Aisling & Colm – A Sitges Wedding in Blinding Sunlight

Back from Buenos Aires, Straight to Sitges

This was my first job after returning to Barcelona from a month in Buenos Aires. I had barely been back 48 hours and was still dazed with jet lag. Fortunately, the royal wedding in the UK that weekend had completely passed me by—though it seemed the rest of the world was glued to it.

Instead, on Saturday, I was on my way to Sitges to shoot a half-day wedding for Aisling and Colm. It was a beautiful day, cloudless and hot, and everything started off smoothly… more or less.

Candles, Keys, and Blinding Sun

Arriving early to scout the church and set up, I eventually persuaded a caretaker to let me in. He seemed helpful at first, allowing me to prep from a great balcony vantage point—only for someone else to inform me, moments later, that I wasn’t allowed up there after all.

Things didn’t improve when I asked to step outside to shoot guests arriving. He vanished to “light candles” and returned ten minutes later wielding a keyring worthy of a dungeon master. When the huge doors finally groaned open, I stumbled out into the midday sun—blinded and squinting just like everyone else.

The light was brutally harsh and bounced off every surface. The usual tricks—shade, backlighting—were useless. Even the flash was barely holding its own.

A Beautiful Reception and a Much-Needed Early Night

Luckily, the service inside went smoothly. I’d pre-lit the altar and used handheld flash when needed. Afterward, we did portraits on the esplanade and near the sea, then made our way to a stunning masia in the countryside for the reception.

The light softened slightly by then—more directional and manageable. The venue offered some beautiful shade and sweeping views, and I got some great natural shots before wrapping up just as the meal began.

I didn’t stay for the party. Normally I’d wind down with a beer and decompress after a long day shooting, but this time I was toast—jet lag won out. Either I’m getting old, or I just needed my bed more than the dance floor.