Wedding + Portrait


Architectural Wedding Photography: In Love with Love Stories

June 5, 2024

By Abbey Pleviak

“In love with love” is the signature statement of Daniela Gutierrez, a Guadalajara, Mexico-based destination wedding photographer and one of Rangefinder’s 30 Rising Stars of Wedding Photography of 2024. For Gutierrez, wedding photography is “about capturing love stories through my lens and giving my clients memories that they will always cherish.” Her style is elegant, documentarian, and editorial with an emphasis on storytelling narratives that resonate with her subjects’ personalities. Rangefinder recently asked Gutierrez to share an image that she is most excited about right now along with tips for how other photographers can achieve such a shot. The image she sent is striking and emotional, telling a personal love story for the couple depicted, using architectural wedding photography.

© Daniella Gutierrez

Artistic Architecture for a Creative Couple 

The bride and groom were married in a private home with modern architecture that perfectly suits their artistic aesthetic. The bride is a painter, so she wanted creative artistic scenery in her portraits. She and the groom share a love for architecture, so this house was a perfect fit.  

As soon as Gutierrez saw the staircase, she knew she wanted to photograph the couple on them. In fact, she reflected that during this part of the shoot, it felt as if they were playing a game. They went up, down, and around many times so that she could explore angles and focus on different parts of the scene. 

© Daniella Gutierrez

Here are her tips for photographers looking to capture something in the same spirit. 

  1. Make the most of the natural light to enhance the beauty of the architectural details. 
  2. Incorporate the couple’s interests in the composition. 
  3. Experiment with different angles and perspectives; it doesn’t matter if you need the couple to do the same thing several times so you can focus on different parts of the scene. 
  4. Ask the couple to do something you have in mind. Don’t be afraid to ask for something they didn’t ask for. Sometimes creativity comes in the moment and the couple has hired you because they love your work. 

She also notes that it is important before starting a sequence like this to scan the scene to make sure nothing distracting is in the shot like bottles, cellphones, or anything else that you’d rather not have to remove later in Photoshop. 

© Daniella Gutierrez

Also, time is always a big challenge in every wedding. Gutierrez notes that just moments after they completed this sequence of images, the family arrived, and of course, she shifted gears to get precious photos of them, too. So, it’s important to always take advantage of the moments you have and make the most of them. 

Follow Daniella Gutierrez on Instagram. View the full 30 Rising Star Winners Gallery.