Destination: A Germany "Landhaus" Wedding by Katch Silva [RF's Wedding of the Week]

January 28, 2015

By Laura Brauer

It must be a thrill when a bride emails from an exotic time zone, asking you to shoot her wedding.

Such was the case for photographer Katch Silva (who splits her time between southern California and Philadelphia), when Sarah—an American living in Germany—invited Silva to a rustic country house in southern Germany where her wedding to Thorsten would be held.

Photo by Katch Silva

Photo by Katch SilvaAll photos © Katch Silva

Photo by Katch Silva Photo by Katch Silva Photo by Katch Silva

“Sarah met Thorsten through a random series of events online,” Silva explains. “She posted a question about biking on a random bike forum online, when she was interning in Germany. Thorsten did an unrelated Google search about bikes and stumbled upon her post. They met up, went for a bike together, and a few years later, they were married!”

Photo by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch Silva

Although Silva says the couple was tremendously down to earth and “willing to go explore and step out of the traditional comfort zone to take amazing photos,” the challenge was not meeting them before the wedding because they lived in Germany.

“Because my style is all about showing the true genuine moments, and its much easier to feel comfortable and genuine with someone you’ve had a chance to sit down and share coffee or lunch with,” says Silva.

While pre-nuptial Skype sessions definitely helped, Silva says being at the couple’s rehearsal dinner as a guest the night before was the true entry into friendship. “They were kind enough to invite me, and it really made a world of difference. I got to know their family and friends, which always helps me in being able to tell their story in a more genuine way. By the next day I felt like a part of the family, we had shared a meal, a drink, and lots of stories!”

Photo by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch Silva
To capture the day, Silva relied on two Canon 5D Mark IIIs, “the bodies I always have with me at every wedding,” plus four different lenses:

  • a Canon 35mm f/1.4L, “one of my favorite lenses overall and always on one of my bodies at all times.”
  • a Canon 85mm f/1.2L II, “one of my favorite portrait lenses.”
  • a Canon 135mm f/2L, “which I always use for ceremonies, so I can get up close without being in the way or in their face.”
  • a TS-E 45mm f/2.8, “for some dramatic details and landscape shots.”

“I carry everything in my awesome Poler Excursion Pack with a camera insert,” she says. “It’s amazing, especially for travel!”

Photo by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch SilvaPhoto by Katch Silva

 To see more of Katch Silva’s beautiful work, visit her website. To submit a Wedding of the Week, email Jessica Gordon.

See past Weddings of the Week here.