Wedding at Hotel Only You, Málaga | Ian & Tim
Ian and Tim weren’t trying to throw a traditional wedding. They were trying to throw a good party for the people they love, aand there’s a difference.
I photographed and filmed their day in Málaga, starting with them getting ready together, moving through their ceremony at Castillo de Santa Catalina, and ending on the rooftop of Hotel Only You well into the night. It was also the first same-sex wedding I’ve had the pleasure of capturing, and I hope it’s the first of many.
They were a little nervous, the way most couples are, but their nerves were less about themselves and more about whether their guests were having a good time. They kept checking in on people, making sure everyone felt included. Goofy, warm, and genuinely more focused on the room than on themselves.
Getting Ready Together
Most couples spend the morning apart. Ian and Tim didn’t.
They got ready in the same room, which sounds like a small thing until you’re actually in it and you realize how much it changes the energy.
When I arrive to shoot a getting-ready session, there’s usually a period where everyone’s still figuring out how to act with a camera in the room. It loosens up eventually, but it takes time. With Ian and Tim in the same space, that loosening happened faster. They were already talking, laughing and being their own goofy selves.
We had a lot of fun, we even did a photos and clips of them shaving each other and playing with the shaving foam. We also had the time to do a couple of creative shots.
Portraits at Castillo de Santa Catalina
Before the ceremony, we took a short amount of time for portraits around the castle grounds. It meant that once the ceremony ended, Ian and Tim didn’t owe anyone a photo session. They walked straight into their party and spent every remaining hour of the day with the people who came to see them.
The Ceremony at Castillo de Santa Catalina
The ceremony was outdoors, on the clifftop at Castillo de Santa Catalina. The location does a lot of the work, but what made it worth photographing was what was being said. The words were personal, and the guests were close. You can feel that in these frames.
Group Portraits After the Ceremony
Cocktails at the Only You Hotel Lobby
After the ceremony, busses brought all the guests to hotel Only You. It is just a 10 minutes ride, and then the guests could enjoy an hour of Jamón, cold drinks, and the kind of easy conversation that happens when a room full of people already know they’re at a good party.
Portraits in the City
We slipped out for a short portrait session in Málaga city. We didn’t go far, just across to Larios (the Main Street of malaga), which is right on the other side of the street from the venue. We kept it quick because the party was waiting, but it was a good quick way to get some extra portraits in.
The Rooftop Party
No sit-down dinner. No assigned seats. No speeches. Instead, Ian and Tim set up the rooftop with different food stations, sushi, cheese, and delicious canapees throughout, so people could move around and spend time with whoever they wanted. I’ve photographed a lot of receptions, and the seating chart does more to separate people than most couples realize. This format did the opposite. Guests who might have been stuck at a table with strangers were talking to each other.
The entrance Ian and Tim made into the party was the moment that got the room going. They came in dancing, and the crowd followed. After that, the rooftop stayed loud.
Ian and Tim basically removed every structure that exists in a wedding to keep people in their seats, and replaced it with space. Space to move, to talk, to dance when they wanted. It worked because they knew their crowd. Not every wedding needs to look like this, but this one did.
If you’re interested in wedding photography, reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
Our collaborative partners:
- Bakery: lacheesequeria_ · @lacheesequeria_ · lacheesequeria.com
- DJ @mucholauisxabacano · @mucholauisxabacano
- Wedding planner · @vivilandiaanimaciones
Locations:
- Preparation: Hotel Only You, Malaga, spain · @onlyyouhotelmalaga · onlyyouhotels.com
- Ceremony: Hotel castillo santa catalina, Malaga, spain · @hotelsohocastillosantacatalina · hotelcastillosantacatalina.com
- After party: Hotel Only You, Malaga, spain · @onlyyouhotelmalaga · onlyyouhotels.com