Black and white logo with the acronym 'SBR' on a banner and the text 'Shot by Rutley' below it.

Shot by Rutley

 for those who have heart

A man with tattoos, wearing a backward cap, denim jacket, black pants, and sneakers, standing outside a building with a red door and beige and white walls.

Quick Glance:

Name: Rob Rutley
Pronouns: he/him
Based: Derby
Covers: UK and beyond
Summary: If you’ve been looking for something a lil less conventional, then you’re in the right place. I capture weddings in a totally untraditional way so your album feels so much more authentic. I want the real you. No #awks posing, no fake smiles, no endless list of boring shots… Just you guys being unapologetically badass AF.

Stalk me:

Black background with a minimalist white outline of a house.
Outline of a camera icon with a circular lens and small circle on top right, on a black background.
The image is completely white with no distinguishable objects or features.
Outline of the Facebook logo on a black background.

Intro:

I’m not someone who takes life too seriously - there’s so much out there to be experienced.

Laid back yet professional is my jam, but traditional and conventional is absolutely not. I love working with couples who have alternative ways of celebrating their relationships, so if I’m a bit of you, I’d love to chat.

Wedding planning can be stressful AF, so let me scope out your venue for sh*t hot backdrops, provide the interesting photo prompts and put your mind at ease so you can focus on having a blast instead of what your friend’s brother’s cousin’s up to!

My approach means I won’t be all up in your faces every minute and you can be sure that I’ll snap plenty of candids that capture the raw energy from the day.

In short, I’m an untraditional wedding photographer who brings a mix of moody and documentary style to tell your story in the most epic way. Let’s do this!

A couple sharing a kiss inside a rustic wood-paneled room or restaurant, with soft window light illuminating their faces, intimate moment, romantic atmosphere.
A couple sharing a kiss during their wedding, with the groom in a dark suit and the bride in a white dress, in front of a black and white checkered backdrop.
A couple dressed in formal attire standing in front of a vintage car, holding hands, with an outdoor setting featuring trees in the background.
Two women in wedding dresses holding hands outdoors during autumn with leafless trees in the background.
A couple in wedding attire sharing a kiss in an outdoor setting at night, decorated with string lights overhead and empty picnic-style tables around them.
A bride and groom share a kiss during their wedding celebration as confetti falls around them, with guests cheering in the background at an outdoor brick courtyard.
Bride and groom walking hand in hand through a shower of confetti surrounded by wedding guests in a rustic outdoor setting
Close-up of multiple hands resting on a silky, cream-colored fabric, showing rings and well-manicured nails.
A couple embracing in a forest with tall trees and golden sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Close-up of hands gently holding an elderly person's face, showing rings, tattoos, and painted nails, against a black background.
A man in a tuxedo covering his face with a phone, laughing, next to a bride with blonde hair styled with a flower hairpiece, on a bridge with a rural neighborhood in the background.

Related Articles

Featured
It’s not a phase… Dark Weddings are not a fashion trend - they’re here to stay!
It’s not a phase… Dark Weddings are not a fashion trend - they’re here to stay!

In 2022, a group of alternative wedding suppliers gathered inside a deconsecrated church in Leeds to create a dark celestial wedding shoot. Four years later, we can see it was about more than moons and stars.

The alternative wedding world has grown enormously since these images were taken. New suppliers have appeared. New events and communities have been created. The breadth of what an alternative wedding can look like has expanded, and, somewhere along the way, two independent wedding collectives eventually found their paths converging to become Dark Wedding Collective.

Read more →
Wuthering Heights Part III; Same Story, Different Eyes,
Wuthering Heights Part III; Same Story, Different Eyes,

Why choosing a wedding photographer is about more than finding photographs you like.

Put two brilliant photographers in the same place, at the same moment, with the same couple in front of them and you might assume you'd end up with two similar wedding galleries… you won't. That was one of the unexpected gifts of our Wuthering Heights editorial at Sheriff Hutton Castle.

