Ravine Vineyard Wedding, By Hugh Whitaker [RF Wedding of the Week]

Hugh Whitaker couldn’t have asked for a more perfect wedding than that of Diane and Matthew. The 2015 Rf 30 Rising Star says that the couple traveled up to Ontario, Canada, from New York with their closest friends and family and stayed in the Woodbourne Inn, a beautifully converted old house, for the long weekend.

“The couple and guests had a laid-back morning getting ready before heading to an outdoor ceremony at Ravine Vineyard, and then they spent the evening in the basement of Ravine at a long harvest, candlelit table,” Whitaker says. “The whole day was calm and gentle—there was no stress, only good company, good conversation and the celebration of two people very much in love.”

All photos © Hugh Whitaker

According to Whitaker, the schedule of the day was simple, “leaving Diane and Matthew time to just enjoy each other’s company and interact with the people around them,” he says. “I love weddings that run at a gentle pace—it gives me space to observe the day, wait for the candid moments and tell the story as it unfolds. It would be my number one advice to anyone planning a wedding: Give yourself time, simplify the day and guest list, and you’ll be so much more a part of your day.”

Photographing candlelit dinners is one of Whitaker’s favorite photo opportunities, though it can come with its own set of challenges. “But the joy of the Nikon D750 and fast lenses is that you can really push it in low light, without having to lose the ambience by using flash,” he notes. “I love the light from candles—it’s so soft and gentle, and it makes the most incredible black-and-white images.”

For cameras, Whitaker says he shot on two D750s, one with a Nikon 35mm f/1.4G lens and the other with a Nikon 58mm f/1.4G lens. “I love this as a combination,” he adds. “It’s simple, and although I’ll occasionally use the 24mm f/2.8D as well, this usually gives me everything I need.”

Check out more Weddings of the Week, and email Libby Peterson or Jacqueline Tobin with submissions.