ABOUT
AMV Retreats was founded by Amanda Virga of AMV Weddings in the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic while searching for ways to bring creative minds together again and build something beautiful to be captured and enjoyed by the talented souls of our industry, after a shortage of wedding business and endless postponements. During a brainstorming zoom call with a fellow industry friend, the brilliant Andreas Georgiou (the photography master behind our retreats), the AMV Retreats community was born!
Having traveled to 65 countries and coordinating weddings all over the world, Amanda began planning retreats in some of the most jaw-dropping locations around Europe. Amanda invited a hand selected group of photographers to join the initial retreats in order to curate a community of diverse individuals with the same goals from the start. We believe that each and every photographer who comes to us, comes for a reason. These retreats are not just another opportunity for content or a “Styled Shoot”, these meaningful experiences are just the beginning of your journey being welcomed into a community of supportive and uplifting fellow industry professionals who you will build lifelong relationships with! It’s not just a workshop, it’s truly an enlightening experience that will give you a comprehensive set of tools to apply in many aspects of your life and business.
Having traveled to 65 countries and coordinating weddings all over the world, Amanda began planning retreats in some of the most jaw-dropping locations around Europe.
breathtaking locations | interactive workshopsOUR RETREATS
Our restorative and exclusive retreats are hosted in breathtaking locations around the world and aim to present a select number of attendees with a 3-day-long intensive masterclass on business development, style, photographic technique, visual culture, and purposeful branding. The workshop balances hands-on learning and classroom time in order to help you create an inspiring portfolio, develop clarity of aesthetic direction, book more of your ideal clients, and build a profitable and resilient photography business.
Our editorial shoots feature professional bride and groom models who are often real couples, top industry suppliers, high fashion & breathtaking settings for our attendees to craft an inspiring portfolio that elevates their brand & attracts their ideal client. Over three days of interactive workshops, classroom time & networking experiences our attendees Develop clarity of aesthetic direction while receiving invaluable tools & guidance to completely transform their business.
The 5-star retreat experienceFrom gourmet dining to wine tasting, perfume making to sipping champagne with friends in the pool of a 5* French chateau, this is your time to indulge!
The Production ValueA coterie of the world’s best vendors works for months in order to create our lavish photoshoot productions. Our productions are small-sized ultra-luxury realistic weddings. In fact, aside from the lack of guests, you‘d be hard-pressed to tell these are not a real high-end wedding.
The CommunityAn intimate cohort of 15-20 people allows everyone to find special like-minded friends who will champion them on their journey both during and after the retreat. This community is the very heart of our Retreats, and what makes our participants join 3,4 or even all of the Retreats!
A Safe PlaceWe take great pride in the fact that, thanks to the small number of attendees, we can give our participants a level of creative freedom that most workshops cannot.
our community behind the scenesOur workshops are open to digital, hybrid, and film photographers as well as videographers.
TOPICS COVERED
Brand & Business Coaching
Tapping into the Luxury Market & Reaching Your Ideal Client
Feeling more confident & empowered to bring your business to the next level
Posing & Capturing Emotion
Fine Art Film Photography & Hybrid Photography
Building a Successful Photography Brand
Pricing in a Way That Serves Your Clients
Defining Your Style
Destination Weddings
Getting Your Work Featured
Working with Wedding Planners
Creating Your Own Shoots & Building a Beautifully Curated Portfolio with High-End Images That Attract Clients & Planners.
MEET THE HOST
Our hosts will follow your journey and champion you - during and after the workshop. They form deep friendships and long-standing relationships with the participants, and when the opportunity arises, refer weddings to our participants or co-shoot weddings with them.
Amanda Virga
Founder of AMV Retreats, Worldwide Wedding PlannerAmanda Virga is a worldwide wedding planner who has 13 years of experience in the event industry, executing over 500 weddings during her career and 13 successful retreats to date from Bali to Portugal. While based in the South of France, she has also worked on weddings across the globe, over 4 continents from Spain and Tuscany to Thailand. Her approach is unique, not only does she have a passion for creating flawless events but she is also committed to creating valuable experiences that bring industry professionals together, collaborating with some of the best in the industry, and designing breathtaking editorial projects. Her weddings and editorial work have been featured on Good Morning America, Vogue, BRIDES, Style Me Pretty, WedLuxe, The Knot, Junebug, Wedding Chicks, and more.
