"Shanti’s remarkable talent comes from her life-long experience, immense passion, and impressive educational background, but these things alone are not what set her apart from all other photographers. It’s her one-of-a-kind personality and intimate process that make Shanti an absolute master of her profession."
-TIFFANY, BRIDE
Your wedding is so much more than one day. It's the full experience, from the moment you say "yes" until the evening you pour some bubbles to open your album together for the first time.
I'M YOUR WEDDING DAY ADVOCATE
It's my honor to be there every step of the way, from working with your planner to make sure we're all on the same page in terms of scheduling and timing, to helping you pick your favorites and design your album with my team.
Tradition is awesome because it connects us with those who have married before us— our parents and grandparents, and even our ancestors. But, just the same, a wedding day isn't complete without touches that are so personal, they couldn't possibly work for another couple.
... Plan their wedding days with an equal measure of tradition and personalization.
MY CLIENTS...
Yes, it's your wedding day, and we're going to treat it like exactly what it is: one of the most special days of your life. But we also know part of what makes a day special are the inimitable moments that can't be planned— sometimes known as snafus. But when we know those moments are ultimately part of the treasured memories of a day, we can laugh at them and enjoy them with as much pleasure as the "perfect" moments.
... Have a sense of humor.
MY CLIENTS...
NUMBERS
MY AGE WHEN I STARTED WORKING WEDDINGS AS MY PHOTOG FATHER'S ASSISTANT
By The
12
MY AGE WHEN I PHOTOGRAPHED MY FIRST WEDDING AS THE LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER
23
THe number of U.S. STATES I'VE TRAVELED TO FOR WORK... SO FAR
19
of couples i photograph DO FIRST LOOKS. here's why.
99%
THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF TIMES I MEET WITH COUPLES PRIOR TO THE WEDDING DAY
3
FLIGHTS I've taken IN the pAST YEAR
21
01. Discovery
When you first inquire about wedding photography, we'll schedule a discovery call, preferably via Zoom, to meet and chat and see if we feel like a good fit. I'm eager to hear your vision for your wedding day and what's important to the two of you as a couple.
02. Engagement Session
Soon after booking, I prefer to do an engagement session with every couple, even a little one. This is an important time for the three of us to learn more about each other and establish a dynamic before your wedding day. Oh, and we get awesome photos, too.
03. Planning time!
Even with a fantastic planner, there are dozens of decisions to be made in the wedding planning process. I make your photo planning easy with an online worksheet, and then I build a suggested shoot list for you to edit well in advance of your wedding. And we meet the week before your wedding to go over final details, so when your day arrives, you can be footloose and fancy-free.
04. The Big Day
I will arrive with my team (typically a second photographer and assistant) with a smile on my face and a timeline and shoot list in my hands, ready to capture this very, very important day. From your getting-ready space to the dance floor, we're your companions for the day.
05. Album design
When you receive your delivery of photos (via an online gallery), this is when we start the album design process. My designer creates a suggested layout, and we go back and forth until you're thrilled with the design.
06. Album delivery
You'll receive your custom-designed, archival, leather-bound album either in the mail or via hand-delivery (my preference, when possible)— an heirloom that will serve as a way to remember your wedding together for decades to come.
"Shanti’s remarkable talent comes from her life-long experience, immense passion, and impressive educational background, but these things alone are not what set her apart from all other photographers. It’s her one-of-a-kind personality and intimate process that make Shanti an absolute master of her profession. From the very beginning, Shanti immersed herself into our wedding planning journey as if it was her own. She brings contagious positivity, unique perspective, and thoughtful organization and professionalism on top of her extraordinary talent. I knew exactly what to expect on my wedding day, thanks to the carefully planned shot list and timeline Shanti delivered well in advance. Organization is essential on your wedding day, and Shanti goes above and beyond to protect every moment of your bliss. She just gets it! Her ability to bring our story to life is a treasured art we cherish every time we open our wedding album. Shanti’s photos transport us back to those very special moments so vividly, it’s like we’re reliving the best day of our lives all over again. For that, I am eternally grateful."
