Going the Extra Mile—Adventurous Wedding and Engagement Shoots [Gallery]

An exotic locale is sure to add that certain something extra to any nuptial ceremony. As Australian photographer and serial wedding globetrotter Jonas Peterson says, “Destination weddings are often about the destination as much as the wedding.” But some couples are taking this a step further, going beyond a picturesque setting to having an unforgettable, bonafide adventure. 

“It’s about taking risks, challenging and pushing yourself to places you didn’t realize you could go, experiencing new landscapes,” says Los Angeles-based photographer Greg Balkin, who likes to combine couples’ shoots with trips to the wilderness. “A romantic weekend under the stars? On a river? In an unexplored land? Pack your gear, hit the trail, and go for it!”

As evidenced by the experiences of three daring couples, big-adventure engagement and wedding shoots do require advance planning and a can-do attitude. “In rugged environments, photographers should be honest with themselves about the physical commitments it takes to get results,” advises the Swedish photo duo Cole Roberts and Jakob Granqvist of Nordica Photography. 

“We’ve seen couples nearly get blown off cliffs because they weren’t paying attention, a groom who thought he had frostbite on his toes, birds attacking bouquets, and many other surprises. These adventures are serious, so be careful. But they can make for great memories, and photographs.”
 

Cole Roberts and Jakob Granqvist of Nordica Photography packed their bags to shoot an outdoor (and for a moment, rainy) Pagan wedding ceremony on the Snaefellsness Peninsula in Iceland. Photo © Nordica Photography

EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED
Escapade in Iceland

For cole roberts and jakob granqvist  (Nordica Photography), their work requires being ready for anything. “We usually enter the wedding day with limited information, outside of the absolute musts,” the duo explains. “That allows us to show up with an open mind and to document the wedding with no preconceived notions.”

This approach came in handy when they were hired to shoot an adventure wedding on the Snaefellsness Peninsula in Iceland. The couple, Lexy and Neil, wanted an Asatru (Nordic Pagan) ceremony and chose Iceland for its inspiring scenery. But this often accompanies equally dramatic weather. “The conditions in Iceland can be brutal or glorious within minutes of each other,” recall Roberts and Granqvist, “so our plan was to wing it based on the weather and see what happened.”

What happened was a downpour. “The wind felt like it would blow everyone away like kites,” they recall. “At the ceremony, everyone was soaked.”

The resulting images, however, are stunning—complete with angry clouds, silver linings, lush sunsets and enthusiastic guests. “[Lexy and Neil] embraced the dark, wet conditions head-on and thought of the weather as an additional layer to the story of their wedding,” the lensmen note. “At times they looked like they just stepped out of a shower, but they said, ‘Bring it on—we’re not made of sugar!’ and went for it. The stars aligned in this case, with the brutal conditions and a couple who embraced it.”

Along with plenty of Goretex-lined rain gear, the Nordica shooters relied on their usual setups. Granqvist shot with two Nikon bodies (DF and D600) and AF-S Nikkor lenses (35mm f/1.4G, 50mm f/1.4G, 85mm f/1.8G and 24mm f/2.8). Roberts used a Nikon DF and a Leica M240, along with lenses including the Sigma 35mm f/1.4L, Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G, Nikkor 85mm f/1.8G and Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4.

 “Our challenge was keeping our gear as dry as we could and going with the flow,” they say. “We pack the same kit wherever we’re going—whether to the rice fields of Indonesia, Caribbean beaches, Svalbard glaciers or rugged cliffs in Iceland.”

When Jonas Peterson was asked to shoot a three-day wedding in Bali, he jumped at the chance to go along for the ride, shooting multiple ceremonies and feasts. Photo © Jonas Peterson

BRAVING THE ELEMENTS
Big Bash in Bali

Photographer Jonas Peterson hooked up with one adventurous client through a tireless matchmaker: Google. “The bride found me randomly when searching the web for ‘rice paddy’ and ‘wedding,’” recalls Peterson, who’s based in Byron Bay, Australia. “She came across some images of mine and contacted me about her upcoming wedding in Bali.”

