Plan Your California Wedding: Vendors, Inspiration, & Expert Advice

Apollo did a fantastic job capturing our wedding in November in San Francisco. Andra and Melaina were with us every step of the way, capturing a full range of memories from posed portraits to candids with our guests to details of the venue. Our ceremony was indoors at night in low light, and Andra and Melaina worked with the lighting to create beautiful, dramatic pictures that we can’t wait to hang in our home. Apollo has tons of experience photographing weddings, and they have a very helpful structured process to follow in advance of the wedding day to ensure everything runs smoothly. As a couple, we aren’t super comfortable in front of a camera, but Andra and Melaina were helpful coaches and cheerleaders which made us much more at ease during the shoots. They also did a great job of planning for our venue and using their own artistic perspective to put us in locations that turned into amazing photos. If you’re looking for a great Bay Area wedding photographer, Apollo is an awesome choice!

It’s very rare that someone checks every box, and exceeds expectations, but Nayza has done just that. She’s talented, artistic, expert at her craft, visionary, an excellent collaborator, and provides a supportive/safe energy space for your true self to shine through her photography. All of these characteristics translate through the final product. We’ve used her 3 times so far, each for important milestones in our lives (engagement, wedding, birthday), and couldn’t have found anyone better. Her ideas, her photography skills, her editing skills, her energy, her genuine excitement for the craft, all combine for her to produce something ethereal, something so magical, that we are forever touched by. All these years I thought I wasn’t “photogenic” but really, the person photographing me couldn’t “see” me. Nayza has the ability to do that. To bring out something special in each photo. Her photos encapsulate the not only the physical environment, but the emotions felt as well. I see our engagement and wedding photos, and immediately feel the feelings I felt on that day. And did I mention her own emotions while shooting? She’s so excited and the best “hype man” anyone could ask for. She makes us feel beautiful, and secure in knowing that she’s going to catch us in our best moment, in our best light. I could go on, but I’m hitting this website’s word limit! Just know that she hits the target every single time, and we can’t wait to use her over and over (and over) again!

Where do I begin? Vivian photographed our September wedding in Sonoma and every picture is STUNNING! We love the portraits, but her candids is what really took things over the top. All of our guests look like they're glowing in her photos! She truly captured the joy of the day. I could not stop smiling scrolling through our gallery. She went above and beyond to include a photo of all of our guests. Vivian is super cool. She made sure everyone was comfortable and she kept things on time on the wedding day. We were tight one time, but she got my "getting ready" pictures done in minutes. You would never know by looking at them what a short timeframe she had. Vivian already had a strong working relationship with our wedding videographer. That partnership made things run smoothly from a logistical perspective, but more importantly showed how respected Vivian is in the industry. We're so happy we booked her for our big day!! You won't be disappointed working with Vivian.

Will was INCREDIBLE! I don't even know where to begin with our amazing engagement session. We chose to go with him after looking at his beautiful photos on Instagram and were so happy we did. Will was professional, communicative and knowledgable from the beginning. He booked an hour long Zoom session to get to know us and took the time to answer all of our questions during the months leading up to the session. He helped to build out our location and the exact spots we wanted to go to. He also helped tremendously with outfits, color scheme, props, etc. When it came to the actual photo shoot session, it was so much fun! This was our first photo shoot and Will made us feel comfortable. The session flowed so effortlessly and he spent more than enough time to make sure he captured everything and got all of the content he needed. When the full gallery came not even a month later we were shocked at how quickly we got the photos and so excited at how they turned out! The were absolutely STUNNING and captured exactly what we were hoping for. There are so many amazing photos I'm having trouble narrowing down what to use for my save the dates and wedding website! Will is not only extremely talented but I now consider him a friend! He was so accommodating and easy to get along with that it made our entire experience one that we will never forget.

From the moment we first talked to Amanda, her relaxed, funny, and warm personality instantly put us at ease. She is the perfect blend of professional and personable. Amanda fit right in with our friends and family on the wedding day, and somehow was everywhere at once to capture all the little moments we didn't even get to see. The photos she delivered are honest, artful and beautifully document our special day. She has a very light touch with posing and really let us just enjoy our day. We couldn't be happier with our wedding photos, and highly recommend Amanda to any couple looking for a talented, personable wedding photographer who is really fun to hang out with!

