Would you pay £1,000 for one holiday snap? Instagrammable ‘flying dress photo’ becomes a

It’s a picture certain to raise Instagram likes: a clear blue sky background, a look at the calm ocean and a colourful billowing dress soaring in the wind.

These images, known as ‘flying dress photos’, largely started out on the picturesque Greek island of Santorini, with whitewashed buildings and the sapphire sea providing the perfect backdrop to eye-catching frocks with enormous trains.

But they have since become popular in other tourist spots, such as Hawaii, Dubai and Jamaica.

Looking like they could feature in a high-end fashion magazine, the images have become increasingly common, with several businesses now offering nothing but ‘flying dress photoshoots’.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Stacey Williams, a photographer based on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, started her business devoted to the trend in April 2021, booking typically 12 to 15 photoshoots a month, which cost customers from $800 (£622) plus tax.

These images, known as ‘flying dress photos’, largely started out on the picturesque Greek island of Santorini (pictured), with whitewashed buildings and the sapphire sea providing the perfect backdrop to eye-catching frocks with enormous trains

Her clients (ranging in age from 30 to 50 and located across the world) have reserved slots as far out as June 2024 already – so the craze seems to show no signs of slowing down.

She explained how the ’empowering’ shoots are often booked for milestone birthdays (even an 80th on one occasion) as well as family photos, anniversaries and to celebrate major life changes.

The photographer said: ‘While many are in pursuit of that beautiful image to post on Instagram or hang on their wall, most of our clients are doing it for the experience.

‘It might be their first solo trip and they want to celebrate that and feel empowered, or they want to celebrate something they have accomplished or overcome in life.

‘When I started this business and started working with the flying dresses I never knew what they would mean to our clients.

‘Many struggle with insecurities, however there is something truly special about how beautiful you feel when you put on this long train dress and feel the wind flowing through it.’

Stacey – who supplies the dresses for her clients and assists with planning the location or transportation, makeup artists and even drone footage – initially wanted her own red flying dress to use during her journeys around the world.

‘However once I put the dress on I immediately knew I needed to offer it to every other woman out there,’ she explained.

Looking like they could feature in a high-end fashion magazine, the images have become increasingly common, with several businesses now offering nothing but ‘flying dress photoshoots’ (pictured)

The photoshoots (pictured) are priced upwards of €550 (£477) per hour per person, according to Bloomberg Línea

Lady in red! A model is captured wearing a billowing dress while standing on top of a building during a photoshoot in Santorini

It’s a photo ensured to raise Instagram likes: a clear blue sky background and a colourful billowing dress soaring in the wind (pictured)

‘I wanted them to feel as amazing as I did in it and I was also inspired creatively to capture images of these dresses against the Hawaii landscapes.’

She continued: ‘I have always been impressed by the beautiful flying dress images in Santorini and in 2021 I discovered a local company on Maui was manufacturing flying dresses so I felt it was the perfect time to try them out on Oahu.’

A customer from Texas recently reviewed the experience, saying: ‘Stacey and her stylist made my 50th birthday photoshoot amazing! I felt like a model. I felt beautiful. I felt empowered!

Another wrote: ‘No matter what your insecurities are, they just vanish when you are in this dress. The wind and the sun… it’s just perfect.’

Several photoshoots around the world are priced upwards of €550 (£477) per hour per person, according to Bloomberg Línea. The publication estimated that a business committed to providing the Instagrammable holiday photo can make more than a quarter million pounds (£388,465) in just four months.

They noted that most clients will add on other costly services, including transportation, makeup and hair styling and several dress options. A customer booking a full package could pay €1,500 (£1,302)

Speaking to FEMAIL, Stacey Williams , a photographer (pictured right) based on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, started her business devoted to the trend in April 2021, booking typically 12 to 15 photoshoots a month, which cost customers from $800 (£622) plus tax

Her clients (pictured) (ranging in age from 30 to 50 and located across the world) have reserved slots as far out as June 2024 already – so the craze seems to show no signs of slowing down

She explained how the ’empowering’ shoots (pictured) are often booked for milestone birthdays (even an 80th on one occasion) as well as family photos, anniversaries and to celebrate major life changes

Stacey – who supplies the dresses for her clients and assists with planning the location or transportation, makeup artists and even drone footage for the shoots (pictured) – initially wanted her own red flying dress to use during her journeys around the world

‘We’ve had persons who travelled just for their [flying-dress] shoot,’ Chrisan Hunter, founder of the flying-dress photo service HerDressJamaica told the publication.

‘They come for three days, and then they go home,’ she explained, adding that the business ‘never handles less than 30 shoots per month.’ The prices range from £271 to £349 per hour per person.

Those booking a photoshoot with HerDressJamaica can pick from five different photographers and the dress, hair and makeup are all taken care of, reported CNN.

Explaining how they get the dresses to ‘fly’, Chrisan said: ‘All our shoots include an assistant.

‘We get our clients dressed and everything, and then once it’s time to shoot, we coordinate with the photographer and it’s a 1, 2, 3 count. We throw up the dress, he catches (the shot) fast.’

One company, Flying Dress Photo, based in Santorini, says they offer their clients a ‘once in a lifetime photoshoot to make you feel like one in a million.’

Sandra Upton, founder of Upton Consulting Group revealed how she had a flying-dress photo taken in Greece in 2022 to mark a year to the month that she made the decision to relaunch her own firm.

One company, Flying Dress Photo (pictured is one of their images), based in Santorini, says they offer their clients a ‘once in a lifetime photoshoot to make you feel like one in a million.’

A woman sports an elegant burgundy gown as she poses up a storm in Greece during one of the flying dress photoshoots

Lovely in lilac: A woman sits with a view of the sea as her dress blows in the wind behind her during a photoshoot in Greece

Celebrities have also got in on the action; Jessie James Decker had a mini-me moment with her look-alike daughter Vivianne Rose, then seven, in June 2021 as the two twinned while taking part in a ‘flying dress photoshoot’ (pictured) during their holiday to Santorini in Greece

The American country singer and her eldest child with former football star Eric Decker were seen in matching silk fuchsia gowns that blew in the wind as they posed on a mountain top with villas surrounding them.

‘Got to play dress up at sunset with my sweet girl. Thank you @santorinidress for making us feel fancy,’ said the Kittenish designer in her caption for her 3.6million Instagram followers.

The show-stopping dresses had impressive 10ft long trains that blew up in the wind while the pair posed as the sun went down over the Mediterranean Sea.