Some wedding stories begin long before the wedding day itself, and Sarah and Jean’s is certainly one of them.
They first met when they were just 16 years old at De La Salle Sixth Form in Malta. What followed was a relationship that grew through different stages of life, including six years of long distance while Sarah studied abroad. Rather than pulling them apart, those years only made their relationship stronger.
Eventually, they both settled in the UK, where they have been living together since 2020. After all those years together, Jean finally proposed — beginning the next chapter of a story that had started when they were still teenagers.
And on 19 September 2026, they returned to Malta to celebrate their wedding at the beautiful Palazzo Guarena.
A Relaxed Wedding at Palazzo Guarena
From our very first conversations, Sarah and Jean were clear about what mattered to them photographically.
They wanted their wedding photographs to feel natural and genuine. Rather than spending large parts of the day posing for the camera, they wanted the people, emotions and atmosphere of the wedding to become the story.
Candid photographs of their guests enjoying themselves were particularly important to them, together with those small unscripted moments between the two of them.
At the same time, they loved some of the more creative imagery within my portfolio, so the aim was to combine documentary wedding photography with a small number of artistic portraits created around the venue.
For me, that balance is always one of the most enjoyable ways to photograph a wedding: allowing most of the day to unfold naturally while finding a few opportunities to create something distinctive for the couple.
Getting Ready in Malta
The wedding story started separately. I first joined Jean for his preparations in Attard, before travelling to Sarah’s family home in the countryside between Żebbuġ and Siġġiewi.
The getting-ready part of a wedding is never only about photographing dresses, shoes and details. It is also where the anticipation of the day begins to become real.
Family members come and go, final preparations are made and suddenly months — sometimes years — of planning are about to turn into a wedding day.
From there, everyone made their way to Palazzo Guarena for the ceremony.
The Ceremony at Palazzo Guarena
Sarah had told me beforehand that one of the things she was looking forward to most was simply the ceremony and exchanging their vows. And after a story stretching back to their teenage years, there was something particularly meaningful about finally reaching that moment together.
Their ceremony began at 5pm at Palazzo Guarena, surrounded by the people closest to them.
Music for the ceremony was provided by harpist Laetitia together with singer Danielle Galea, adding another intimate element to the celebration.
These are often my favourite parts of a wedding to photograph. There is very little need to interfere. The glances between the couple, reactions from parents and friends and all the little emotions happening around them tell the story far better than anything that could be staged.
Wedding Portraits at Palazzo Guarena
Following the ceremony, we dedicated a short period to family photographs before taking around half an hour for Sarah and Jean themselves. Because they had specifically asked for a relaxed approach, the portraits were never intended to turn their wedding into a photoshoot.
Instead, we used the architecture and surroundings of Palazzo Guarena to create a mixture of natural portraits and some of the more creative images they had loved when initially discovering my work.
For me, wedding portraiture works best when the couple can still recognise themselves in the photographs.
Beautiful light and interesting compositions matter, but the photographs should still feel like them.
From the Ceremony to the Party
Once the formalities were over, the atmosphere shifted towards the celebration.
Sarah had also told me that one of the moments she was most looking forward to was seeing everyone having a great time once the music started.
And music was certainly an important part of their evening.
The Busker provided the entertainment for the reception, while Sarah and Jean chose “You’re Still the One” — the James Arthur cover — for their first dance.
It felt like a particularly appropriate choice for two people whose relationship had already travelled through so many different stages of life before arriving here.
Photographing the Moments Between the Moments
Weddings such as Sarah and Jean’s are a reminder of why I approach wedding photography primarily as storytelling.
Of course, the ceremony, portraits and first dance are important. But years later, it can often be the photographs of everything happening around those moments that become equally valuable: a parent's expression during the vows, friends laughing together, an unexpected reaction or simply the way two people look at one another when they momentarily forget about everybody else around them.
Sarah and Jean had specifically asked for photographs of their guests genuinely enjoying the celebration, and that freedom to observe rather than constantly direct allowed their wedding gallery to become a record not only of how their wedding looked, but of how it felt.
After a journey that began at 16 years old, survived years of long distance and eventually took them to a new life together in the UK, this was one very special chapter to photograph.
Sarah and Jean — thank you for trusting me to document it. 🤍
Sarah & Jean’s Malta Wedding Suppliers
Venue: Palazzo Guarena
Wedding Cinematography: Johann Caruana
Wedding Day Coordination: Jurgen Briffa & Steve Bonello
Wedding Dress: Olive Blossom Bridal, Hampshire
Make-up: Danilo
Hair: Jonathan HairLab
Ceremony Music: Harpist Laetitia & Danielle Galea
Reception Band: The Busker
Wedding Decorations: Bali Stuff
Floral Design: Nanette Floral Designer
Wedding Transport: Executive
First Dance: You’re Still the One — James Arthur cover
