Andy Gaines Photography

03/12/2024

Morocco, you have my heart. The Sahara Desert, I still have some of your sand in my clothes and shoes…

Such an incredible trip and a total honour for us to be invited to the far edges of Morocco to Zaki’s home village to celebrate his wedding to Amber. Cue horse rides through the streets, the entire town coming out to join in, being welcomed into his family home and Abigail and I being treated like family. Followed by an epic wedding party that was still going on as the sun came up and then roped off with a trip out into the dunes of the Sahara and a magical night amongst the stars and sand. A trip we will never forget for sure, and one that we were honoured to be invited to document!

Here’s a few images for now… we are currently feeling very fortunate and lucky that we get to call this (often times quite frankly ridiculous) job our career. It’s an honour!

29/11/2024

A behind the scenes snippet of the story behind the photograph.

Bronte and Alex exchanged personal vows at their wedding , and they were the best! I absolutely love Alex’s reaction!

Excited to now on to designing their wedding album and having it in their hands in time for their first married Christmas!

22/11/2024

Why do I stay right until the end of your wedding?

This image of Emily & Sam says it all. First dance, last dance, and all those in between. Some of the best moments are the unscripted ones. I'll capture each and every moment of your wedding day - the moments that matter.

20/11/2024

A wedding hug isn't just a hug - it's a story written in a split second.

It's everything I love about documentary wedding photography: raw emotion, genuine connection, and those fleeting expressions that words can't quite capture.
As your photographer, I don't direct these moments or ask anyone to 'hug again'. Instead, I watch, I wait, and I document these natural displays of love exactly as they unfold.

These are the images that will take you right back to exactly how it felt. The ones that you may show your children or nieces and nephews someday what real love looks like. This is why I choose to document rather than direct - because genuine moments tell the truest stories.

17/11/2024

When the entrance becomes the show-stopper! Ronnie & Jack didn't just walk into their reception at Wharfedale Grange - they owned it.

No awkward poses, no forced smiles - just real moments. This is what happens when you trust your couple to write their own story while I quietly document it from above.

15/11/2024

This is why we stay until the end of each and every wedding.

Heather & Anthony's Isle of Man celebration lit up the night - literally.

While some wedding photographers and videographers might pack up after the first dance, some of the most magical moments happen when the sky turns dark and the fireworks begin. No posing needed here - just a natural kiss beneath the sparkles, surrounded by their loved ones watching the show. These spontaneous displays of joy and love are what documentary wedding photography is all about. Real moments, real emotions, real memories. ✨

Unlimited coverage comes as standard when you book me (us). Get in touch, I'd love to hear more about you both and your plans so far!

12/11/2024

Documentary wedding photography is about much more than just the big moments- it's about finding the perfect balance between epic landscapes and intimate connections. I love letting natural moments unfold in spectacular places.

10/11/2024

08/11/2024

Making an entrance.
Roni and Jack at Wharfdale Grange Barn

06/11/2024

Some of the most genuine moments on your wedding day happen in the quiet hours before the ceremony. When the suits are still fresh, the nerves are starting to kick in, and best mates share that ceremonial first beer.

These aren't just 'getting ready' photos - they're the calm before the celebration, the deep breaths, the pep talks, and yeah, sometimes the Dutch courage. It's your best friend straightening your tie for the fifteenth time, or that moment when you help your dad with his.

As a documentary photographer, I know these seemingly small moments make up the bigger story. They're not about staged poses or 'now pretend to put on your jacket' - they're about capturing real connections, genuine emotions, and those brilliant little moments of brotherhood that happen when the pressure's off and the camera's forgotten.

Because when you look back at your wedding photos in 20 years, you'll want to remember not just how the day looked, but how it felt. Each and every moment.

03/11/2024

The best ceremonies are like this - a perfect mix of heartfelt and hilarious. And as your photographer, I'm there for all of it - the tears, the laughs, the looks between you both when you think nobody's watching (spoiler: I am 📸).

01/11/2024

"Should we have you stay for the party?'
The answer is always YES. Because when ties come loose, heels come off, and inhibitions fade away - that's when some of the best moments of your wedding story unfold.

30/10/2024

There's something powerful about letting a couple sink into their surroundings. The Utah mountains provided the drama, the stormy skies added the mood, and these two? They just needed to be themselves. This is what real moments look like when you trust your couples to feel their way through them.

Jess and Sam rocking their wedding day.

27/10/2024

The thing about documentary wedding photography is catching these unscripted reactions. Dad's face says it all - and that's exactly why I stay quiet, keep shooting, and let these precious seconds play out naturally. These are the photos that become family treasures.

25/10/2024

This is what happens when you let your couples be themselves. No 'stand here and smile' - just pure joy, authenticity, and yes, even a vintage London bus! Sometimes the best wedding photos come from simply letting moments unfold naturally..

22/10/2024

That perfect moment when the champagne tower catches the light... but I'm more captivated by the genuine kiss happening behind it. These are the real moments I live for - the ones that tell your true story, not just the staged highlights.

Jess & Sam at Park City, Utah, USA

14/10/2024

It was really great to scoop an award for this image in a recent round of awards. TIR awards celebrate all that is good and great in the world or documentary and unposed wedding photography. Which is exactly what I specialise in!

So, if you’re wondering; No - I don’t bring the pet wasp to every wedding to harass the brides bouquet for a photo op. I like my wasps wild and unpredictable - so that you never really know what you’re going to get! Just how I like my weddings!

This wedding was at aka where the wasp was actually featured in the second series. Probably.

25/09/2024

Super happy to have scooped up a few Story Awards in the recent round of awards. Last year I was named as top 10 in the world by them so it’s great to add a few to the tally! Like all my work, these images are completely natural and totally unposed. Real, authentic and genuine moments :-) Here’s one of the set of 20 images that won.

In a job in which I’ve essentially been a professional party attendee for the last 13 years, i have seen A LOT (I’m also pretty good at it, just sayin 😜) - but and (and their legendary guests) took things up a notch! Their wedding party in a marquee by the village they grew up in was nothing short of beautifully, chaotically, joyously magnificent!

It’s one of the things I love about weddings - not so much all the wedding ‘stuff’ - but the fact that the day is an excuse for all your important people in the world ever, to get together and bring the best, most beautifully, chaotic, incredible versions of themselves to let loose and enjoy just how great life can be, for you both, for one crazy day and night.

It’s why I’ll always stay to the end of the night - and why I love weddings so much. And to those who think ‘I wouldn’t like how I look in pictures at that time’ - well the pictures of you (or whoever is in them) are not really just for you. They are for everyone who isn’t in them - to remember what a total legend you were, that one evening, in a field, in the Derbyshire dales…

I’d say that no one was harmed in the making of… etc etc a bit I’d possibly be fibbing!






⁠
y