“I wish I could put into words the joy I feel when capturing someone’s love,” says Renee Rametta of Two Wild Hearts. “I believe a wedding is all about two wild hearts, telling the world they can’t live without each other. I am drawn to the adventurous souls, the dreamers, the ones who want to dance barefoot on the grass and run around at sunset chasing that last bit of light.”

Today, we chat to Renee about her authentic and honest photography style, how she captures the big moments and all the little ones in between, and why making a connection with your clients is oh-so important.

Hi Renee! Where are you based?
Brisbane, QLD.

What are the best spots for wedding and engagement photos in your city?
There are so many! I travel all over SEQ photographing loved up couples, but some of my favourite locations are Kangaroo Point, Howard Smith Wharves, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, Miami Beach Gold Coast.

How long have you been shooting weddings?
About three years full time now and I love every minute of it!

Do you travel for weddings?
I sure do! I am up for any destination my couples set their hearts on!

How would you describe your photography style?
I look for all those in between moments, the ones you don’t even know are being captured, so I like to think of myself of a very candid, natural photographer. My images can come out very moody or very light depending on the couple’s day!

What’s a typical day in the office look like for you?
COFFEE first. Lol. I typically try to smash out my admin first thing in the morning like responding to emails and enquiries, then I move on to editing. Lots of hours of editing go in to creating the galleries I deliver to my clients so I try to devote as much time as I can each day to editing!

What about a wedding day?
Typically, I will have my bags packed first thing in the morning, making sure I have enough cards, spare batteries etc. My cameras are cleaned and tested then I head off a little bit early to make sure I arrive on time and ready to go!

When I’m shooting a wedding, I like to make sure I am catching all the big moments and all the in between too so most of the time you will find the camera in front of my face.

On a typical wedding day I would firstly capture the couple getting ready, the ceremony, bridal party portraits then head off with just the couple for a few quiet, more intimate photos before heading off to the reception where the party starts!

What’s your approach to a wedding, starting from when you first meet the couple?
I always like to meet my couples either in person or over Skype/Zoom before they book. I want us all to be comfortable with each other and I want to make sure I can fulfil their needs for their dream day. Once we’ve met and they decide to book, I send out all of the necessary paperwork. I then get to work on researching the venue, the area and the couple so that when it comes time to shoot their wedding it is like we are best friends!

How important is it to make a connection with them?
So important. One of, if not the most important thing on a wedding day is that we connect. Nothing worse than shooting a couple’s wedding that you have no idea about … it’s hard to tell someone’s love story when you know nothing about them!

Why do you recommend engagement sessions?
An engagement session is a great way to get comfortable in front of the camera and it’s also a great way to get to know each other. They learn how much fun a shoot can be (no awkward poses here) and learn my directional cues.

What are the top three best things about photographing a wedding?
I just love the emotion of a wedding day. The couple getting choked up seeing the other for the first time. The excitement of all the guests and their banter come party time at the reception. But most of all I love being included in a couple’s day, getting to tell their story, it’s the biggest compliment of all.

What’s the most challenging aspect of it?
If I’m shooting on my own (without a second photographer) on an eight hour plus day, it can be a big day, it’s always nice to have someone backing you up!

What’s your favourite style of wedding to photograph? Why?
One where the couple are so incredibly in love, having fun and enjoying their day no matter what it throws at them! The location and styling isn’t the important part, it’s just the icing on top.

You pour so many hours of work into a wedding! What’s some of the behind the scenes stuff that couples might not realise you do, especially after the wedding?
The admin and editing side of the wedding is the biggest part. Shooting the day is only a small portion of the effort that goes in to capturing a couple’s wedding. When I have finished editing and I deliver the gallery I also post out a thank you box to my couples full of little gifts from me to them to say thanks for your trust in me.

How do you guide couples through the wedding album process?
When I meet with my couples during the booking process I bring along a few albums to show my couples what our albums look and feel like. My top package has a fine art album included. Or couples can choose to order one through me via their online gallery which makes the image selection a breeze. I use an online portal where we basically design the layout and cover design together before it is shipped off to be printed. The online portal makes is so simple for revisions and approval too.

What have been some the biggest changes in weddings since you started out as a wedding photographer?
With COVID messing with everyone’s plans last year the biggest change I have seen is the amount of elopements, and I am LOVING it. I just adore sweet simple ceremonies and two people running off into the sunset to say their “I do’s”. A wedding is all about marrying the one you love and I think COVID has really highlighted that for a lot of people, made them realise what is truly important.

What kind of trends have you noticed in the weddings you’ve shot recently?
The use of dried florals is a big one recently. My house is filled with dried flora so I am loving this new trend!

When you’re not shooting weddings, where would we find you?
I also shoot maternity and newborn photography so you would probably find me doting over a new mum. And if I’m not working you would find me running around after my own two angels at home or the beach!

Thank you Renee for sharing the Two Wild Hearts story with us. Your work is so beautiful and your couples are so lucky to have you on their wedding vendor dream team! To find out more about Renee and her work, head to the Two Wild Hearts website, or check out Two Wild Hearts on the Polka Dot Directory.