I AM Nadia Meli, wedding photographer

Nadia is Italian born, German raised, and currently resides in Brighton, England. She started her wedding photography business eight years ago, and today shoots weddings all over the globe, including travelling to Italy every summer to capture the beauty and magic of Italian weddings. Her purpose in life is to make people feel loved and like they belong – and she uses beauty to do so, as Nadia feels that beauty is love made visible.

Her style is very much guided by her vision and purpose: a sense of belonging. Her greatest passions are people, their stories, their lives and seeing them come alive. Because of this, she started teaching workshops and online courses, which focus on developing a vision for photographers, not just an editing style.
Nadia Meli

Q&A

How did you get into wedding photography?
I got my first camera at the age of 19 when I moved to London and started experimenting shooting around the city, falling in love with it and photography at the same time. I just photographed for fun for the next four years, just for myself. When I graduated from university with a degree in Theology, I realised there was nothing else that was bringing me as much joy as photography, and that it was all I wanted to do. So, I started my business with no plan in mind other than shoot as much as I could. I shot a friend’s wedding in March 2010 and have not looked back since. I also enjoy hosting workshops for photographers and I focus very much on them finding their own style and vision.

That is why I created The Signature Style System, an online course for photographers who want to find their style and voice in this industry.

What is your favourite wedding tradition to capture on camera?
There are so many, it’s hard to pick just one. One of my favourites is when the newlyweds walk down the aisle under a storm of confetti – it always makes for such a great shot! But a personal favourite are the speeches. I love how emotional they are!

What’s the biggest challenge shooting at a wedding?
You have to be quick and in a million places at the same time. Most moments at weddings are unique and you don’t get them twice so you have to be razor sharp and focused all the time and that can make it really stressful. I usually don’t notice how tense I’ve been until after it’s all over!