SPEAKERS 2026
Grain is focused on diversity rather than pure photographic thematic.
From business, inspiration through social media, and the core of our business - our speakers will provide fresh insight and address the most relevant topics shaping the industry today.
WE PROUDLY PRESENT THE LINEUP OF THE 2026 GRAIN WEDDING FESTIVAL
Mari Trancoso
Mari is a family and wedding photographer based in Chicago. Even before picking up a camera, Mari Trancoso found herself romanticizing life and capturing mental snapshots of the world around her.
As a wedding photographer for over a decade, she uses her love of humans and desire to see the story within the story to create the art she does for her couples and the people who love them.
How do we stand above fleeting visual trends and create work with true longevity? A Story Within a Story explores how to move past the surface layer of a wedding day to find the deep, nostalgic stories that matter.
Through actionable frameworks, this presentation will teach you how to look past the industry's current aesthetic trends and capture the micro-narratives that form the couple's true story... the one they want to remember.
A Story Within a Story
The Saums
Pia and Chris originally come from psychology and graphic design, before fully dedicating themselves to photography. With a decade of experience in wedding photography (2026 marks their tenth year in business), they now work across weddings, fashion, and editorial projects, combining film and digital formats.
Their work has been featured in international publications including VOGUE Germany/Italy/France/Scandinavia, as well as Brides, Elle and Emirates Woman.
Shaped by a strong fashion influence, their visual language leans toward refined, editorial storytelling with a subtle romantic edge.
While they appreciate the aesthetics of a wedding day, their priority lies in documenting people as they are - focusing on connection, atmosphere and genuine moments, captured with a quiet, observational approach.
On this year Grain their presentation will focus on Authenticity - how they navigate the wedding industry as introverts while staying true to ourselves
They will talk about navigating weddings as introverts and how embracing vulnerability and discomfort played a key role in our growth.
An Introvert's Approach to Weddings
Robert Marcillas
Robert Marcillas has been shooting weddings for over ten years, and working alongside Arnau is where he finally found the language he had been looking for.
What he has learned is this: the most powerful images are not made, they are discovered. They live in the in-between. The moments that do not have a name but will mean everything twenty years from now.
Based in Barcelona and working throughout Europe, Robert shoots on film because it is honest for him. He admits that he does not direct weddings, he reads them… looking for the thread that runs through the whole day and turning it into a narrative that lasts.
His goal has never been to only make pretty pictures. It is to give people something to return to.
Over the years, he learned that being a great photographer is not enough. What really makes a business grow - and survive - comes down to three things he has worked hard to develop: the people around you, the portfolio you builds with intention, and the business structure that holds it all together.
In this talk, Robert speaks openly about how he developed each of these pillars within his own studio - what worked, what did not, and what he wishes someone had told him earlier.
No magic formulas. Just lessons learned the hard way, and insights he hopes will save others from some of that same pain.
The 3 Pillars of Success
John Dolan
John Dolan is a pioneer in contemporary wedding photography. For over 30 years he has redefined the genre, blending the honesty of documentary with the grace and beauty of a fashion photographer. His photos featured prominently in the inaugural issue of Martha Stewart Weddings in 1995.
His wedding clients include magazine art directors and editors, as well as celebrities Will Smith, Rosanne Cash, Ben Stiller, Kate Bosworth, Gwyneth Paltrow and Naomi Biden. His images do not rely on the stereotypes and tropes of most wedding photography. Dolan simply sees a wedding differently.
A true legend is joining the Grain Family…
Poetry of Weddings
The Richters
The Richters are Mónica Muñoz and Pablo Rodríguez, PoL.
They’ve been documenting weddings for about fifteen years and eight of those as The Richters. The strength of their work comes from the honesty, emotion, and truth with which they document, creating imagery full of life, joy, and personality. Their intention is to portray humanity, aiming for their work to go beyond family memories and become part of the art world.
Their work has been screened at international film festivals, exhibited in galleries in Berlin and New York, and published in art magazines.
In their talk, The Richters explore how they have maintained a strong creative identity within a saturated and constantly evolving market.
They also discuss the importance of staying inspired and address a larger question that drives their practice: what legacy do they want to leave behind, and what message do they hope their work will carry into the future?
The Wedding Unframed
Maley
Our next presenter is not a wedding photographer, but a photographer of love stories and families and what a photographer he is!
