WEDDING IN LONDON

London was the city I dreamed of in my childhood, from Peter Pan’s flights to Dylan Dog, it accompanied me as a backdrop until my adolescence. It was a city I had imagined and then it became a reality during my high school years as an unforgettable trip, always held dear to my heart. But in the following years, that city was about to give me one of my greatest personal satisfactions—the famous photo of the bus that has been published over 2500 times and graced the cover of Lonely Planet, as well as the cover of the Gazzetta dello Sport guide. In short, London is one of those places for which I have an affection for all that it has given me. For this reason, when I was called to shoot this Wedding in London, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. It didn’t matter if I had to take the plane at 6 in the morning and start the service at 11, or if the wedding ended at 3 the night before—I would be there in English soil with mycameras around my neck.

Upon arriving at the airport, a bus takes us to this wonderful estate in the countryside, which was still chilly enough to make you doubt it was the beginning of July. The day was veiled in perfect English style, so far from the sunny sky I had photographed just the day before. Deep inside, I thought about what a fortunate generation of photographers we are—low-cost flights and the internet allow us to take jobs thousands of kilometers away, a luxury the previous generation couldn’t afford.

We arrive at Leez Priory Wedding Venue, this brick castle lost among lakes and heathland, a scene worthy of a movie, although personally, I felt a lot like Alberto Sordi in ‘Fumo di Londra’ (Smoke Over London). The wooden walls, the black and white colors—everything seemed to have come out of my imagination as the extremely precise manager led me to the bride.

Here came the first surprise—I grab my Nikon D750 and see an ‘error’ message on the display, the camera is locked. I try the usual things like changing the battery and lens, but the camera refuses to restart. I don’t lose my calm, I reason, and give myself 2 minutes to get my camera working again. After that time, I pick up the Fuji XT1 and start my work. Always having two cameras is the basic rule to tackle a service, especially a wedding in London.

So, I leave the DSLR in my backpack and proceed with the small mirrorless. The little one holds up very well and helps me capture beautiful shots of the bride’s preparation. After about half an hour, the Nikon starts working again, and I enter the field with two cameras.

Meanwhile, Serena started taking photos of the groom, Massimiliano, who was my student in photography courses and is now a respected operator in an English TV station.

The major difference with an Italian wedding was that a wedding in London had very precise timings to be respected, a formality of the officials that we don’t find in our own rituals. It may seem strange, but if I had made the couple late for the ceremony, the municipal officials could have left.

But the most exciting part of this service was undoubtedly the dance. These young people were truly unleashed, performing somersaults and jumps as if they had infinite energy. They continued non-stop until late into the night, dancing, singing, and jumping. It was incredible the energy they conveyed, and I hope I was able to capture some of it in this service.