Picking a wedding photographer can be pretty harrowing. As you prepare to get married, you're searching for a professional capable of taking pictures you'll love for the rest of your life — and you probably don't want to spend an exorbitant amount of money. But if you don't have a strict budget — or a budget at all — the whole experience is probably a lot less stressful. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have announced the photographer for their May 19 nuptials, and fans of the royal couple are super excited about it. Who is the royal wedding photographer? Alexi Lubomirski, a world-renowned fashion photographer, has been chosen to take pictures of the couple on their wedding day. Lubomirski also took the couple's engagement portraits that were released in December. "I could not be more thrilled or honoured to photograph this historic occasion. Having taken Prince Harry and Ms. Markle's engagement photos, it brings me such joy to be able to witness again, the next chapter in this wonderful love story," he said in a statement on Instagram.
Shooting a royal wedding is obviously a big deal, and Lubomirski is probably going to spend a ton of time preparing for what's probably the most glamorous assignment of his career. Markle and Prince Harry have shown that they aren't afraid to break traditions, and they're not choosing the photographer some people likely expected. Photographer Hugo Burnand captured Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton's wedding in 2011, and he also took wedding pictures for Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla in 2005. But Markle and Prince Harry went in a different direction.
Lubomirski's portfolio is impressive — he regularly shoots magazine covers for Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Architectural Digest, and he's worked with Gloria Steinem, Reese Witherspoon and other A-list celebrities. Even if you don't recognize his name, you've likely seen some of his work if you consume fashion or celebrity news. Earlier this month, he told E! News that Markle found him on social media. "I think one of Meghan's friends saw me on Instagram that I was in England during the announcement of the engagement and I was told later that this person said to her, 'You should meet Alexi. He's great. You'd love him' and that was it," he told the publication.
Another reason the photographer will fit in on May 19: He's a prince himself, so he'll be in somewhat familiar territory. Because of his father's Polish lineage, his official title is His Serene Highness Prince Alexi Lubomirski. If I had royalty in my blood, I'd let that be my life's biggest accomplishment.
I'm excited about the royal wedding mainly because I try to live vicariously through Markle, but it'll be interesting to see how the photos turn out and whether they're untraditional. Remember Markle and Prince Harry's engagement shoot? They released a candid photograph instead of just sticking to styled portraits and broke from the royal family's tradition of remaining intensely private about their personal lives. There's a chance that Lubomirski will take more intimate pictures of the pair, and I'm already obsessed with the possibility that we'll see the couple staring into each other eyes on their wedding day.
Regardless of the outcome, I'm sure the pictures will be breathtaking. Before my wedding, I obsessed over whether my photographers would capture all of the moments I wanted to remember after the fact. If I were Markle, I wouldn't be worried at all. Lubomirski will likely be over-prepared for the event — Burnand told Telegraph it took months to prepare for Prince William and Duchess Kate's wedding and hours to set up beforehand. The new royal wedding photographer definitely has big shoes to fill, but based on his long list of achievements, I'm sure he'll do just fine.
