There’s no one more hopeful and happy than a bride about to get married. They have an unmistakeable radiance that shines not only on their world, but on everyone around them.
We see this a lot. And no, before you ask, we’re not wedding crashers. But in our travels, especially in Europe, we see a surprising number of couples either getting married or being photographed for a wedding.
We’re not sure if these bride and groom sightings are a coincidence or because, as tourists, we hang around beautiful, old churches and other photogenic spots.
Either way, it’s always a pleasure to see a loving couple taking the first step to a happy life together.
We’re off to Europe soon and we’ll see if our bride-sighting luck holds. Watch this space.
Happy Trails,
Terri & James
GALLIVANCE 
I love stumbling in weddings and wedding marches as we travel. Hope you find lots more on your coming travels.
Peggy, spring normally brings on wedding fever, so I think the chances are good. ~James
Lovely photos, Terri and James. Weddings often remind me of the “happily ever after” endings in fairy tales and I have to agree that there’s not much more radiant than a happy bride! But do they have to look so young? 😁 Enjoy your next round of travels. If you find yourself in Portugal, make sure to give us a shout out! Anita
Thanks Anita. We thought about Portugal because we’re due for a return trip, but decided we were trying to cover too much ground. This trip will focus on central and northern Spain with a few days in the UK. We’re always about quality over quantity, so we’ll save Portugal for a later visit. ~James
Radiant is the perfect word for them. Have fun in your travels!
Thanks Laura. Taking pictures of brides is like catching fish in a barrel. They’re all beautiful and there’s no bad photos, and it always brings a smile to our faces. ~James
Every woman is beautiful on her wedding day. It is just such a happy day, and you’re right … it seems so easy to stumble across a wedding. I was surprised to see one last month on a weekday afternoon on a beach in Venice, Florida.
I really enjoyed your photos, which made me wonder why I’m so reluctant to photograph the ones I encounter.
Good luck in your quest to find more wedding parties in your upcoming travels 🙂
Thanks Joanne. We’re very sensitive to privacy when we photograph brides (or any personal photos for that matter) and we usually use a zoom lens so we don’t intrude. In cases where we’re close, we always ask permission. In our experience, everyone involved is so happy and they’re pleased that someone else can share in their special day – like the cute couple on the red bridge in Wroclaw, Poland. They were my favorites. ~James
I’ve taken a few photos at a very discreet distance, but I’ve always been too shy to ask up close. The couple in Venice, Florida were really interesting and I wanted a photo badly, but I just couldn’t bring myself to ask.
Oh !! dresses are so nice
Thanks for the comment Payal and for dropping by the blog. Every woman looks beautiful in a wedding dress, that’s for sure. ~James
Yeah very true James
We also enjoy spotting brides on our travels. I hope you have a great trip to Europe. What countries will you be visiting this time?
We’ll be spending most of our time in central and northern Spain with a few days in the UK. Spain is one of our favorites, and I’m looking forward to a Roman Villa in the south of England. You might be interested:
https://sussexpast.co.uk/properties-to-discover/fishbourne-roman-palace
~James
Thanks for the info. I hadn’t heard about Fishbourne Roman Villa. We must check it the next time we are in the UK. Enjoy Spain!! The Northern part is so picturesque. We loved Asturias.
Darlene, we’re ending the Spain part of our trip in Bilbao. We haven’t been to northern Spain in years and are really looking forward to the Guggenheim. When we visited before, Bilbao wasn’t anything special, but I understand that the Guggenheim and a few other improvements have transformed the city. ~James
We, too, have run into a number of weddings on our travels. I guess a lot of receptions are held at hotels, and so, that might be one reason. It does bring a smile and a hope for their future happiness. Happy travels Terri and James.
Leslie
Leslie, strangely, we don’t run into weddings and brides at our hotels. Normally, we see them around cathedrals, churches, historic buildings, and of course parks and gardens. Sunday mornings are one of our favorite times to walk in a new city, which also coincides with quiet time for photographers. ~James
Of course they would be there for sure. I remember one wedding in Jerusalem. The had the reception at our hotel and it was quite the event.
It’s probably something to do with “hanging around beautiful, old churches”. If you’re in Italy and counting on catching a wedding, Saturday mornings and afternoons are the best times in both towns and villages.
Bea, stumbling into weddings is fun, but watching the photo sessions is also enjoyable. These photo-ops are probably the first test of the relationship for the groom – how long will he tolerate all those romantic (and sometimes goofy) poses. 🙂 ~James
You’re right, photo sessions can be charmingly kitsch 🙂
What fun James & Terri! Love the picture of the couple on the red bridge in Wroclaw, absolutely lovely!
Lynn, the photos of this couple are my favorites. The white/black/red contrast is wonderful, and they were so CUTE (not a word I use often). They were also friendly and happy for us to take our pix. ~James
Have a great trip and good luck catching another wedding day.
Thanks Terry. We’ll be in Spain, where there’s no shortage of cathedrals. So there’s a good chance. ~James
So many radiant brides. I would never have thought you’d see so many as a matter of course. Scrumptious gowns, too. 😀
Tess, these are some some happy and attractive folks … and very photogenic. ~James
I’d think more highly of you two if you were wedding crashers! I see this a lot too – I guess as travelers we are in photogenic spots.
I think that the locations are usually the key Jeff, but not always; for instance, the cute couple on the red bridge in Wroclaw. It’s kinda weird but cool. ~James
How exciting! Have a great trip!
Thanks Pam. ~James
Oh yay for a trip to Europe! Wishing you very happy trails. I do recall your bride posts and enjoyed seeing these happy photos. Perhaps you are wedding stalkers? 🙂
Thanks Sue. This has been a pretty long stretch at home for us, so it will be good to be on the road again. Bon Voyage for SA. ~James
Thanks James. Where are you headed?
Spain and a few days in the U.K.
Nice! Enjoy and I look forward to the posts. While we are in Africa I may not be visiting too much but will definitely catch up with you when we return.
There is something very compelling about photographing a happy couple on their wedding day. I have done that many times on my travels, I remeber watching the whole wedding ceremony from my hotel balcony in Tobago and could not stop clicking away with my camera. I guess I also loved seeing all the beautifully dressed wedding guests😄 I hope you have a fab time in Europe if your travels bring you to Dorset let me know, would love to meet up😄
Gilda, we’re in Madrid now, and on our second day we stumbled into a wedding. The couple had just exited the church and everyone looked beautiful. We seem to have the touch for sure. ~James
We photographed many couples preparing to marry when we were in Europe this past fall. I would say it was the churches we visited but quite often the photos I took were at museums as well.
LuAnn, we’re in Madrid now and on our first walk, we stumbled into a wedding. They were just coming out of the cathedral and looked beautiful. He was a military guy, so all his mates were dressed in their finest uniforms. It really was cool. Given our luck, we might have a future as paparazzi. ~James
Have a wonderful trip!
WE, too, have seen more outdoor weddings and photo shoots with wedding parties in other countries than our own. I’m thinking that brides have more outdoor weddings in front of historic places. And it’s not a bad idea — no organ master to pay, no florist, etc. Just show up, take pics, and head to the reception!
I agree Rusha. Don’t get me started on the amount of money wasted on over-the-top weddings in the US. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I just keep thinking of how most young couples could better use that money. In the meantime, it’s refreshing to see a couple in love and keeping it simple. ~James
What a cool gallery and perfect timing too haha
Thanks for the comment and for dropping by the blog. We’re always amazed at how often we stumble on weddings and wedding photo sessions. Brides and grooms are always photogenic. ~James