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Wedding Photographer
updated: Jan 05, 2011, 2:56 PM

I am looking for a wedding photographer to do a ceremony this spring. Any recommendations?

Places People Are Talking About:

Baron Spafford	BB Photography	Bernd Zeugswetter
Bill Boyd	Brooks Institute	Carlos Soto
Carson Blume	Cherry Thomas	Clint Weisman Studio
David Jay	Emily Hart-Roberts	Emily Merrill
Kacie Jean Photography	Kelsey Crews Photo	Kenji Photography
Kev Steele	Kim Fisher	La Femme Photography
Linda Blue Photography	Mary Jane Weddings	Matt Haines Photography
Michelle Egan	Miguel Fairbanks	Monie Photography
Nancy Neil	Photography By Isaac	Photography by Kathleen
Rob Lettieri	Russell	Scott Gibson
Take A Glance Photography	Zsthedaydesigns

What People Are Saying:

COMMENT 133691	2011-01-05 03:03 PM
Kacie Jean Photography is AMAZING! Book soon - she fills up fast!
COMMENT 133693	2011-01-05 03:08 PM
This one is easy for me. Mary Jane Weddings located in Victoria Court, and her website is one of best I've seen. http://www.maryjaneweddings.com/
GECKOGIRL23	2011-01-05 03:13 PM
Take A Glance Photography all the way! http://www.takeaglance.com/
COMMENT 133697	2011-01-05 03:14 PM
Try Photography by Kathleen...(805) 962-1401. And don't forget that a wedding videographer is a great idea as well, and not that expensive. Jeff Azevedo at At Your Service Video (805-452-3835) is excellent, reasonable, and very easy to work with. In fact, if you'd like, both Jeff and Kathleen can be packaged together with a florist and officiant, all for only $775. Call Terri at (805) 682-3025 for more details about the wedding package.
COMMENT 133703	2011-01-05 03:19 PM
I CONCUR KACIE JEAN IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! She takes our family photos!
COMMENT 133704	2011-01-05 03:20 PM
I have always wanted to hire a photographer to do a 3 hour photo shoot of a kids birthday party, then when the photographer arrives surprise him or her by telling them it's a wedding instead. Can't understand why it costs 10 times as much to shoot a wedding. Highway Robbery.
COMMENT 133705P	2011-01-05 03:21 PM
I think it would be great if folks who aren't paid subscribers to Edhat identify their affiliation -- if any -- to the businesses they're recommending. Are these recommendations from actual customers, or are they from the businesses themselves?
COMMENT 133709	2011-01-05 03:27 PM
133704: I'd love to see that. Then the bride & groom murder you when the photographer leaves just before their big day starts. Homicide instead of a wedding! WOOO! Same reason it costs more to do 'wedding hair' & wedding' makeup' - cuz they CAN charge more. Oh, and they tend to use a little more attention to detail, take more pics. If the slightest thing goes wrong, it's one thing for a kid's b-day party, it's a whole 'nother if you just ruined a bride's perfect wedding day. If you don't like it, get a friend with a decent camera do do some shots, and then either ask people to take pics with their digital camera & post them to a website you set up, or buy those disposables & have one at each table. Problem solved, cheapo. 705P: I doubt anyone would admit to it.
COMMENT 133710	2011-01-05 03:27 PM
Kacie Jean is the way to go! No I am not Kacie Jean posting this! I am Tina!
COMMENT 133711	2011-01-05 03:27 PM
133705P - Good luck with that.
COMMENT 133712	2011-01-05 03:28 PM
You would be delighted with Jen from zsthedaydesigns (Google & Facebook her). You can see her work on her wonderful website, and she's very reasonable. As for full disclosure, she's our neighbor!
COMMENT 133713	2011-01-05 03:29 PM
Why don't YOU pay and post who you ARE?
COMMENT 133719P	2011-01-05 03:35 PM
#133704 - I'm not a professional photographer, but I'm guessing it costs more because of the perceived value to the end-user. Sure, capturing the birthday party is nice, but weddings seem to have A LOT of expectation behind them. The photographer at a wedding will talk with the couple to see what sorts of shots they want, do all of the posed shots with the couple, bridal party, etc, and do all the candid shots--sometimes in different venues for ceremony and reception. I'm sure there are a lot less posed shots at a birthday party. Plus, what is the liklihood you'll print out all the birthday shots? With a wedding, you usually get a package deal of photos to put in a special album, and they are the sort of thing that couples save and treasure. Perhaps it doesn't justify all of the price difference, but probably some of it?
