Denis Reggie Moments

I can’t think of a more romantic, beautiful or exotic destination than the Maldives as a wedding setting. A couple of months ago, I traveled with my assistant to the the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru for one of my most picturesque wedding assignments in recent memory.

This island paradise is perched barely above the blue waters of the Indian Ocean and its very existence is threatened by the rising sea level attributed to global warming. It’s hard to imagine that such an amazing tropical gem – and home to the delightful inhabitants – may inevitably and tragically disappear during our lifetime.

Getting to the Maldives from Atlanta entailed a six hour stopover in Dubai after a 13 hour Delta nonstop flight. I am generally fine with (actually quite proud of getting) the least expensive coach tickets to be had with hopes of exit row seating with my frequent flier program status. But this seemed as good a trip as any to cough up some miles and upgrade certificates to sit (sleep) up front to hopefully arrive in ready-to-work condition.

The latest version of Delta’s BusinessElite lay flat seats is impressive but we learned that for travel with a companion, requesting seats across the aisle was a better idea than choosing side-by-side seating in the center of the cabin. The configuration of our 777 aircraft cabin was 1-2-1, but the two middle seats are actually positioned in opposing diagonal directions, we were more back-to-back than side-by-side. This was easily remedied by changing to seating across the aisle, though we were actually asleep for most of the long Delta flights anyway. The Dubai stopover was from around 8:00 p.m. until 3:20 a.m. with plenty of time to grab a cab and head into Dubai. We stopped to gaze skyward at the astounding Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building – then we were off to enjoy some of the best Lebanese food ever before making our connecting Emirates flight into Male. Arriving at 8:30 a.m., there was still one last flight: a float plane air taxi for the 45 minute flight over to the resort for a midday arrival. In all, a 32 hour trip, but a pot of gold indeed awaited us as prize for making the long trek. No, we weren’t in Kansas anymore, we had arrived in a unique tropical paradise. I was meeting my clients for the first time face-to-face having made all the arrangements by email and telephone. They had found me with web research and in speaking with various wedding vendors for recommendations. I sensed a great fit from the start and was totally convinced of it throughout the weekend. It was all a pleasure thanks to their genuine warmth and hospitable nature.

The teary eyed groom wipes his eye as vows are exchanged on the beach at the Four Seasons Resort in the Maldives. © 2010 Denis Reggie

The happy and very photogenic couple from Dubai had chosen this idyllic setting for families and friends not only to witness their exchange of vows on the white sand beach, but had arranged a full weekend of festivities. The famous DJ JoJo, based in Beirut and a music legend throughout the region, was tapped to provide an ongoing, enticing background soundtrack for each event, even as guests frolicked on the beach. His music created a unique and distinctive aura that set an interesting tone for the weekend. Many of the couples’ guests – there were 80 in all – were fellow Harvard Business School grads who traveled from various parts of the world to participate in the island celebration. Nabil, the handsome and fun loving groom, celebrated his 40th birthday on the night before his wedding. His lovely bride, Marjorie, was raised mostly in Brazil – she is half French, half Indian, and all stunning. If ever a storybook romance and fantasy wedding, this was indeed Nirvana.

For this prestigious but rigorous assignment, I chose a full chip Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III in addition to two of the (remarkable) 1D Mark IV cameras to take advantage of the ultra high ISO capability, a nice advantage for the evening coverage especially. I actually worked extensively at ISO 25,600 for many of my reception images. With wind and sand all about, we had to be cautious about where and when we changed lenses on the 3 camera bodies. I relied heavily on the ultra sharp 70-200mm f/2.8L lens for much of the ceremony coverage on the beach, and particularly enjoyed the 24mm f/1.4L for taking in the wide views throughout the various events.

Our four days at the resort came and went too quickly and if not for other pressing wedding assignments in Destin, Florida and Vicksburg, Mississippi just days later, we might have considered an extension of our stay. But we needed to get back to reality. That particular weekend saw the now infamous eruption of  the long dormant volcano in Iceland which canceled hundreds of flights throughout Europe. I recalled the live inflight route map showing our flight path going directly over Iceland as we headed toward Dubai. (I actually photographed the same glacier and Icelandic volcano a year or two ago… some of those images are shown elsewhere on this website. Small world.) I was quite concerned about the strong possibility that our flight would be canceled and I repeatedly checked the internet for news and flight updates. In the end, Delta adjusted their Dubai – Atlanta flight path – extending flight time by a full hour – to travel directly over the middle of the Mediterranean Sea then turn northwest over Spain to bypass the volcanic ash cloud which covered much of Europe. To be clear, if not for the pending assignments back in the U.S., a delay would have been a pretty good problem to have while being nestled in paradise! We packed our gear and headed to the air taxi for our return flights knowing that we had documented an extraordinary wedding for two lovely people. The kindness of their families, guests, and especially the delightful couple themselves made this a four day assignment I can never forget. And I knew that I made friendships that would be enjoyed for years to come.  I can’t wait to see their picks from the many photographs we showed so we can begin the process of making their keepsake album. With all of the elements in place – beauty, happiness, uniqueness… I know the album will become a treasured heirloom for their lifetime together and the perfect way to relive the remarkable weekend in the Maldives over and over.

To the bride and groom, Nabil and Marjorie - thank you for letting me capture – and share here – your lovely story.

After so many wedding assignments, I still adore my job, my life, and the very fine people I meet along the way.