37 FramesOur Journey Through Awards and Recognition
Over the years we’ve found ourselves in the most unexpected places. From award stages in Las Vegas to Italian magazine pages, from royal weddings in the Middle East to intimate vows beneath Mt Fuji. Along the way, our work has been honored in ways we could never have imagined when we first picked up our cameras. We’ve been named among Signature Weddings’ Top 30 Photographers of the World, earned the rare WPPI Triple Master distinction, and seen our images in the pages of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. We’ve photographed heads of state, Hollywood weddings, and everyday love stories that were anything but ordinary. Even our humble little blog was, once upon a time, listed among the best wedding blogs in the world by WordPress. Yes! This one!
Why We Rarely Celebrate Awards Anymore
And yet, as the years go on, we don’t really talk about these things much. An award arrives, a feature goes live … and we might slip it into an Instagram story before it fades away in 24 hours. It’s not that we’re not grateful. We are, deeply. But these days, the accolades take a backseat. The real spotlight always belongs to our couples. To their stories, their courage, their celebrations. That’s what matters most.
Still, every so often, we pause. Because recognition … especially when it represents a shift in the industry … deserves to be acknowledged.
If we’ve ever had the honor of photographing your story, we’d be so grateful if you might leave us a review. Your words help future couples find their way to 37 Frames … and they mean more to us than any award ever could.
About Wezoree
Which brings us to Wezoree.
For those who don’t know, Wezoree is one of the world’s largest and most respected luxury wedding platforms. They feature and celebrate top wedding creatives across the globe, and their lists are often a couple’s first stop when searching for a dream team. Until recently, Japan wasn’t on their map. For years, our little corner of the wedding world didn’t exist in their directory.
So when Wezoree named us among the Top 5 Wedding Photographers in Japan, it felt… different.
Why This Recognition Matters for Japan
Not because we needed another accolade (Tracey’s trophy shelf is already dangerously close to collapsing). But because this recognition signals something bigger: that Japan is finally finding its place on the global wedding stage. That Japanese and Japan-based creatives are being seen. That independent voices are breaking through the corporate “all-in package” model that has dominated for decades, where couples had little to no choice in the vendors who told their story.
Our Role in Changing the Japan Wedding Landscape
For more than two decades, we’ve been quietly … and in the case of Trace, sometimes very loudly … pushing against those walls. Kicking down doors, making space, showing what’s possible when weddings are centered around the couple instead of a preset formula. To see cracks finally opening, to see international platforms celebrating the artistry happening here, is something truly worth celebrating.
So yes, this one means a lot.
What Fuels Us Now
Over the years, we’ve established our mark on the global industry. The wedding world knows who we are. We don’t need to seek approval for our work anymore … that climb, that chapter of our careers, has been written, and it is deeply satisfying.
Now, our focus is different. The awards that truly matter are the ones of the heart. A couple telling us their photos were more than they ever imagined. A mother who calls the images her greatest treasures. A grandmother who couldn’t travel, but says she feels as though she was there through the photos.
That is our goal. That is what fuels us. Those are the accolades we hold closest.
Gratitude and Looking Ahead
Wezoree’s Top 5 in Japan isn’t just about us. It’s about every couple who believed in a different way of celebrating. Every planner who partnered with us to create something unrepeatable. Every fellow creative who’s worked tirelessly to make this industry in Japan more open, more intentional, more extraordinary.
At the end of the day, it’s still not about the awards. It’s about the stories. But we’ll take a quiet bow here, say thank you to Wezoree for shining a light on Japan, and then get right back to doing what we love most: documenting life and planning weddings, elevated, for the couples who trust us with their once-in-a-lifetime days.
✨ Top 5 Photographers in Japan – Wezoree
37 Frames