COMMENT 133728	2011-01-05 03:43 PM
705P, you make a good point for everyone since there will be a ton of recommendations. I know Janey from more than ten years ago when we both worked at El Encanto. We are both photographers and I like her work.
COMMENT 133729	2011-01-05 03:45 PM
I recommend Kelsey Crews Photo. She's done some work for me professionally (non-wedding photography), and did the wedding of a friend. I really like her work, and she's a nice person and really easy to work with. Check out her photos on her website. http://www.kcrewsphoto.com/ She's probably not the most expensive either!
COMMENT 133733	2011-01-05 03:50 PM
Baron Spafford. I looked all over the area for my wedding photographer and he is the only one I ever really seriously considered. Yes, he is expensive. But for this important of a day, it is worth every penny. -- Bride to be
COMMENT 133735	2011-01-05 03:53 PM
Linda Blue Photography. She did my wedding and it turned out spectacular.
COMMENT 133742	2011-01-05 04:05 PM
I hired Scott Gibson to photograph my wedding. I thought he was great. He didn't waste any time, took a ton of beautiful pictures and was very reasonably priced. One of the main things that I hired him for was that he didn't keep control of the "negatives" and try to make money by selling us prints and albums.
COMMENT 133752	2011-01-05 04:15 PM
We had a Brooks Institute student do our wedding and she was fantastic. Lots of them need to build their portfolios so will be less expensive but still very professional!
COMMENT 133753	2011-01-05 04:17 PM
at least check out Russell.. @ ressullsalvi dot com
CALI4NIADEE	2011-01-05 04:24 PM
Kacie Jean gets my vote - she has done beautiful photos for our family and her wedding portfolio is amazing. She is easy to talk to, very accommodating and has an eye for detail.
COMMENT 133763P	2011-01-05 04:31 PM
I looked at some of the portfolios and am blown away by how many had blown out whites.
COMMENT 133765	2011-01-05 04:33 PM
Emily Hart-Roberts emilyhr@verizon.net Phone.# 805-696-6915 She did a fantastic job on the school year book (Kellogg Elem.) Also she has done numerous wedding shoots, some of her work is on her web site. She's also a super lady.
COACH F	2011-01-05 04:43 PM
Carlos Soto ( carlos@carlossoto.net) Carson Blume ( carson@carsonblume.com ) Miguel Fairbanks (miguel@miguelfairbanks.com ) I know all 3 of these guys and have viewed extensive amounts of their work - superb. And no, I am not affiliated with them professionally. I just what they do.
COMMENT 133775	2011-01-05 04:50 PM
You know...there is no shortage of ultra professional wedding photographers in the area that will charge you $5K - $10K (and more) for a wedding and do a wonderful job. If the OP has that scratch, more power to 'em. Perhaps the OP should be more specific about their budgetary needs? If you only have $1000 or less to spend, then a thread like this could be very useful.
COMMENT 133792	2011-01-05 05:27 PM
David Jay is as good as they come!
GINAF	2011-01-05 06:04 PM
Coach F forgot to add Rob Lettieri to that esteemed list! (rob@lettieriphoto.com)
COMMENT 133801	2011-01-05 06:09 PM
KENJI PHOTOGRAPHY 924 ANACAPA STREET SUITE 3A SANTA BARBARA
COMMENT 133806	2011-01-05 06:47 PM
Emily Merrill (EMMYJEANNE PHOTOGRAPHY) 415.730.5276 Former Brooks student, now works out of San Francisco but travels up and down the coast. Creative, smart, approachable and ENORMOUSLY talented
ROGER DODGER	2011-01-05 07:07 PM
I knew a guy one time hired to shoot a wedding missed all their heads. It was one of the funnest things I have ever seen in my whole life every single picture NO HEADS! He wanted to hire me to protect him because the family was threatening to kill him.
SBSWEETPEA	2011-01-05 07:45 PM
I got married a while ago and Monie did my photos. They were great and the price was reasonable too. She recently did my friend Karen's wedding and they were beautiful. Nice woman, lots of candid shots and she is not obtrusive.
COMMENT 133837	2011-01-05 08:38 PM
High School Photography students need community service, and are gifted. Try contacting the instructor of any of the schools, and it never hurts to tip!
