As Seen in Vogue UK: Photographing a Wedding at the Thriller Villa & Neon Museum

A wedding I photographed in Las Vegas was recently featured in Vogue UK. Soho gallerist India Rose James and musician Daniel Vildósola married in an intimate ceremony with about 40 of their friends and family.

From the first email, I knew this wasn’t going to be a typical Las Vegas wedding, and I wanted to share the parts of that day that mattered most to me behind the camera.

How I Approach a Day Like This

For India and Daniel’s wedding, my main approach was photojournalistic, or documentarian. I focused on seeing the day through the couple’s eyes, and their guests’ eyes. Staging every frame took a back seat as I stayed present, and in the moment. That meant working across three separate locations in one day and shooting on a mix of digital and different film cameras. Moving between formats mid scene takes planning, but it gives me the range this kind of day calls for: fast-paced, dependable coverage for the ceremony and the moments on a schedule, and the tone and unpredictability of film for the quieter, in-between moments. Those in between moments are usually the ones a couple ends up loving most once the excitement of the day has settled.

What Stayed With Me

Vogue’s story understandably centered on fashion, and yes, this was stunning to photograph. The dress, her hair, his custom suit, and the chosen venues were jaw dropping, but what stayed with me was the energy in the room from India and Daniel’s friends. You can plan a beautiful ceremony and choose a striking venue, but you can’t manufacture that kind of real excitement and support from the people who love a couple. Camera in hand, tender interactions is the part of the job we photographers chase and care for most.

The Ceremony at the Neon Museum

The couple exchanged vows at the Boneyard of the Neon Museum, surrounded by retired neon signs from across Las Vegas’s history. As a photographer, it’s a setting that rewards patience. The ceremony was a sight to see, as the sun hit the background signs and naturally illuminated the couple as they recited their vows.

The Reception at Thriller Villa

From there, celebrations moved to Thriller Villa. The adoration and cheers India and Daniel received made for effortless emotion captured on camera. I kept my coverage loose and observational through the reception, following the couple and their guests rather than directing them, so the images would hold up as an honest record of the night rather than a set of posed highlights.

Hearing From Vogue

The possibility of being featured in Vogue caught me off guard. Receiving the news sent my soul to heaven and back. This opportunity is truly every photographer’s dream– something that only happens to a small number of artists. It’s a surreal feeling as a photographer, knowing images you shot on film in the Nevada desert were about to run in Vogue UK. It reminded me why I put this much care into every wedding I shoot; it reminded me that my passion is art, and art makes dreams come true.

Working With Editorial Style Couples

Days like this one are exactly what I aim for with every wedding I shoot. Coordinating with planners and coordinators ahead of time, treating fashion and detail with the same care a magazine editor would, and giving a day the kind of direction that lets it photograph like a real story, that is the level I bring to every booking.

I’m so incredibly proud (and lucky)  to say that Vogue UK is not the only place this approach has been recognized. My work has also been featured in Junebug Weddings, Rock and Roll Bride, and Rocky Mountain Bride.

How lucky am I to be able to photograph weddings worldwide? What an honor.  

You can read the full Vogue UK feature, including details on India’s wedding looks, here.