PHOTOGRAPHER | Weddings by Maike

Weddings By Maike is a German photographer living in Amsterdam, capturing love stories with a mix of documentary style, timeless elegance, and a touch of nostalgia. Since you'll always cherish your wedding photos, she aims to ensure they capture the same magic as the day itself. Weddings By Maike works on her own, with a second photographer, or with a bigger team, depending on your individual requirements.

Tell us about your business!

What started from photographing a friends wedding many years ago, has evolved into a deep passion for wedding photography. My business is reflective of me: living between boarders, being drawn towards originality and creativity. 

Where are you based?

In Amsterdam, and always on the go for work and to visit friends! Im originally from Germany and grew up in the US, so I call many places home.

Do you travel for weddings?

Yes!

How would you describe your style?

My style blends editorial storytelling with a nostalgic, film-inspired aesthetic. I focus on soft light mixed with flash, candid moments, and timeless details, making every image feel both spontaneous and carefully composed. It’s a modern yet romantic visual narrative that feels the variation of the day itself.

What inspires you?

I’ve always been inspired by vintage photography, especially the 70s and 80s. The weddings from these times were funky and elegant and the photography of the analog direct flash gave a very fun mood. This is for sure why I lean towards mixing analog and digital. 

Do you shoot digitally, on film or both?

Both! I love the mix of 35mm and 120mm film with digital. Every wedding day has multiple moods and memories to relive. The power of mixing those formats tells the deeper story of it all in my opinion.

Do you have custom packages according to individual needs?

Definitely. It all depends on your wedding, how long it is, how many guests there are, what your priorities are etc. I love to make a custom package that really caters to what the couple finds important.

Where would you love to travel to for work?

For me it has always been less about the location itself, and more about how much the creativity of the wedding leans into the location. I like when weddings have themes, or decoration that pays homage to the location and culture it’s in. Having said that, I have a deep passion for cozy Alpine mountain aesthetics, so I would love to travel back to Switzerland for an authentic mountain wedding.

Who is your dream client?

A client who is focusing on bringing their wedding guests into their own imagination. There are many standard rules at weddings, and it’s always more fun when I experience couples taking an authentic twist on those traditions. A different color dress, a themed party, decoration that represents previous chapters of their life. Personal touches go a long way.

What is your advice to couples getting married?

Start with a brainstorm about who you are, where you have lived, what you have experienced together, what makes you who you are. You will realize quickly that most of that answers the questions for what type of food do you want, what music, what mood. Then no matter what goes wrong or right, you are really living through a day of yourselves and your journey, instead of a one-size-fits-all.

Weddings by Maike 

Website: weddingsbymaikeschwarz.com

Instagram: @weddingsbymaike