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In October 2012, we got married in the beautiful Seychelles. Our beautiful pictures were captured by Laurent Levy, and we are still so happy with them! Here we have a few valuable tips for you from Laurent, who, in addition to photographing weddings, now also plans weddings in paradise.
Laurent, could you tell us a bit about yourself? How long have you been a photographer, and why do you love photographing weddings?
I first became passionate about photography at the age of 14 when I received my first DSLR camera as a gift. From that moment, my goal was clear: I wanted to pursue a career in photography. So, I enrolled in a photography school, earned my degree, and then spent five years traveling around the world with my cameras. At 26, I decided to settle in the Seychelles islands.
Back in 2000, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) wasn’t promoting weddings as a key offering. At that time, my work focused mainly on landscape and hotel photography. But when the STB began advertising that couples could legally marry in the Seychelles, I shifted my focus and became a wedding photography specialist.
Initially, photographing people was a challenge for me since I came from an architectural photography background. However, I quickly adapted. I found it incredibly rewarding to capture the emotions of couples—whether they’re laughing, crying, or simply looking at their wedding photos. That’s what fuels my creativity and energy year-round. I also make it a point to only take one wedding per day to stay fresh and motivated.
Over time, I realized how much I loved combining wedding and landscape photography, and the Seychelles beaches, with their famous pink granite boulders, are the perfect setting for that.
What’s the best time to get married in the Seychelles?
The ideal months for a wedding in the Seychelles are February, March, April, May, and again October, November, and December.
However, if you’re planning to marry outside of those months, here’s what to know: June, July, August, September are the windiest months, but there are always hidden beaches sheltered by the mountains where you can escape the wind. These months are also the driest of the year. June and September are particularly quiet (low season), meaning you might get great deals with hotels. July and August are the busiest, so finding a private, intimate beach for your ceremony can be more challenging. January is known for being the rainy season.
You also plan weddings. What documents do couples need? Can you help them with the official paperwork?
For foreign couples, the documents needed to get married in the Seychelles are straightforward:
- Original Birth certificate Apostiled
- Color Passport photocopie
- Possibly an original divorce certificate apostilled if they are remarrying.
If the documents aren’t in English or French, they’ll need to be translated. If they are in English or French, only the apostille is required.
Once I receive their original documents, I submit them to the registrar at the civil status office. It usually takes less than 10 days to confirm everything and secure the booking with the civil officer. I recommend to post all original Documents with DHL, as normal post office takes 3 weeks from Europe to Seychelles.
After the wedding ceremony, I send the marriage certificate to Mahé to be apostilled and certified by the Supreme Court of Seychelles. This ensures that when the couple returns home, their marriage can be easily validated by their local authorities.
I assist couples throughout the entire process, much like a wedding planner would, guiding them from start to finish.
What does a perfect wedding look like to you?
Ideal time: I’d recommend the months of March, April, or May for the best conditions.
Location: Seychelles is becoming more popular, and over the last 20 years, the number of visitors has doubled. However, it still remains far less crowded than nearby Mauritius, so there are still many pristine, secluded beaches.
For me, the perfect wedding would be on an intimate, quiet beach for the ceremony, followed by a photo session on a more famous beach, with its iconic granite boulders. You want to avoid having too many people around during the ceremony, as it can disrupt the emotional atmosphere.
For timing: What matters most is aligning the tide with the best lighting. The tide changes by 45 minutes each day, so each wedding date will have a different scenario. For example, some beaches, like Anse Source d’Argent on La Digue, are less flexible with tide timing.
I prefer mid to low tide around 3 p.m. with soft afternoon light. After the ceremony, we can move to a famous beach for the couple’s photo session, ideally capturing photos in the late afternoon light. I usually wrap up the session by sunset, but I don’t rely on it because the sun often disappears behind clouds.
Only if we have a great clear sky, it would be wise to extend the shooting till sunset.
Typically, I aim to finish the photo session before 5:30 p.m. to ensure the best lighting conditions.
Regarding the wedding setup: Every couple has different wishes, but from a photography perspective, here’s what works best:
- A colorful bouquet to contrast with the bride’s white dress.
- A colorful venue to contrast with the white sand.
- A two-pillar arch if you’re getting married after 3 p.m. or have many guests.
- A four-pillar gazebo to diffuse the midday sun (if your ceremony must take place between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.).
- For the vows and ring exchange, standing is best, followed by sitting for the registrar’s book signing to avoid any see-through issues with the bride’s dress.
- A quiet beach for video, to ensure good sound quality during the ceremony.
- Don’t cut costs on the cake or champagne—they’re important moments to capture. If you’re trying to save, feel free to bring your own champagne. I’m focused on capturing as many beautiful moments as possible, and the happiness of the couple is my priority.
- For post-production: Don’t skip the editing process. While not every photo will be retouched to magazine cover standards, the difference between an untouched JPG and a RAW image processed by a human eye is significant.
For wedding photography packages that include post-production, understand that post-processing takes up about 60-70% of the total time. For instance, a 2.5-hour photo session requires 8 to 10 hours of post-production work, and a 3-hour session requires 10 to 12 hours. So, I highly recommend not cutting back on post-production, especially for high-end wedding packages.
What’s your favorite location for a romantic wedding? Do you have any hotel recommendations?
If you have the budget for a 5- or 6-star hotel wedding, I would recommend places like:
- Lemuria Resort Praslin
- Raffles Resort Praslin
- Six Senses Zil Pasyon on Félicité Island
- Four Seasons Resort Mahé
These hotels are known for hosting beautiful weddings. However, I suggest you choose your photographer carefully, as not all hotels include top-quality photographers.
What’s your advice on choosing a wedding photography package?
Finding the right beach wedding photographer in Seychelles can be challenging. Wedding photography isn’t just about owning the latest camera—it requires in-depth knowledge of the local environment, including the tides, sun, and wind directions specific to Seychelles.
These factors significantly affect the prices of photographers, as they reflect the photographer’s equipment, skill, and local expertise. A lower price doesn’t always mean a good deal. Often, it’s an indicator that the photographer is trying to fill an empty schedule, and the quality of service may suffer as a result.
I also recommend avoiding “Tour Operator 1-hour photography packages” that offer “cheap” services, such as 36 prints or basic post-production with only moderately edited images. There’s a big difference between a subcontracted photographer and a professional independent photographer who can craft a full story of your wedding day with a curated collection of images.
How can couples get in touch and book you?
Couples can reach me through:
Website: www.seychelles-wedding-photographer.com
WhatsApp: +248 255 1010
Instagram: @seychelles_wedding_photo
Or by phone.
Photos: Laurent Levy
Our dream wedding in the Seychelles.
Let’s Get Married!
If you have any questions, you are welcome to ask us!
Monique De Caro
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