Wedding photographer in Belgrade
I am Tanja Lukic, a Serbian photographer specializing in wedding photography, and I photograph weddings in Belgrade. I follow the day as it happens: the getting ready, the ceremony, the people who travelled a long way to be there, and the part of the night when nobody is thinking about the camera any more.
At a glance
- Photographer
- Tanja Lukic
- Service
- Wedding photography in Belgrade
- Approach
- Documentary coverage with natural portraits and a little direction
- Also photographs
- Weddings elsewhere in Serbia
- This site
- Published in Serbian, English and Russian
- Inquiries
- [email protected]
How I photograph a wedding day
My photography is documentary with a small amount of direction. For most of the day I stay out of the way and photograph what is actually happening. When it is time for portraits I will give you something easy to do with your hands and your feet, and then let the two of you get on with it.
Having everyone you love in one room is a rare thing, and a good deal of the day is not about the two of you at all. So I keep an eye on the edges: your grandmother watching the ceremony, the friend who cries during the toast, the cousins rearranging the seating plan at midnight.
What I am after is the feeling of having been there. Years from now these photographs should bring back the temperature of the room, not only the outfits.
A few photographs
A Belgrade wedding day, hour by hour
Every wedding is different, but a Belgrade wedding tends to have a recognisable shape. Here is the version I see most often, so you know what I will be doing at each point.
- Morning, getting ready. Usually an apartment or a hotel room, often with more people in it than anyone expected. I photograph the dress, the rings, the shoes and the small chaos around them, along with whoever is helping you into things.
- The wedding party arrives. In Serbia the groom’s side traditionally comes to collect the bride, with a decorated flask of rakija, a flag-bearer and a good deal of noise on the stairwell. It is one of the loudest and best parts of the day to photograph.
- The civil ceremony. The legally binding part, in front of a registrar. Belgrade municipalities each have their own ceremony hall and the slot is usually short, so I stay close, stay quiet and work without flash.
- The church service, if you are having one. An Orthodox wedding has its own rhythm: the crowns, the three turns around the table, the shared cup. Some churches restrict where a photographer may stand or whether flash is allowed, so it is worth asking your priest in advance and telling me what they say.
- Portraits and a drive through the city. An hour somewhere between the ceremony and dinner is usually enough. Belgrade is generous here: the fortress, the rivers, the old streets, or a park if you want shade.
- Dinner, speeches and the first dance. Toasts, the cake, the kolo that pulls half the room into a circle, and whichever of your relatives decides to take over the dance floor.
- Late evening. The part of the night when the jackets come off and the band or the trumpets take over. This is often where the photographs you keep actually come from.
Where to photograph in Belgrade
If you are still deciding where to spend your portrait hour, these are the parts of the city that tend to work well, and what each one actually gives you.
- Kalemegdan and the Belgrade Fortress. Stone walls, long avenues of trees, and the view over the point where the Sava runs into the Danube. Busy in good weather, so early or late is easier.
- Zemun and the Danube quay. Low houses, fishing boats and the climb up to the Gardoš Tower. Quieter than the centre and very good in the last hour of light.
- Dorćol and Stari Grad. Old facades, doorways and inner courtyards, all within a few minutes of each other if you are short on time.
- Topčider Park and Košutnjak. Big trees and shade, which matters a great deal at a summer wedding in Belgrade.
- Ada Ciganlija and the Sava. Water, open sky and room to walk, if you want something less architectural.
- Avala and the edges of the city. Roughly half an hour out, for couples who would rather see hills and forest than pavement.
- The river venues. Restaurants and event spaces along the Sava and the Danube, where the reception and the view arrive in the same place.
Belgrade is only part of it. I photograph weddings across the rest of Serbia too.
Questions couples ask
Do you photograph weddings in Belgrade?
Yes. Belgrade is one of the places I photograph weddings, along with the rest of Serbia. Send me your date and where the day will happen, and I will tell you whether I am free.
What does your wedding photography look like?
It is documentary photography with a small amount of direction. I photograph the day as it happens, give you a little guidance during portraits, and leave you alone for the rest of it. The result is natural portraits and candid moments rather than long posed sessions.
Can you photograph the civil ceremony as well as a church service?
Tell me which parts of the day you want photographed. A wedding in Belgrade usually includes a civil ceremony in front of a registrar, and some couples add an Orthodox church service. The two are often on different days or at different times of day, so send me the whole schedule rather than a single date.
Where can we take portraits in Belgrade between the ceremony and dinner?
Kalemegdan and the Belgrade Fortress park look out over the point where the Sava meets the Danube. The Zemun quay and the steps up to the Gardoš Tower are quieter. Dorćol and the older streets of Stari Grad give you facades and courtyards within a short drive. Topčider Park, Košutnjak and Ada Ciganlija are the green options, and Avala is about half an hour out of the centre.
Do you also photograph weddings outside Belgrade?
Yes, I photograph weddings across Serbia, including Novi Sad and Fruška Gora, Šumadija, western Serbia around Zlatibor and the Drina, and the north around Subotica and Palić.
How do we check whether our date is free?
Email [email protected] with your wedding date, the part of Belgrade or Serbia you are planning it in, and a rough outline of the day. I will reply about availability and we can talk about photography from there.
Tell me about your wedding in Belgrade
Send me the date, where in the city you are planning it, and a little about the celebration you have in mind. I would love to hear about it.