Out of all our vendors, Joy was by far the best investment. The pictures are so beautiful and I am so amazed that she was able to capture the magic I felt all day long. I have a HUGE family (several siblings who are all married and all have multiple kids) and Joy did such a great job coordinating all the pictures, as well as capturing my relationship with my family members. She is definitely a professional. The quality of her images speak for themselves, as well as our interactions with her before our big day. She was responsive and very clear about what we can expect from her work, as well as being clear on what she needed from us.
I was largely planning the wedding by myself, and Joy went above and beyond her role as the photographer. She helped me with the timeline for the day. And when things did not go as planned, Joy adjusted quickly and helped me figure out how to get everything done.
I truly cannot sing her praises enough. You will NOT regret hiring her for your wedding!
Grace T.
5.0
Joy was excellent to work with! She provided professionalism and support leading up to and date of the wedding. Her sneak peaks came back so fast and we are so in love with the photos! She was truly amazing to work with! We cannot wait to see the full gallery!
Gabby W.
5.0
About this vendor
Joy
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (14X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
We are excited to offer ALL DAY photography AND iPhone videography/content creation packages. As the owner and lead photographer/videographer and editor of A Moment of Joy Photography, I have over 15 years of experience photographing over more than 1000 weddings. We have two teams each with two photographers and one videographer to be available for your amazing wedding. I am the editor of all photo and video taken to ensure a cohesive look that stays consistent with the photos you see here, on our website and socials.
We describe our photography as beautiful light and airy and lens flary and our videography as candidly, behind the scenes feel! We will document every moment of the wedding from getting dressed until final exit. Our relaxed style helps you feel not posed but at the same time guided through the couple photos. Our fun styling of the wedding party will have you laughing through the photos. And our quick efficient way of getting through your family photos will have everyone singing our praises!
We understand that choosing a photography team is an important part of how you'll remember and share your wedding day for years to come. From the simple way you hold each other to the way you smile, we would be honored to capture every emotion of your big day.
These are the captured memories that will be passed down to your children, and your grandchildren and the generations to come. How would you want them to envision this day? Let us be a part of telling your beautiful story!
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Hall of Fame
Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Showing slide number 1 out of 5
Joy
Owner / Lead Photographer/ Content Creator
Me in 200 characters…I’ve been a photographer my whole life. I have over 1000 career wedding under my belt!
I love weddings! Every single thing about them. When little, instead of counting sheep, I was posing my future kids with matching clothes for photos in my head!!!
I started out photographing weddings on a whim, my aunt gave me her camera and said you take good pictures, photograph my wedding and that was it! I was a natural! I love wedding songs, wedding toasts, watching first looks on Instagram.
When I'm not working, I’ll you’ll find me in pjs with candles lit drinking a chai tea lattes or drinking Moscato with my girl friends!
Dina
Lead Photographer
Joy and Dina started A Moment of Joy Photography together after photography school and have shot over 1000 weddings together! Dina lead and second shoots weddings.
Ashley
Photographer
Ashley has worked with A Moment of Joy Photography for over 10 years. She is a second shooter for both Joy and Dina.
Alyssa
Photographer and Content Creator
Alyssa has been working with A Moment of Joy Photography for over 7 years.
Drew
Content Creator
Drew is our content creator, she does iPhone video for our clients.
Reviews
4.9
out of 5.0
144 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Reviewers rave about this photographer and team for delivering beautiful, candid, and timeless wedding and engagement photos. They’re praised for professionalism, clear communication, fast delivery, and going above and beyond—helping with timelines, coordinating large families, and adapting to weather. Clients felt supported and highly recommend them.
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Renee D
Highlighted review.
5.0
Joy is a wonderful person and an amazing photographer, and we could not have been happier to have her photograph our wedding and engagement.
Joy is professional, yet so much fun t...
o work with. My husband (then fiancé) and I were nervous during our engagement photoshoot, but Joy made us feel comfortable and relaxed, and we had so much fun. After that and receiving our beautiful photos, we knew we had the right person to capture all of the special moments for our big day! Joy’s photographs are beautiful and she captures the candid moments as well. She also provides a large variety of photos and timely, and has great communication, which is a important for a bride and groom.
