Top 5 Photographers in Monaco
Monaco is small enough to cross on foot, and this is part of its charm. In just two square kilometres, you will find a palace perched on a rock, a harbour teeming with white yachts, the Belle Époque casino at Place du Casino, and winding streets that open out onto the sea. It is also a place with its own wedding story. In 1956, Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier here, and the images from that time still influence how many people envisage a Riviera wedding: silk, sunlight, and the feeling that the whole world is watching.
A wedding photographer in Monaco has a real challenge on their hands. The light is strong, the backdrops are famous and it is easy to take a pretty picture, but very hard to capture the essence of the couple. Crowds, narrow streets and tight schedules also add pressure. The best photographers here know how to stay calm, work quickly and find a quiet spot amid the hustle and bustle.
The five photographers on this list achieve this in different ways. Their bases are spread along the coast and beyond: Monaco, Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Sanremo and Lake Como. Some work for two or three days at a time, while others travel far beyond the coast to destinations such as the Middle East, Colombia and Morocco. Some are inspired by fashion, one has a background in architecture and one comes from a family of photographers. What they all have in common is a desire to create elegant yet vibrant images. Here is how each of them puts it in their own words.
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Maddy Christina
Maddy Christina works across the South of France, Italy and Dubai. Maddy has been a wedding photographer for 16 years, and she has travelled the world for this work. "Throughout these experiences, I discovered many cultures, traditions, but also challenges, photographic and human!" Maddy says that this is what sets photographers apart: "the experience, being able to anticipate, see the things coming, good and bad, and being able to create the best frame for the magic to happen!"
The style is built to last. "Timeless because trends come and go and I want my couples to be proud of their images in 20 years! So a mix of fashion, documentary, candid etc..." The kit matches that mix: digital and film cameras, Super 8 video, Polaroid and flash. In editing, the aim is simple: "the raw picture has to be as close as possible to the final result."
The studio takes on no more than 20 weddings a year: "Usually 10 in France and Italy and 10 in the Middle East during the winter." There are no fixed packages. "We don't have packages, only bespoke offers." Couples can even use the studio's price designer to mix options and see the prices change in real time, which "helps to show that the prices don't come out of nowhere." The advice to couples is clear: "Once you sign with a photographer, trust this person blindly." And her advice to her younger self is just two words: "Think BIG."
Linas Dambrauskas
Linas Dambrauskas is based on Lake Como and has been photographing weddings for 13 years. He is self-taught: "I never studied photography anywhere; everything I know came from doing it." What pulled him in was fashion photography: "the confidence, the glamour, the sense that everyone in the frame is enjoying themselves." Then came a simple question: "When I started photographing weddings, I didn't see why that should stay in magazines."
His pictures look polished and happy at the same time. "I like people to look their absolute best, and I like the picture to feel as if something is happening in it: a look across the table, a laugh that's about to start, a dress in motion." He adds: "The polish and the fun are supposed to be in the same photograph." He owns many cameras but enjoys shooting with a Leica the most, because "it's simple and it stays out of the way." Editing is light: "These days I try to get everything right in the camera, so there's very little left to do afterwards."
Linas takes no more than 15 weddings a year. Most of them last two or three days, with a welcome event before and often something after, and the coverage is built around that plan. His favourite place is the French Riviera, though he also loves Italy. His tip for couples fits the whole list: "Plan everything as carefully as you like, then on the day forget the plan and enjoy your own party." And what he enjoys most has not faded: "The moment itself. Seeing something happen, lifting the camera and knowing I got it. After 13 years that still hasn't worn off."
Matt Kobi
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KOBI is a French wedding photographer based in the South of France, with Monaco, Saint-Tropez and Cannes as his bases, and he works worldwide. He has been a photographer for eight years. His clients are "discerning couples who are looking for much more than just wedding photography: a sophisticated photographic experience inspired by the most beautiful fashion editorials."
For Matt, a portrait should look like a magazine cover. "I create luminous, elegant, and timeless images, where each portrait is conceived as a magazine cover." He describes his world in French, and in translation it reads: "Behind the lens, I compose images the way one composes a fashion editorial. My world moves between discreet luxury, natural light and the cinematic look of the great international magazines." He works with a Nikon Z6iii, an 85mm f1.8 and a 24-70mm f2.8, and the final look is "an editorial look with a touch of natural light."