Peterson—who had discovered the island charms of the Indonesian province on a romantic trip of his own—felt he was destined to shoot the wedding of a pair of New Yorkers, Elora and Rajiv: The bride had grown up in Sayan, the same town where Peterson stayed. The wedding unfolded over three days, with activities including a long hike through the mountainous woods and rivers, wild Indian dance parties at the Bambu Indah Hotel, and a culminating ceremony in the Ayung River, where the couple and the officiator climbed onto a boulder. 

“It was beautiful—but also hot, uncomfortable, and taxing on the body,” Peterson says. “It’s all about staying hydrated and focusing on the task at hand. My job is to stay professional no matter the conditions.”

Peterson says the indoor/outdoor, hot-and-cold settings required continually allowing time for his photo equipment to adapt before shooting again when changing environments. “I bring the same gear with me to all my weddings,” he says. That comprises two Canon EOS 5D Mark III bodies, two Canon Speedlite 600EX-RT flashes, and Canon EF lenses including the 24mm f/1.4L, 35mm f/1.4L, TW-E 45mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.2L, 85mm f/1.8 and 135mm f/2L.

After the river ceremony, the couple entertained some 500 guests at a feast back in town under the stars. “Several times I had to remind myself to shoot the magic in front of me—it was just so much to take in!” Peterson says, adding that shooting a big-adventure wedding is still challenging work. “What sounds like a glamorous getaway on paper is a wedding day in often brutal conditions in an environment you’re not used to,” he notes. “It can be very rewarding as well. I’ve shot cultural weddings all around the world, and in each one I’ve learned more about our world and the people who live in it. It’s the best education anyone could wish for.”

Greg Balkin of Brightwood Photography goes on camping and backpacking trips around the American wilderness with couples for his shoots called Adventure Love Stories. Photo © Brightwood Photography

ROUGHING IT
Romance in Big Sur

Greg Balkin has created a special NICHE within his business, Brightwood Photography, called Adventure Love Stories. “The idea is to combine a camping trip with either weddings or engagements,” says Balkin, whose initial clients in this venture were a couple named Julianne and John. “Julianne joined our Facebook group and shot me a message saying they were looking for some rad engagement photos.”

For a setting, they chose California’s Big Sur region—with its rugged forest terrain and stunning views of the Santa Lucia Mountains meeting the Pacific Ocean—and planned an overnight backpacking trip. “The main components were finding a great campsite, checking the weather and making sure we had the right camping gear,” Balkin recalls. “I brought the essentials: a tent, headlamp, First Aid kit, Coleman stove and food. We all brought sleeping bags and pads, plus rain gear in case the weather turned south—but we didn’t need it.”

Instead, they enjoyed dramatic streaks of sunlight streaming through giant redwood trees, as the couple and photographer took a long hike punctuated by romantic portraits. Balkin kept his photo setup simple and portable. “I like everything to be carried on me at all times,” he says. “I hate setting bags down and either misplacing them (I’ve lost a lot of time this way) or getting them full of dirt, sand or whatever else is on the ground.” In the wild he carries a pair of Canon DSLRs (EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 6D) and Canon EF lenses (35mm f/1.4L, 50mm f/1.2L, and 85mm f/1.8). “If I’m out hiking and shooting, I use a little clip that attaches to the front strap of my backpack so there are no cameras dangling around my neck.” 

Balkin’s Big Sur experience got him “stoked to get out and shoot more of these trips,” he says, adding that his favorite part was back at camp: “We relaxed around the campfire and watched the sun go down over the water—it created a great environment for conversation and friendship,” he says. “In the woods, bedtime is decided once you’re full of s’mores and the fire is almost out. Then you wake up with the sunlight gently crossing your eyes through the tent.”