Amanda is an avid traveler having visited 62 countries, she also spent an entire year traveling the world in 2018 while immersing herself into the wedding industry in each of her destinations. Her adventurous and worldly spirit is what inspired the creation of AMV retreats, a one of a kind experience connecting wedding creatives across the globe. When not traveling or planning events, she is usually found snuggling up with her chihuahua, enjoying a glass of prosecco or practicing yoga. She is a firm believer that achieving a good life balance is the ultimate key to success.
Featured Educators
and Keynote Speakers
Andreas K. Georgiou
Andreas is one of Europe’s leading destination photographers. His work has a distinct editorial quality captured on analogue film (or film-emulated) for that painterly old-world appeal. Andreas’ work takes him to Italy, the US, France and Greece, among others, where he photographs high-profile weddings and editorial campaigns for many brands around Europe. In addition, Andreas hosts a Marketing podcast that helps other creatives find a sense of purpose and create thriving brands that make a lasting, positive change in the world.
Andreas is also a serial entrepreneur, and following his studies in Brain Science at the Universities of Cambridge and Harvard, he co-founded a multi-million marketing agency, launched several internet companies, and worked with one of the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturers. All of these experiences have propelled his own business into becoming a successful brand and provide the foundation of his coaching sessions.
Andreas lives on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus near mainland Greece with his wife, Alexia, and their two children. He is an avid equestrian, plays jazz piano, writes, and enjoys long walks along his home island’s endless shoreline.
Sophie Kaye
Sophie Kaye is a New York City based wedding & commercial photographer living on the Upper West Side with her French Bulldog, Olive. After beginning her career as a fashion photographer in college, she branched out into weddings and quickly fell in love with capturing joyful, curated celebrations and commercial work for select clients. With a fashion-oriented, editorial aesthetic, she has photographed campaigns for Carol Hannah, Claire Pettibone and Randi Rahm; as well as the collections of Marchesa, Galia Lahav, and Reem Acra. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, Style Me Pretty, Over The Moon, and The Knot.
Kir Tuben
When you think of luxury DC Weddings, Kir Tuben is your gal. This hybrid wedding photographer has captured close to 200 weddings in her tenure as a full-time, fine art photographer and she has no intention of slowing down. Kir started her career in 2011 after graduating from Duke with a degree in Documentary Photography; she also gives back to the photo community by using her Masters in Education to mentor budding creatives in business and art direction. While she resides in Northern Virginia with her two cats, husband and adorable dog Pepper, Kirshoots weddings all over the globe and is frequently capturing love in her hometown of Delray Beach, Florida for winter wedding season. She has photographed campaigns for the Knot, WeddingWire and multiple national TV shows and has also been featured in People, Martha Stewart, Brides, Style Me Pretty and more. Accolades aside, her proudest accomplishment as an extreme romantic is creating legacy memories for her clients. She loves a mule (both the shoe and the drink), all things vintage and probably wants to take you to karaoke.
kir2ben.com | Ig: @kir2ben
Amy Mulder
When I was young, my Dad built me a dark room where I would spend hours developing my film and making prints. I would get lost in the process of bringing to life the moments I captured, and that love is even stronger today. I love telling my clients' stories in such an authentic and tangible way. I believe that level of soul and intentionality is what your most precious moments deserve.
For the last 13 years I have had the incredible opportunity to do what I love. To travel the world, experience new cultures, meet new people, and create art through my photographs.
I have always been drawn to things that have meaning and purpose, and I try to infuse both of those things into my life and my art.
I value relationships, experiences, adventure, and being present. I want to spend my time on those things that matter most.
Additional Educators
Branco Prata
LUCY MUNOZ
CLAIRE MORRIS
MARLIES HARTMANN
Rossini Photography
THE KOMANS
GUSMANK
NIKI MARIE
AMANDA WRITESMAN
Katie Julia
KATIE GRANT
GIANNI DI NATALE
CHRIS JESPERSEN
BE INSPIRED PR
STYLE ME PRETTY
Christophe Serrano
LOVE STORY FILMS
JEREMY CHOU
KIND WORDS FROM OUR PREVIOUS RETREATS—
“I was thrilled with the level of planning, preparation, and styling that went into all of the shoots: The models we worked with were fantastic, the couture was outstanding, and all of the details & florals (down to the gorgeous antique jewelry) were next-level. The workshop presenters offered valuable and inspiring presentations and were great hosts when we were participating in the various shoots. Communication with Amanda and her team was both warm and professional, and I felt well taken care of. If you are looking for an opportunity to be inspired and invigorated I highly recommend considering participating in one of AMV's signature retreats; I came away with stunning images for my portfolio, fresh insights to level up my business, and valuable new connections with other photographers and other wedding vendors."
- Lily Laidlaw Photography
your journey begins here.