Top tips from a top photographer – Tales of Romance

 

With a refreshingly considered approach, a love of fashion and a sweet sentimentality for film photography, Sonya of Melbourne-based Tales of Romance has honed her photography skills over the years to produce some truly breathtaking work.

Fine art and an editorial approach combine to see Sonya’s stunning reminders of a couple’s day remain long after the memories will.

We are so lucky to have clever creatives like Sonya to glean an idea of how a wedding day works, some ways in which you can get the best out of your planning process and some helpful do’s and don’ts that only a professional can know!

Read about Sonya’s personalised approach, her unique proposal offering and what you can expect with a passionate, experienced and calming presence like Tales of Romance apart of your wedding day journey.

 

 

Sonya, we adore your photography, can you describe your style to us?

My style is a combination of fine art (which takes inspiration from analogue, medium format film), mixed with an editorial edge. Every wedding I shoot includes film as nothing can beat the colours and softness.

My love of film photography and growing up in Melbourne and loving all things fashion has definitely shaped my photographic journey where time stands still and each capture is considered and intentional; I love to ensure my couples look and feel their absolute best so that they fall in love with the images I create for them.

 

 

What we love is that you truly collaborate with your couples and that your proposals are all personalised, tell us more about this and why it’s important to you. 

Each couple is unique in so many different ways; from their love stories, to their personalities, their style and preferences and who and what elements of their day are most important to them.

Most of my couples have never planned a wedding before, so most people don’t know what they need – for instance, those who really value physical reminders of their day may want to consider a beautiful heirloom album, or those who are camera shy or extra nervous may want to consider an engagement shoot (which is great practice! And a good opportunity to test hair/makeup etc.). And couples that invest heavily in their details, florals, paper goods, etc, may want to consider a second photographer so that all the elements of their day are captured.

It’s with this in mind that I like to ensure that each package is tailored to meet the needs of my clients based on what they tell me is important to them.

 

 

What is your ultimate goal for your couples when it comes to their wedding photography?

In this day and age, everyone stores their images on their phones, in the cloud, on a hard drive, on social media – my ultimate goal is to create images so beautiful and steeped in memories that they will want to print them to put in their homes as a reminder of their day and their love story (and, let’s face it, how fabulous they looked too!).

I want to create reminders of my couples’ love story to remind them of why they married each other in the first place.

 

 

Oftentimes, we hear that couples are most nervous at the thought of being in front of the camera – what are your tips for people who are uncomfortable about the photography element of the wedding day?

Trust! It’s amazing what trusting your photographer can do – when you trust your photographer, you relax and when you relax, your beauty, personalities and natural chemistry shines through.

A great way to get used to being in front of the camera is booking an engagement shoot – it’s a fun way to get to know each other, while getting some gorgeous images. And when the wedding day rolls around, they’ll already know what to expect.

 

 

How involved in a couple’s planning process are you – can you suggest timelines and structure for making the most of the wedding day from a photography perspective?

When couples book me, I send them my online resource which provides a list of recommended vendors and lots of helpful tips and advice to help them plan their day.

I try to check in regularly throughout the planning process and lend a helping hand where needed, be a sounding board for ideas, or just talk all things weddings (I absolutely love it).

About three months out from the wedding, I send a questionnaire and using that information, I create a personalised timeline to ensure that the day runs as smoothly as possible (including when the best time for portraits is – hello sunset!). If there are any areas that are extremely tight, or aren’t quite working, then I’ll make suggestions based on my expertise and experience. i.e. suggesting a first look if the ceremony is scheduled late in the day where the sun sets early.

 

 

What are your thoughts on ‘First Looks’?

I think they’re great for couples who don’t care much about ‘traditions’ or for late autumn/winter weddings where we lose the light really early. It also means couples are likely to get more images and variations. Another advantage is that couples can spend time with their guests/family during canapes instead of shooting portraits.

Lastly, it gives couples a moment of quietness to themselves and tell each other how amazing they look (not easily done during the ceremony) and I’ve also had couples tell me it can help with the nerves too – bonus!

 

 

What can a couple expect when they have you alongside them on their wedding day – share with us your approach.

Couples can expect a personalised, yet elevated experience when they book me as their photographer. I partner with all my couples on their wedding planning journey and provide insight, advice and also ensure that I am highly organised and well prepared to shoot their day.

I ensure that I reach out to their carefully selected suppliers before their big day to make sure I’m across anything that might be important to my couples. If I haven’t been to a venue before, I make sure that I make the time to scout the location. Most importantly, I lead with kindness and all my couples need to do on their special day is relax and enjoy everything as the day unfolds.

After the day, I’ll send through a sneak peek of their images within a week to enjoy while their film is being processed and their gallery is being prepared. If they have ordered an album, I ensure that my clients are involved in the design of this too.

 

 

Top wedding day tip?

There are so many! Relax, let go and enjoy your day as it unfolds and let everyone else worry about everything else – whatever happens, it’s still the story of your day and in 5, 10 or even 20 years time, that ‘little thing that went wrong’ won’t even matter.

 

 

 

Tales of Romance Atelier is all about fostering relationships with couples in order to capture elegant, heartfelt imagery that evokes emotion. Photography is about more than style alone – it’s also about connection. And with Sonya at the helm, you can be guaranteed exactly that. Click here to get in touch today.