Two nationalities, two homes, one passion… wedding photography!
Maria and Eric bring Eric-Rene Penoy to life. Dividing their year between Europe and Mexico, they hold a special affection for Portugal — and especially for Porto.
Maria and Eric, how did your passion and the idea to specialise in intimate weddings and destination weddings begin?
Eric - “I left France in 2012 and then jumped to the business in 2014, I was lucky to be published on various blogs in Europe and Latin America, and this being recognised for my work, was something that really pushed me, Then, the demand of destination weddings really took off , maybe, it also was a different time where people started to showcase their work on Facebook and Social media in general. it was basically the right time. It developed quite quickly to be honest.”
Maria - “We believe that since the beginning, we have always wanted to develop our own curiosity for people, landscape, the local culture, food. It was and still is a privilege to document all couples stories, their culture, their religion, the local traditions.
We tend to be really focused and to be present in the moment, we take special care of the location as one of the main characters of the stories. That natural curiosity is actually one of our strengths, even today. We document their day with fresh eyes, we have this ability to understand what we call “the circles”. The simple connection between people. It always was our desire to cultivate this curiosity and really meet our couples and work on a deeper level with their trust.
What motivated you to settle in Portugal during the summer and in Mexico during the winter?
Eric - After living for 7 years in Scotland where I started the business, I thought I needed a new adventure, it was a fresh start to me and to be honest the weather conditions and cold winter in Glasgow started to bother me. Portugal seemed convenient at the time, beautiful country, great people, easy to interact with locals, easy access to international planes. And then the city of Porto really won my heart. With Maria, we got married back to 2021 and we had the possibility to visit Portugal together, she immediately fell in love with the city as well and quickly made sense for us to base ourselves here.
Maria - Portugal is one of those places with a rare kind of energy which is calm, magnetic, and deeply grounding. Though we weren’t born here, it feels like home. I love it’s wild cold ocean, the warmth of its northerners and the beauty of its streets. I feel truly lucky to live in this corner of the world. Mexico, my homeland, is pure vibrancy, a country alive with rhythm, creativity as well. Its energy fuels our inspiration, and it is the perfect counterbalance between rest and movement, reflection and creation. It also helps that while Portugal and Europe in general slows down in its high season, Mexico comes alive, opening new possibilities for our photography work, it was an easy choice for us.
What challenges did you face when starting your career in each country, and how did you overcome them?
Our business as destination wedding photographers was already consolidated and growing, we could have based ourselves anywhere in Europe France, Italy or Spain made perfect sense but Portugal won our hearts. Maria’s residence process was long and demanding, it took two us years and half to even have a legal residence for her, even though we did everything by the book since the beginning and although we were married since 2021. After a long road of waiting periods from government administration, payment of fees and collection of paperwork and lawyers hours, we opened our company since day 1, and were paying taxes. The road wasn’t always simple, but we made it, and we’re proud to call Portugal home.
Portugal is a fully ready market with extraordinary venues and talented professionals, photographers, videographers, florists and planners, and it’s perfectly connected for our main clients American and British couples. Although long time famous destinations like Italy and France are more notorious, we believe Portugal has full of potential to rival them, which is why we are more focused on helping couples find us here through SEO and genuine storytelling.
How do you define the style of photography and videography you offer to couples?
We always call it imperfect, there is beauty in imperfection, because there is authenticity.
Of course we are not afraid of approaching the new editorial, flashy trends, we understand we need to adapt to the needs of our clients for new aesthetics, nevertheless we do not lose ourselves and we guard our essence and the authenticity of our work.
Our style is also cinematic, our stories are built like a movie, with a lot of images, music, movement and we believe they portray real emotions, we want the viewer to immerse in the story or relive the moment. We do not believe in Portfolio as Portfolio is just a small collection of curated images from 30 different weddings but does not represent a real intention behind it.
We prefer to go against the flow and deliver a mix of everything, music, sound capture, analog, camcorder, digicams, polaroids, digital and super 8, or super 16mm. Imperfection is the constant behind it, the real feelings, emotions, the fleeting instant.
Editing our work always feels a little melancholic, it brings back the stories, as the moment itself is already gone. Our goal is to make people relive how they felt that day and sometimes that emotion lives in the blurry images, not the perfect crisp or perfectly sharp ones. It is something which makes sense in a full story. Our coverage of Super 8 and Super 16 analog video provides the same feeling, the beautiful imperfections of the nature of the analog perfectly match our style. Like Maria says, it is like a post card, a little flavour of the day, it is not a big production with digital cameras, where you have lot of effects. Simplicity is beauty.
Which elements do you consider essential to capturing the essence of a wedding?
Everything is important, we just love to take pictures, no matter if they are perfect or not, to emancipate ourselves from the camera and always look from our viewfinder. We have to be present in the moment, totally be trusted by our couples, they are the actors, and our mission is to capture everything. “I say that when the LIGHT is calling us in one side the room, we need to answer her call." (Eric) We believe that our favourite image will probably never be the favourite image of our couple. But as we give them a tone of images they can create their own version of their story.
Of course, if they choose us in the first place, it is because they felt something by looking at our work or when talking to us, while listening to our playlists, or sharing our love for cinema, by loving the work and stories they have seen on our website, or social media. We give them our own version of their wedding, a proper narrative. For us, storytelling means creating their story through different mediums, with enough images and our thoughtful creative process. It’s about immersing ourselves in their day and reliving it after so they can genuinely feel it again.
