PHOTOGRAPHER | Paola Valli

Based in Milan, Paola Valli takes a personal, sensitive, and authentic approach. Her nature is both inquisitive and discreet. She focuses on details, emotions, and the special moments that make each wedding unique. Paola Valli also provides analog photography for couples who appreciate a gentle, romantic, and timeless feel. Recognising that every couple has unique needs, she customises her packages to ensure their day is captured just as they envision it.

Tell us about your business!  

I grew up with five sisters who were my very first muses. Wedding photography has always been my singular focus. From the moment I finished high school, every decision I made was driven by the desire to build a career around documenting love with intention and authenticity.  

I feel so lucky to be able to call this my job!

What would you like couples to know about you?  

Photography is the most natural way of expressing myself. I’ve always felt that beauty deserves an eye that notices it, preserves it in time, and shares it with others.  

I see each wedding as entirely unique. Each one carries its own details that deserve to be noticed.  However, my style and purpose always remain the same: to document everything with honesty and to express each couple’s story and personality through images that truly feel like them.

Where are you based?  

Milano!

Do you travel for weddings?  

Yesss! Just tell me where, and I’ll be there.

How would you describe your style?  

“Delicate” is the word most often used to describe my work, and it always makes me very happy!  I would also describe my style as genuine and sensitive. I work with both analog and digital photography, I  enjoy keeping colors true to life and I love black and white.

What is your most memorable career moment?  

I believe that for every photographer, a career is made up of many small moments of satisfaction that  gradually take you higher. I cherish each of these, like this past summer, when I was in Greece  photographing a beautiful wedding, or more quietly, when one of my 2025 couples sent me a message that genuinely moved me.

What inspires you?  

As I mentioned, I grew up with five sisters in a house with a small path leading into the greenery and the people I grew up with, the way I was raised, and the place I call home have all influenced my sensitivity and  aesthetic and they continue to inspire everything I create.  

In everyday life, I find inspiration in the quiet images and moments around me; I’ve always been a keen  observer. I especially love natural light and the way it shapes and transforms what we see.

How would you describe your working style?  

My nature is both curious and discreet, I love to observe quietly, paying attention to the small details and th  subtle emotions that often go unnoticed. I’m always open to the couple’s requests and I love learning about their tastes and what matters most to them.  

Whilemany photographers place great importance on building a close relationship with the couple before the wedding, I feel confident in my ability to understand people by observing them without filters and reading hem naturally on their special day.

Do you shoot digitally, on film or both?  

Both!

Do you have custom packages according to individual needs?  

I offer set packages, which I can customize based on each couple’s needs and requests.

What is a favourite product or service that you offer and why?  

Film photography, without a doubt! Even if it feels almost like a trend these days, I believe the return of film is still a very special thing. It’s delicate and romantic, yet can be bold and striking when needed.

What better occasion to use it than to document a wedding?

Where would you love to travel to for work?  

Scotland (I love the landscapes!), England ( I adore the style), Paris (I speak french too!), Spain (has  always fascinated me!). I’d love to travel to places completely different from Italy, to discover wedding  traditions abroad and capture them through my photography.

Who is your dream client?  

People who value the story behind the images as much as the beauty itself. They look for a photographer who combines authentic, candid moments with a creative, artistic vision, resulting in photos they can keep in  an album or proudly hang at home.  

Couples who trust my eye and simply enjoy their day!

What is your advice to couples getting married?  

My advice to couples is to follow their instincts, ask questions freely, and enjoy the journey without being influenced by the flood of images on social media, which often make us desire things that don’t truly reflect who we are.  

As someone who will also be getting married in 2026, I completely relate to the emotions and challenges of planning a wedding!

Paola Valli  

Website: paolavalli.com  

Instagram: @paolavallifotografiaa