Today we’d like to introduce you to Aly Matei.
Hi Aly, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I fell in love with photography when I was in high school, but it wasn’t until 2016 that I decided to dive in deep. I had just quit my job working in nonprofits and I knew I needed to do something that made me truly happy. I decided to pick up my camera again and fell in love all over again. I had always loved weddings and I knew that was the industry that I wanted to enter with my photography.
Through many sleepless nights and a lot of hard work, I finally got my business to where I wanted it to be. I was able to take photography full time in 2019 and I have never been happier. I have the privilege of working with the sweetest couples to document their love stories. Working with modern, classic and fun couples, allows me to stretch my creativity every wedding day.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think any business has a smooth road. Being an entrepreneur is glamorized in today’s society and the steps that it takes to get to financial freedom as a small business are much larger than most people think. You have to do a lot of things that you don’t want to do. Networking is essential in this industry – I quickly learned that just chatting on Instagram does not cut it. You have to go out and put the effort in to meet other business owners and share an interest in what they do for them to show interest in what you do.
Being a small business owner is filled with long hours, tons of internal debate, days where you feel like you should quit, and so much more, but once you find your rhythm things start to come together. Finding my support system within my industry was the crucial part that got me through the rough days. I can lean on my friends in the industry when I am stuck or just need some motivation.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a wedding photographer that loves to work with modern and upbeat couples! I love to find couples that really value the work that goes into documenting their unique story. Night time portraits are the signature shots for Aly Matei Photography, no wedding gallery is complete without some stunning portraits. I am most proud of the business that I have built. Not in the sense of the financial success, but the fact that I have such supportive clients truly is motivating me to keep going each and every day.
I am so proud that I not only have amazing clients, but that they feel connected to me as a friend or family member. Having parents of the bride or groom come up to me at the end of a wedding day just thanking me and giving a big hug is the most rewarding part of my job. I know that I made an impact in not only on the bride and groom’s lives, but also their families’ lives.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I love the variety that Houston has to offer. In the wedding industry you can find any and every style of wedding venue that you could ever imagine.
But not only does the wedding industry have a ton of diversity, but also the city is so diverse, it is easy to be exposed to so many different cultures working in this industry.
The traffic and construction has to be the worst though. I pray that I get to experience Houston without a ton of construction one day.
Contact Info:
- Email: aly@alymateiphoto.com
- Website: https://alymateiphoto.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alymateiphoto/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alymateiphoto
Image Credits:
Aly Matei Photography
