Ruan & Nandi

Bows & Chic 19 January 2023 Real weddings, Zanzibar No Comment

By Dust and Dreams Photography

When Ruan & Nandi asked us to travel to Zanzibar to photograph their beach wedding, we were on board in a heartbeat. Having had the opportunity to visit this marvellous African island once before, we honestly did not have to think twice.

Pre-planning as photographers for an island destination wedding:

Of course, travelling there to photograph a wedding comes with its unique challenges as all our gear {including our cameras, backup cameras, batteries, lenses, flashes chargers and miscellaneous} had to travel in our hand luggage. It took meticulous planning, literally weighing each item and carefully packing, not only to get it all to fit but to keep it within the weight range we were allowed to take. Yes, of course, we could compromise on some items, but when it comes to being there to photograph a wedding, we don’t believe in taking any risks.

The Wedding

For the wedding, we wanted to fit in with the relaxed atmosphere the bride and the groom envisioned and still capture all the truly unique details and scenery of the tropical venue in Nungwi they chose. We drew up a tentative photography timeline weeks prior to the event accounting for sunset times and the tides.

The day before the wedding, we did a walk-through with the couple at their hotel to scout possible locations for their romantic portraits. We watched how the incoming tide, tourists and the sun would affect what we had in mind. Being flexible was paramount in ensuring that these two had beautifully romantic photographs without being away from their hand-picked guests for too long.

On the wedding day, we were met with clear skies, crispy oceans and a couple that could not wait to tie the knot. However, the bride’s brother bowled us all over by renting a traditional sailing dhow for us to do the couples’ photographs on. And at sunset, we whisked Ruan and Nandi away from the curious crowds who had gathered on the beach during their ceremony for some slow moments sailing the Indian ocean as newlyweds. An experience like no other.

Our photographic approach on the wedding day :

The couples’ vision for the day always determines our approach. We wanted to give Ruan and Nandi a series of atmospheric photographs that would forever trigger memories of an exceptional adventure. That, together with editorial- and documentary-style images, formed the core of our photographic approach on the day.