Alison was an absolutely wonderful photographer and a pleasure to work with. She was super communicative and clear about what to expect and made the process stress-free for us. Anyone lucky enough to work with her is in for a treat and will not regret it. The photographs were beyond perfect.

Danya has the vision for everything. She comes well prepared and has the timeline down to the minute. She had already photographed our wedding venue prior, so she knew all the spots that would really have us shine. We had an outfit change near the end of the session and she was so encouraging of it; she really got to capture the moment and the fun we had. Within three days, we had already gotten a sneak peek of some of the photos and they look amazing. Thank you so much Danya!

Alex is AMAZING! He did my elopement shoot on Oahu and turned out to completely flooding that week! Flash flood warnings all over the island, but that did not stop him from creating a vision! We jumped and stopped from spot to spot from east side, all the way to North Shore and curated the perfect elopement photos for my husband and I! He was absolutely so easy to work with so welcoming. One of the best photographers ever! My husband and I have decided when we do our wedding celebration that we will also be hiring him for our wedding Photographer. He will not disappoint you, you should hire him too. His craft is beautiful, timeless and unique. Truly the best! Thank you Alex! The Davis’s

Julia was wonderful to work with for our engagement session in SF! Due to weather we had to reschedule several times, but she was very flexible and the photos came out amazing once we finally got around to taking them. Thank you, we will cherish these sweet photos forever!

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful way to capture our wedding day. The photos and videos are absolutely brilliant and genuinely took our breath away. Looking through them, you can truly feel the love, joy and emotion from the day - it feels as if we’re reliving the whole story again. What makes Bruno’s work so special is his candid style. The photos never feel staged or forced, which makes them incredibly authentic. He captured so many real moments that we didn’t even realise were happening at the time, and it adds such a powerful storytelling element to the whole collection. It’s such a refreshing difference from the usual posed wedding photos. The images also have such a whimsical quality to them - almost like they belong in a fairytale world - which is exactly how the day felt to us. He managed to capture that atmosphere so beautifully. Bruno himself was an absolute joy to have around. He was exceptionally friendly, warm and professional, and made everyone feel completely at ease from the moment he arrived. We’re so grateful to have these memories documented so beautifully. Thank you for giving us such a wonderful collection of photos and videos we will treasure for the rest of our lives.

I cannot adequately express how wonderful it was to work with Heather. (And the bonus of her partner Mike!) She is incredibly communicative, so thoughtful (picked up my bouquet and delivered it to me, brought water and snacks for us, gifted us a Polaroid, brought towels to cover our car so I could change into my 2nd dress at the very end for our dinner, list goes on…), eager to help or provide input where we needed it, and allowed us slightly camera shy couple to feel completely at ease during our big day. Oh, she was also great about telling us to turn our heads or change up positions depending on the lighting…it was a very sunny day and she has a good eye for putting people in the best lighting possible. We had a whopping 964 photos and an adorable gif in our final gallery. I tried to reduce our gallery down in size to a “favorites” portfolio and was only able to half the size, but am slowly chipping away at it - it’s a wonderful problem to have. They are stunning. I sent an email to Heather recently that captured how we felt about our gallery and our experience and I can’t find better words to express our sentiments: “This gallery really warmed our hearts. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for the vibe of our big day, for being present without our phones knowing you’d capture all the feels. We got to do everything in a way that was authentic to who we are and that is such a freeing feeling that is completely priceless. Every time I come back to our gallery to add more to my favorites, I feel that gratitude all over again.” It’s impossible to pick favorites for this review, but I sure will try! Update…I already can tell as I’m posting this that I’m missing some favorites, but I hope this helps anyone considering Heather to document something important to them. Her energy is calming and fun. I found her prices to be very competitive.

My fiancé and I hired Ash for our engagement photos and they came out beautifully! She is the sweetest and was such a pleasure to work with! My fiancé and I completely trusted her guidance! She was so helpful with directing us on how to pose! And I mean the pictures speak for themselves!

Working with the Kape team was one of the best wedding planning decisions we made. Not only are their photos beautiful, but they are incredibly professional, responsive, and easy to work with when planning an international destination wedding with an incredibly busy schedule. Juan and Lu went out of their way to pick up my bouquet the morning of our wedding on their way to us, and they arrived 30 minutes early just because. They directed us with such ease while taking our photos and were so fun to work with - I felt that they were a part of our celebration not just documenters of it. So grateful for them and the amazing work they do capturing people’s happiest day!

