the beaches of Bali. I was careful to keep in mind all the warnings I'd received from my wife, Nat, about the water in Bali but, in typical fashion, what did I wake up with on the morning of the special day? A small bout of 'Bali belly'. Typical.
The following morning, I met Sarah at the luxurious hotel W, where she was getting ready with her bridesmaids, for some beautiful one-on-one shots, and then went to meet up with Mark and his groomsmen at the Padma Resort in Legian. The ceremony took place in one of the most amazing chapels I've ever seen, The Ritual in Uluwatu, which I'm pleased to say also had amazing air conditioning.
The wedding itself had the best weather of the whole week and we were blessed with the only sunset of our trip. I was absolutely spoiled for choice in terms of photography on the day, surrounded by good locations - though I was told off by the venue staff for getting too close to the edge of the cliff (worth it).
I would like to thank both Sarah and Mark for taking me along. I feel so honoured to be considered as a person they could trust, and I think that applies to all the couples we photograph; each one has trusted that I will provide a result that they'll love and be excited to see every time they whip out the images, pop on the DVD or subtly leave the album on the coffee table as guests come over. So thank you to every one of our couples, to the Sheppards, and to all the future couples who may consider Joel Roosa Photography for their wedding.
Click here for a full selection of Sarah and Mark, Bali-style.