About the Photographer
A tale of big dreams, adventures, and forever telling stories
Hey there, I’m Rhianna May!
As a kid, my favourite stories were always the ones where someone had a big dream, especially when that big dream went against everything they were “meant” to want from life. I loved the improbability, the passion, the grit, that it took for a character to stay true to themselves and get to wherever they wanted to be, and I adored the big old Hollywood happy endings.
I suppose it adds up then that I’ve never been one to let the world’s ideas of normal or how something should be stand in my way.
Growing up in suburban Australia, with school holidays spent at my Grandparent’s farm, I was free to adventure and explore, to get lost amongst the trees, clamber over rocks at the beach, and to dive into (what felt like) the depths of the Indian Ocean.
As someone with a chronic illness, whenever I was too tired or sore to play outside, I’d hide away somewhere quiet, nose buried deep in the pages of a book.
I was free to adventure and explore, to get lost amongst the trees
Even when I was told it would be impossible, I dreamed of taking my adventures to the far sides of the world, scouring our heavy paper atlas for the most interesting destinations.
Even when I was told it would be too hard, I dreamed of making stories come to life, the same way my favourite authors did for me.
impossible or...
When I started photographing weddings, way back when in 2014, I loved watching couples fill up with joy at having all their favourite people together in one place. The love, the madness, the all-out celebration. These were the days and the stories that I fell in love with.
At the same time, I noticed that so many of my couples were reaching the end of their wedding day happy, sure, but also exhausted and overwhelmed. I wanted more for them. I want more for you! So, I dove into the world of elopements – days where the rulebook gets thrown away, and you can have your wedding, your way.
Even if goes against the grain, even if it breaks totally free from tradition. You can invite all your friends & family to camp out at Donnelly River for a weekend-long wedding party. You can fly to Italy just the two of you and spend your day cruising around the Amalfi Coast. You can invite three of your best friends to stay with you in a renovated trullo in Puglia, where you’ll share lunch made by a local Nonna under the shade of an ancient oak tree...
Like my favourite stories,
I won’t lie and say that I dreamed of being a wedding photographer, but I can say, wholeheartedly, that becoming a wedding & elopement photographer is one of the happiest accidents of my life. Not just because I get to support you in creating your dream wedding experience, but because I get to honour you & your story by documenting this amazing day for you.