I would absolutely hire her for any future special occasion photographs and highly recommend her. As I reflect back, she wasn’t just a photography vendor, she makes you feel like a friend.
Grace T
5.0
Out of all our vendors, Joy was by far the best investment. The pictures are so beautiful and I am so amazed that she was able to capture the magic I felt all day long. I have a HU...
GE family (several siblings who are all married and all have multiple kids) and Joy did such a great job coordinating all the pictures, as well as capturing my relationship with my family members. She is definitely a professional. The quality of her images speak for themselves, as well as our interactions with her before our big day. She was responsive and very clear about what we can expect from her work, as well as being clear on what she needed from us.
I was largely planning the wedding by myself, and Joy went above and beyond her role as the photographer. She helped me with the timeline for the day. And when things did not go as planned, Joy adjusted quickly and helped me figure out how to get everything done.
I truly cannot sing her praises enough. You will NOT regret hiring her for your wedding!
Any questions?
Gabby W
5.0
Joy was excellent to work with! She provided professionalism and support leading up to and date of the wedding. Her sneak peaks came back so fast and we are so in love with the pho...
tos! She was truly amazing to work with! We cannot wait to see the full gallery!
Taylor R
5.0
Joy's company is appropriately named because "joyful" perfectly describes our experience with her. Having nice photos of our wedding was super important to me because we do not hav...
e many photos of us generally—especially good ones—and I have no idea what to do when a camera points at me. When we took our engagement photos, Joy made the entire process so easy and fun that I actually enjoyed it. And looking at the wedding pictures, she captured so much more than a couple of poses. My favorite thing about Joy is her knack for getting wonderful organic moments on camera. Of course, you get the beautiful photos of everyone looking at the camera & posed to perfection but you also get that candid shot of you laughing hysterically at your future spouse's joke or that look of pure love that they flash your way when you're not looking. Joy didn't just give us memories of our day she captured the magic in it. I'm so beyond grateful that we found her and can't recommend her enough.
Melanie M
5.0
Joy did an amazing job with our pictures. I love our family photos and how my tattoo photo with my mom and dad turned out. I love all of my pictures!!! She went above for me and ga...
ve me a flash drive with my pictures, after she gave me the dropbox email. She did an amazing job and we all had such a great time with her ♡
Thomas S
5.0
My photos are sooooo beyond perfect. They’re phenomenal. I could not have asked for better, and I am indescribably thrilled I found A Moment of Joy. Dina did a flawless job and cap...
tured our happiest day better than I could have imagined. We cried, we laughed, and we loved reliving that day. Thank you both so much, everything is perfect! I’m truly at a loss for words. No words can describe the love I have for how that day was captured. Frozen in time, perfect, and flawless. I’m stunned, amazed, and forever grateful.
Sheree W
5.0
Joy is absolutely the best. She goes above and beyond in every way you can imagine. And as a bride, there are things you are going to need that you never dream you are going to nee...
d and she was there for me for every one of them. We were lucky enough to get to work with her daughter for the video component and that just completed the trifecta! Love! love! love! and so highly recommend!
Brandon
5.0
We love Joy & team ! Professional and thorough; we relied on them to capture our best moments and they delivered no doubt!! We couldn't have asked for more. Thank you Joy!
Anonymous
5.0
Joy and Dina were amazing to work with! They worked very well with our big crazy families which is not for the weak! Our photos were above excellence! I would recommend these talen...
ted ladies to anyone!
Faith
5.0
Amazing amazing job! Me and my husband couldn’t be happier with how our photos turned out! Joy really captures the authenticity in every moment photographed!
Gillian D
3.0
Candids were great, but portraits were all the same pose and off center with weird cropping. Overall there many photos I loved but also some that are not so great. And I only got o...
ne of the many special poses that I requested ahead of time.
Dena was very nice and fun to work with but I didn’t find that she suggested many poses causing our portraits to be kinda boring.
Alyssa B
5.0
Joy was absolutely AMAZING. So far we’ve only done the engagement photo shoot, but she worked really well with our crazy schedules and picked the PERFECT location based on what we ...
said we wanted. She got the photos back to us pretty quickly and they all turned out so well! I can’t wait for the wedding photos!
