So - a destination wedding ! The dream of most wedding photographers ! I was extremely fortunate to have the local help of some old friends who live in THE most spectacular place on the Amalfi coast - Ravello. So as well as getting to shoot the wedding of Janine and Andy at the historic Palazzo Belmonte, in Santa Maria di Castellabate I got to take an extended weekend looking around this beautiful part of the world.Janine and Andy had travelled out to Italy for their Palazzo Belmonte wedding after finding their dream venue when on holiday - and rather than booking a local photographer who tend to be quite traditional - booked me to document their day.Being commissioned to shoot a destination wedding is a huge privilege as its always a rewarding experience to sample different cultures and ceremonies. For instance, after the ceremony the wedding party have to go to the town hall to have their marriage officially recorded - so if you are planning a destination wedding its worth checking out the local customs as they can vary quite a bit.A quick signing and then off back to the spectacular Palazzo Belmonte after a walk along the beach and impromptu greetings from the locals. The meal just went on forever - and the sun went down pretty quick so there wasnt a great deal of time to do many outdoor portraits - but as we had plenty in the bag from earlier in the day it wasnt a problem.Heres some of my favourite images from the day - cant wait to get another commission for a destination wedding - if you are thinking of planning your wedding abroad give me a call and I will try to convince you why its worth spending that little bit extra to hire someone from home rather than relying on your guests snaps !! Enjoy the images.

destination wedding by paul atherton photography