Costa Del Sol Destination Wedding, Fuengirola, Spain | Sarah & Tom

Hannah has been incredible from start to finish. There are so many wonderful things I could say about her so I’ll keep it as short as possible. Hannah’s character speaks louder than words. Her dedication to doing the thing that she loves with conviction is inspiring. Our photos are incredible! I think both of us had forgotten just how beautiful the country we’re blessed to live in is. It was amazing to sit and look through our photos and see what everyone else saw; all the details that we’d spent so long working on and just how beautiful the whole day was. Hannah is a sneaky-sneak photographer. So many of our guests weren’t even sure that we had a photographer since she was in the background one minute then off finding something else in a flash. So many of the photos even of us we had no idea that they were taken – and we were right there! Thank you so much Hannah! I don’t think there’s been a time where we’ve cried so many happy tears together with laughing and ‘awwwing’ amazing! I’m so happy you agreed to get on a plane and be our photographer. – Sarah & Tom

 

Originally from Coventry, Sarah planned a holiday to Malaga, Spain to meet up with a close friend. As it turns out, that friend had someone in mind for Sarah to meet. He was also English but having lived most of his life in Spain he fit in like one of the locals. It’s safe to say, after meeting Tom, Sarah returned to Malaga much more often. So often in fact that it made more sense for her to move there! Sarah and Tom followed their hearts, fell in love and have been putting their roots down in Fuengirola, Spain ever since.

Somebody, pinch me!!! I can’t believe that I get to do this for a living. When Sarah emailed asking if I would be willing to fly to Malaga to photograph their destination wedding, I kid you not, I jumped up and down and squealed like a little girl. It is a dream come TRUE to photograph destination weddings and I feel so incredibly blessed, lucky and over the moon (I expect that’s a pretty cool feeling!?) to have photographed Sarah and Tom’s on the Costa Del Sol.

Sarah and I emailed and Skyped back and forth in the run up to their wedding day. I loved receiving emails with subject titles like, “86 days!” and reading Sarah’s updates. She kept me up to date with every detail- how the table centerpieces were coming along, how she had found the perfect wedding dress and how Tom was working hard restoring their vintage wedding cars. By the time I met them both in person, I felt like we had been friends forever!

Sarah and Tom generously invited Joel to come along, so I booked us two direct flights to Malaga and we spent two days either side of the wedding exploring the area and soaking up the sun. Sarah even helped us pick the perfect place to go by telling us about the blue lakes in El Chorro. I’m so glad she recommended this little haven in the mountains for us. It was the perfect place to enjoy moments of calm even in the midst of a busy wedding season. I will share more about our travels on the blog very soon so keep an eye out!

The morning of the wedding welcomed us with extreme heat. Joel and I already had our feet in the pool to cool off by 9 am! While Sarah and her bridesmaids got ready in her and Tom’s flat (with windows open and cold Starbucks drinks in hand, of course!) guests arrived at the villa and took their seats outside in the sun in anticipation for the arrival of the bride.

There were tears of joy as Sarah walked down the aisle with her dad by her side. Tom couldn’t help but look over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of his soon to be wife.

The ceremony had all the aspects Sarah and Tom had hoped for. Scriptures were read, a dear friend and minister spoke prayers and encouraging words to the newlyweds and another friend officiated. Their commitment to each other before God and loved ones was reflected beautifully.

Crystal blue skies, mingling by the poolside and sweet smells of blooming flowers and hot grass set the tone for the remainder of the day. The bride, groom, and guests enjoyed cold beers and canapés on the pool deck and eventually dinner outside with mountain views.

Right. So this photo is pretty cool. Take a good look at Sarah’s mom’s sheer joy from being in this classic red mini.

As a young girl, Sarah’s mom would climb up scrap heaps hiking up her dreaded dress to her knees. She loved helping her dad retrieve old car parts so that he could fix what were then current cars but are now considered classics. Fast forward to her daughter’s wedding day. When she heard Tom was restoring a classic similar to one that she helped her father work on so many years ago, she couldn’t believe it.

 

 

This little car was a big bonding experience for her and her future son-in-law. Tom would send pictures and updates to her, keeping her involved in the restoration process. She couldn’t wait to see the cars he had been restoring with his buddies for the wedding day, but never imagined she would get to ride in one while she was here. On the wedding day, Sarah had allowed enough time for us to drive to Tom’s shop and take photos with the cars. She surprised her mom by letting her travel in her childhood dream… the excitement on her face is so genuine and precious. I love it!

 

 

Tom runs a mechanic business, R&T Classic Restoration. Working around the clock with his mates, they got the mini finished in just under 4 weeks! In Sarah’s words, “They worked so hard and had so many scratches and injuries from not having a ramp for the majority of the restoration, but it all came together in the end!”

 

 

Sarah says Tom’s Yamaha R6 is his baby. Ever since they first met, bikes and classic cars have been a staple part of their relationship. Countless memories were made biking together in Fuengirola and often into the mountains and countryside. It was only fitting that the theme of their wedding day revolve around bikes!

 

 

After heartfelt speeches, I stole Sarah and Tom away to the beach for a few more bride and groom photos. The light was soft and the sun cast golden light making it a photographer’s paradise! Passerbys beeped their horns and some even shook Tom’s hand to congratulate him on banking such a beauty! ;) It really was a moment I will never forget- photographing two people so in love and encapsulated in such a perfect location. I could have photographed them all night but soon enough we headed back to the villa for their first dance…

 

 

Thank you, Sarah and Tom, for inviting me to photograph your wedding, but also for inviting me into your home, into your family and for treating me like a dear friend. I am so happy for you both and I’m so glad to say I now have friends in Spain! Both Joel and I fell in love with Fuengirola and are already dreaming of our next visit. When we do, we will definitely call on that rain check for tapas on the beach! ;)

 

Hat’s off to the team who made this day possible!

Florist – Bunches

Wedding Dress – WM Novias

Groom’s Suit – Kiabe

Hair – Blondes

Catering – Modern Foodie

Wedding Cars – R&T Classic Restoration

Cake – OMG Cake Company

Cake topper – TrueLoveAffair

Furniture – Seaside Joy

Bar – Pogs Irish Bar