Photography by Belinda Philleo

It was my own experience as a bride that inspired me to become a wedding photographer! Back then (in 2006!) wedding photography was in kind of a transition phase both stylistically and in terms of technology. I was a young bride on a tight budget with absolutely no knowledge of photography at that time. As a result, I found myself wanting so much more from my wedding photos. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we have them, but I didn’t feel like they really captured us or the emotion we felt that day. Someone else we knew got married that year and they went all out on photography. I started to wonder about why our photos turned out so differently and that curiosity is what led me to pick up a camera and learn! Today, it’s still what drives me to keep creating authentic, storytelling photographs for my clients – I want them to have what I missed out on!

My style is classic with a photojournalistic feel. The reason for this is that a lot of couples want their wedding photos to feel photojournalistic (natural, authentic, in the moment) but still want some direction in front of the camera. My style provides expert guidance to help you look amazing and feel confident in front of the camera, without taking away from the authentic emotions on your big day.

As someone who personally feels uncomfortable while being photographed, this is something I think a lot about! I try to bring that empathy with me throughout the process so I can help to make my clients more comfortable. One way I do that is by trying to get to know them and build rapport beforehand. For any couple that feels uneasy in front of a camera, I always recommend an engagement session, it gives the couple a chance to work with me ahead of time, work through any awkwardness, and then on the big day they already know how I do things and it’s less pressure! During engagement sessions and wedding day portraits, I give my clients directions and prompts that almost feel more like a game than “posing”. I’ve found that this method helps take their mind off the camera and gets them interacting with each other in a more natural way.

Before the wedding, I connect with each of my couples to ensure I know what’s most important to them on the big day. During the timeline prep meeting, we discuss all of the key moments that they want photographed and formulate a plan to ensure that I (and my team) can capture it all. Then, before the wedding, I prep my second photographer and assistant with key details they’ll need in order to provide the same level of care and attention to detail that I bring to the big day.

It’s so hard to pick a favorite part because I really do love it all! One of the things I love most is when I can capture moments that are genuine reactions and expressions of both my couple and their guests. I feel those moments help to capture the true essence of the day and results in an album that allows my couples to truly relive how they felt in the moment.