a bride and groom show off their wedding rings in an outdoor ceremony by a monumental villa

A Villa Garden Wedding in Helmond | Britney + Djurhi

September 5, 2023

A bride in boho white wedding gown kisses a groom in beige suit under a wood and floral custom wedding arch in front of monumental villa and vintage sofa in Helmond

I never thought I would get the chance to photograph their wedding….

I have known Britney and Djurhi as neighbours since we arrived exhausted in Nuenen after two international moves in three years and ready for the stability and familiarity of village life. First I knew them as the owners of De Koffiedrinkers, a café across the street that was recommended to me through friends for an excellent uitsmijter.

Then we were invited with the other neighbours on our triangle that makes up the crossroads of the ancient portion of the village to gather and decorate a giant Christmas tree, then to raise a flag and eat tompouce on King’s Day. Over time these invitations became tradition for us residents surrounding the old linden tree and water pump.

A few years after our arrival, Britney & Djurhi moved from the Koffiedrinkers and turned a traditional Brabant house next door into a welcoming restaurant called Second Home, where everything blended seamlessly for a warm welcoming experience. Their work ethic and organisation skills were impeccable.

Over time, they turned a traditional Brabant house next door into a welcoming restaurant called Second Home, where everything blended seamlessly for a warm welcoming experience.

a groom stands wearing a beige suit and corsage leaning in the doorway of a brick monumental house in the Netherlands

When they announced their engagement at the open house of our neighbours the Smits , I thought they must have already found and booked an excellent photographer. But then Djurhi stopped by one evening to see if I was available. What he didn’t see when I closed the door after our conversation was the happy dance after I assured him that I was very available, felt very honoured and would be very happy to photograph their wedding in September. He doesn’t know I was literally jumping up and down with excitement.

One of the challenges of having such an open life in your work is balancing that with the need for privacy. Britney & Djurhi indicated that they wanted the photography to remain open and unobtrusive during their ceremony. Because let’s face it, wedding photography is very personal!

a groom buttons his white shirt whilst his friend helps with a white tie on the morning of the wedding day

detail photo of a groom buttoning the wooden buttons of his beige wedding suit jacket up over his vest

With this in mind, I planned a timeline with them with the moments of the groom and bride getting ready in the early afternoon, a private First Look and then the ceremony. I also planned my lenses accordingly and leaned heavily on the 70-200mm lens to give me more distance between the people being photographed and myself as the photographer, as well as the 24-70mm lens for flexibility. Since they both have an aperture of f2.8 and are from the S-line of Nikon products, I could be sure I would capture the images they would love in different conditions and weather conditions.

With Britney born in California and Djurhi in Sri Lanka, it is hard to imagine that they would meet in the Netherlands. But the universe doesn’t hold back on miraculous surprises.

A groom stands smiling with his back to a bride as she taps him on the shoulder for a First Look

a bride and groom stand smiling at each other with their hands clasped and their arms wide spread

And that’s why I love wedding photography and the chance to capture the absolute magic that happens when two people meet, become friends and fall in love after six years of friendship. How beautiful is that! Another request from Britney was to take some wedding photos with her beloved pug Guus. Guus is getting older and lives with Britney’s parents so he doesn’t have to climb stairs. I love how Britney was considerate of Guus and knew the wedding would overwhelm him. And I’m glad I was able to capture the First Look with Guus in the background for Britney.

Later, during the ceremony, the officiant (Djurhi’s sister Ermy) handed Britney a wooden cutout of Guus that Djurhi had made, so Britney still felt like Guus was present. That is just one of many examples of how they care for each other and others with love and laughter.

a bride and groom walk in front of clapping guests and a white tent with the babs standing in gold dress clapping on right

And so after a beautiful ceremony on the steps of the historic villa overlooking Warande Park, the reception began with delicious food, dancing, music, laughter and speeches that continued well into the night, with a few unique surprises.

Because of course. One of those surprises was the cutting of the cake. Britney & Djurhi, as restauranteurs, of course had many different kinds of cake to taste, and to cut the cake they honoured two friends who were celebrating their birthday by singing to them and giving them first pick. Then they served them the first bites.

They also had a surprise performance by a drumline with dancers who arrived after the sun had set. The drum line and dancers first marched down the sidewalk in front of the villa before making their way up the driveway to the dance floor.

Britney & Djurhi had planned a wedding that showcased their hospitality and warmth down to the smallest details, and which suited them completely. We wish them continued happiness together and many more warm memories.