Beth P
5.0
Joy was wonderful!!!!! She got all the photos we wanted plus more!!!! She was able to get my large, loud family together for pictures easily!! It was a very hot October day (100 de...
grees!) but that didn’t slow her down! She worked so hard to get amazing photos. You can’t even tell in pictures that it was so hot!! I’m so glad we had Joy at our wedding!!
Rebecca B
5.0
Joy did an amazing job capturing our wedding day! From getting ready to walking down the aisle, to dancing, she caught moments we didn't realize were there until looking back on ph...
otos. Her team was very professional and did an outstanding job working with our large and chaotic families.
Joseph D
5.0
Joy was amazing to work with throughout our process, from consultation, to our engagement shoot, and our wedding day!
Sarah T
5.0
I found Joy via the knot when searching for wedding photographers. I was drawn to her light, bright & airy photos. Working with her was great. She was available & communicative bef...
ore & after the wedding. Shortly after we got our photos back from the wedding I was traveling & my seatmate saw one of the photos on my iPad background & commented what a beautiful photo it was. Everyone else I’ve shown the photos to has made similar remarks. Overall I’m very pleased with Joy & her work.
Mariah B
5.0
She was amazing!!! I showed her our inspiration pictures and they turned out better than I could even imagine.
Rebecca B
5.0
They made everything so easy and the pictures came out absolutely beautiful. We are so thankful that our treasured memories were captured so well!
Jessica Y
5.0
When I was looking for a wedding photographer I was very nervous because my husband and I are not very photogenic. Joy and her team were amazing and made it easy for us to connect ...
naturally.
Vanessa B
5.0
Joy was amazing to work with, and was on top of it from the very start. She followed all things we wanted and even more. The first half of our photos it was raining and she did ev...
erything she could to make it the best. We have so many amazing photos and she captured so many special moments. She didn’t miss a thing and we could t have asked for more.
Brooke C
5.0
Joy was an absolute JOY to work with! 😍 from engagement photos to our wedding day, she was always available to answer questions and really did her homework when it came to realizi...
ng my vision for my photos. As well as knowing the best locations and lighting for our shots on the day! We got our GORGEOUS pictures in a timely manner less than 8 weeks after our wedding day and her and her assistant took so many, I’m STILL going through them. My husband does not like being photographed and she managed to capture him so beautifully, I am so beyond grateful for all her hard work and would absolutely recommend her to work with for your wedding, family portraits and even boudoir photos! 🥰
Romero A
5.0
Easy to work with, charismatic, and great pricing!
Lyla R
5.0
Joy and her team were a JOY to work with! Professional, good communication through the entire process! Will recommend to everyone!
Mikayla S
5.0
We loved everything about our wedding day! So glad we chose A Moment of Joy to capture it all!
Lia H
5.0
Joy was an absolute pleasure to work with and her photos are everything I could've ever wanted for our wedding! Joy and her Co photographer were awesome at capturing everything at ...
different angles. Her price was perfect, and her professionalism is one of the many things that sold us on her as our wedding photographer! I have recommended her to everyone I know!
Morgan C
3.0
I was super excited about choosing Joy as my photographer this year. The price was great for getting two photographers without a time cap. The one complaint I have is that she wasn...
’t really “joyful” to be around. For all the intimate moments during your wedding I would have fathered have someone that was friendly and excited to be there. It more felt like she was just harshly telling us how to pose and just get it over with. Overall, my pictures are great just wish she was more enjoyable to be around.
Rebekah G
5.0
I absolutely loved Joy and Ashley, our wedding was last night and I couldn't have asked for a better photographer. She was more than accommodating and gave excellent directions. Th...
ey both worked quickly and efficiently with us. 10/10 will update again when I receive our photos😊
Annalee L
5.0
Joy was so easy to work with and made it really fun for me and my husband.
She communicated well with us and understood what we wanted and we are so very happy with everything!!! ...
We also got so much more photos captured with her assistant there, especially with our large bridal party of 16
Thank you Joy for being such a joy to work with on our special day!!!!