Which aspects of Portugal (landscapes, light, culture, traditions) inspire you the most?
Portugal is a beautiful country, full of history, culture, and mostly wonderful people. We were more called but the warmth of Portuguese people than we were from the culture to be honest. With time and our love for Portugal keeps growing year after year, we can appreciate the even more marvellous life it offers, we have the occasion to visit beautiful places and really feel at home in Porto.
What differences do you notice between destination weddings in Portugal and in other countries where you work?
We tend to see only the good things because, to be honest, we mostly work with excellent providers who are truly committed to delivering quality. Portugal, in fact, feels more open to business and commerce than many other European countries. The travel possibilities are incredible; stunning venues, great catering, amazing florists and planners are top-tier. Most people speak two or three languages, which places them far ahead in terms of hospitality and global connection than other European countries. Their true openness to seemingly smaller services that can be as simple as Uber, B&Bs, shuttle services, concierge companies makes life easier for visitors.We believe they have a genuine dedication to service, which for us, being service providers ourselves really makes a difference. We can say this confidently, as we travel around the world and see how exceptional this truly is.
Is there any Portuguese tradition that particularly impressed you or that you loved incorporating into your images?
Probably the long, unhurried meals and the abundance of them, especially dinners. In Portugal, they’re true social rituals that can stretch on for hours. In Mexico and France, where we’re originally from, we’re used to lingering at the table, but the Portuguese have truly elevated this into an art form. The way people stay around the table with wine, laughter, and easy conversation is a beautiful reflection of how time is valued here.
Which wedding in Portugal left you the most inspired or moved, and why?
It would be unfair to choose just one, as each of our weddings in Portugal has its own beauty and story. Still, the ones that always stay with us are the elopements in Madeira and the Azores. There’s something truly magical about small, intimate celebrations that sometimes unfold over several days. The connection between the couple feels even deeper, and the landscapes themselves are epic and cinematic. These moments give us the time to truly get to know each couple to understand who they are and reflect that honestly in our work. When they tell us how they are completely in love with the photos and how beautiful they look captured in the simplest moments that’s the greatest compliment we could receive as photographers.
If you could recommend Portugal to other photographers or international couples, how would you describe the country in three words? Why?
Welcoming, Genuine, Breathtaking
As we mentioned, Portugal has a lot to offer, the quality of the market is huge. All the venues are so beautiful, full of charm and a perfect mix of culture and architecture. It is very easy to access and is the perfect escape to organise not only a day wedding but a full experience of multi days or extended weekend for adventurous and romantic couples. Or simply to bring your friends to another part of the world and prepare them a beautiful program.
For photographers and videographers, you will be amazed by what Portugal is offering and is developing, but be ready as there are already amazing, super talented photographers and videographers.
Are there any Portuguese locations or experiences that you still dream of exploring in upcoming destination weddings?
Witnessing the big-wave competition in Nazaré are still on our list, star gazing and hiking at the Serra da Estrela and the steam train journey to Pinhão are still in our list, we’d love to capture that in future destination weddings. We also wish to have more time to discover new wedding venues, work with planners and create something unique, something different and always seek for new venues. We really love to work to all kind of locations, old castles, private houses, minimalistic or design houses full of history. We still have so much to discover, it seems endless.
How do you see the future of wedding photography and videography in Portugal, especially for destination weddings?
We believe the future is moving toward more meaningful and intimate celebrations. Couples are choosing smaller weddings, focused on experiences rather than excess. There’s a growing emphasis on conscious choices, from providers and venues that truly add value, like more eco-friendly choices, and more thoughtfully curated travel experiences with high-quality services and products. More quality than quantity. We can obviously see that the market is shifting for a more editorial, fine art vibe, this is a blessing for us as this new vision pushes us to develop new skills without losing our signature style. We believe that there is still a market for shy, creative couples who are seeking for a more intimate destination wedding experiences. By being different and showing our kind of weddings, we can still have 20/30 couples aligned with this vision. Starting our journey in 2014, we can see a certain change, which we should embrace as an evolution not as a risk for our business. Happily we don’t feel that we need to do it simply for the money and still want to enjoy what we do, even after 300 weddings.
Are there any future plans or projects you can share with us?
We’re always looking for ways to add value for our couples, like giving them more meaningful experiences, therefore some of our upcoming projects include expanding more our add on services like our existing bespoke floral décor, and custom jewellery design. Our goal is to make every wedding not just beautiful, but truly meaningful and unforgettable We also want to run workshops and conferences, we love the educational part of photography.
The customer service we can develop, we work hard on our communication, our vision, our framing.
It is a normal need for us. We have to enjoy what we do, day after day, month after month. Sadly for the last 1 year or so, and the numerous planes and travels, it was very difficult for us to manage everything. That is why we want to expend our community, maybe take or recommend associates, we want to teach our ways and be able to recommend good people, not only talented photographers, but great people, friends we trust and put our dear couples in the best hands possible. Customer service is always our priority by offering something unique, something we believe we can teach to people.
That is something we have been working on since the covid happened, how to make people feel unique and to be understood in their vision and how to provide a unique service for them.
We don’t want to follow the market, we want to develop what is what we call the SOUL MIND HEART style, by always giving our creativity, our cinematic, narrative approach, with honest and true feelings and a deep attachment on details and mood, weather, on what it feels to be fully present emotionally, creatively, and deep thoughts.