HATTIE	2011-01-05 09:31 PM
another shout-out for kelsey crews--she's photographed events where i work & has always done a terrific job, plus she's upbeat & fun yet very professional. i like her website too: www.kcrewsphoto.com
COMMENT 133855	2011-01-06 06:04 AM
First of all, congratulations! I can recommend many of the photographers here, many of them my friends. And, of course, I would recommend myself. Of course, it all depends on the look that you're looking for. Happy new year! Isaac 805 455 0856 Photographybyisaac dot com
KEVSTEELE	2011-01-06 08:11 AM
Congratulations! Mostly by word of mouth I photograph weddings and portraits in addition to my commercial and magazine work. You can take a look at a "hidden" site: "kevsteele.com/tietheknot". Not all the local or international weddings are up there. I will have a new wedding site up within the month. My rates vary depending on what you need - give me a call after taking a look and I can share some more images from other weddings.
COMMENT 133887	2011-01-06 08:14 AM
I highly recommend Cherry Thomas (http://www.cherrythomasphoto.com/index2.php). She's really fun, enjoys her work, always gets rave reviews--and is reasonably priced, to boot.
COMMENT 133899	2011-01-06 08:35 AM
Kim Fisher She's a friend but have seen her pics over the years and she ALWAYS gets the money shot! creative, reasonable and fun to work with. Check out her web site.kimfisherphotographydotcom Have fun on your biggest day ever!
COMMENT 133904	2011-01-06 08:44 AM
I noticed a lot of mentions for Kacie Jean but not a link to her site, here it is http://www.kaciejean.com/ I just finished browsing her portfolio and was amazed, though I'm already married I think she might be our next family portrait photographer. Congrats on the wedding!
COMMENT 133910	2011-01-06 08:46 AM
A friend got wonderful photos by hiring a Brooks Institute student for $100 an hour. The student gave her all the film or disks or whatever they do these days and the couple could choose ones they wanted printed. Works well on a shoestring.
COMMENT 133912	2011-01-06 08:50 AM
My daughter used Michelle Egan for her wedding and was very happy. My wife and I followed up by having her take some photos for our 30th anniversary. We were also very happy. She has a very nice website.....
COMMENT 133915	2011-01-06 08:51 AM
I concur on Kacie Jean. She did both our wedding and engagement photos two years ago. For our wedding, she was 6 months pregnant and was running around with more energy than me! Her pictures are fantastic, she's got a great personality, and her prices are reasonable. http://kaciejean.com/
COMMENT 133917	2011-01-06 08:51 AM
Brian and Brady w/ BB Photography are the best! They shot my wedding a few years ago. Extremly cool people and their work is amazing. Look up "bb-photo" online.
COMMENT 133923	2011-01-06 08:55 AM
kacie jean, kacie jean, kacie jean...unbelieveable!!!
COMMENT 133936	2011-01-06 09:25 AM
Nancy Neil is fantastic. She has done lots of photography for my family, including pregnancy photos and baby photos. I've seen her wedding portfolio and it's outstanding. www.lovenancyneil.com
AQUAHOLIC	2011-01-06 09:27 AM
I really enjoyed this thread and looking at the photographers websites....WOW, I wish these talented folks were around when we got married. The photos are just beautiful, many are simply stunning. You can also glean a lot of great wedding ideas by looking through the photos! Thanks for posting all the great info.
COMMENT 133952	2011-01-06 10:06 AM
We had a Brooks student do our wedding, it turned out great although we are pretty low maintenance. Matt Haines Photography shoots in SB and Ventura, and was voted best photographer in Ventura County the last two years: www.matthainesphotography.com
COMMENT 133960P	2011-01-06 10:19 AM
Monie Photography is the best deal in town! Monie really gets the candids best, and the price is insanely reasonable. She shot our wedding 5 years ago as well as some family portraits, and I don't think her rates have changed.
COMMENT 133968	2011-01-06 10:33 AM
Bill Boyd..local lovely man..great Photographer
COMMENT 134000P	2011-01-06 11:44 AM
There's a photographer in town we had a bad experience with, Kimberly Leonard/KJL Photography. She will charge you for a CD/DVD of your pics (which should allow you to purchase prints from the place of your choice) but then is SUPER pushy about you ordering prints off her Pictage site. She went so far to tell me that the CD was for my own personal use and my family should order prints off Pictage. She also flaked on a wedding just days before it happened leaving them scrambling to find somebody at the last minute. I would hate for anybody else to have a similar experience.