Jaquilynn R
5.0
Joy was our wedding photographer this last summer in Wilton, CA and of course, we were so in love with her work! I am fortunate enough to know Joy first as my cousin but when we go...
t engaged I was so excited to ask her to be our photographer. We had eloped the year before and wanted to still have a small wedding/reception with just our family and close friends so knowing Joy so well, I knew she would be the best fit, making it a very intimate day. I was also 21 weeks pregnant at the time and with having a large tummy and swollen feet, I was very thankful for Joy being so organized, making the day run smoothly and efficiently, while allowing us to enjoy the day and have time with our family and friends. We couldn’t be more happy with our wedding day with Joy and photos!
Lauren V
5.0
Joy is wonderful! I loved her ability to quickly direct our entire wedding party and an indecisive bride and groom. Her and her assistant also were amazing with my 1 year old! Joy ...
was awesome to work with and our pictures turned out AMAZING. I would 100% recommend Joy. High quality all around without breaking the bank.
Devin H
5.0
We found a Moment of Joy Photography just one week before our wedding! Joy helped make the day just perfect! Her calm demeanor helped me feel comfortable and her friendly persona...
lity was welcoming. We were impressed with how quickly and efficiently she did family photos after the ceremony. She captured each moment of our day. The photos are just beautiful! We appreciate her flexibility with our timeline and have booked another photo session with her.
Alexia Y
5.0
She was absolutely amazing. She took care of all our needs, made a timeline and stuck with it! She helped with posing and all my needs on wedding day. She was timely with sending t...
he pictures and they were everything we could have hoped for!
Katie B
5.0
Joy is the BEST!!! She made my husband and I feel so comfortable while taking pictures, which we aren’t used to doing, and was so easy to work with from the very beginning. Our eng...
agement and wedding photos exceeded my expectations and I’m so thankful we have the pictures we do for the rest of our lives. You won’t regret hiring her for any occasion
Noelia A
5.0
Absolutely a JOY to work with! Joy and her second photographer, Dina were amazing in capturing my day! Joy communicated with us and established a timeline but didn’t make us feel ...
pressured to stick to anything! She is silly and so much fun to work with and took amazing shots of the entire day. Very professional with our agreement on payment, scheduling of when our photos would arrive, etc. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience with a photographer. Joy and Dina are the best and will prove it through their lenses. Thank you ladies!!!
Dionne R
5.0
Joy is the best! I attended a wedding that she shot years ago and when I had my own wedding to plan I asked my friends for her number and booked her right away. Her communication t...
hroughout the months leading up to my wedding was fantastic. She responded quickly to all my emails. She was critical in planning how the day would flow overall, and was very flexible. The day of came, Joy and her assistant arrived early and ready. Both were super helpful and kind to this nervous bride! Joy took what I wanted from my wedding pictures and made it happen. I've received my sneak peaks and can say I absolutely LOVE them! I can't wait to see all the rest. Joy like I said at the top of this review, you are the BEST! Thank you so much 💓 💗
Clair G
5.0
Joy was so wonderful! She got to the venue in the midst of our getting ready chaos and knew exactly where to start. Her team got straight to business and they were able to capture ...
special moments during that time. Throughout the entire day she was so helpful, knowledgeable, and encouraging during each stage. Her organization throughout the entire process was top notch. We would recommend her to any and all couples planning their big day!
Melanie H
5.0
Joy was amazing to work with for my fall October wedding. She was helpful making sure everyone knew what to do and when which made the day go smoothly and ensure everything special...
was captured. The photos turned out beautiful and I plan to hire Joy in the future for photos. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding photographer!
Marjorie M
5.0
Joy is amazing, I renewed my wedding vows and she took amazing pictures. Joy is reliable and knows how to capture each moment. I loved my pictures when I got them back and the w...
ork she did showed how dedicated she is to her clients and making their wedding day special.
Jessica W
5.0
Joy and her second photographer Dina were AMAZING!! She was accommodating, helpful, kind and understanding regarding my family dynamics. With her guidance we got all the shots we w...
anted including some with our bows (and she even put herself in a precarious position!) I've referred friends and will continue to use her for future photography needs.
Ashley R
5.0
We couldn't have asked for a better photographer! A Moment of Joy came highly recommended by two friends who had used her a few years prior, and it was an instant yes for us on our...
first phone call with us. Communication was so easy through the entire process prior to our wedding, and Joy was so helpful with directing us on the day of our wedding, while making the whole process fun! Even telling me to rest my face when my smile started to look strained haha. Our photos came out stunning, and will be so cherished for the rest of our lives.
