GUEST PORTRAITS

Elegant guest portraits, curated, retouched, printed and gifted to guests

Guest Portrait Experience

We have designed an elegant mobile portrait studio, one that complements your event theme and highlights your venue’s atmosphere. We keep the styled set simple and elegant and consult your event designer to work in subtle elements that complement your event theme: a wingback chair that matches your decor or a love seat that speaks to the lounge vignettes of your reception space. Once the scene is set, a photographer offers guided portrait sessions throughout an extended cocktail hour. Taken together, Guest Portraits by Our Lavish Guests is an elevated service that enhances your wedding guests experience, provides a personalized touch and produces a bespoke wedding favour your guests will cherish.

The ultimate goal is to capture elegant, environmental portraits of your guests situated within your wedding venue. This can be on the outdoor terrace lawn of the Fairmont Banff Springs or inside the iconic alcoves of The Victoria Ballroom at The Chateau Lake Louise. For guest lists of 75-150, we recommend an extended cocktail hour of at least 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Bespoke Wedding Favours

While guests enjoy dinner and the formal part of your evening, we are working behind the scenes to curate, retouch and print the selected portraits for exhibition & delivery. As a final touch, we carefully insert the finished portraits into 8×10 mats for that extra WOW factor. The portraits are then packaged beautifully to be taken home. We work with your event co-ordinator & venue to display the portraits as a bespoke wedding favours, each prepared and packaged for a safe journey home. Whether your guests are travelling from down the road or across the globe, they’ll have the perfect bespoke wedding favour to cherish for years to come.

Event types

While this service was created for weddings, it’s a great fit for luxury events including - Rehearsal dinners, Black Tie Galas or elevated events with extended cocktail hours. If your guests arrive dressed to impress and you are looking for an elevated event take-away, this is the service you are looking for.

Destination Weddings in The Canadian Rockies

Regularly servicing Calgary, Kananaskis, Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise for those hosting destination weddings and luxury events.

CONTACT US
Guest portrait studio set with a white drape and cane chair beside a wedding reception table at the Fairmont Banff Springs
Black and white 8x10 matted guest portraits displayed among white flowers as wedding favours
Black and white portrait of a smiling guest in a tuxedo and bow tie leaning on a cane-back chair at Archway Manor
Black and white portrait of two smiling women posing close together
Wedding guest in a strapless embroidered gown sipping a cocktail in front of a white draped backdrop
Black and white portrait of a young woman in hoop earrings, seated on a cane-back chair with her chin on her hand
Editorial black and white portrait of a couple posing close together, he in a white jacket, she in hoop earrings
Wedding guest in a black satin halter gown, hand in her hair, in front of a white draped backdrop and tall windows
Black and white portrait of a smiling older woman in a sequined jacket adjusting her glasses in front of a draped backdrop
Black and white portrait of a woman in a strapless flowing gown in front of a draped backdrop, with a night window behind
Black and white portrait of a smiling woman in a ruffled-shoulder gown, hand on a cane-back chair, glancing over her shoulder
Smiling wedding guest seated backwards on a cane-back chair in a white draped portrait set at the Fairmont Banff Springs
Black and white portrait of a man in a suit seated backwards on a cane-back chair, chin resting on his hand
Wedding guest in a one-shoulder satin gown sweeping her skirt in front of a draped backdrop at Archway Manor
Black and white portrait of a bride in a lace gown and groom in a tuxedo in front of a draped backdrop at Archway Manor
Black and white portrait of a smiling wedding guest in a dark dress on a cane-back chair at the Fairmont Banff Springs
Black and white portrait of a man seated on a chair with a woman in a black gown sitting at his feet on a white drape
Smiling woman in an embroidered satin outfit seated on a cane-back chair in a draped portrait set at Archway Manor
Black and white portrait of a laughing wedding guest in a dark suit and tie leaning on a chair in front of a white drape

FAQS

  • Our Guest Portraits experience is dedicated exclusively to photographing your wedding guests during cocktail hour.

    While your wedding photography team documents the celebration, our photographers create individual, fashion-inspired portraits of your guests. Each session is guided and thoughtfully photographed, resulting in a beautiful collection of portraits and a personal wedding favour for guests to take home.

  • Cocktail hour is the ideal time to capture wedding guest portraits. Guests are freshly dressed for the celebration, and the relaxed atmosphere lends itself to a dedicated portrait experience.

    We recommend 90 minutes to two hours for photography for the average wedding of 75 - 150 guests. Once guests are seated for dinner, our team begins selecting, retouching and printing the portraits, ensuring they're ready for collection before the evening ends.

  • Our fully mobile, battery-powered portrait setup can be installed indoors or outdoors, allowing us to make use of your venue's architecture and atmosphere.

    From an outdoor terrace at Fairmont Banff Springs to a private alcove within your reception venue, we look for spaces that complement the portraits while allowing guests to feel comfortable in front of the camera.

