Location:
  • Europe
  • United Kingdom

About EMÈS Weddings

Melanie & Shayne, the husband-and-wife duo behind EMÈS Weddings, have spent over a decade capturing love stories around the world. With both their backgrounds in photography, Shayne also leads their cinematography team. In 2024, they welcomed associate photographer Joana, an invaluable addition to their growing team. EMÈS Weddings is known for timeless, elegant imagery — true-to-color, full of life, and organically beautiful. More than just photographs and films, they craft experiences that make couples feel seen, celebrated, and confident. Clients trust EMÈS to preserve their day with heartfelt artistry, creative intention, and a personalized approach that beautifully reflects each love story.

Film

Behind The Brand

What draws you to wedding photography?

When we photographed our first wedding together over a decade ago, we had no idea how deeply the world of weddings would capture our hearts. What began as a single event gradually turned into a profound passion, drawn in by the incredible couples we’ve had the honour to photograph, the raw, emotional moments we’ve been entrusted to witness, and the inspiring community of fellow creatives and vendors we’ve met along the way.

Over the years, we’ve dedicated ourselves to refining a distinctive style that not only reflects our artistic vision but also attracts the kind of clients we once dreamed of working with. For us, wedding photography goes far beyond technical skill, it’s about human connection. It’s about sensing the mood in a room, gently observing stories as they unfold, and capturing them with empathy and care.

Today, weddings are not just our profession, they are our purpose. It’s what fuels our creativity and fills our hearts. We can no longer imagine a life without the joy, meaning, and beauty that wedding photography brings.

How would you describe your photography style?

At EMÈS Weddings we offer a thoughtful balance between documentary-style coverage and refined artistic direction. Our approach is rooted in capturing meaningful moments with authenticity and emotion, while never compromising on aesthetic quality or flattering composition.

With a deep understanding of when to step in and when to step back, we tailor our level of creative guidance to each couple and each unique wedding. Whether it’s gently directing a pose or blending seamlessly into the background, we work intuitively with the light, colours, and energy of the day to create beautifully composed images that feel both natural and intentional.

The result is a timeless photographic style, true-to-colour, elegant, and emotionally resonant. We curate trends with care, embracing only those that align with our vision to ensure our work remains both fresh and enduring. Our goal is to deliver imagery that not only feels honest and beautiful in the moment, but will continue to shine for years to come.

What inspires you creatively?

Our greatest source of creative inspiration comes from our couples, their personalities, their vision, and the unique connection they share. Each love story gives us a new perspective and a fresh starting point, which is why we approach every project with an open mind and a clean slate.

Beyond that, we’re deeply inspired by the world around us. Travel continually fuels our creativity, offering new landscapes, cultures, and moods that subtly shape our visual language. We also draw daily inspiration from the media we choose to engage with, whether it’s cinema, music, fashion, or curated social content, always with an eye for storytelling and emotion.

Perhaps most of all, it’s human connection that drives our work. Observing relationships in all their forms teaches us how to see and feel more deeply, which is ultimately what we aim to translate into every frame we create.

What is it that makes an image magical?

We believe a single image has the power to stand on its own, as a testament to a moment, an artful composition, or a purely stunning portrait of a bride and groom. But what truly makes an image magical is how it contributes to a greater whole.

We strive to create a visual thread, a red line, that runs through each photograph, weaving together a complete and meaningful narrative. When our couples view their wedding gallery, we want them to feel like they’re stepping from one frame to the next, reliving their day through a seamless blend of emotion, beauty, and storytelling. It’s in that cohesion, that emotional arc, where the real magic lives.

What advice would you give couples when selecting their wedding photographer?

When choosing the right creative team for your wedding, we always recommend narrowing your options down to a top three. Once you’ve confirmed the essential details, such as pricing, packages, and contractual terms, take the time to review one or two full galleries from each photographer, ideally from weddings held at venues with a similar aesthetic, light, or landscape to yours. This gives you a true sense of how they document an entire day, not just the highlights.

If you haven’t received a trusted vendor recommendation from your planner, a personal meeting, whether in person or via video call, is essential. Chemistry and communication are just as important as the work itself.

In the end, it often comes down to intuition. Choose the photographer you feel most at ease with, the one who makes you feel seen, heard, and excited. That comfort and trust will reflect in every image they capture.

Your dream location to shoot a wedding?

As much as we love the incredible variety Europe has to offer, from its majestic mountains to serene lakes and sunlit coastlines, we’ve always had a special place in our hearts for Africa. Photographing a wedding in Cape Town would be an absolute dream: the dramatic landscapes, the golden light, and the vibrant energy offer endless inspiration.

Zanzibar also holds deep meaning for us, an island close to our hearts. Capturing a wedding there, especially at the stunning new Four Seasons set to open in 2027, would be a dream come true. There’s something unforgettable about celebrations in places where nature, culture, and emotion meet so effortlessly.

Editor’s Notes

Why we love them…

EMÈS’ frames emerge with command: cinematic, elemental, precise. With roots in photography and film, their work is grounded in authentic, documentary-style storytelling, capturing what’s real, never forced. Their imagery leans into contrast: softness against structure, spontaneity within form. It’s a studied balance, never static. Their photographs hum with intention, unfolding like a visual sonnet: pared back, emotionally exacting, and impossible to forget.

For the couple…

For those who crave nuance, the unsaid, the nearly missed. EMÈS responds to the natural movement of a moment and encapsulates everything it contains, resulting in imagery that feels effortless, honest, and timeless. Their refined yet relaxed approach makes space for you to be fully present on the day, delivering visuals that are as easy to experience as they are enduring to look back on, with true-to-tone editing that preserves the integrity of each moment.