Choosing from the best Tokyo wedding photographers can be daunting, but luckily we’re on hand to offer some guidance. We know that this is an important decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
Your photos are one of the few things from a wedding day that will stand the test of time. The flowers will fade, the cake will be eaten and your dress will likely be sold or stored out of sight. Your love for one another will obviously endure but so will the memories captured for eternity.
Having spent 15 years shooting international weddings we understand that wedding photography is one of the most important decisions you can make.
It can mean the difference between memories captured that you want to look back on time and time again vs never wishing to view your photos again after that initial look. There are no retakes on a wedding day, your photos need to be captured perfectly at the moment.
For these reasons, we’ve compiled this list of the best Tokyo wedding photographers.
So whether you’re looking for stunning pre-wedding photography surrounded by greenery at Higo-Hosokawa Teien, or after a photographer to capture your nuptials at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, you’ll be sure to find your ideal vendor in this blog post.
What we will cover:
- Our pick of the best Tokyo wedding photographers
- Honourable mentions
- Top tips for choosing your Tokyo wedding photographer
Our pick of the best Tokyo wedding photographers
Most of the photographers on our list are big names on the Tokyo wedding scene. Whilst our list includes the best Tokyo wedding photographers it also contains those who deliver pre-wedding photography.
A Tokyo engagement shoot is a great way to get some stunning portraits in an incredible location that simply might not have been feasible on your wedding day.
For example, if you’re having a hotel wedding in the city centre in winter you won’t be able to achieve those soft pastel cherry blossom photos that you so crave. If however, you’d already taken care of that by booking a pre-wedding you could display your album at your wedding for your guests to flick through.
Pre-wedding shoots also allow you to get to know your photographer better ahead of the big day. You can find out if you’re comfortable with their approach, style and professionalism ahead of time. Equally, you don’t have to choose the same photographer for both, although photographers sometimes offer discounts for combining packages, so it’s worth considering.
So without further adieu and in no particular order here’s our list of the best Tokyo wedding photographers.
Ippei & Janine Photography
A photography duo who have been based in Tokyo since 2006, they shoot weddings and engagements throughout the world. Ippei is from Tokyo whilst Janine hails from Australia, this combines perfectly to create a varied and exciting portfolio.
Another bonus is that they’re able to communicate with couples from all over the world as they’re bilingual in both English and Japanese. A real plus point if you’re travelling to Japan for your destination wedding or having them come to you.
They say that they specialize in “cinematic style portrait and lifestyle photography capturing individuals, couples and families for occasions such as weddings (including elopements and micro weddings) as well as engagements and proposals”
Their portfolio is stunning and you will often see them capturing their couples in beautiful naturalistic scenery. So whether it’s luscious greenery you’re looking for, cherry blossom in spring or autumnal oranges they’re sure to make perfect images for you.
Ippei & Janine have had their work featured in publications such as Vanity Fair, Condé Nast and National Geographic to name just a few. They’re also brand ambassadors for Sony so this level of notoriety means you’re in really safe hands.
Their wedding day package is ¥200,000 which includes up to 6 hours of shooting with 2 photographers. They capture your preparations, ceremony, reception and portraits of the two of you. They aim to provide you with more than 600 photos and have them delivered within a week.
La-Vie Photography
One of the most experienced Tokyo wedding photographers on our list is La-Vie Photography. They have been capturing weddings since 1995 and have 15 shops in Japan and a further 7 around the world.
Their photography business has hand-picked some of the best Tokyo wedding photographers to create a team working towards the same goal. With over 400 photographers who work on their team, the belief is that couples should be able to find the perfect photographer to capture their wedding or pre-wedding.
They state “we have hundreds of photographers in Japan and around the world, each with a different character, history and philosophy”. We’ve found that they have 21 photographers to choose from in Tokyo. You can view samples of each photographer’s work on the La-Vie website to find the best match for your particular needs.
La-Vie photography also offers big-day packages that include wedding photography making the whole process of wedding planning super easy. One of their packages is the “Shrine Package”.
