This Is How to Be an Ally in the Wedding Industry

Studio A Images has been providing warm and inclusive service for over 10 years

A while back I got to celebrate the birthday of APW’s former brand manager Najva with her family and friends here in New York. At one point the conversation turned to living in New York, and one half of the refugee couple she helped to sponsor said this of living here: “I have never once felt unwelcome.” And it’s that unabashed inclusivity and fierce community (buried beneath the gruffness) that makes people come here, and what keeps them staying here. There are all kinds of New Yorkers, and all kinds of tri-state area weddings, and my favorite thing about Hoboken, New Jersey’s Studio A Images is that photographer Adena shoots and shares them all.

A wedding couple kiss with the skyline behind them. A groom is lifted up on the shoulders of his friends. Two women kiss on their wedding dayTwo men on their wedding day

2019 marks Studio A Images’s eleventh year in business, and since the beginning Adena has been committed not only to striking portraits and killer candids like those above, but to warm and responsive service that’s firmly rooted in inclusivity and equality. Since day one she’s always addressed her communications—from the form on her website to her attention in a meeting—to both partners, never the “Bride” and “Groom,” something that’s meant the world to her clients. And Adena told us that’s she also thrilled to be hearing from more and more couples who appreciate seeing the diversity in her portfolio because they take hiring inclusive vendors seriously. As she says: “My clients range in age, body shape, race, gender identity, religion. To me, love is love and you don’t need to fit into a specific box for you to be seen on my website or to see people who look like you. I’m honored that people are constantly complimenting me on seeing ‘real’ people in my work.”

Two women walk down a path in the park Two women walk back down the aisle after their wedding ceremony

As Divinity (one-half of the epic couple pictured above—who met while performing on a Beyoncé tour, we are not even kidding—Divinity was Bey’s music director and bass player for five years) said:

We chose Adena of Studio A Images to take the photos because, out of all the photographers we researched, she had the most diverse clientele. She shot mixed-race couples, same-sex couples, couples of all ages and she did so in a very colourful and beautiful way. She was the only person we met with, and we liked her immediately. She invited us into her home to talk a bit more, and we had a good vibe with her. She’s been great through this entire process!

(Dying to see just how awesome the rest of those pics were? Your wish is my command.)

A wedding couple pose in a hall of mirrors

Full-day coverage from Studio A Images begins at $3,800 for 8 hours of coverage, with elopement and tiny wedding coverage starting at just $950. And since not all weddings are the same—especially here in New York and New Jersey, where we like to do things like save cash by having weekday courthouse ceremonies plus fancy restaurant dinner weddings, Adena customizes packages to fit every wedding size and need. She loves shooting small weddings as much as big ones as well as everything in between.

Plus, Studio A Images is also offering $350 off any package booked by the end of October. Score!

A man kisses a woman's cheek on their wedding day.A wedding couple have quiet embrace during their wedding reception A couple kiss on a mountain top at sunset

So if you’re looking for an experienced New York/New Jersey photographer who will honor the uniqueness of you, your partnership, and your wedding—because let’s be real, unique is New York—then look no further than Studio A Images right here. And while you’re over at her site, don’t miss Adena’s tenth anniversary portrait sessions with past couples. Adena regularly ends up shooting family sessions years after the wedding (folks who have been reading APW for a while might recognize these ladies and their killer style), so to celebrate a decade in business, she offered mini sessions to past couples from each of her ten years in business:

I would not have made it ten plus years if it wasn’t for my amazing clients. It’s been so much fun to see them and catch up, meet new additions to their families, and also just chat with them and see where life has taken them since their wedding day. Not all the news has been good, as life isn’t perfect—but to hear the good and the bad and reconnect with them was a really amazing project.

I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a photographer who truly gets that a wedding isn’t just about one day, but a lifelong commitment that’s already begun when she meets you. 💗 Now go get your warm fuzzies on, and don’t forget…

STUDIO A IMAGES IS OFFERING $350 off ALL WEDDING packageS booked by OCTOBER 31st, 2019.
CLICK HERE TO GET IN TOUCH.

 

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