Kristen M
5.0
Joy was AMAZING from the first reply to me about availability for my wedding date to getting me a good handful of pictures only FOUR weeks after our wedding so we could send out th...
ank you and Christmas cards with wedding pictures on them. Joy kept in contact with me leading up to the big day and knew everything I was looking for. Her and her second photographer Deena kept everything smooth the day of and did a great job with the rowdy men we had in the wedding party ha. I am blown away at the quality of the photos and they are so much better than I expected! I highly recommend Joy for your wedding. You will not be disappointed!!
Samantha G
5.0
Absolutely love working with Joy and Dina. Joy has been phenomenal helping me deal the whole COVID nonsense this year. She helped me fix my hair, Dina fixed my now husbands busted ...
button on his jacket, and Dina also did my bustle. If you want photographers who will go above and beyond for you book Joy and Dina. They made my heart so happy the day of the wedding. They’re great with communication leading up to the wedding. I never had to follow up with Joy about anything because she was very prompt in responding. We did our engagement photos with Joy and loved those products, now I can’t wait to see our official wedding pictures!
Chelsea S
5.0
Joy was a pleasure to work with! She was very flexible during this COVID time. The photos were back to us in an easy to use and organized flashdrive. Tons of photos-even for an elo...
pement! Very happy with the quality and service!
Izzy F
5.0
Joy shot our wedding on the 28th December 2019 at Smith Flat House, Placerville. She also did our engagement photos in July 2019. Joy by name, Joy by nature, she truly was a JOY to...
work with! She even taught my family some dance moves whilst I was getting ready :) So easygoing yet professional, as well as flexible and accommodating. Joy is very good at working with 'blended' families, whipping people in and out of our formal shots so smoothly and quickly that people didn't even realise what was happening. The photos came out so beautiful and there are so many! We absolutely love them and so do our family and friends. We would absolutely recommend her and can't wait to work with her again!
Magen E
5.0
A Moment of Joy Photography is hands down my first choice for any event needed when we have to take pictures. Joy took my senior portraits when I was in high school and also my wed...
ding photos in 2018. Not only does she take amazing pictures but she is so easy to work with. The pictures for our wedding turned out better than I could have ever imagined, there was so much chaos and she still managed to take great pictures. She caught moments on camera that Will forever be part of my living room wall. Thank you Joy for all of your hard work and dedication. I would recommend her over and over again.
Derrich W
5.0
We could not have asked for a better experience. We loved working with Joy. We would recommend her to anyone.
Rhonda S
5.0
Joy photographed my daughter's wedding with impeccable attention to detail, and the result is literally breath taking! My daughter woke up with the flu on her wedding day, and Joy ...
was incredibly understanding and compassionate; most impressive of all, she was still able to perfectly capture my daughters beauty and excitement on the most important day off her life. Joy is the consummate professional, and her photos are a work of art. At the end of the day, what we are left with is memories and pictures, and I am so glad we entrusted ours to Joy!
Esther W
5.0
Joy is extremely easy to work with and her work is beautiful. She kept us on track with time and kept us laughing along the way. Joy delivered on every promise. She was recommended...
to us by my brother-in-law and we would highly recommend her to others.
Lovie A
5.0
There isn’t enough time or enough great things to say about Joy. She went far above what is expected from a photographer. She helped keep my wedding flowing. When she noticed that ...
I was stressed and my family wasn’t listened. She simply asked “do you have me to handle this?” And she did. She was attentive to me and made sure my wedding was a beautiful day for me. When I lost my wedding photos, she quickly mailed another copy to me. Would I hire her again? ABSOLUTELY!!!! If you want a great person and photographer, hire Joy. I never write reviews but she deserves it.
Anika N
5.0
Joy is awesome! She showed up with a smile and ready for action, even though my ceremony was at my grandparent’s place out in the boonies! We had so much fun taking all of our pict...
ures and they all turned out fantastic. I would 100% choose Joy again if I were doing this all over again!
Service area & Contact info
All Northern Ca,Elk Grove, All Northern Ca,Elk Grove, CA