La Vie Shrine Package
- Wedding ceremony fee
- Private room
- Shrine priest
- Live traditional music performance
- Kimono for bride and groom
- Make-up artist and hair stylist
- Hair accessories for the bride
- Wedding planner
- Tokyo based Wedding Photographer
- Ceremony photographs
- Photoshoot at the shrine
- Transportation from the salon to the shrine
As for Toyko pre-wedding photo shoots they have some recommended packages that guarantee awesome photos every time
- Kenran – includes 1 western outfit + 1 Japanese Kimono at 3-4 locations in Tokyo
- Nadeshiko – includes 2 western outfits at 3-4 locations
- Miyabi – 1 Japanese Kimono at 1-2 locations
- Bibi – 1 western outfit at 1-2 locations
- Premium – If you choose this package you get photographers from their “Acreee” or “Labo-la” team. Their “Acreee” photographers are the ones who have the most experience while their “Labo-la” team are young with new ideas and technologies pushing the boundaries of wedding photography.
It’s clear that La-Vie is one of the most experienced teams of Tokyo wedding photographers on our list. They shoot and process hundreds of weddings a year and have a brand name to uphold. There are plenty of choices so you shouldn’t struggle to find the perfect photographer for your wedding or engagement session.
Shinji Morita
Shinji is a Tokyo-based wedding photographer but one that also finds himself shooting in the surrounding locations of Japan. He’s photographed in Hokkaido, Okinawa, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Fukuoka and is happy to shoot in new and exciting places.
He mainly photographs couples for weddings, pre-weddings and engagements.
We couldn’t find a price on his website for Tokyo wedding photography but the contents of the package are displayed. His wedding photography style appears to be documentary in nature with some posed elements thrown in. He has an eye for capturing the emotion and joy of a wedding day celebration.
His wedding day package includes:
- Full-day wedding photography from getting ready to the end of the wedding reception
- A minimum of 600 delivered photos
- All photos adjusted for brightness and color balance
- Slideshow set to music from your big day
Like many of the photographers on this list, Shinji also offers Tokyo pre-wedding photography as well as Tokyo pre-wedding video to his couples.
- Basic ¥200,000, 4 hours of coverage at 2 locations with 250 photos supplied
- Basic ¥288,000, 8 hours of coverage at 3-4 locations with 450 photos supplied
- Premium ¥348,000, 8 hours, no limit on the number of locations, 450 photos and a cinematic movie
- Premium ¥628,000, 2 days of shooting, no limit on locations, 800 photos supplied and a cinematic movie
The fact that Shinji Morita Photography also offers his couples videography makes him a particularly interesting option when thinking about who to hire for your Tokyo wedding.
Henry Delac Weddings
One of the best Tokyo wedding photographers for blending western and Asian styles is Henry Delac.
Henry is from a small town in the middle of the Mediterranean in Europe. Excellent for those of you travelling to Japan from overseas as you’ll be able to communicate in English. If that doesn’t suit he also has a team of people from Japan to handle any translation to make the shoot experience problem free.
His goal is to deliver unique images to you that you’ll be hard-pressed to find from other Tokyo wedding photographers. Just scrolling through his Instagram you can see that his photos are different to most. His style is less traditional with a darker editing aesthetic and his photos look like they’re stills from movies.
This photographer is also very inclusive of all couples regardless of their circumstances. He proudly advertises that all are welcome on his website including LGBTQ+, POC and those with disabilities. He loves to photograph everyone regardless of their background.
Henry specialises mostly in adventure elopements and intimate weddings. His packages start at $3400 which is roughly ¥478,000 and includes the following:
- 4+ hours of photographic coverage
- In-house photo editing with full-resolution pictures
- Online gallery to download your photos and share them with your nearest and dearest
- Included travel fees for the photographer
If you’re after a truly unique experience and photos from someone who understands the western style Henry is your guy.
37 Frame Photography
One of the most decorated Tokyo photography teams is 37 Frame Photography. Whilst their studio is based in Tokyo they serve all of Japan with their high-quality imagery of wedding celebrations.
They’ve won countless awards over the years including being named in the World’s Top 30 Wedding Photographers. They’re also award-winning members of ISPWP (International Society of Professional Wedding Photographers), AsiaWPA ( Asia Wedding Photography Association) and WPIA (Wedding Photojournalist Association). All these accolades make them strong contenders for your consideration.
Looking through their portfolio you get a sense that they have a strong eye for details and capturing moments. Furthermore, they seem to excel in all lighting conditions whether that’s harsh, backlit or indoor to create truly stunning images.
Frame 37 state that their photographic vision is “timeless, bold and with a hint of film style” and it’s hard for us to disagree, that’s exactly what we thought looking at their portfolio.