LOVE NOTES
-tiffany, bride
“Shanti helped our entire wedding day go smoothly. In addition to delivering excellence in each photograph and exhibiting continuous professionalism and tact, she made us feel so comfortable throughout the day. She gives specific, clear direction to those she’s photographing and takes control of even the most stressful situations. She’s flexible and can make any schedule change or delay work. Her friendly demeanor helps everyone to relax and feel comfortable being themselves. I would work with her again and again in the future!”
LOVE NOTES
-meredith, bride
“[Shanti and her team] made our day run smoothly and were a true pleasure to hang around with throughout the day. They were all very sensitive to our stresses, responded to requests as they came up, and were generally fun to hang around as we went through all the activities, greetings, and ceremony. It was so reassuring to see their friendly faces and it truly made us (and maybe especially me!) feel more calm and comfortable. I absolutely love the details photos and the shots of the cake— they are so special and really capture some of the more unique aspects of our wedding that will be fun to remember for years to come. We certainly would never have thought to include them without her creativity! The photos were great at capturing the spirit and look of our wedding and far exceeded our expectations (I know I didn't look that put together haha). Our family and friends loved looking at them and raved about them to us— everyone had different favorites, which was fun! We had a wonderful experience with Shanti as our wedding photographer. We felt so lucky to have her there!”
LOVE NOTES
-LOUISE, bride
“Shanti puts you at ease and captures beautiful moments from whatever shoot she is a part of... My wedding day was especially magical because of Shanti and I can’t thank her enough! I’ve also had the pleasure of knowing Shanti since high school. On top of being a talented photographer, she is a truly authentic person. Anyone would be lucky to have her as their photographer.”
LOVE NOTES
-KATIE, bride
“We began our search for a wedding photographer when my soon-to-be father-in-law received a sudden terminal cancer prognosis. Where we once had 8 months before our big day, we suddenly found ourselves with just three weeks to plan our wedding.
Of all of the items on the wedding checklist, choosing the photographer gave us the most anxiety. Because of the context of my father-in-law's health, we knew our wedding photos would take on an even greater meaning than a typical wedding. We also knew that, in his deteriorating condition, being able to capture our special moments with him would be much more difficult— both physically and emotionally.
We spoke to many photographers to make sure we got our decision right, but not one was as competent, compassionate, or talented as Shanti. She understood our needs, saw our vision for the day, and wasted no time. Through her incredible professionalism and humanity, Shanti completely raised the bar for what we thought we could expect from a wedding photographer.
Shanti earned our trust from the start through her willingness to dive into planning head-first. Shanti's deep expertise and know-how meant that we could rely on her not only to help us plan our shots, but also help us make broader decisions about the day that might typically be left for a wedding planner. She was our most trusted advisor throughout the planning process— never shy to give us her honest advice, and always respectful of our unique needs and wishes.
LOVE NOTES
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Never in my life has a plan come to fruition quite as smoothly as the wedding we put together with Shanti's help. When the day began, I was worried that our shot plan might have been too ambitious— because working with our family can be like herding cats. Shanti and her team were not phased for a second— true battle-hardened professionals. And while Shanti was ready to take charge to keep us on schedule for our posed shots, she was also incredibly skilled at giving the appropriate space and deference to natural moments.
Only when the day had passed and it came time to see our photo collection did we understand the total effect of Shanti's intuition and creativity. Shanti had expertly captured in our album all of the important shots we had planned for and envisioned. But in between the poses and key event were moments we didn’t even notice Shanti had caught— and whose honesty, intimacy, and unflinching candidness embodied the true spirit of our big day.
My wife and I joke that our family gained a member the day of our wedding— Shanti. That’s the trust we have in her. I don’t know how we would have planned the day without her. I don’t know how we would have captured the day without her. But I do know that, without her kindness, knowledge and sheer ability, the keepsake photos she gave to us would have only been captured as memories.”
LOVE NOTES
-elliot, groom
