Guest portraiture is a pop-up portrait studio at your wedding. While the celebration carries on, each of your guests steps away for a few minutes to be photographed beautifully, and goes home with a fine-art print as a gift from you.
Your wedding is the one day when everyone you love is in the same room, dressed at their best. Guest portraits capture each of them properly: not in the background of a dance-floor photo, but as a considered, editorial portrait they will want to frame. For you, it becomes a time capsule of the people who were there.
How it works on the day
- We set up a studio. A small, professionally lit portrait set in a quiet corner of your venue, with a backdrop chosen to suit your styling.
- Guests drop in. During the drinks reception or the evening, guests come by individually, as couples or as families. A few minutes each, with gentle direction so even the camera-shy look relaxed.
- We edit as we go. Behind the scenes, the best frame of each guest is selected and retouched with a light touch.
- We print on site. Portraits are printed on archival fine-art paper at the venue, ready to be displayed.
- The reveal. The prints are exhibited for your guests to find, at the end of the evening or at a farewell brunch, and each guest takes theirs home as a gift from you.
- A gallery to keep. After the wedding you receive the full collection, and every guest can download their own portraits.
- Their words, too. Guests who would like to can record a thirty-second message to you while they are in the studio.
And a message from every guest
We take it one step further. While each guest is in the studio, already relaxed and beautifully lit, they record a short message to you: up to thirty seconds of best wishes, memories, advice or a joke only you will understand. We edit every message into one film, a keepsake of everyone who was there, in their own words.
- Filmed on cinema cameras with clean sound, never shaky phone footage.
- Gently prompted, so nobody freezes: “How do you know them?”, “What do you wish for them?”
- Delivered as one edited film, with every individual message as well.
- For grandparents, friends from abroad and the people you see too rarely, it becomes the film you will treasure most.
A gift your guests will keep
Favours are forgotten by the next morning. A beautiful portrait of yourself, handed to you at a wedding, is something people keep on the mantelpiece for years. It is a thank-you that feels personal, and it gives your day a moment nobody expects.
Questions
What is guest portraiture?
Guest portraiture is a pop-up portrait studio at your wedding. While the celebration carries on, each guest steps away for a few minutes to be photographed, and goes home with a fine-art print as a gift from you. Guests can also record a short video message to you while they are in the studio.
Does this replace our wedding photographer?
No. Guest portraiture runs alongside your main wedding photography and film, whether that is with us or another photographer. It has its own photographer and set, so nothing is taken away from your coverage.
How long does each guest spend in the studio?
Just a few minutes. Guests drop in on their own, as couples or as families, and we give gentle direction so the portrait is relaxed and quick, and they are soon back with everyone else.
When during the wedding does it run?
Usually during the drinks reception or the evening, when guests have time to drop in without missing anything. At multi-day celebrations it can run across the sangeet, mehndi or reception. We plan the timings with you before the day.
Do guests get their prints on the day?
Yes. Each portrait is selected, lightly retouched and printed on archival fine-art paper at the venue. The prints are displayed for guests to find at the end of the evening, or at a farewell brunch, and each guest takes theirs home.
Can guests download their portraits afterwards?
Yes. After the wedding you receive the full collection in a gallery, and every guest can download their own portraits as well as keeping their print.
What if some of our guests are camera-shy?
The studio is relaxed, the sitting takes only a few minutes and we guide everyone gently, so even people who dislike being photographed tend to enjoy it. Guests drop in when they like, and nobody is made to take part.
What are the guest video messages?
While each guest is in the studio, they can record a message to you of up to thirty seconds: best wishes, a memory, some advice or a private joke. We film on cinema cameras with clean sound and gently prompt anyone who freezes. You receive every message edited into one film, and each individual message as well.
Can we have the messages without the portraits?
Yes. Guest messages can be booked on their own, or alongside our wedding films, with a small message corner set up at your reception.
Can the backdrop match our wedding styling?
Yes. We choose a backdrop to suit your styling and light the set professionally, so the portraits sit naturally alongside the rest of your day. We will talk it through with you before the wedding.
How much space do you need?
A corner of around three by four metres near the reception, with a power socket. We will check the room with your venue in advance.
Does it work for large weddings?
Yes. For large Asian weddings and multi-day celebrations it works especially well, and can run across the sangeet, mehndi or reception. Tell us your guest numbers and we will plan the timings.
How much does guest portraiture cost?
Guest portraiture and guest messages are priced as extras, added to your photography or film with us or booked on their own. Tell us about your day and your guest numbers, and we will include them in your written proposal.
Do you bring it to weddings outside London or abroad?
Yes. Travel is included within 50 miles of our studio in Beckenham, and further afield we add travel at cost. For destination weddings it works beautifully at a welcome dinner or farewell brunch.
When do we receive the gallery and the messages film?
The prints are ready on the day. Your full portrait gallery and the edited messages film follow after the wedding, and we will confirm the timings for your date in your proposal.
Can we book it for other events?
Yes: engagement parties, anniversaries, milestone birthdays and private celebrations.
