Mar 21, 2025
Have you ever scrolled through your Instagram feed and seen photographers posting gorgeous runway shots from New York Bridal Fashion Week? Perhaps you’ve wondered how they got there, what the experience is like, and whether it’s something you could do too. In this episode, I chat with photographer Leah Strozeski about her experiences shooting New York Bridal Fashion Week, how to get invited, what it’s actually like behind the scenes, and how it can benefit your photography business. Listen to the episode below, or keep reading for a summary of what’s covered.
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New York Bridal Fashion Week is a biannual event that happens in April for spring collections and October for fall collections. It’s where bridal designers showcase their newest collections through runway shows and presentations to buyers, boutiques, press, and photographers.
As Leah explains, “There’s two different fashion weeks. So they have New York Fashion Week, which is like all kinds of fashion. And then there’s New York Bridal Fashion Week, which is the one you’ve seen all over my Instagram.” The event is essentially a platform for designers to reveal their latest designs, with photographers capturing these moments.
One of the most common questions Leah receives is how to get invited to shoot at New York Bridal Fashion Week. The answer might surprise you with its simplicity.
“Nobody really talks about how to get into doing the fashion week,” Leah shares. “When I first saw people going, I was asking myself, ‘Oh my gosh, how can I get to do that?'”
After some research, Leah discovered that you can simply email the PR teams of designers to request a press pass. “I did a quick little Google search, just found out that you can email their PR teams specifically for a press pass. So that’s what I did… I Googled like ‘Berta PR team contact email’ or ‘Galia Lahav contact email.’ And then I just sent the emails out and they were all pretty quick to just send an invitation back.”
There are no specific requirements or qualifications needed. As Leah points out, “Literally nothing. I don’t know if it takes that much, but I can’t even tell you if they’re looking at your work to be truthful. I think it’s a lot of just you reaching out to them and they’re like, ‘Oh, hey, this is free publicity.’ So we’ll shoot you an invite.”
If you’re picturing yourself with an exclusive press pass shooting models from a prime location, the reality is slightly different. At Bridal Fashion Week, you’ll be one of many photographers all trying to capture the same shots.
“You’re like one of 80 plus photographers probably in the room,” Leah explains. Depending on the designer and type of show, the setup varies:
For runway shows like Berta: “We were in what they described as a photographer pit. So it’s like a little riser of like three little stands and it was a bunch of us just packed on these little stands… all just shooting pretty much from the same angle.”
For presentations like Galia Lahav: “There’s a stage in the middle of a room and the models are just kind of circling the stage and we’re all around the stage taking photos.”
Some designers even offer more unique opportunities: “Galia Lahav kind of lets you take [the models] out into the street after the show and do some editorial street stuff.”
According to Leah, networking is one of the biggest benefits of attending Bridal Fashion Week. “I personally think that was the best part of the whole thing. Getting to photograph the dresses and meeting the designers and stuff is so cool, but the biggest part is networking because you’re in with plenty of other people that are in your industry and a job where we are mostly alone a lot of the time.”
This networking extends beyond just photographers: “There’s also planners. If you want to meet with planners and kind of get into some higher end weddings, that way it’s so good to network with them.”
Having Bridal Fashion Week in your portfolio can add significant credibility to your brand, especially when targeting luxury clients. Leah has found it beneficial for booking clients in New York City, which is about two hours from her home base in Philadelphia.
“Being able to market myself a little bit more there, really build out a more editorial portfolio… I think when you’re a wedding client seeing that, from an outsider’s perspective, they don’t really know how that works. So they’re just seeing it as, ‘Oh, my wedding photographer or this wedding photographer that I’m looking at is shooting New York bridal fashion week. That’s so cool. They must be good enough to shoot my wedding day.’ So I think when clients see stuff like that, it is a little bit of street credit for you.”
Bridal Fashion Week also offers a unique creative challenge that can help develop your skills as a photographer.
“Getting to play into the fashion editorial side of photography and just see how to get creative… When it’s you and tons of other photographers, you’re like, ‘Okay, we’re all getting the same photo, so how can I get this photo differently than someone else?’ So I think it’s a little bit more of a creative challenge when you’re all looking at the same thing.”
This experience also provides inspiration for how to photograph dresses on wedding days: “Watching the models and how they pose… helps too because it kind of gives you different creative ideas to do maybe with the bride and how the dresses are moving down the runway.”
Another benefit of attending Bridal Fashion Week is getting a preview of upcoming bridal fashion trends, sometimes years in advance.
“You’re probably even ahead of the trends too, because it’s like these are the new designs that everyone’s going to have for probably honestly, like 2026 weddings at this point,” I noted during our conversation.
Leah agreed, adding that this knowledge is valuable when advising clients: “I’m always getting asked like what is in for receptions, what is in for engagement shoots, what would be cute, and I think it definitely helps with that because you can kind of see what’s coming around the corner when it comes to dresses.”
This insider knowledge further positions you as an expert in the bridal space, which can be particularly valuable if you’re looking to attract luxury clients.
Some of Leah’s favorite experiences at Bridal Fashion Week include the backstage access that some designers provide.
“I think my favorite part would be like the backstage stuff. So for some of the shows, Berta specifically will allow some photographers to go backstage. And that’s always fun because you kind of get shots of the girls like in the robes before that say Berta across the back or they’re in the gowns at some point backstage.”
Leah also had the unexpected opportunity to meet some of the designers in person: “She [Galia Lahav] was working the room. She’s like going around getting photos with everybody and all the designers were there, so like Berta was at her show and Nez DeSanto was at her show and I was kind of surprised to see that… I did not expect the designers to actually be there because most of them are international, so for them to be at the actual show I was like, ‘Wow, oh my gosh!'”
If you’re considering attending Bridal Fashion Week, Leah’s advice is simple: “Shoot your shot. Go for it. If it’s something you like, make the trip and have fun with it. Get to meet other photographers… Nothing bad could come out of it.”
Thank you for joining me for this episode of All Angles Photography Podcast! Whether you’re curious about New York Bridal Fashion Week or looking for ways to elevate your photography business, I hope this conversation with Leah gave you some valuable insights. Remember, sometimes the best opportunities come from simply putting yourself out there and “shooting your shot.” If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe for more photography business tips and conversations with industry experts.
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