So i got the question about helping out for my wife´s friends wedding, and bride to be party. I rarely do weddings and when i do it i often find i like to help out on a smaller scale and then surprise them with some great pictures they were not expecting afterwards, instead of being the one booked photographer for that wedding. So this one was my present for them since we had a connection to them.
Also, that makes me able to do it totally the way i want, and that creative freedom is what makes it fun for me.
I began with the first task which was the bride to be party. So i joined the gang at a hotell in Stockholm to get some pictures inside the hotell but also go with the gang around town to get some fun casual pictures of the group that they could share after the wedding. I brought a light kit due to the distance i had to walk from where i had my car parked. My D4 and the 70-200 and a few primes.
I got 2 speed lights and a diffuser and a reflector for some extra kick light.
The environment at the Hotell was very nice to shoot in. I feared the place would be crowded, but it turned out to be almost empty except for the staff, so i could be relaxed trying to pick my spots for the group shots and the singles with Nok ( the bride).
To fit the group in a good place where the light would be sufficient proved the most difficult task, but I’m happy i brought the 70-200 as i could actually stand across from one of the balconies and shoot from the opposite side. The lighting actually reached them from all across from the windows behind me, and with some post processing it turned out quite nice with the beautiful bigger double door as a backdrop to the group.
After that i wanted to get a bit creative and played some with the depth of field to isolate Nok from the other group members.
Then i shot some singles of some of the people from the group and some couples shots as well for those being close friends etc.
I found a great mirror to use as a ”voyeur” shot of Nok sitting alone in the bar that i liked.
After that we went outside and just casually walked around town and had lots of fun posing them against different backdrops all around the harbor and streets in 
Stockholm. The weather was great, and the setting sun gave beautiful light.
I wish all shoots were that relaxed and fun!
Noks friends were happy to get some single shots they could share with friends on Facebook and send to friends afterwards.
Wedding dance
A few weeks later it was time for the actually wedding night and party. I was not able to attend the ceremony as they kept that private, but i joined their lovely party that evening together with my own family. So i 
took my DF together with a few primes to take some pictures from the evening , lots of candids but also posed pictures with the guests together. I saw quite quickly that i was not the only photographer there .
I counted 3 other hired guns to help the wedding couple. That did not bother me as i did this as a favor and also if they had one extra angle and my personal style adding to what they got from those other photographer, that only meant they had some more great memories from their special night.
It was a beautiful evening, and the food was great as i love Thaifood i was happy to take a break at times enjoying the greta food they had cooked. There were also some great performances from people that wanted to celebrate the couple, and i had some great laughs and some tears when the speeches were done.
Groom trying to find the bride.
It kept going into the night, and i had brought a speed light for that occasion too, so i got some fun pictures from the dance that evening but also from the fun and games. I guess i wish most wedding shoots were
like this too! So relaxed and no pressure.
I know after this i already have some standing offers from other friends, so hopefully they will turn out just as fun and relaxed.
/Goodnight, Martin.
