About Michelle Vila

Orlando Wedding Photographer, Disney Lover, Heavy Metal Enthusiast, and Professional Collector of Creative Chaos

Hi, I’m Michelle! I’m the face behind Michelle Vila Photography, a wife, homeschool mom, Disney lover, fantasy nerd, coffee addict, baker, and someone who is almost always blasting music somewhere in the background while editing weddings at my kitchen counter.

I’ve been photographing people and their stories for nearly two decades, but honestly, photography has always been about people for me. The emotions, the chaos, the laughter, the connection, the tiny moments that somehow become the biggest memories years later. Those are the things I truly love.

I’m originally from South Florida, but in 2020 my family packed up our lives and moved to Orlando to be closer to the magic, both literally and figuratively. Since then, life has been a whirlwind of weddings, homeschooling, Disney adventures, Universal days, Halloween Horror Nights marathons, late-night editing sessions, baking bread from scratch, and building a business that genuinely feels like me.

My Journey Into Photography

I picked up my very first DSLR camera in 2005 while working in the camera department at Best Buy, and I quickly became obsessed with photography and storytelling. By 2006, I was photographing concerts and festivals for magazines and music websites.

Somewhere in the middle of all of that, I met my husband while he was playing bass in a progressive metal band at the House of Blues in Orlando. We’ve now been together for 20 years and married for 19. Apparently I’ve always been a sucker for long hair, tattoos, and musicians.

These days he plays bass in a death metal band, so yes, heavy metal is still very much part of our everyday life. Our 10-year-old daughter may not fully appreciate it yet, but she’s definitely not a stranger to hearing metal blasting through the house all day long. I still have hope.

In 2007, my husband and I eloped in Paris. I wore my dream Vera Wang gown and we wandered through the city taking our own wedding portraits together. A year later, I photographed my very first wedding on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale. I left with a horrible sunburn and a whole new career path.

Over the years, photography took me through weddings, portraits, teaching, Disney Fine Art Photography, and eventually building Michelle Vila Photography into the business it is today. Looking back, every chapter somehow connected perfectly, even the ones that felt chaotic at the time.

My Current Mom Era

These days, I’m very much in my “mom era,” and honestly, I love it.

My daughter is this wonderfully creative little creature who spends most of her time crafting, swimming, or binge-watching crafting YouTube videos. Our house permanently looks like a craft store exploded inside of it, and at any given moment there are probably glue sticks, beads, markers, paint, cardboard, yarn, or half-finished projects covering my dining room table.

Somehow, I genuinely love the chaos of it all.

Homeschooling has also given us the flexibility to create a life that feels creative, adventurous, and meaningful together, even if it also means my workdays sometimes involve editing weddings while explaining math problems or cleaning glitter off the floor.

A Few Things I Absolutely Love

Outside of photography, I’m basically powered by creativity, nostalgia, caffeine, carbs, and music playing somewhere in the background at all times.

My Favorite Things

• Disney and Disney Cruise Line
• Universal Studios and Halloween Horror Nights
• Harry Potter, Outlander, gothic fantasy, and immersive storytelling
• Back to the Future
• Musicals, theater, and anything dramatic or whimsical
• Rock, heavy metal, 80s music, and The Beatles
• Cozy bookstores and coffee shops
• Baking bread while editing weddings
• Coffee and wedding cake
• Cats. Always cats.

I also have a massive soft spot for anything spooky, gothic, whimsical, fantasy-inspired, or just a little dramatic in the best possible way. Give me candlelit castles, foggy streets, dark academia vibes, Halloween décor in August, emotional movie soundtracks, and I’m happy.

Yes, My Favorite Band Is The Darkness

And yes, I absolutely believe in a thing called love.

My favorite band is The Darkness because their music feels like pure joy in human form. It’s theatrical, energetic, over-the-top, nostalgic, chaotic in the best way, and completely unapologetic about being fun. Their music somehow makes life feel bigger and lighter at the same time, and honestly, I think that same emotional energy is something I naturally chase in photography too.

My Unexpected Baking Obsession

Somewhere along the way, I also became mildly obsessed with baking from scratch.

I’ve watched every season of The Great British Baking Show more times than I can count, and now I regularly find myself making homemade bread, muffins, butter, pancakes, and whatever random baking hyperfixation I’m currently on that week.

Honestly, my life lately has looked like this:

• bread dough proving on the counter
• heavy metal blasting in the background
• Lightroom open on my laptop
• coffee nearby
• editing weddings while waiting for muffins to bake

It’s chaotic. It’s cozy. It’s honestly kind of perfect.

Fun Facts About Me

• I played Magenta in a Rocky Horror Picture Show shadow cast for over a year
• I’ve been to somewhere between 250 and 500 concerts and honestly lost count years ago
• I was named after a Beatles song and made sure my daughter was too
• I hold degrees in both Photography and Psychology
• I moved to Orlando because I truly love theme parks and immersive storytelling
• My dream vacations almost always involve Disney Cruise Line
• I still get emotional during parent dances at weddings after all these years
• I genuinely believe some of the best conversations happen over coffee and dessert

What Matters Most to Me

At the end of the day, I care deeply about creating an experience where people feel comfortable, seen, celebrated, and genuinely themselves. I never want sessions or wedding days to feel stiff or overly curated. Some of the best moments happen naturally in between the “perfect” poses.

I love building real relationships with my clients and creating photographs that feel joyful, emotional, timeless, and true to life. My goal is always for you to look back at your photos years from now and not just remember what everything looked like, but remember exactly how it felt.