Where to begin with this one…
So basically Martin found my website online one day and emailed me back in November saying that he and his fiancée, Kristen, wanted to do something different and get married over by the Pyramids on Valentine’s day. They’re from California in the states. I said sure no problem. I called my friend Ibrahim from First Video to come with a small camera and Martin and I agreed that a tour guide would be useful for managing all the security and vendors at the Pyramids. So we hired Ramon from Noga Tours to come with a van and driver for the day. We decided to make an early start and so all of us met at their hotel at 6:30 in the morning. I expected the ceremony and shoot at the pyramids would take a few hours. We’d enter the park when it opened at 8 and be out and home no later than noon. I was way off.
When we first arrived at the pyramids the police were really nice and let us into the parking early. Then when we tried to get tickets to enter the park the head of the tourism police didn’t want to let Martin and Kristen in with their wedding outfits. He said we needed permission from the Ministry of Antiquities (of course we did). Believe it or not we got in touch with the relevant official from the ministry and he said sure, go ahead. Then the officer decided he needed written permission from the ministry… at 8 in the morning. After a couple of hours at the gate it became clear we weren’t getting into the Pyramids park with those wedding outfits. So Ramon came up with an alternative. We would ride horses along the fence of the outskirts of the Pyramids park and conduct the ceremony in the desert with the Pyramids in the background. I haven’t ridden a horse since that one time in summer camp over ten years ago. This time I got to ride a horse with two cameras hanging off me while I was taking pictures. I went from a non-horse rider to a photographer/jockey chasing a carriage holding Martin and Kristen. All while not falling off!
Ben, the priest who was to conduct the ceremony for Martin and Kristen got on his horse, which decided it didn’t want to move. It turned out that Ibrahim was the most masterful rider among us. It was one of the strangest shoots I had ever done, but I have to admit it was a lot of fun. It helped that Martin and Kristen were very patient as we tried to weave through the bureaucracy and desert to make this happen. Ramon got us a guy to take us out into the middle of the desert on horseback. Ben was a great sport and Ibrahim worked hard to the end of the day with me getting great shots of the two of them. It was an amazing display of teamwork and I think a great success, all things considered.
Here’s how the day unfolded in photos.
This is Ibrahim, our video guy.
This is Ben, the priest.
I can’t remember/could never actual pronounce this guy’s name, but he led us out into the desert.
I don’t think any other photo more perfectly encapsulate Ben’s personality than this one.
This is Ben being GQ. I was just trying to get my settings right when we took these shots.
This is our tour guide Ramon confusing my reflector for some sort of shade device.
Yeah. That’s a camel… Really.
After the ceremony Martin and Kristen changed and we were allowed to visit the Pyramids WITHOUT Ministerial approval.
Oh what a cool couple!! And my gosh what an achingly cool priest!! Sounds like you guys had an adventure out there, the pictures speak for themselves well done Tim!
Well this is definitely different
Great photos! That would have been such a cool place to have a wedding. I’m extremely jealous.
Luv it
wish every couple could be that different!
Very Cool! I have never seen a bride wearing sunglasses during the ceremony. That dip kiss shot in front of the camel is awesome.
Very cool series of images. Excellent written story as well as photo story.
Wow, what and amazing adventure! And what a fantastic way to make your nuptials memorable. You did an amazing job.
“There is a camel in my kissing photo” – Just how cool would it be to say that and actually be telling the truth!
Very cool.
this is so neat! great job capturing that adventure! I was captivated the whole post!
Such a fun adventure and you’ve captured it so sweetly. Lovely work.
Wonderful! I love how skilled you are at making sure the background and subjects are balenced. Several times I felt like the people or objects that even were far in the backgroud were placed just so by you- for example, the line of people behind the braide and groom, looking at the pyramid, in the black and white of his arm around her both looking at you
Great work!
LOVE it! I could only dream of shooting a couple at the pyramids! You nailed it and it looks fantastic! What a fun couple!
And now for something completely different! You got some great shots. Pretty amazing location so shoot.
These are AWESOME!! It looks like such a fun day! I especiall love the shoe shot with the pyramids in the BG. Amazing
Well done! These are definitely very unique. Love the camel!
Very well written post! Thanks for sharing this one. Very unique wedding!
What a rad couple to do something so cool! Great job of capturing their spirit.
Well that’s certainly different. And pretty darn cool!
Great set. The formals are really fun, but I particularly adore this photo, which looks like a PJ classic: http://www.kaldasianarts.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/KMblog-3-1024×682.jpg
Unbelievably unique wedding. I love it and you did such an amazing job in the blazing sun and keeping all the details.
Great work Tim!
Tim this is some great work. I hope to someday see the pyramids in person before I die. The black and white conversions are awesome–classic & timeless.
I’m pretty jealous right now! That wedding looks like a ton of fun and definitely unique. You did a great job!
Coolest wedding photos I’ve seen in a long time. Great Job!
Rich