When Colorado-based wedding photographer Ashley Joyce received an email from British Vogue inviting her to participate in a print and digital campaign that would run for three months starting in July, she thought it was fake. “I [immediately] did some research on the person who contacted me, and it became evident it was a real opportunity,” she laughs.

The representative from British Vogue wanted to feature “wedding photographer Ashley Joyce in the ‘Vogue Retail: Bridal section,” which recommends vendors to readers. The opportunity includes mentions of Joyce’s business in the July, August and September 2022 print issues of the publication, as well as a feature online. The publication had learned about her after finding her work on Instagram, and they mentioned in an email that they enjoyed looking through her website. It’s easy to see why they are drawn to her aesthetic, which is cinematic and redolent of French New Wave films.

[Read: Flower Girl Leads Bridesmaids in Vogue-Inspired Shoot]

Joyce received the email from Vogue in early May; she had to quickly turn around images to include with a description of her business. Rather than stage a shoot, she chose a portrait of a lesbian couple whose wedding she had recently photographed (above, right). “Because the July issue was released at the end of June, which is Pride month, I thought that it would be the perfect time to feature an LGBTQ+ couple,” she notes. Joyce is proud of the fact that her business is inclusive. “I try to illustrate on my website and social media that I’m supportive of the queer community,” she says.

Joyce, who recently moved to Durango from Denver, has been photographing weddings since 2013. But she still has a full-time job working as a graphic designer and a photographer for a law firm based in Denver. “I enjoy having the consistency of a day job while also being able to use my photography business as a creative outlet,” she says. With disruptions to the industry due to the pandemic, Joyce has been shooting an average of 5 to 10 weddings a year, along with some engagements and elopements. She markets her work on Instagram, as well as through regular blog posts on her website.

She hopes that the Vogue feature will change her life. “If I could shoot weddings that I’ve always dreamed of doing, working with clients who are really supportive and creative, I would 100% do that full-time,” she says.

Already, she notices that her business is transforming. Soon after the Vogue spread was released, Joyce was contacted by the Wed, a directory used to find professionals in the wedding industry. She is now one of the recommended photographers on the site, along with other photographers she has long admired, including Jose Villa and Kristen Marie Parker. “It’s just huge to be listed alongside people I look up to,” she says.

She has also noticed an uptick in inquiries through her website. While this has not necessarily led to more bookings for the immediate future, she knows that a seed has been planted. “I’m going to water it and wait until it grows,” she says. “I hope to see more bookings in the future, especially after everything that has happened.”