That day I had the chance to photograph two friends of mine, Julia and Krzysiek. They both love tattoos, though you might not guess it from their wedding outfits. Krzysiek is also into BMX, and you can see that for yourself in the photos from his preparations, where he pulled off a decent bar spin in the living room. For the ceremony we went to the parish church in Marki near Warsaw, and the reception at Hotel Mansor rounded off that memorable day.
Hair and beard prep for the wedding at Barberian Academy
Krzysiek and I started early, visiting Barberian Academy on Emilii Plater Street, probably the first barbershop in Warsaw, founded by the well-known Nergal. Sorting out Krzysiek’s beard and haircut that day was Jake Quentin Lewis-Hurn himself. Sharp, right?
Preparations at the groom’s house
This is the kind of preparation I like. After Barberian Academy we went back to Krzysiek’s place, said hello to the dog, and still had plenty of time. Since I already had the camera and lights set up, we came up with a mad idea. Krzysiek rides BMX, and we hadn’t managed to get a bar spin photo by the Christmas tree over the holidays, so we did the shot that day in his parents’ living room instead. I put one flash to the right to freeze the movement better and add some backlight. As far as I remember it didn’t work on the first try and I was a bit nervous, but we got the shot in the end.
Preparations at the bride’s house
After the preparations at Krzysiek’s, we headed to Julia’s house to catch her getting ready. That day she wore a dress from her family’s own Julia Gastoł Atelier. I don’t know much about wedding dresses, but I know I like hers. They’re not the classic wide cuts from a few years back. I like that.
The parents’ blessing
When the bride was ready, the groom arrived with flowers. He could finally see his future wife dressed all in white, and he was captivated. Julia had a watch as a gift for Krzysiek, which he put on straight away.
Once everyone had said hello, we moved on to the parents’ blessing, which took place in the living room and left the parents deeply moved.
The wedding ceremony at the church in Marki
After getting ready, the couple climbed into the old Warszawa car and we drove to the Parish of Our Lady, Mother of the Church in Marki. It’s a small chapel, but everyone fitted in. The Mass was led by a genuinely likeable priest with an unusual approach to running services. Apparently on Sundays his Masses sometimes turned into something close to live music concerts, and that fresh approach was part of what drew young people to the church. It’s one of the reasons Julia and Krzysiek chose him for their wedding. This time, too, we had beautiful live music during the ceremony.
The wedding reception at Hotel Mansor in Ząbki
Hotel Mansor in Ząbki is one of the more interesting venues in town for a wedding reception. The hotel has several different rooms to choose from, or you can use a few at once if you’re throwing a big party. The parents were already waiting with the traditional bread and salt welcome, and after greeting everyone, Krzysiek carried Julia inside, and the party slowly got underway.
The group photo
After welcoming the guests and a toast together, we took everyone outside the venue so they’d all fit in the frame, and we took a group photo.
Getting the party started
After the photos we headed to the dance floor. It’s a shame I don’t have video, because the couple had a genuinely good routine for their first dance. I can tell you it was impressive. After a performance like that, everyone wanted to get dancing. The DJ did a great job, and it was nice for me to see decent stage lighting at a wedding, the kind that makes the work enjoyable. Not so enjoyable for everyone, though: one of the lights nearly singed the hair of one of Julia’s friends when she stood close to it while it stayed still for a while. Those lights really put out heat and you have to be careful with them, though at least they don’t cause the kind of damage lasers can, which have been known to burn out more than one camera sensor.
Julia and Krzysiek’s day started at the barber’s on Emilii Plater Street and ended long after midnight in Ząbki. If you’d like your day covered the same way, take a look at what’s in the packages, or see another full wedding story from getting ready to the bouquet and veil ceremony.