I’m photographing weddings for free in exchange for a place to sleep, food to eat, and a story to tell.
Hi! My name is Vincent Po. I’m a Princeton-educated engineer turned wedding photographer and journalist, and I’d love to tell your story.
Portrait of a Young Couple is my project to document how couples all across the world live and love by photographing their weddings for free in exchange for basic needs and sharing their story.
Accepting applications for weddings anywhere in the world in 2022 and 2023. Scroll to learn more.
Here are some of my most recent stories…
Some photos of me with couples who have participated in the past…
And some frequently asked questions:
+ When you say “free,” what do you mean?
I mean free! It’s enormously important to me that this project tells the stories of people from a diverse range of backgrounds, especially financial. For international destinations, helping to cover airfare is not a requirement (particularly if you are unable to financially afford it) but of course appreciated. I have generous donors who help fund my travels otherwise.
What I ask for in return is hosting (all I need is a bit of floorspace) in your own home (unless there are special circumstances for not being able to, like religious reasons) and an extra portion of whatever food is already available in the week before the wedding. You should also be open to sharing your full story with me, both joyful experiences and painful ones, too.
If you'd like to learn more about my journalistic process, please feel free to reach out on the Contact page.
+ Where are you (Vincent Po) based, and do you photograph internationally?
Home for me is the United States, and yes! I'm currently accepting bookings for weddings anywhere in the world in 2022/2023, provided I'm allowed to travel there given COVID-19 restrictions. (I am fully vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine + booster as of December 3rd, 2021.)
For privacy, I do not publish my exact travel plans publicly, but if you're interested in having me photograph your wedding please reach out on the Contact page!
+ Why, exactly, are you doing this?
Put simply: to learn about how people, who may have backgrounds and worldviews entirely different from my own, live and love, and to share those learnings with the world in the hopes of encouraging us all to view those around us, strangers or friends, with kinder eyes and more understanding hearts.
As to why I'm doing it right now... I've been blessed with a lot of privileges in life; one of them is health, another is a financial ability to take risks, and another is a highly specific and unique skill set to be able to pull this all off. None of these things are guaranteed forever, but since they're true right now, I'd be a fool not to take the opportunity.
You can read much, much more about my story and motivations here.
+ Does a couple have to be young to participate?
Absolutely not! The name is an allusion to other works of art with similar names, but couples of all ages are welcome to inquire and participate. "Young" is less about one's age, and more their spirit, and the associated feelings of optimism and hope.
+ How long have you been photographing weddings?
I photographed my first wedding a little over four years ago in 2016, and since then have photographed around 50 weddings and done over 500 other kinds of photoshoots. You can view my full photographic portfolio here