Brides & Weddings Magazine
By Amy Falkofske
Sponsored by Wedding Stories by Tania
The spark that started Tania Hossain’s wedding photography business happened in 2011 when she took photos of the preparations for a friend’s Ethiopian wedding. She also took photos of the ceremony at her friend’s request although she wasn’t the official photographer. Her friend ended up liking her photos better, which got her referrals in the Ethiopian, Sudanese and Somalian communities in Northern Virginia.
Hossain launched her business officially in 2013, specializing in wedding photography. In 2017, she started building a team that now includes five photographers and videographers. She incorporated video into her services in 2019.
The Story Behind the Name
Hossain loves to tell stories, so she is especially enamored with the “Wedding Storyteller” series by Roberto Valenzuela, which she refers to as her wedding bible. Valenzuela says that “as the photographer, you are both the director and the documentarian of that story,” and that is the approach that Hossain takes with her wedding photos.
“I’m a story teller by heart,” said Hossain.
Wedding Stories by Tania came into being last year when Hossain moved her wedding portfolio out from under her original photography business, Tania Hossain Photography, to make it easier for couples to find their photos.
“I moved out the wedding branding to Wedding Stories by Tanya last year because I don’t want a couple to spend time having to sort through babies and corporate headshots and things like that. I want them to be able to go straight to the stuff that they need because they’re busy,” she said.
The Team
Hossain’s team at Wedding Stories by Tania consists of herself as the owner and photographer, Lisa Foster as the lead photographer who also does video, Reagan Veasley, the second photographer, Ryan Wilson, the lead cameraman, and Cindy Bradley, the assistant photographer.
Hossain said that having this team gives her clients more options.
“We can accommodate multiple day weddings as well as very small, intimate weddings because of our expertise and knowledge and our team structure,” she said.
In 2020, Wedding Stories by Tania did 65 weddings, and Hossain said that they are looking forward to hitting the “100 wedding mark” this year.
Winner of the Weddy Award
Wedding Stories by Tania won the 2020 Weddy Award from Brides & Weddings magazine for best photographer/videographer, an honor which Hossain is very proud of.
“I am so ecstatic. It’s just mind blowing because there are other industry awards that everybody gets. They’re very country wide. So it’s the same award being given in California, as in Virginia, and everywhere, but to have a local validation of a prestigious wedding magazine, it just means the world to me. I value it a lot. I strive to grow towards it. Every single business decision I make, I think of the Weddy Award. My team is super excited,” she said.
COVID Wedding Packages
In a time when there are very real health concerns about large gatherings, Wedding Stories by Tania offers their COVID wedding package that allows flexibility for couples and their families to have the wedding ceremony now and the celebration later.
One key element of this wedding package is streaming for friends and family that can’t physically be at the wedding due to travel restrictions.
Another major factor, according to Hossain, is timing. “We’re not spending as much time as we would do at a full wedding, so that breaks down into cost savings for couples,” she said.
Hossain also said that about 60% of her couples asked for their wedding to be recorded in 2020, so video recording is offered in the COVID wedding package. Keepsake items are available as well.
Full Packages
Hossain said that she is still doing full wedding packages for those who want that. In fact, she is already booking weddings for 2022. The package includes a full wedding video as well as a highlight video for couples to share with friends and family.
The full wedding package also includes a complimentary engagement session, which Hossain said is a great way to get to meet her couple and start working with them before the wedding day. Couples will often use their engagement photo for guest book signing, or something to hang on their walls that’s different from their wedding photos.
Another benefit of getting the full wedding package is a luxury 10 x 10 photo album with 20 pages. “It’s huge, and I really want to put this piece into the hands of our couples because I want them to have something tangible,” Hossain said of the album.
Brides & Weddings’ readers can get a 21% discount on the full wedding package for 2021 and 2022 bookings.
If you’re interested in something other than wedding photography, Hossain just opened a new appointment-only studio in Arlington for Tania Hossain Photography. It’s located at 5171 Lee Highway.
To talk to Tania about her wedding packages, visit her Wedding Stories by Tania website.
