THE BELONGING EXPERIENCE by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN ALMADA
The photos are from the wedding ceremony at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, Almada
• Pode ler este artigo em Português.
The place of the wedding ceremony
Often, the choice of the place for the wedding ceremony, in the case of a religious one, can be related to the comfort of being near the venue where the celebration will take place. Other times, it’s because of a fondness for the temple, for emotional, aesthetic, or institutional reasons. There could be more reasons, and it’s not worth listing them all.
With Sónia and Diogo, it was the connection to the place. The church belonged to the area where Sónia grew up, and it was there that she was baptised. However, that alone would not be a strong enough reason to justify a separate text from all the other justifications.
• The space for the wedding ceremony can be chosen based on proximity, aesthetics, or emotional significance.
• In the case of Sónia and Diogo, the emotional connection to the church was decisive.
• The choice of venue reflects significant personal memories and stories.
• The ceremony took place at the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Piedade, in Almada.
A beautiful experience for the wedding photographer
What the wedding photographer appreciated was knowing that the restoration works had been paused, the church was cleaned, and everything was put in order to receive them for the wedding ceremony. We can see the white wall without the usual gilding, a large window where the patron figure should be, and, as a sign of the truth of the event, scaffolding can still be seen in one of the several photographs taken. When one belongs and is deserving, it happens.
I remember Sónia’s pride as she explained to me the reason for the state of the church. Another beautiful experience for the wedding photographer.
• The church was carefully prepared for the wedding day.
• The wedding photographer captured authentic details such as the visible scaffolding.
• The bride’s emotions and her connection to the church made the experience unique.
• The wedding ceremony took place in a venue filled with personal and community history.
The connection to places and the wedding photographs
I won’t write about what the places chosen by the bride and groom for their wedding ceremony or party mean. I don’t know their reasons, which can range from proximity to the celebration venue, or even the place where they’ll spend the rest of the day socialising, or because a strong connection chose such a place as very important.
I do know, however, what the wedding photographer must do to bring the intensity of the place into the photographs at the moment of the ceremony. That is, without a doubt, my motivation when, with the camera in front of my eyes, I choose the small rectangles I see through it and later call them wedding photographs.
• The choice of the ceremony location is often tied to deep feelings.
• The wedding photographer seeks to capture the soul of the place through the lens.
• Each image should reflect the importance of the chosen space.
• Wedding photographs gain value when they translate the atmosphere and emotions.
A place of happiness
There, in that place, chosen by the groom and the bride, I know I must bring the involvement that the place gives them, as somewhere they will feel happy and where they will vow happiness that all those with them—their family members from both sides who, from then on, will be connected by new bonds, the wedding guests, and close friends—will wish for them to be forever.
The wedding photographs should carry that within them. The emotions of some, the expectations of others, the contagious joy of all when, at the exit of that ceremonial place, they wish them everything the world and life have best to offer. All of that will be the subject that the wedding photographer will call upon for their photographs, which will ensure that all of it is true.
• The place of the ceremony symbolises the beginning of a new chapter for the bride, groom, and their families.
• The wedding guests share emotions and heartfelt wishes for happiness.
• The mission of the wedding photographer is to capture that emotional truth in every image.
• The authenticity of the moment makes wedding photographs memorable and lasting.
Note on the location of the ceremony
The religious wedding ceremony of Sónia and Diogo took place at the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Piedade, located in Almada, a space with personal and family meaning for the couple.
• Are you planning your wedding and want every moment to be eternalised with authenticity and emotion? Choose a wedding photographer who understands the importance of places, connections, and people on your wedding day. Talk to me, and together we’ll make sure your memories are transformed into unique and truthful photographs.
- You can see a full wedding story.