He captures the connection between lovers in a way few photographers can. We are proud to present Maley.
Dumitru Malei is originally from Ukraine and is currently based in Portugal with his wife and three children.
(, his previous Instagram account, which had more than 300,000 followers, was hacked.)
In his presentation on Grain this November, he explores the idea that we are at our most beautiful when we love, when our hearts are open, and when we live in peace and harmony.
For Maley, photography is about people, the harmony of the soul, and the world around us. Through his photographs, he captures connections, relationships, and the small moments that reveal who we truly are.
The Harmony of the Soul
Marija Laca
We are proud to present our local girl Marija Laca. She has been part of the Grain community almost from the very beginning, and this year she’ll be standing on the other side of the stage, sharing the steps she used to skyrocket her career in just a few seasons, documenting celebrations across Europe, Marrakech, and New York.
In her talk, Marija Laca shares the real-world strategies behind LACA Weddings’ growth, not as abstract advice, but as an honest look at what actually works.
She’ll walk through how she uses social media not just to attract inquiries, but to set expectations, build trust, and position her brand before a single email is exchanged. Beyond marketing and communication, Marija will pull back the curtain on the workflows that keep her business running smoothly, covering everything from the systems she has in place before a booking is confirmed to the processes that carry a project through to final delivery.
Expect concrete examples, honest reflections, and a clear framework you can bring back to your own business.
How SM Builds a Brand
Jackson Grant
Jackson Grant is a creative cowboy from Down Under, Australia, who happily gives the finger to convention when it comes to photography and speaks with unfiltered honesty on conference stages. A devoted Pilates aficionado, a 420 advocate, and a passionate lover of electronic music’s many sub-genres, he’s built a reputation for doing things his own way. As he will demonstrate at Grain next November.
Jackson keynote is titled 'Check Out Before You Check In’:
"Jet-lagged or not, I will speak about my transitional phase with photography matching my personality post-COVID. I’m also here to ramp up your confidence so you can shift gears on the day of a wedding, and risk preconceived compositions that actually pay off. Additionally on stage, I will positively challenge industry assumptions, speak on why consistency is the killer, and explain how I navigate a world of shortcuts with manual processes. I’ve never attended a wedding as a guest, but boy do I act like one."
Check Out Before You Check In
Marina Polovinkina
Our #GrainFamily presenter this year is Marina Polovinkina - she is an educator, international couples and wedding photographer, based in Berlin. After a sudden career change, she found freedom and fulfilment in photography. She captures stories of love and life on both digital and film, with Super 8 as her latest passion.
Deeply inspired by people, she can’t help but fall in love with them, exploring who they are and seeing them in their truest light. Photography is often taught as a technical craft focusing on gear, lighting, and editing.
But one of the most challenging and impactful parts of wedding photography is working with people. This talk shows photographers how to build trust quickly, navigate emotionally charged situations, guide clients calmly, and maintain professional boundaries.
Using practical tools like pre-wedding questionnaires, real-world case studies, and actionable techniques for emotional intelligence and communication, participants will leave with strategies they can apply immediately to improve both the client experience and the authenticity of their photographs.
Client Success Skills
Ivana Knezovic
We proudly present our panelist, Ivana Knezović, Creative Director and Founder of Promessi W&E and Co-Founder of Amavera Weddings , with over 15 years of experience in the wedding industry.
With a background in the corporate world, Ivana takes great pride in her role as a lecturer and mentor in the licensed wedding planner program at the Academy for Wedding Planning in Zagreb. Deeply rooted in the Mediterranean art de vivre, she curates the visual language of the brands she has created.
The values of slow living, family, and the pursuit of balance shape both her personal and professional life. @promessiweddingscroatia and @amavera_mediterranean_weddings create curated, timeless event experiences across Croatia, Italy, and Montenegro, drawing continuous inspiration from Mediterranean aesthetics and the slow-living philosophy.
With over a decade and a half of expertise, they specialize in unforgettable destination weddings and bespoke events throughout the region.
The Planner's Perspective
Join these amazing creatives
Nov 3&4 2026 Zagreb, Croatia
All presentations are in boutique cinema, with comfortable chairs and state-of-the-art video and audio set up for a perfect experience of our speakers' presentations.