Most brides think about their photographer in the first stage of planning their wedding. Securing the photographer you want is as important as securing the venue that you want! Top professional wedding photographers are in high demand and couples often have to book their photographer years in advance.
Choosing your photographer depends on more than just availability. It also depends on the style that you want for your wedding album. Different photographers specialize in different styles of photography and they each have their own signature approach to wedding day photography.
We’ve scoured the United States to find our 15 favorite wedding photographers and here they are…
Abigail Lewis
As a destination wedding photographer, Abigail Lewis is accustomed to working in unknown situations. Her calm approach creates stunning images of weddings in any and every exotic location. She is excellent at what some term “in the moment” photography, with her brides commenting that they barely noticed Abigail on the day! The images are equally important as the on-the-day experience and Abigail trends the line between present and invisible better than anyone.
Blake Nelson
Blake Nelson is a self-taught New York-based wedding photographer with a passion for both digital and film photography. He draws inspiration from a range of sources including film, fashion, and music, which means he creates relevant, unique, and enriching photography. By using a mix of black & white and color photography, Blake Nelson creates beautiful wedding albums with genuine feeling and emotional intelligence that few photographers can capture.
Cara Mia
Cara Mia has traveled the world, taking her unique photography style with her. From her base in the states, she’s traveled to Turkey, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Spain, Qatar, and more. Her photography is a long way from classic wedding photography so Cara Mia is a great choice for modern couples who want to avoid tradition completely. This does not mean your wedding album won’t be authentic and genuine, it just means you won’t see any classic shots.
Casi Yost
Blending genuine romance with an editorial edge, Casi Yost manages to capture the moments that matter without sticking to the traditional styles of wedding photography. Casi Yost believes that couples should be guided through their wedding photography experience feeling happy, comfortable, and completely at ease with the process. She aims to capture genuine human connection and this goes beyond just the bride and groom on their wedding day.
Charlotte Jenks Lewis
Charlotte Jenks Lewis is an artist. Her honest approach to photography means her shots are charged with the emotion of the wedding day. From little moments between a bride and her father to the laughs of guests and the secret looks between the wedding party, Charlotte Jenks Lewis encapsulates these moments into a comprehensive, moving wedding album. She is a wonderful choice for a wedding photographer and all of her couples have attested to how at ease they feel putting the photography on their day in Charlotte’s hands.
John & Joseph
If you’re looking for a wedding photographer to the stars, then John & Joseph is the right choice for you. Having been hired to shoot the weddings and private events of some of the biggest celebrities in Hollywood, John & Joseph know how to elevate wedding photography to a level that few can match. John & Joseph has been featured in over 33 industry-leading publications including People, HELLO!, and Brides.
Jose Villa
Jose Villa is a fine art photographer and he brings that craft to the fast-paced world of wedding photography. His awareness of fine art photography principles allows Jose Villa to craft beautiful images that fuse elegance with vibrance and capture honest and candid interactions at one of the most important days in the wedding couple’s lives. Jose Villa was named one of the Best Wedding Photographers by Martha Stewart Weddings, Harper's Bazaar, Style Me Pretty, and Vogue.
Kaley from Kansas
Kaley from Kansas has a unique wedding photography aesthetic. She captures those small, emotional moments in a wedding that disappear in a quick second. Her albums capture the meaning of every fleeting moment in an artful and creative way. Her passion for editorial photography informs her family-style wedding photography and leaves her couples with images they will cherish for the rest of their lives.
Kelly Brown
With over 10 years of industry experience, Kelly Brown has a background in photojournalism which allows her to capture moments that other photographers might miss. She has a natural yet refined approach to photography and her couples feel at ease with her at the helm behind the camera on their special day.
Kristen Marie Parker
Kristen Marie Parker wants to capture the small wedding moments that the bride and groom will remember forever. These intimate exchanges can only be captured by a photographer that knows and respects the intricacies of loving relationships. Kristen Marie Parker has worked at weddings from 2 to 500 people, so she has experience in capturing the essence of every type of wedding celebration.
Melissa Marshall
Melissa and Josh make up the photography duo behind the Melissa Marshall name. As a couple that has been married for years, they both understand the stress of a wedding day. They know the moments that they need to capture and they understand the principles of photography perfectly which creates beautiful images. They use natural light, varying perspectives, and unexpecting approaches to build an album that you will cherish forever.
Montana Lee Photography
Montana Lee specializes in elopement and documentary wedding photography. In recent years, photographers have taken a step away from traditional ideas of what wedding photography should look like and Montana Lee is a great example of this. She cares about how you feel on your wedding day and this is something that few photographers mention. Her photography style rests on the bride and groom feeling comfortable, because she is an expert in capturing emotionally charged, moving images.
Norman & Blake
Norman & Blake is a photographer duo made up of Shannen Norman and Emily Blake. Combined, Shannen and Emily have over 20 years of experience and they’ve traveled the world capturing everything from the most intimate to the most opulent weddings. They’re just as at home in France and Greece as they are in New York. Having two photographers with different aesthetic perspectives on your special day makes for unforgettable wedding albums with every moment captured and preserved forever.
Phil & Sara
Phil & Sara are a husband and wife duo made up of Phil Chester and Sara Byrne. They are based in Los Angeles and their photography style perfectly captures the bohemian vibe of California weddings. Their images capture the fun and freedom of weddings without surrendering the emotion and meaning that wedding photography needs. Authenticity is a big part of Phil & Sara’s photography aesthetic.
Samm Blake
Samm Blake is an Australian photographer living in New York City. She has a background in both photojournalism and fine art creation, which means she combines the ability to capture key moments while ensuring she also does so in a stylish and elegant manner. Her work has been featured in iconic publications including Vogue, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Harper’s Bazaar. Samm is an authentic photographer with a love of emotionally-charged photography.