CALI4NIADEE	2011-01-06 11:47 AM
I agree with 133775 - I am getting married this July and have a DIY budget...photography does take a chunk of money!
COMMENT 134009	2011-01-06 12:03 PM
Hi there, My name is Angelina and I am a wedding photographer. I would love to document your wedding. I am professional and great to work with! My wedding site is lafemmephotography(dot)com Call or email me for more details! Have a great day, Angelina
COMMENT 134090	2011-01-06 03:25 PM
I love Bernd Zeugswetter's photography! I've seen many of his photos, and they are all absolutely stunning! Check him out at http://berndzeugswetter.com/
COMMENT 134164P	2011-01-06 06:15 PM
I highly recommend Clint Weisman at Clint Weisman Studio. www.clintweisman.com He did our daughters recent wedding and we were very impressed with the photos and the prices.
COMMENT 134269P	2011-01-07 08:37 AM
My friend had Emily Hart-Roberts for her wedding a few years ago and I was impressed...wanted to have her for my wedding too (but we ended up just having friends take pictures instead).
COMMENT 134311	2011-01-07 09:54 AM
Our wedding photographer, Kevin Steele, was amazing! He captures the essence of the day like no-one else and sees, through his lense, the "moments" that make the day special. His shots captured not only how special the day was for my husband and I, but for our guests as well. I highly recommend you check out his work - soooo good! Kevin Steele - 805-895-7868 or check out his website at kevsteele dot com (can't add a link, sorry!)
COMMENT 134779	2011-01-09 11:15 AM
I don't have a dog in this hunt, but as a semi-pro photographer, I would caution folks to remember that it usually takes more than a camera and a willing family member to capture the essence of a wedding day. Having Uncle Harry attempt to cover your wedding may or may not yield the result you're after. Has he done one before? Does he have a checklist of the "must have" photos that you only have one chance to get? Probably not. Will he be able to distance himself from the family enough to gather certain groups together in a timely manner for their shoot? What about when something goes wrong- error message in the camera? Did he bring the necessary backup equipment like a pro would do? Its a nice idea to save your hard earned money, but its also false economy to leave it to an amateur unless you're willing to roll the dice with the results. I doubt thats the case.
COMMENT 134806P	2011-01-09 12:14 PM
The recommendations for Brooks' students made me laugh. My mother hired a student from Brooks many years ago for my wedding. Shortly after the wedding, the student was shipped out to Vietnam (Navy) and took the negatives with him. We didn't get them until a year later and had to have them developed ourselves. The newspaper announcement of my wedding appeared on my first anniversary.
COMMENT 170478	2011-05-05 12:25 PM
First off I must disclose that I came across this thread (and site) because my name showed up in a google search. I don't know who posted that, but I appreciate it! I would like to comment on the question some have asked, along the lines of "why does a photographer charge more for a wedding than a portrait session?" To answer with another question: why do you charge your employer so much more for a week's worth of work, than you do for a day? I shoot both family portraits and weddings, so I can answer for experience. What some people might not be aware of is the amount of post-production work, as well as pre-production planning, that goes into each session. I estimate there is roughly a 7x to 10x multiplier…for every hour of actual shooting, I spend an additional 7 to 10 hours of planning, image editing, client meeting, interactions with my lab etc. (cont.)
EMI PHOTO	2011-05-25 09:45 PM
170478 said it well (though I never saw the continuation post) I've shot weddings and have never spent only three hours doing so. There were meetings ahead of time, formal shots take an hour and a half to set up lighting and test the exposure (not to mention the cost of the equipment) Rehearsal to see how the actual ceremony will be done ( you need to know where to stand BEFORE those key moments) Talking to whomever is performing the ceremony to find out their dos and donts, the ceremony, the reception and cake cutting, etc... Easily a 9 hour day with set up and breakdown. And generally I spend about an equal amount of time editing as I've spent shooting. I've shot kids parties too. Generally you show up, grab a bunch of candids, the cake shot and maybe a few posed groups and eat some cake. Much more relaxed, no suit and tie required and the event usually lasts about 2 hours. Its not reasonable to ask someone to bring 25K or more in camera equipt and spend a bunch of their time for $300. If you find someone willing to shoot for that you may well get what you paid for.