This wedding celebration is truly one for the books! A three-part wedding across Monaco, Dubai, and Iceland and a new benchmark in the wedding industry. From the French Riviera to the Dubai heat to windswept Nordic landscapes, every chapter carried its own heartbeat - couture fashion, breathtaking settings, boundary pushing design and photography and a couple whose style and spirit elevated it all.

Jose is often asked what keeps him inspired after all these years shooting. His answer: clients like Temi and Eazi, aka “Mr Eazi.” “They trusted me completely, to make decisions on the fly, to bring in whatever I needed, and to direct when needed. No questions asked. That trust allowed me to create freely, and made this one of the dream shoots of my career.”

Photographer: Jose Villa

Quick Info and Gear

“Each location demanded a different approach,” Jose explains. “In Monaco, it was just me with a second shooter. But by Dubai, the scale was so much bigger so I brought in my husband Joel, my sister Nancy, and my longtime friend Megan who have all worked me closely over the years as my team. Iceland was another level again, you’ll see. The weather alone meant we needed a full team ready to get everything done right.”

The first chapter unfolded on May 9th in Monaco. A date chosen in memory of Eazi’s late mother, and a setting close to the Otedola family. Their civil ceremony was held at the Mairie de Monaco, with Temi in a custom suit by Wiederhoeft and Eazi in Louis Vuitton.

For Jose, it was also their very first meeting in person. “Temi and Eazi might be the most stylish couple I’ve ever photographed,” he says. “From the start, it felt like every choice was deliberate, every look thought through.”

“In Monaco, while scouting the day before, I quickly realized we would need a private location if we wanted the freedom to create. The police were not having it when we tried to work even on a sidewalk, and I was stressed to say the least.

I asked the wedding planner, Jamie, if he could help us secure another option. He came back with a few possibilities, and Karl Lagerfeld’s Villa La Vigie was immediately the one we knew we had to pitch to the couple. The fee for just two hours there was the same as a full venue buyout in other parts of the world, but without hesitation Temi and Eazi said yes. The moment we walked through the doors, everything shifted. With that setting, and with the fashion they had curated, the entire shoot elevated from special to truly unforgettable.”

The second celebration took place in Dubai, where Temi and Eazi hosted a traditional Yoruba wedding at their family home. Temi’s bridal wardrobe was extensive AND extraordinary, from Zac Posen’s sculptural duchesse satin gown and gele, to Miss Sohee’s ornate aso oke ensemble later that evening. Eazi, styled by Jason Rembert, matched her with equally bold custom pieces.

“For the final look we opened the skylight and let the light flood the studio. We removed the backdrop and kept things simple. I was drawn to the way the shadows fell across the space, giving the images a feeling that they could have been taken against a wall in Temi’s own home.”

The next day:

“It was beautiful to watch and photograph the headpiece being wrapped on Temi. It took time to get it just right, but the atmosphere felt almost like a spa. The room was quiet and calm, and everyone stood in silence, simply admiring the process as it unfolded.”

“I had never photographed a traditional Nigerian Yoruba ceremony before, so in many ways I went in not knowing what to expect. I asked a few questions beforehand about when and where certain moments would happen, but I prefer not to know every detail. That way I can respond in real time, with fresh eyes, and let the feeling of the ceremony guide how I shoot. For me it is less about memorizing the sequence and more about being and feeling in the right place at the right moment.”

“I have to say the reception lighting for Temi and Mr. Eazi’s dinner was beautiful. At night I am usually worried about lighting in different parts of the world, because so often it ends up uneven, overly colored, or full of LEDs that flicker with every frame. But here it was perfect. This image of them clapping during a speech was captured entirely with ambient light. No flash needed.”

“The same was true for the tablescape photographs. I shot them on a tripod with long exposures between half a second and one second, usually at f5.6. Temi and Eazi wanted the reception to feel like an intimate private club, with rich mood and atmosphere. Not every shadow needed to be filled with light, and I loved the contrast it created. It was a departure from the soft, pastel tones I am often known for, but it felt perfect for the setting.”

The final leg of the wedding unfolded in Iceland, a place deeply meaningful to Temi and Eazi, and the most ambitious chapter of the whole thing. Against the backdrop of wild Icelandic landscapes and unpredictable weather, the couple held a church ceremony before hosting a reception in a mountain tent that was nearly lost to storms the night before. (like actually).

“I always arrive at a new location with fresh eyes and no expectations. In Iceland I avoided doing too much research beforehand so that when I finally saw it in person, I could respond naturally to what felt right. It is one of the most amazing and untouched places I have ever visited, and I felt it was such a gift to be there with Temi and Mr. Eazi to capture their week of celebrations in the country they love most. The weather quickly became a constant topic at the table. We wondered if it would rain or if the strong winds might take down the tent set up in the middle of nowhere. At times the gusts reached 50 miles per hour, so we had to take everything moment by moment and make the best of it.”

