“The Business Resource For Wedding Entrepreneurs”

Meet Jonathan Susilo, the man behind the lens of Calia Photography. Known as one of the rising stars in Jakarta's wedding scene, he's here to share his journey from when he first started the business and what he loves about Bridestory. Scroll on below!

Tell us a bit about yourself and how Calia Photography started?
Prior to establishing Calia in 2015, I was only an accounting student who fell in love with fashion and travel photography. During that time, I was not fond of wedding photography until one day I assisted a friend at a wedding as a photographer. I was fascinated with everything that happened during the event. Hence, that was when the aspirations for Calia was born.

What is the idea behind Calia Photography?
Calia Photography is a team consisting of people with the same vision to create a timeless art or creation that can be cherished for many years ahead. The idea behind Calia Photography is to capture eternal moments in every frame with a modern-minimalist feel and an intimate touchto it. Our clients are couples who have a deep connection in their relationship. They usually come to us for our modern-minimalist and intimate photography style.

Can you share the struggles you faced when you were a newcomer in the wedding industry?
In the beginning, there was a struggle on introducing our photography style to the wedding industry, since we have a very distinct style than others in Jakarta. But eventually, we overcame that with patience and hard work. I always believe that the universe has its own way for each person and also that if one wants to be in a creative industry, one needs to have their own signature.

Let's talk about Bridestory, how has it helped your business?
We've been a vendor of Bridestory since the first moment Calia Photography was formed! Bridestory has really helped us with getting feedbacks on improving our business given by the Business Managers. Not only that, the insights from the Bridestory Business Blog articles are helpful too. Furthermore, the Bridestory Pro app is such a great tool for vendors. I loved the 'Message' feature and the 'Potential Clients' section on statistics. It has made us vendors contact clients and prospective clients seamlessly.

Last but not least, what trends do you wish to see next year in the wedding scene?
While rustic weddings are trending this season, I hope to see more modern-minimalist wedding trends next year.

Photography by Calia Photography