    We'll work with your wedding planner to determine the most suitable location. A 15×15 foot area is recommended.

  • Yes. Our signature portrait setup features a simple but elegant draped backdrop designed to complement your venue rather than compete with its surroundings.

    We can also collaborate with your wedding planner to incorporate seating or furniture that coordinates with your reception design.

    Our approach to wedding guest portrait photography is intentionally understated, allowing the setting and your guests' personalities to remain the focus.

  • Black-and-white photography is central to the timeless, editorial style of our Guest Portraits experience.

    It also allows our photographers to carefully select and retouch portraits within the limited time available during dinner service. Colour editing requires additional attention to skin tones and lighting, making it less suitable for same-evening delivery.

    The result is a cohesive collection of black-and-white portraits designed to be displayed and enjoyed for years to come.

  • Yes. While all same-day printed portraits are delivered in black and white, we can provide professionally edited colour versions of your digital gallery after the event.

    Additional editing fees apply. Please inquire for details.

  • Each guest portrait session includes a professionally retouched photograph, printed and presented in a beautifully matted 8×10 print. Portraits are packaged and ready for guests to take home as a personal wedding favour by the end of the evening.

    Guests also receive a QR code linking to the online gallery, where they can view and download additional edited portraits from their session. Following your wedding, you'll receive the complete digital gallery, a collection of portraits of everyone who celebrated with you.

  • For a typical wedding with 75-150 guests and a cocktail hour lasting 90 minutes to two hours, we generally produce 70 finished portraits.

    We print one carefully selected portrait per session, while additional photographs may be edited for inclusion in the digital gallery.

    The number of portraits will depend on guest participation, session length and the time available for printing. Let’s chat logistics.

  • Although we print one portrait per session for same-day delivery, our photographers typically select and edit two to three images from each sitting.

    These additional photographs are included in the digital gallery, accessible through the QR code provided with each printed portrait.

  • Yes. For larger weddings and events with 200 or more guests, or when the event schedule doesn't allow for on-site printing, we can offer digital portrait delivery.

    This option allows us to focus on capturing more guest portraits without the time constraints associated with printing and matting during the event.

    Please inquire about digital-only packages.

  • Yes. We can design a beautifully crafted album featuring the guest portraits captured during your wedding.

    It's a meaningful way to preserve the collection in one place, creating a lasting record of everyone who shared in your celebration.

    Please inquire about album design and pricing.

  • Our Guest Portraits experience is designed for weddings and events where thoughtful guest experiences are a priority.

    In addition to weddings, we offer guest portrait photography for rehearsal dinners, black-tie galas, red carpet events and private celebrations.

    The experience is particularly well suited to occasions where guests are dressed for the event and a beautifully finished portrait makes a meaningful keepsake.

  • Our Lavish Guests is based in Calgary, Alberta, and regularly provides wedding guest portraits in Kananaskis, Canmore, Banff and Lake Louise.

    We work at venues including Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Château Lake Louise, Fairmont Palliser, Azuridge Estate, Archway Manor and The Norland Historic Estate.

    We're also available for select destination weddings and events throughout Canada. Please inquire about availability and travel rates.

  • We offer a personalized portrait session, guided by a professional photographer, for each guest.

    The aim is to photograph each person individually, capturing their unique natural beauty, natural emotions and unique expressions. The resulting collection is a group of portraits that naturally showcase your closest friends and family just as they are.

    While guests are enjoying dinner, our team selects the very best portraits for retouching. Each photo is retouched in our signature black & white style. After each photograph is carefully edited, we select one portrait to print for gifting.

    Each fine art portrait is matted for gifting so guests can display their portrait in any 8×10 frame.

    We surprise & delight your guests with a portrait display in your reception space. Guests are invited to take their matted print home as a wedding favour at the end of the night.

    The Guest Portrait Experience by Our Lavish Guests includes:
    - Posing guidance from a professional photographer
    - Curated selection of the very best portraits
    - Meticulous retouching
    - 8×10 matted enlargements presented beautifully for guests to take home as bespoke wedding favour

    If you are looking for a portrait station or vintage photo booth, we can also assist!

  • No. Our Guest Portraits experience is inspired by editorial and fashion photography, with an emphasis on natural expressions, thoughtful posing and beautifully composed portraits.

    If you're looking for a more casual or self-directed photo experience, we also offer a photographer-guided Portrait Station and an enclosed Vintage Photo Booth.

    Both provide a different approach to wedding guest photography, with instant prints for guests to take home.

  • We recommend reserving your Guest Portraits experience 8–12 months before your wedding, particularly for weekend celebrations between May and October.

    Popular dates in Banff, Lake Louise and the Canadian Rockies can book well in advance.

    We accept credit cards (subject to a 3% processing fee), e-transfer and electronic funds transfer.