Vienna was the first city we explored together after becoming legally married.
The day before this shoot, we had stood in front of our closest family and legally became husbands. Less than twenty-four hours later, we were in Austria for our mini-moon, walking through a city of pale stone, grand architecture, quiet gardens and old-world cafés. It felt surreal in the best way — that strange, beautiful in-between moment after a wedding when everything is familiar and completely new at the same time.
This shoot came together simply. When we found out we were going to Vienna, we arranged to meet photographer Sandy — @sandyalonsophotography — and videographer Vicky — @hugsandhoney.films — while we were there. There was no heavy planning, no detailed production schedule and no elaborate styling brief. Just a time, a date and a meeting point.
We met just after sunrise outside Theseustempel, while the city was still waking up. That early morning quiet shaped the whole feel of the shoot. Vienna can be grand and formal, but at that hour it felt softer, almost private. The streets were calm, the light was gentle, and there was space for the morning to unfold naturally.
The direction was documentary and candid, with a few editorial moments woven in. It was not about creating a perfect sequence of poses or building a heavily styled wedding story. It was about movement, glances, laughter, small pauses and the feeling of being newly married in a city that seemed to hold romance in its architecture.
We wore our own tuxedos, which gave the shoot a sense of occasion without making it feel too formal. Against the backdrop of Vienna, the black tie styling added structure and elegance, but the way we moved through the city kept everything relaxed. It felt less like a traditional wedding shoot and more like a visual memory of a particular morning — two newlyweds wandering through the city in tuxedos, still carrying the emotion of the day before.
We started around Theseustempel, then moved through the rose gardens, the city streets, Gerstner Café and the area outside the Hofburg. Each location gave the story a different rhythm. The temple brought symmetry and stillness. The gardens added softness. The streets gave us movement. Gerstner brought a quieter intimacy, while the Hofburg gave the images that unmistakable Viennese grandeur.
Some of our favourite moments happened in the quieter café scenes. After the scale of the city outside, sitting together in a more intimate space felt grounding. There was something beautiful about those smaller moments: hands on the table, soft conversation, the feeling of being slightly tired, very happy and still taking in what had just happened in our lives.
The shoot was playful too. At one point, we took Vicky’s camcorder and started recording each other. It was such a simple thing, but it captured the spirit of the morning perfectly. There was no pressure in it. We were just laughing, filming, moving through the city and allowing the experience to be imperfect in the best way.
That is what made Vienna different from our earlier shoots. Noordhoek had been emotional and expansive. Euridge Manor had been polished, collaborative and workshop-led. Vienna was more about being ourselves. It was less about performance and more about presence. Being newlyweds helped with that. The connection was already there, sitting close to the surface, and Sandy and Vicky gave us the space to let that show naturally.
For The Seths, this shoot opened up another part of what we could offer creatively. It showed us that our work together does not always need to sit within traditional wedding editorial styling. There is also space for documentary, lifestyle and city-based storytelling — imagery that feels spontaneous, emotional and real, while still carrying an editorial quality.
Vienna became more than a mini-moon destination. It became a reminder that some of the strongest images come from simply allowing a story to unfold. No heavy production. No overcomplication. Just two people, newly married, walking through a beautiful city at sunrise.
And for us, that was enough.