“Being a great wedding photographer is not only about capturing candid moments, setting up family portraits, or creating a frame-worthy shot of the couple. It is also about thoughtful styling and direction. Not every photographer knows how to style, but combining that skill with storytelling can set you apart. Even small details matter, because they are so carefully chosen by the couple. In these photos we used 200-year-old moss and volcanic rock from the surroundings to style the jewelry, which helped bring the whole story to life.”

“I often ask myself what will keep me inspired after nearly 25 years of photographing weddings. The answer is a lot of things, but if I had to choose one, it would be fashion.

Temi is a true couture bride, a one-of-a-kind, a custom-made soul. For her weddings she wanted everything designed specifically for her, and with the help of Carrie Goldberg they created looks that felt fresh and unlike anything I had seen before. One gown was custom made by Fendi to mimic the marble walls inside the church. Like, who thinks of that? Only Carrie. And Temi wore it with such ease and grace. It is those details, thought through with such care, that matter so much to clients. I love when they go the extra mile to weave their surroundings into the story. I mean wow.”

“The wind was so strong in this corner of the hotel, but I really wanted to use the black wall for some solo shots of her. Temi is the kind of bride who trusts anything I ask her to do. I told her, “I have this location I love. It’s windy AF, your veil might fly out of your head, but don’t worry, we can go fetch it.” Without hesitation she said, “Lead the way.”

I only shot here for about 20 seconds, snapping as fast as I could, but there were so many amazing frames that it was hard to choose just one. Do not be afraid to push the limits. Just make sure you have backup plans and that your subject feels comfortable saying no.”

“The church was one of the most incredible places we have ever photographed, such a unique location. The challenge was capturing the full height of the building, because it was so tall that even with a drone the couple would appear small in the frame. Inside, everything was pristine and beautifully moody.

We pushed the limits and even flew a drone indoors to get this shot. I would not necessarily recommend it, but in this case it worked perfectly.”

“Lately I have loved using drones during cocktail hour and for ceremony shots like this, then converting the images to black and white. My sister Nancy is my drone pilot for every wedding, and here she was flying in 30 mile an hour winds, worried the drone might end up on the side of the neighboring building. In moments like these you have to work quickly and think on your feet.”

“The structure was built from the ground up, in the middle of nowhere outside of the capital of Reykjavik, about 30 minutes north of the ceremony church. The challenges of having this done in this location were something I had never heard of before. It was truly inspiring that Temi and Mr. Eazi did not give up on the idea of having such a stunning wedding in the mountains. Wind, hail, and rain came through the day before and threatened to take the whole thing down and crash their dreams.”

Shooting the reception space

“When it was time to shoot the reception, there was so much beauty that I did not even know where to start. I had a total freeze moment where I had to stand back and just think for once. LOL, normally I never think about weddings, I feel, so that was a little off-putting, and mostly because it was so stunning that I was in a state of loss. Once I gathered my thoughts, I went to town and shot the heck out of every corner. It was truly something I don’t think I will ever see again.”

“After Temi and Mr. Eazi changed into their second look of the night, I took them just outside their reception tents for literally two minutes. We were running late, and the guests were waiting. It is important to remember that weddings are not a photo shoot and the guests were actually waiting, the chefs were plating the food, and the band was ready to perform. Sometimes you only have a few minutes to capture what you need. Do not panic, keep your cool, and shoot with grace.”

“And then the ultimate surprise was about to unfold. Mr. Eazi had the surprise of a lifetime planned for Temi and all of their guests. As the main photographer, I knew what was coming, which gave me time to prepare the right gear and place my team exactly where they needed to be. Temi’s reaction is something I will never forget. It was such a beautiful moment for her and for everyone there.”

To close out an unforgettable time in Iceland, let alone the three weddings on three different countries, Temi and Mr. Eazi wanted to celebrate one last time with their loved ones at a local lagoon. They decided, why not rent out the whole lagoon, and arrive by boat. Taking the time to reflect, relax and spent the rest of the time together perfect.

From the quiet, intimate moments of preparation in Dubai to the grandeur of a church filled with light in Iceland, Temi and Mr. Eazi’s wedding was actually EXCEPTIONAL. An the result is a reminder that unforgettable images come from equal parts planning, trust, and the freedom to create.

“Documenting these celebrations was an honor, and an experience I will carry with me always.”

Photography: Jose Villa

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Photographer: Jose Villa
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