Nikon has teamed up with The Guardian and WE ARE Pi’s premium entertainment arm Pi Studios, to create a new documentary called Four Weddings. Focusing on brides’ wedding days from the UK, US, Romania and India, this landmark contemporary look at marriage unpacks the different ways global societies treat love, relationships and brides.
The documentary looks at the shifting perceptions of marriage around the world, examining what it means to be a bride in 2018. It explores how the couples met, what their relationship means, what their future holds, and how their marriages relate to the challenges they face.
It’s not just Prince Harry and Meghan’s union breaking convention. Four Weddings features a US Army soldier discharged from Iraq who overcomes prejudice by following her heart rather than her head; a terminally-ill British woman unsure of the future; a young Romanian bride debating what community means today; and a self-assured Indian woman who turns the idea of arranged marriage on its head.
The 20-minute film was shot entirely on the Nikon D850 with a range of NIKKOR lenses by award-winning director Matt Houghton from Pulse Films. It was produced by The Guardian’s multimedia team and Pi Studios with funding from Nikon through the Guardian’s branded content division, Guardian Labs. The film is clearly labelled in line with the Guardian’s content funding guidelines as editorially independent and supported by Nikon.
Alex Bennett Grant, Founder and CEO of WE ARE Pi said: “Dry technical specs and how-to videos don't cut it. Today’s photographers are looking for genuine creative inspiration that will set them apart. We set out to demonstrate that Nikon’s D850 can transform wedding photography into landmark entertainment, inspiring a new perspective on what’s possible.”
Ravi Amaratunga Hitchcock, Head of Pi Studios of the show adds: “Being able to make such a great piece of cinema, the central part of a full-bodied campaign around wedding photography for Nikon, has been a real honour. Pi Studios always aims to do things differently, so connecting The Guardian's journalistic excellence to Nikon’s bold storytelling mission through its D850 camera has been fantastic."
Charlie Phillips, head of documentaries, Guardian News & Media, said: “We're delighted to have worked with Nikon and Pi Studios on this exciting project. Everyone's wedding day feels as special to them as a royal occasion and we wanted to convey that feeling in the documentary - highlighting the little details that make up for an amazing and perhaps stressful day. This is a beautiful film and we're grateful to not only the filmmaking team but also these four remarkable brides who granted us an inside look at their love.”
The Four Wedding documentary is part of Nikon’s wider European Wedding campaign, which will run across markets including the UK, Germany, France and the Netherlands, with digital and social content, product films, the Nikon website and PR.
To view the full documentary and see additional images from the four weddings, captured by wedding photographer Will Patrick on the D850, please
click here.
Top photo: Emma & Mike
Will Patrick, D850,AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED
Ilenucă and Ionuț
Jess Colquhoun, D850. AF-S NIKKOR 85MM 1:1.8G
Lindsay & Esmeralda
Will Patrick, D850,1 x AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
Priyamvada and Divyabhan
Will Patrick, D850, AF-S NIKKOR 28mm f/1.4E ED