As small wedding specialists, our vision has always been to create small weddings with style – to share the narrative that choosing to have a small wedding does not ever mean having to compromise. It has been an absolute pleasure to grow an amazing network of local wedding suppliers in Cornwall that share in this vision, and Sarah and Jon have expertly captured the magic of a Treseren wedding experience in both still and moving images as the husband-and-wife duo behind Lyra and Moth Photography and Videography.
We recently chatted to Sarah about the path that led her and Jon to capturing love stories on camera and the moments of creativity that a small wedding organically provides. Sarah and Jon arrive on a wedding morning when the Treseren team are busy setting everything up for the exciting day ahead and one of our very favourite things about a Lyra and Moth wedding album is that the unique atmosphere of the day that can simply only be captured on camera or be lost in time forever is memorialised from the moment they walk up the driveway. From the morning light casting shadows in the hallway to the dew drops resting delicately on camellias in the gardens, these are the moments that you may not witness yourselves, but you will be able to look back on as the very start of the story of your magical wedding day.
‘We advocate for natural storytelling whilst still capturing those dreamy portraits & whimsical details. Less posing and interference, more gentle guidance & letting you both create real memories in those moments.’
What path did you take to become a wedding photographer?
I didn’t originally set out to become a wedding photographer but somehow a mixture of serendipitous events led me to a career that I feel so well aligned with. I originally studied Photography at University but after 2 years, I found it very dry and uninspiring. I swapped to Creative Writing where I felt so much more at home in storytelling, poetry and prose. I fell in love with playwriting, classic art and history and all of these humanities inspired and informed by art practices more than ever. My first ever wedding was for our family hairdresser who I had known my entire life – I had worked for a wedding caterer as my summer job for a couple of years and always thought the photographer at weddings had such a fun job so whilst at University, a few friends friends got married and they wanted a photographer and approached me as they had heard I had a little experience. By the end of university, I had a website, a portfolio and a business ready to go but I needed a hand with some of my bigger weddings – cue Jonathan!
Jon and I actually met many years ago at a friend’s birthday party and swiftly forgot each other existed. 7 years later, and we met again through a mutual friend. Jon had studied photography and was a keen analogue photographer and so after we got talking about our love of the medium, I asked if he wanted to come to Dorset with me to help out with a wedding. After a summer of travel, adventures and working together, we ended up asking each other out. Jon originally always wanted to make films and so after a few years of wedding photography and being asked here and there to produce a short wedding film for people and enjoying it immensely, he decided to delve in and use weddings as a way to tell visual, tender stories about people and their paths to each other. It’s since looped back around to incorporate his love of analogue as he’s found his favourite niche is capturing weddings on Super 8!
Here we are, ten years down the line since my first wedding and I get to do a job that’s creative, social and ever changing. I’m back where I began, telling stories but about real people, their joy and their love.
You have a very distinctive style (which we love), how would you describe it?
A lot of the art that I look at and absorb is a real medley from a span of epochs but they do have elements in common. I’m drawn to the romanticism era, impressionism, art nouveau and the fairytale illustrations of Arthur Rackham which all follow a common theme of whimsy & celebration of nature, colour, light.
‘I love to create imagery that really works with the mood, colour, light and scenes of the day – If it’s misty and foggy I want to lean into that and really capture how that felt – the soft droplets of rain on a cheek or sights of craggy rocks and coves through the mist, if it’s a merry summer day, I love to include the details of the wildflowers growing in the hedgerows or what the sunset looked like against the clouds.’
Rather than focusing on a few really ‘iconic’ and ‘out there’ images that will look great on a mantlepiece or an Instagram feed, my photographs work in harmony with each other as a cohesive story. I picture them in a proper album, little children snuggled on a sofa with them marvelling at their parents’ wedding day. I strive for a style that’s timeless, soft, informed by nostalgia and film and celebrates the whimsy of the nature of a wedding day. Someone once described our work as like ‘stills from an indie romance’ and I think that was just lovely!
