Why We Photograph Weddings This Way
Real weddings. Real moments. No pressure. Just how it felt.
We don’t photograph weddings because we love cameras.
We do it because we love what weddings actually feel like.
The big moments, sure, but also the quiet glances, the held breath, the squeeze of a hand.
We’re not here to control your day. We’re here to help you enjoy it while capturing it naturally and beautifully, so you can relive it forever without ever feeling like it was staged.
Who Venus Are
We’re Andy and Sam. A pair of full-time photographers, long-time friends, and total believers in the idea that weddings should feel like you.
Between us, we’ve photographed over 500 weddings across every kind of venue, weather, and chaos. We’re calm, unflappable, and quietly everywhere we need to be.
When you book Venus, it’s us. No associates, no outsourcing. Just real people, real empathy, and a huge amount of care for your day.
The Venus Approach
- We don’t direct your day, we document it as it unfolds
• We blend in, guests often think we’re part of the family
• We don’t just capture what it looked like, we capture how it felt
• We believe your photos should show you being you, not you being posed
What We Care About Most
We care most about people feeling like themselves.
The couples who book us usually say the same thing: “We just want to feel relaxed. We don’t want the photography to take over.”
That’s why we do what we do, and why we do it this way.
The Venus Team
Andy
MANAGING DIRECTOR / PHOTOGRAPHER
I’ve been photographing weddings for over 17 years, and I still get emotional when the music starts and someone walks down the aisle. What matters to me isn’t posing or perfection, it’s people.
For me, photography isn’t about directing people. It’s about making sure they don’t need direction, because they feel relaxed, supported, and able to be themselves. That’s when the best photos happen.
Outside of weddings, I photograph music, people, and stories in all their forms.
But weddings? That’s where the magic is.
Sam
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
I’ve always loved photographing people, not the posed version, but the real one. That little laugh when you thought no one was looking, the way someone catches their breath during the vows, the joy just after the confetti.
Before weddings, I worked in portraiture and editorial, but I fell in love with weddings because every one is completely different.
I’m the kind of photographer who notices how you’re feeling. If you’re nervous, I’ll gently support you. If you’re relaxed, I’ll disappear into the moment. Either way, I’ll be calm, warm, and quietly in your corner from start to finish.
When I’m not photographing weddings, I also run Samantha Gallagher Photography, a sister brand focused on families, portraits, and smaller, more intimate wedding coverage.
Ben
VIDEOGRAPHER
I started out in fashion photography, but I found my real passion in weddings, because the stories are real, the emotions are raw, and every single one is different.
My style is relaxed, story-driven, and cinematic. I don’t interrupt or stage moments. I just let the day unfold and quietly capture what it actually feels like. Whether it’s the energy of the dance floor or a quiet moment in the morning light, I want you to be able to feel it when you watch your film back.
I’ve been working alongside Andy and Sam for years, and there’s a real rhythm to how we cover a wedding together. Calm, unobtrusive, and always in sync.
I also run Ben Renshaw Photo & Film, but when couples book me through Venus, they get the same heart-led approach. Just filmed instead of photographed.
When I’m not editing a wedding film or chasing golden hour, I’m at home wrestling my three small children. They always win.