They go on to say “We are known for our cinematic photographic style and photojournalistic approach, and we work tirelessly to make sure you’re covered from every angle. Making trends, not following them”.
It’s clear from studying 37 Frames’ portfolio that they are a major player in the Tokyo wedding photography scene. It looks like they’ve shot countless weddings of all different styles in hotels, temples and outdoor venues.
Some honourable mentions for Tokyo’s best wedding photographer
Bozphoto & Styles
A Tokyo-based photography studio run by Tsutomu and Makky. Bozphoto & Styles shoot big weddings with 200 people as well as intimate celebrations with just 8 guests.
We found a range of shooting plans on offer that will suit most wedding sizes and budgets. Having lived in the United States for 9 years Tsutomu speaks English so communication with overseas travellers shouldn’t be a problem.
Orange Wood Picture Kensuke Sato Photography
Orange Wodd Picture document engagements and weddings as well as family shoots. On a wedding day, they aim to photograph the feelings of you as a couple as well as all the guests who cherish the two of you.
Clearly an experienced photographer with a strong portfolio.
Daniel Ng Yewkong
Daniel was born in Kuala Lumpur and educated in Mandarin, Malay and English. A great option for those travelling to Japan from overseas, particularly from Hong Kong.
He offers a variety of packages to his couples and often shoots weddings at the following locations in Tokyo: Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Sensoji Temple, Skytree, Sumida River, Odaiba, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku.
Masato Kubo
Founder of Kuppography which is made up of a team of 7 wedding photographers who have a lot of years of experience between them.
They have a very distinctive style that blends capturing fun moments from a wedding day with artistic couples portraits.
Laquan Studio
If you’re on the search for that traditional Japanese-style wedding photography Laquan Studio could be for you. Their studio is equipped with everything needed to create the most perfect wedding photos in Tokyo.
Some tips for choosing the best Tokyo wedding photographer
Consider your budget
For some couples, their budget could be the difference between them choosing one photographer over another.
However, if you’re going to stretch your budget anywhere on a wedding day we believe it should be on your wedding photography. These are photos that you can’t go back and do again. They need to be captured perfectly at the moment.
Make sure you like the style of their photos and editing
Your photographer will try to achieve similar results when they take and edit your photos. If you particularly like something or dislike a pose you’ve seen tell them so they know in advance. It’s quite hard to fix problems after the fact so it’s best to bring it up before or during the shoot.
Ask to see a full wedding
Before you book your Tokyo wedding photographer it’s really important to ask to see a full gallery of images. This way you get to see what a couple typically receives as their final product.
If you’re getting married at a particular venue ask to see an example from that location. This will give you a really good idea of how they handle particular lighting situations and generally a greater insight into what you’ll end up with.
Trust your photographer
Your photographer will likely have shot hundreds of events over their career. Trust them to find you the ideal locations and backdrops for photos in order to get the best results.
You can also draw on their knowledge from time to ask them about recommended suppliers who they’ve worked with in the past. They’re usually a fountain of knowledge so use it!
Ask about package discounts
Most Tokyo wedding photographers will likely offer discounts for booking pre-wedding and wedding day photography. This is a win-win for both parties.
A pre-wedding is a really good opportunity to get to know each other ahead of the big day. It gives your photographer a chance to find out what poses and angles you like to be photographed from.
Equally, it builds up trust between both parties that the photographer will show up on the most important day of your life.
Are you from Japan yourself or are you travelling from overseas?
If you’re travelling to Japan from overseas from somewhere such as Hong Kong or Singapore it’s worth finding out if your Tokyo wedding photographer speaks your language.
If you can’t find a mutual language that you both speak such as English there’s always the option of hiring a translator but that needs to be factored into your costs.
What style of photography do you want?
Everyone has different tastes,and you and your partner may disagree on certain things. It’s important to understand the style of the wedding photographer you’re booking.
Are you looking for traditional Asian-style wedding photos? Or are you after a more western aesthetic? Make sure you study your photographers carefully to find the best match for you as a couple.
What are you waiting for?
So there you have it! Our list of some of the best Tokyo wedding photographers, as well as some of our top tips on how to choose.
Ultimately the right photographer for one couple might be the wrong photographer for another. Stylistic tastes are all personal but hopefully there’s a wide enough range of photographers to cover all bases in this post.
Whether you’re after a photographer who captures your fun personality or one that creates stunningly romantic imagery, we hope you find the perfect person or team to capture your big day or engagement.