For the final part of this series, we wanted to look at something we don't talk about enough when choosing wedding suppliers: creative perspective.

Read more →
Heart & Soul: When a wedding theme becomes a language
Heart & Soul: When a wedding theme becomes a language

There is something wonderfully strange about the way we've turned the heart into a symbol of love. The real thing isn't symmetrical. It isn't pink. It certainly doesn't come with an arrow through it. It's muscle and valves and blood. It beats somewhere beneath your ribs without asking permission, keeping you alive while you fall in love, have your heart broken, mend it, risk it and ultimately decide to give it to somebody else. Which, when you think about it, makes the anatomical heart a rather perfect wedding symbol.

Read more →
How To Choose Alternative Wedding Suppliers Who Actually Get You
How To Choose Alternative Wedding Suppliers Who Actually Get You

Seeking a wedding that defies tradition and embraces the darkly beautiful? At Dark Wedding Collective, we celebrate bold, alternative unions, from Victorian gothic soirées to modern, minimalist ceremonies with a macabre twist.

Discover how to craft a ceremony that honours your identity, whether through unconventional venues, curated playlists that set a haunting mood, or florals in deep, moody palettes. We’ll introduce suppliers who specialise in non-traditional attire, inclusive officiants, and bespoke stationery that reads like poetry in ink and velvet. Expect practical planning tips, sensory inspiration, and examples of real couples who turned shadows into celebration. So you can plan a day that’s utterly yours, with intention, drama and tenderness.

Read more →

Dark Wedding Directory

Person with long green hair wearing a black dress with floral and star patterns, standing outdoors.
Decorative display featuring a spider sculpture adorned with beads and a dress, set on a pedestal flanked by black balloons and a bouquet of dark foliage, next to a sign with celestial and skeletal imagery.
A decorative cookie with the words "Never Just the Living" written in black icing, placed on a black surface alongside a glass of water, a black and white informational pamphlet, and a crystal glass
A woman with blonde hair and piercings wearing a black dress with an elaborate floral headpiece and bouquet, standing next to a man with red hair, glasses, and tattoos, in a dark room adorned with crosses.
Two women and a man standing on a gothic-style staircase inside a church, with stained glass windows in the background. The woman on the left wears a black dress with floral embroidery and a crown of twigs, holding a bouquet. The woman on the right wears a black outfit and hairstyle, with a floral bouquet. They are smiling at each other amid falling rose petals.

Venues

A woman with blue and gray hair, wearing sunglasses and black clothing with fishnet tights, is sitting outdoors next to a large black harp.

Attire

Two women in wedding dresses play a game with a rope while a woman in a red dress watches and laughs among stone walls.

Cakes

Entertainment

Celebrant

A young woman with dark hair and makeup, wearing a black veil and dress, closed eyes, and a contemplative expression.

Favours

Close-up of roasted black bell peppers filled with black rice and chopped vegetables on a baking tray.

Florals

Hair & Makeup

Food & Drink

A couple in formal attire dancing inside an ornate, historic building with stone arches, patterned tile floor, and large wooden doors in the background.
A woman with teal wavy hair and tattoos, wearing a dark purple dress, holding a bouquet with dark flowers and greenery, standing against a rustic background.

Photography

Jewellery

Wedding invitation with a dark background and intricate white snake and floral designs around the perimeter, announcing the wedding of Kayleigh and Chris on May 28, 2025, at 1:30 PM at Rockdale Town Hall.
An ornate black and gold charger plate with a black plate on top, wrapped with a red ribbon and a red embroidered heart with a brain inside. Silver fork, spoon, and knife placed on the plate over the ribbon. Red napkin underneath. Decorative gold-glittered glassware on a black tablecloth. Burgundy and white menu cards with a heart and brain design and the date October 26, 2024.

Stationery

Sylists

Nighttime scene of the northern lights over a snow-covered mountain range, a calm body of water with rocks in the foreground, and a starry sky above.
A black station wagon parked in front of a brick house with gothic architectural features, surrounded by trees and a cloudy sky.

Travel

Transport