FIRST STEPS AFTER “I DO”
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CEREMONY ENDS AND EVERYTHING BEGINS TO MOVE AGAIN?
This is the moment just after a ceremony, the point where formality is replaced by utter joy, and a sense of relief that the vows were exchanged and the party can start. I call it a, "We've only gone and bl**dy done it," picture.
The couple are walking back down the aisle, hand in hand, surrounded by friends and family. Applause is breaking out on both sides, phones are already raised, and the space feels louder and certainly warmer than it did just minutes before.
What draws the eye straight away is the contrast between the two of them. The groom is slightly bowed, eyes lowered, perhaps catching his breath or processing what has just happened. The bride, on the other hand, is wide open, laughing with her whole face, bouquet clutched but almost forgotten, joy spilling out in a way that feels completely unfiltered.
For many couples, this moment carries a mix of pride, nerves, excitement and a plethora of thoughts, even though the room looks almost the same as it did before.
The setting plays a big part here. The church is dressed, the trees lit, the aisle framed by dark wood and faces turned inward. Everything funnels attention back to the couple without overwhelming them. The guests aren’t staged, they’re reacting. Hands mid-clap, smiles half-formed, bodies leaning into the moment rather than sitting politely back.
This is not an image about symmetry or perfection. The bride’s dress moves as she walks. The groom’s posture isn’t textbook. People on the edges are cropped, blurred, and even partially obscured. And that’s precisely why it works.
There’s also something important about when this photograph happens in the day. The ceremony itself carries an intensity, it is after all, the part people worry about getting right. Am I standing in the right place? Have I said the correct words?
Over time, it's the documentary moments like this that tell the true story of the day.
