J O H N R U S S O W E D D I N G S
On a recent trip to magical Castelfalfi, we caught up with Hollywood’s most in demand photographer John Russo to talk about another aspect of his vast business, High Profile Weddings.
Interview} Tere Maurel
Photographs} John Russo
Location} Castelfalfi, Tuscany
TW: I’m going to get right to it, the question that everyone is dying to know! You photographed “The Wedding of the Decade” with Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck for Vogue magazine. How was that experience?
JR: Wow, you didn’t hesitate with that! I have worked with Jennifer and Ben for many years, so it was an honor when they asked me to photograph their special day. The event lasted three days and took place at multiple venues, featuring various photographic scenarios—not your typical day at the office! Jennifer and Ben are extremely easy to work with, which made capturing them a breeze. It was a great experience. They actually got married on my birthday which was pretty awesome! I was happy to work with Colin Cowie https://www.colincowie.com on this event. What a talented man he is!
TW: How did you get involved with shooting such high-profile weddings?
JR: Over the years several of my celebrity clients asked me to photograph their weddings. I always feel honored to be apart of a couples special day. After I photographed a few weddings, they started telling their friends and another aspect of my business grew.
TW: How does photographing a model or actress for the cover of VOGUE and a bride & groom for their wedding differ?
JR: There are definitely similarities. I apply the same key principles of beautiful lighting, expert composition and creativity I use when photographing celebrities to when I photograph weddings. At the end of the day I’m there to not only make them look and feel beautiful I’m there to capture priceless moments that they will cherish for a lifetime. It’s a huge responsibility that I do not take lightly.
TW: There is a lot of tension on the wedding day, how do you keep calm and put your brides at ease?
JR: I am accustomed to working in high pressure situations. Imagine me photographing eight “A” list actresses for a major movie studio, I’m dealing with 8 publicists, their managers, the client, the hair, makeup and stylists. You can’t even imagine the level pressure. but, thankfully I am a very calm person and brides need a calming presence on their wedding day. Communication and reassurance are key and I am there to give it to them.
TW: I feel like every time I pick up a magazine or see a billboard your name is on it. How on earth would you carve out the time to shoot a wedding?
JR: Thank you, I do get around ya know! ( he laughs) Yeah my team and I stay quite busy. You know I treat it like any other high profile job, for the most part weddings are booked about six months to a year out so we have a lot of time to schedule and prep for the event.
TW: How did you build your wedding clientele?
JR: My clientele mainly comes from celebrities, athletes, and musicians and high net worth individuals. Some I have photographed in the past and others I have never met. Additionally, I receive many referrals from hotels and resorts around the world. Weddings are so intimate, and I have made so many lifelong friends from capturing weddings.
TW: Do you even advertise?
JR: No, I don’t advertise, it’s all word of mouth. I like to remain under the radar, I prefer it that way. I have photographed so many super high profile weddings for royalty and some of the most rich and powerful people in the world. I rarely post them, or talk about them in the press. It’s their private moments. I got about 50 offers to be interviewed after I photographed Jen & Ben’s wedding, literally every top magazine in the world reached out, not to mention, every top morning show. I just declined.
TW: I have seen so many weddings you have photographed in VOGUE, Town & Country, Harper’s Bazaar, and Vanity Fair. How much involvement do the magazines have when you are photographing these high-profile events?
JR: Typically, the magazines are pitched prior to the event. The bride and groom agree on which publications they would like the images to be submitted to. The magazines really have no creative input as they know if I’m shooting it will be at the level it needs to be for publication. Some people want their weddings to remain private and not published and I totally respect that. After the wedding I make a small selection of approved images, mainly portraits of the bride, the couple, details of the event and venue shots, all aimed at creating a visual story to document the occasion. Before anything it sent to the chosen magazine the Bride and Groom make their approvals. It’s the same thing with video.
TW: You have photographed some extremely high profile weddings all around the world. Which destinations lend themselves to epic photographs.
JR: Wow, where do I start, I have shot weddings in Dubai, Qatar, Bora Bora, Mexico, Paris, London, Montecito, NYC, etc. but I have to say Castelfalfi https://www.castelfalfi.com/in Tuscany is the ultimate destination for a dream wedding. It’s literally a photographer’s dream. It has miles of rolling green hills, vineyards, and countless beautiful areas to photograph the bride and groom. It is definitely one of my favorite places for weddings.
TW: Tell me about the team you bring when shooting weddings? It can’t be just you!
JR: Ha! No it is 100% not just me! I’d go crazy. I have an entire team that travels with me. I photograph all the main portraits of the bride and groom, as well as portraits of their family members. I have a team of five extremely talented event photographers who capture every aspect of the event. We also have an incredible video team. It’s a seamless process. We also travel with two large computers and everything is backed up as we shoot. We also save everything to a cloud to ensure nothing is lost. You can never be too careful!
TW: On average how many weddings a year are you doing?
JR: You know it varies, last year we 14 weddings each more magnificent than the next. Its all pretty exciting!
TW: Was there one wedding that simply was the be all end all? Something so spectacular even you were blown away.
JR: YES! Last summer in Paris. I was so honored to photograph Paige and Alex’s wedding. It was by far THE most spectacular event I have ever witnessed. seriously mind blowing. The attention to detail was out of the stratosphere. Everything detail was simply perfect. I don’t think it will ever be topped to be honest. Debbie Geller at Geller Events https://gellerevents.com/is literally a genius. If there was an academy award for wedding planner she would have multiple wins. To be honest, I’m just happy I got to witness it, let alone photograph it.
TW: I can only imagine what it must cost to have you as the wedding photographer. Are you at liberty to discuss your rates?
JR: I let my photo agents deal with the finances. I am more focused on the creative aspects. But yes having me and my team capture an event comes with a certain price tag, but the people who are hiring me are not that concerned about the cost, they simply want the best photographs and I am so happy to give them exactly that!
To learn more about John Russo’s incredible wedding photography visit @johnrussoweddings