Do you think that there are advantages to having a smaller wedding in terms of the photography and videography?
Absolutely! There’s a difference in our working approach between weddings with 200 guests and weddings with 20 guests. With larger weddings, from our working perspective, we’re often rushing around trying to get those big moments and all important group pictures and we will always do our best to make art where we can, but when a timeline is jam packed and every minute is spoken for, it can be very difficult to produce those more creative pictures or set up an idea that requires a little time and space.
‘With small weddings, as a creative, you have so much more time and space to think creatively and capture candid shots of the guests in a more poetic way, whilst getting to know them.’
People will respond so much better to having their photo taken if they’re comfortable with the photographer and this means that the few select guests chosen to share in the memories will each have the opportunity for portraits and the couples tend to be so much more relaxed and up for collaborating or taking a trip somewhere special for an adventure. We love big weddings but intimate weddings will always have our heart as there’s a different energy – it’s soft and gentle. We’re not party animals, we’re a pair of old souls who love connection and intimate gatherings where people want their joy documented honestly and beautifully. Creative souls always flourish in the situations that inspire and fuel them.
We often talk to couples who are nervous about having their photos taken, what advice would you give a bride or groom who is feeling like this?
I’d say 80% of our couples are shy introverts nervous about having their photograph taken and we are more than happy with that as Jon can 100% relate to them. Our approach, even with portraits and couple photographs, is to keep things gentle and natural. We encourage movement, having fun, sometimes we even put on some music if we think it’s the vibe.
‘We’re very relaxed, easy going people and our ethos from the outset is that your wedding day is above all, a wedding day and your job is to have fun. Our job is to capture it beautifully and it will be beautiful because your joy is beautiful. I want our couples to forget all those blog articles they read about soft smiles and how to hold themselves, we want to capture the belly laughs, the tears and the silliness.’
For people that are feeling extra intimidated by the camera however, we are always happy to meet in person for a coffee or a pre-wedding shoot which can help people get used to the camera. Even the most introverted couples have said afterwards they have a lot of fun with their photographs and we’re so conscious to read the cues if people aren’t having fun so we can swiftly change things up.
My best advice would be, put your favourite playlist on in the morning (As that’s when people feel the most nervous and stressed.) Look at what sensory experiences ground you – scented candles or maybe just having your favourite childhood teddy to hand can help with the most tense part of the day. We tend to find once the ceremony hits, people forget all about us as they’re completely lost in the moment at that point, so you’ll have to take my word for that but ultimately, choose a photographer who makes you feel comfortable. Whose vibe is one you’re happy to have around on your day and who is sensitive to your energy. Your energy and space on your wedding day is sacred and special, guard it well!
We couldn’t ask you to pick a favourite, but what are some memorable moments from Treseren weddings that you have captured?
Oh, this is a tricky one! I feel like I have so many happy memories from weddings at Treseren. I especially love weddings in the darker seasons as it becomes so cosy with the fire roaring and the lights on the tree twinkling or in the earliest throws of spring when the snow drops are peeping out and the bluebells are emerging on the drive. I love hanging out with the guests on the lawn in the summer too, capturing their antics playing table tennis or croquet, especially when it gets competitive or dogs and children try to join in. Some recent Treseren memories we’ve really enjoyed from this summer past, is when our couples have revealed to their guests that they’re expecting! You can guarantee that I will cry at your wedding when it gets emotional. Nothing quite gets the waterworks going like witnessing people’s happy moments. I really love when it’s a bit misty or drizzly and couples and their guests keep their outdoor wedding going and sit huddled with blankets and umbrellas, unfazed and totally absorbed in the moment.
Sarah will be joining us at our Open Day on Saturday 15th March and would love to chat about your wedding photography. You can book your visit here for a personal tour of Treseren or you can contact Sarah and Jon directly here.
For more Lyra and Moth Treseren wedding inspiration –
Clare and Christian’s Bridgerton Inspired Summer Wedding
Clair and Aaron’s Midsummer Night’s Dream Walnut Tree Ceremony