A wedding often runs over about three days, with 10 to 12 hours of coverage a day. He has worked on destination weddings in the United States, Colombia, Guatemala, Curaçao and Spain, and says he "absolutely LOVED Colombia and Miami." His idea of excellence is simple: "capturing people's happiness in a natural way." With clients he starts by listening: "I'm going to show them some ideas and find out what they're looking for... the kind of images that really get them excited." His tip for couples is to "gather some inspiration and, above all, to get plenty of rest before the shoot."
Phan Tien & Team
Phan Tien is based in Cannes. Tien is a wedding photographer and filmmaker who works across France, Italy, Spain and beyond, and he has been behind the camera since 2012. The studio is a duo: Mi, who edits, works alongside him. The approach is to look for what a schedule cannot show. "I've developed a very intuitive and observational approach to weddings," he says, always searching for "the moments, gestures, light, and atmosphere that tell the story of the people rather than simply documenting the schedule."
The style balances care and freedom. "I love creating images that have a sense of atmosphere and intention, but I never want the photographs to feel overly constructed." The goal is a gallery "that could belong in an editorial, but still feels unmistakably like the couple and their story." Editing follows film and cinema: "nuanced colors, beautiful skin tones, natural light, and a sense of depth rather than overly saturated or heavily processed images."
Tien takes on 15 to 20 weddings a year, with destination weddings a big part of the work, and offers bespoke collections: "I'm happy to build a bespoke collection around what is genuinely meaningful to the couple rather than forcing every wedding into the same package." With couples, the first step is not photography at all. "I start by getting to know the couple rather than immediately talking about photographs." He also says what makes the work worth doing: "The best photographs are often completely unplanned." His advice for couples is worth remembering: "If you are relaxed, present, and actually enjoying your wedding, that will naturally translate into the photographs." Next on his travel wish list is Iceland: "I start to miss that place."
Vadim Ersy
Vadim ERSY is based in Sanremo, on the Italian Riviera. Vadim Ersy has been a photographer for 12 years, and the craft runs in his family. "Photography has always been part of my life." Both of his parents were photographers, and he took from them "not only technical knowledge but also the passion to preserve emotions through images." Before weddings, he explored other paths: "With a background in architecture, I developed a sharp sense for composition, structure, and detail."
He describes his style in three words: "Modern. Editorial. Elegant." The editing follows the same rule: "I like my images to feel modern, natural, and timeless, with true-to-life colours and natural skin tones." He works with Leica cameras and keeps the finish "clean and subtle." About 15 weddings a year suit him, with 10 hours of coverage, and he is happy to build a custom plan around the couple.
Vadim says that good work starts with good talk: "For me, it starts with good communication." He also loves what the job brings: "meeting people from different backgrounds and cultures, from all over the world." Morocco is probably one of his favourite destinations. His main tip for couples is easy to remember: "focus less on getting everything perfect and more on enjoying the experience." He adds: "The best moments often happen when you least expect them."
If you read the five profiles side by side, one thing stands out: four of them ask the couple to trust the photographer. Maddy says "trust this person blindly." Linas says trust is what he values most. Tien says the best result comes "when couples trust me enough to enjoy their wedding." Vadim says "Trust your photographer." So the real choice is not about talent. It is about who you want to trust with your day, and for how many days.
Here is what is worth comparing. Do you need one day of coverage or three? Ask how many weddings the photographer takes each year: four of the five here keep their calendar to between 15 and 20. Find out whether there will be a second photographer, and whether film or video is part of the plan. Ask the photographer to describe their style in one sentence, then compare the answers: Maddy's mix of fashion, documentary and candid photography; Matt's magazine-cover portraits; Linas's glamour with fun; Tien's atmosphere and intention; or Vadim's clean, modern lines. Look at a full gallery, not just a highlights page. Also ask what happens if the weather or the schedule changes.
The backdrop matters less than what the photographer does with it. Monaco will look beautiful in the background, no matter who holds the camera. What matters is how you feel in front of the camera and whether you'll still be proud of the pictures in twenty years' time. Choose a photographer who makes you feel at ease, and then follow the advice several of them give: make a good plan, then enjoy the day. If you are planning a wedding on the Riviera, Wezoree is a good place to continue your search.
