Lei Lei Clavey is a Melbourne based editorial wedding photographer and available to shoot worldwide. With a background in fashion photography, Lei Lei Clavey captures the natural, intimate moments of your wedding day in an elegant and editorial style. She is currently taking bookings for Europe in July and August 2023. We recently asked Lei to share more about herself and her photography work with us.
Tell us about your business!
I first picked up a camera when I was living in New York City in my twenties. The use of light, composition and styling an image had me captivated. Since then, I have been honing my skills in fashion editorial photography.
In 2020 I was drawn to wedding photography and instantly fell in love. I’m a total romantic. Capturing the joy, anticipation, nerves and excitement of your wedding day is something I hold very dear. I adore bringing my fashion editorial photography background to my couples and creating timeless wedding photographs.
My work has since been published in multiple publications including Australian Vogue and British Vogue, to name a few.
How would you describe your style?
Authentic moments captured with an editorial eye is my signature style. My experience in fashion and editorial photography filters through my work.
I have a portfolio of my weddings and editorial style on my website, so please have a look!
What is a favourite product or service that you offer and why?
I adore photographing weddings and being part of your dream team for your special day. Weddings incorporate every element I love to capture: the fashion, the details, the emotion, the documentary, the intimacy and the love story that runs through your day. I feel privileged to be involved and how close we become through the planning process. I love sharing expert tips and recommending my favourite vendors with you to make the planning process seamless. More often than not I become friends with my couples and hang out afterwards!
My couples are obsessed with my fine art albums and so am I! Most of my couples order an album as I design them to be like luxury coffee table books, rather than a traditional wedding album. I worked with my designer to create custom cover designs and the albums are hand-bound, individually debossed and made with luxury book cloth linen. The quality of each album is outstanding and having your images printed is such an incredible heirloom for generations to come. Here is a beautiful testimonial about my albums.
"We received our wedding album from Lei last month and it is beyond stunning! A beautiful, cloth- bound coffee table book that looks as though it's been published by Assouline or Rizzoli! Strongly recommend anyone booking Lei as their wedding photographer to invest in purchasing one of her albums. It is the most special momento of the day and ensures that a whole gallery of your gorgeous photos are always on show!" - Chloe & Charlie
I have recently begun offering 35mm analogue film. Analogue photography paired with digital photography is the perfect combination in my opinion. The digital images are so crisp whilst analogue film has that 'perfectly imperfect feeling' as I like to say. Film also captures another glimpse into your wedding day: the unposed, natural, rawness of the day.
What is your ideal work destination?
I am dreaming of photographing weddings in Italy: Lake Como and Puglia are at the top of that list. New York City is another dream place to shoot that is on my list! I used to live in NYC, so any excuse to travel back. I love the vibrance and energy that flows through the city and its people.
Closer to home, I’m loving some of the new venues in Melbourne (Huberts and Sophia) and I really want to shoot a wedding on a yacht on Sydney Harbour (unrealistic goals, here I come!)
Who is your dream client?
My dream client is style-focused and a trend-setter! They love fashion, design and appreciate luxe aesthetics but express their true self rather than being influenced by trends. They might reference artists, architecture or musicians as their inspiration and trust their vendors to do their best work and realise their vision. My dream client is after beautiful, natural - less posed, timeless, editorial images.
What is your most memorable career moment?
It has to be having my first work and wedding published! Being recognised as a wedding photographer in prominent publications was a dream come true. Also having a booked out season was a real ‘pinch me’ moment. I’m so excited to have my second wedding season booked out as well.
How long have you been a photographer?
I have been a photographer for 10 years and niched into wedding photography in 2020. I love that all of my experience in fashion and commercial photography has meant that I have a unique style and eye when it comes to shooting your wedding.
If you could describe yourself in 3 words, what would they be?
An optimist, calm, intentional. I show up in my life for myself, my clients, my friends and family.
What is your advice to couples getting married?
I have three pieces of advice for couples getting married:
Trust your vendors. Hire a photographer/florist/stylist/celebrant etc who you wholeheartedly trust, let them shine and do what they do best so you can completely enjoy your day.
The day goes so fast, take the time out from the party to have sunset shots and a moment alone just the two of you to soak in the day even for just 10 minutes.
Print your photographs! I have an incredible printer that I use and highly recommend to my couples. Even better, invest in a wedding album. Imagine sharing your wedding photos with family and friends over a glass of wine and handing your album down to future generations. Wedding photos are often forgotten on hard drives and they deserve to live in print.
What would you like couples to know about you?
If we haven't met before, I like my martinis, dirty and the way to my heart isn't with diamonds* but dumplings/oysters/cheese platter (insert anything delicious). I'm a true romantic (happy tears all the way!) and I love weddings.
If you're inspired by fashion editorial, obsessed with styling details and getting married at an epic location, we are a match made in heaven and I can't wait to meet you.
*To my husband, if you're reading this...I will of course say YES to diamonds in case we run out of dumplings.
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