We met Teri back in 2018 when she was working my sisters wedding. Not only was she highly recommended by my sister, we also got to see her in action before we became engaged. We started planning our wedding in 2019 right before Covid started. At a time when weddings were getting cancelled or postponed Teri was super professional and was extremely flexible during this time. We've had the pleasure of getting to know Teri over the last few years not just because we had to postpone our wedding but because she's so easy to work with. We had an engagement shoot and we were both blown away at how many spots she had previously scouted before we arrived. Taking photos can be awkward but we felt so at ease with Teri behind the camera. Her sense of humor will get you to laugh and it shows in our photos. It was a completely natural experience. During our wedding, both Teri and her assistant Dan captured every special moment. They were great at giving direction while also making it all feel so natural. We highly recommend Teri for any and all photography!

Michael shot my husband and Is wedding in October of 2025, and I am continually looking back and finding new things about each photo I adore. Michael truly captured the beauty of our special day, not just aesthetically (which is a given) but in his ability to capture the beauty of each moment and each relationship.

We recently had the pleasure of working with Pro Boda for our destination wedding in Valle de Guadalupe in Baja California, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. From the very beginning, Selene and her Team demonstrated exceptional professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail. They took the time to understand our vision and turned it into a reality that exceeded our expectations. The planning process was seamless, thanks to Pro Boda's expertise and organization. They handled everything—from venue selection to coordinating with local vendors—with grace and efficiency. Their knowledge of the Baja region was invaluable, as they introduced us to stunning locations and unique touches that made our wedding truly amazing. On the big day, Selene, Aaron, and the rest of team ensured that everything ran smoothly. We were able to relax and enjoy every moment, knowing that we were in capable hands. Our guests were equally impressed by the flawless execution, attention to detail and the beautiful ambiance. If you're considering a wedding in Baja California, we wholeheartedly recommend Pro Boda. Their dedication and passion for creating unforgettable events are unmatched. Thank you for making our dream wedding a reality!

One of my favorite memories from our wedding day and all of the planning up to the big day was our interactions with Michele. From the moment we met her, we felt this genuine connection, and could not stop smiling after our introduction. I figured, we picked a venue, have our wedding outfits and a guest list, that is all we need, right? Well, if we didn't have Michele and her amazing team, I would have been a deer in headlights! Every conversation with her, you learn a little bit more about yourself. Her attention to details, understanding who you are individually and as a couple shines in her work. I don't have much of a creative eye, I didn't know what florals to choose or colors, all I had was a vision, inspired by my childhood. Michele brought it to life. Over the years, I have heard my friends say "Make sure you enjoy your big day" or "I wish I had time to enjoy the big day, I was so stressed out". Michele, because of you, we were able to enjoy every moment of our week long celebration. Thank you for all of the emotional support, the comforting eye contact and reminding me to take deep breaths. You kept us on schedule and made sure we had moments to ourselves to take it all in! Michele truly enjoys what she does and it shows. As I look back at our wedding photographs, I love seeing all the little details, representing us. She plays with creativity and makes dreams come true! Big moments in life truly take a village, and thank you for being part of ours. Thank you for always keeping in touch even after the wedding, and being part of our lives.

Kate did ALL the florals for my July 2023 wedding and I cannot tell you how many compliments I received about my florals. My vision was a timeless wedding with white florals, pops of blue, orchids and roses. Her and her team absolutely killed it. We had a mock trail at Terranea and she wow'd me there, so I was super excited for the actual wedding day. Her and her team showed up on time and all my flowers were super FRESH. She simply blew me away. Thank you, Kate. Every detail was perfect.

They filmed our Tahoe wedding, I was recommended them by a friend to book them. It came out perfect! Clean edits, great music, and they made the whole day amazing. I would definitely recommend them again, great guy. I left a review on google, but I'll also leave one here because they're killer!

Bruno is the kind of photographer you don’t only hire for his skill but for the vibes. You instantly feel the passion he has for his profession. Bruno told us, that he would not only accompany but be a part of our wedding - and he meant it. It feels as if you’re having a friend around. We were looking for a cinematic style for our wedding photos and were more than happy to have found Bruno. Don’t expect staged pictures with family and friends but authentic emotions captured in photographs. When looking through the pictures, we truly feel the magic of that special day again. Thank you, Bruno.