H.A. Hang: Emily Wren

The coolest part of our business has always been our clients. We’re amazed by all they do: CEOs, world travelers, authors, inventors, entrepreneurs, newscasters, artists, pro athletes, musicians, caretakers, and philanthropists.

We launched this series to share the stories of our clients and form connections within the H.A. community. Enjoy!

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Home Appétit: You’ve been shooting weddings for 15 years, how did you fall into that?
Emily Wren: My dad was an amateur photographer and he always encouraged my brother and I to follow our passions. I went to Rhode Island School of Design to study photography, which was an awesome experience. Coming out of school I was a professional photographer, but was doing weddings on the side. 

What was your first jobs?
Hasbro Toy Company. I was taking pictures of G.I. Joes and My Little Pony. Then I worked for Urban Outfitters. I loved being a part of that community—and the Navy Yard is awesome—but the volume was hard. I would shoot 40 different pairs of pants a day. It didn’t feel as meaningful as the weddings I was shooting on the weekends.  

What do you love about it?
I love the stories and getting to know people at such a special moment. I’m an empath and that’s what drew me to photography. I feel like I can tune into people on the day of and mirror the way they want to be seen. Those are the skills I was born with and found a wonderful outlet for them. Once I gave weddings all my focus, it gave me so much back. The business grew. It's been a great journey.

You made a name for yourself in Philly, but now travel all over the world to shoot weddings?
Yes! We were in Italy this year and are up and down the East Coast, like Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Out West, too. But I love being in Philadelphia—this is where I've made my home and where I've built the business. We're happy to travel, but I love the work I do here and the relationships that we've built here.

How do couples find you?
Instagram has been big for me. When I first started, it was a hard industry to break into but with Instagram, I can let my work speak for itself. In the early days, I spent a lot of time building relationships with the venues I worked in by providing a consistent product.

You’ve gotten great press—that must help, too.
We’ve been in The Knot, Martha Stewart, Style Me Pretty, Modern Luxury, Philadelphia Wedding. I got a "Best of Philly" award from Philadelphia Magazine this year. They only recently started recognizing wedding industry professionals in the magazine. The editor said that one of the reasons I won was because she knows how dedicated I am to my clients. That meant a lot. 

Shooting someone’s wedding is a big responsibility. How do you handle the pressure?
It's a huge responsibility. We're reserving dates for people more than a year out and there's a lot of organization that must be in place. We can't make mistakes; we can't miss a job. My business was my first child—we take it that seriously.

There's so much more to the job than just showing up on the day of and snapping some photos.
Yes. I feel like everyone should work in food service or into some sort of customer service job because it teaches you humility. I remember my dad, who is a lawyer, coming to help me close out the coffee shop I worked in and he would show me a better way to sweep. His message was that "no job is beneath you" and "you should do every job to your fullest." I bring that customer service background to wedding photography. Obviously, your craft as a photographer must be top level. But, it’s a very important day to each couple and your energy matters.

And the photography part?
Photography is a different art form. You can't just go into your studio and make a painting. The result is how you see the world and how you're able to connect with the subject. I always try to balance being assertive and taking charge to do what I need to do with not getting in the way of authentic moments. 

How many people work for you?
My husband runs the videography side of the business and we have two associates that shoot for us, too. My main second shooter, Nick, has been with me for 10 years.

Have you ever turned down a job?
At the very beginning of my career, I met with a couple where the groom was being very forceful about his vision for the day. There was a lot of orange. I have the kind of face where you know when I'm not into something—it was mutual in this case. That was the beginning of my career, so my style hadn't been completely established yet. But, what I'm putting out there now is so curated that, by the time people come to me, they're looking for what I'm offering. The relationship is a two-way street and I always tell people you want a wedding photographer that you're going to connect with deeply. I don't really change for the client. 

Lastly, how did you find Home Appétit?
Another wedding photographer referred it to me. She also has kids. I love to cook but when we're super busy—like have two weddings on a weekend and then sunset engagement photos all week—it’s impossible to make dinner. Now I can still have a home cooked meal for my family! I also think the price is great. I feel like I spend more money at the grocery store than I do with Home Appétit.

Learn more about Emily Wren Photography here and here. 

Photo by Veronika Paluch