Studio Style Wedding Guest Portraiture
November 12, 2026
Have you ever thought of a quiet portrait corner at your wedding? Every guest sits or stands for me, we take a few shots and every guest can leave with an individual edited photograph they can easily download to their phone, or at least the following day. This is the trend of studio style wedding guest portraiture.
I love it when I photograph a wedding and the guests have a great time and I capture lovely photographs of them in a candid way, it’s also great when they ask for a quick posed photo. They have gone to a lot of effort to buy an outfit and dress up nice for a wedding, they want a decent photograph, right? Most wedding galleries have a lot of photographs of the couple, quite rightly, yet sometimes surprisingly few of the people who came to celebrate them. Dedicated guest portraits changes that.
I set up a small studio at your venue, or you arrange a “set” with your wedding planner, and I set up proper lighting. I photograph your guests one at a time (maximum in pairs) while the day carries on around us. Each portrait is edited on site or the following day and then put into an online gallery for download, so everyone gets something to remember for the night.
A Stylish Alternative to a Photo Booth
There are a number of wedding photo booth companies I have worked with and recommend and usually a photo booth gives you a strip of printed pictures and a box of props. Guest portraits give you something closer to a keepsake or profile photograph.
There are no props, just the backdrop area you have either designed yourself, arranged for from me, or with your wedding planner. This can be a feature of the venue or an elaborate material or even floral installation, equally I can set up a simple coloured backdrop. Guests get a few unhurried minutes and a little gentle direction. They come away with a portrait that looks like them, and them on a really good day.
How a Wedding Guest Portraiture Session Works
1. Set up
If I have been booked to do the Kent wedding photography I will have all the equipment in my car ready to setup. I arrive early and build a small studio in a quiet corner of your venue. A side room, a marquee or a sheltered spot outside all work. I need roughly 3 x 3 metres and a power socket. Bigger space can be ideal, but like other fashion wedding photography shoots I’m happy working with a space designed by the team.
2. Sit
Guests come over in their own time, usually between the drinks reception and the evening. Each sitting takes a few minutes. I keep the direction light, so even guests who say they hate being photographed settle quickly.
3. Selection
Either on the night or the following day, I select and edit one portrait per guest, then upload it to a gallery where the guests can download them.
4. Present
A QR code is set up which links to the gallery where people can download.
5. Print?
I love the idea of being able to print on location and hand over prints to guests at the end of the night. Feel free to ask.
How Much Does Wedding Guest Portraiture Cost
Guest portraits are a studio set up where every guest can get a portrait taken.
Every booking includes a portrait fee of £500, which covers lighting, backdrop, editing and your online gallery. Sittings are then charged at £500 an hour.
A “sitting” is one guest, a couple or a family group. I give each sitting one to five minutes, so one hour covers around 15-50 sittings and a two hour session around 30-100.
If I am already photographing your wedding
Most full day weddings I photograph run for around eight hours from £3,500. Guest portraits normally take at least two of those hours, usually during the drinks reception or after the wedding breakfast, and there are two ways to fit them in.
Option 1: Inside your existing coverage, £1,050
We set aside two hours of your day for the studio portraits. During that window I am at the portrait set rather than photographing candids, so you will have fewer candids from those two hours.
Option 2: With extended coverage, £1,500
Your coverage runs two hours longer, so the portraits are added on top and your candid coverage stays in place. This is the portrait fee of £500 plus two hours at £500 an hour.
If portraits are your whole booking, £2,000
For a rehearsal dinner, a separate event or a brand event, a two hour session is £2,000. This is the portrait fee, two hours of sittings and an hour on location for set up and pack down.
When will guests receive their portraits?
By default, edited portraits are delivered by QR code the following day. If you would like them on the night, there are two options.
Assistant, £300
An assistant runs the queue, the laptop and the uploads while I carry on shooting. Portraits reach your guests by QR code during the event.
I stay and edit on location, £500
I stay for an extra hour after the sittings to edit and upload on site, then your guests scan the QR code to download their portrait.
More guests
Extra hours of sittings are £500 and cover around 15-50 more sittings.
Questions About Guest Portraits
Do you replace our wedding photographer?
Definitely not. This runs alongside them as it’s just a set time to take studio portraits. If you’d like me to photograph the whole day as well, I’m happy to do both.
How many guests can you photograph?
It depends on the length of the session. As a guide, I can photograph 15-50 guests an hour, depending on how long you would like me to give for each person. For larger weddings I’d suggest a longer session or splitting it across the rehearsal dinner and the day to make it more relaxed.
Do guests have to take part?
No, it’s an invitation, and it’s often the shy ones who end up with the portrait they love most. I love giving a bit of direction if needed and it can be a real confidence boost to the guests.
How do guests get their photographs?
Each guest scans a QR code to open a gallery and download their portrait.
How much space do you need?
About 3 x 3 metres and a power socket, with some cover if we’re outside subject to the time of year. I’m happy to look at venue photos beforehand or speak to your planner.
Can we choose the backdrop?
Yes and I encourage it. It can be a feature of the venue, a material or floral installation, or a simple coloured or black/white backdrop from me.
Do you travel outside Kent?
Yes. Travel is quoted per booking.
About Tom Keenan the Kent Wedding Photographer
I’m Tom, a luxury wedding photographer based in Ramsgate. I come from a fashion photography background, and that’s what I love about these wedding guest portraiture sessions. Directed light, style, simple direction and time to get it right. The best part is watching someone see their portrait for the first time.
Tell me about your day by getting in contact and I’ll let you know how guest portraits could fit.
