Arika Mendenhall Photography

Our guests are still talking about how Arika was the best photographer they've ever worked with. Her photos are STUNNING, and she is so sweet and kind. I flip through our wedding photo preview daily because I'm so obsessed with how they turned out. Thank you, Arika!!

Arika is such an amazing photographer! My family and I have used her for so many shoots including our wedding, pregnancy announcement, maternity shoot and, will likely request her services for future celebratory life events! She has such a great eye; her composition skills are phenomenal! The way she works with light is breathtaking! And to top it all off, she’s such a joy to work with. Our last shoot together, I was heavily pregnant and Arika made the shoot a delightful one - she was patient, understanding and made working with her stress free and comfortable. She is highly recommended!!

Arika is a total photography whiz! Her eye for detail and creative skills are seriously impressive. Plus, she's not just your regular photographer – she's like that cool, super-talented friend who captures moments like pure magic. Arika's photos are like art, and the whole shoot feels like hanging out with a friend who just happens to be amazing with a camera!

If you’re on the hunt for a fantastic wedding photographer, Arika is the one to choose! Basically she is THE one you want to have for your wedding day experience. Not only is she such an incredibly kind person to work with but also she’s super professional, a hard-worker and she has a natural instinct for photography and understands the craft without it feeling contrived and rehearsed. For my wedding day, she was very observant and was able to roll with the punches (first looks location had to change on the spot) and still produce quality work. Also to mention, as a bride you would hope you’d be having the perfect morning, where everything is going smoothly but I was having a less than ideal morning and she helped me not to feel bad about it because who wants to look upset during any wedding photos. But she came through and helped me feel at ease and it eventually i was able to be more of myself as the day went on. With that said, she works well under pressure but also is very calm in your presence and doesn’t make you feel any extra stress. Something that was important to me was to have photos that didn’t feel overly staged but still grand and special . She was able to accomplish that but still make them feel like natural and candid moments. Our day consisted of the the whole package-the getting ready, first looks, family pictures, ceremony, couples pictures, cocktail hour, and the reception-and everything looked absolutely beautiful. Any time we show people our wedding photos, their mouths always drop because they’re just that stunning. Truly. And im not just saying that because they’re our photos. The lighting and composition are just so effortless, that we feel so fortunate and grateful to have had her as our photographer. We’ve had a crazy busy year of life, so we haven’t had a chance to compile our wedding album just yet , but I’m so excited to do that soon, even though it will be difficult to choose favorites because there are just too many. If you’re in the middle of deciding on a photographer, Arika is the one to choose. She has your back and she’ll make you feel absolutely beautiful for your special day. 10/10 experience hands down.

Arika is the BEST. All we had to do was tell her our vision and she ran with it! Our wedding photography is heirloom quality. If you are on the fence, don't be, book her right away!

I can't say enough wonderful things about the work Arika does. She is incredibly attentive to detail, which is evident in her beautiful work. Arika's warm and personable nature made our photo sessions an absolute delight, and she was always so kind and easy to work with. Arika has a true talent for capturing moments beautifully, and we couldn't be happier with the memories she has preserved for us. If you're looking for a photographer who is not only skilled but also a joy to work with, Arika is the one!

Just hire her already. Her photos are thoughtful and stunning, they're timeless and something we'll treasure forever. She was absolutely lovely the day of and made us feel SO comfortable. She gave great direction and made sure that the things that were important to us were captured. Couldn't be happier we got to work with Arika.

Arika took our engagement and wedding photos. The photos turned out beautifully! She made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera so we were able to open up and get th emost beautiful photos. It took a bit of time to get our wedding photos back but they were gorgeous! We had a set list of photos we wanted from the wedding and Arika made sure to get all of those for us.

First and foremost, Arika is one of the kindest people I’ve ever EVER met! She made my husband and I feel so comfortable and confident while photographing us on our wedding day. It’s a stressful day to begin with, so having someone so kind, calm, and reassuring is essential on your big day. Upon receiving our wedding photos, my mouth quite literally hit the floor. I had reviewed her profile ahead of booking with her but was blown away on how luxe, warm, and personal the photos felt. Once I posted our sneak peak photos my inbox filled with friends and family commenting on how stunning the photos were. Don’t get me wrong, my husband and I looked great - but Arika’s direction and skill took our photos to the next level. I will forever be grateful for Arika and hope anyone on the fence booking with her sees this!

Arika was absolutely lovely and EXTREMELY helpful from start to finish. She did our elopement pictures and made both me and my husband feel so at ease. We had to do a last minute elopement instead of our original wedding date due to a family illness and Arika was so accommodating in shooting our elopement. The pictures were STUNNING and she is SO kind. Arika, thank you so much for your talented work and adaptability.

Arika did an AMAZING job with our wedding photos! They were everything I dreamed of! She was so sweet and kind and made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. She’s so talented, I would highly recommend her!

Arika is so amazing to work with - kind, down to earth, easy to connect with, helped us feel comfortable in front of camera, and of course produces amazing photos!! Her expertise shone through not just in photography but also in helping us manage our wedding day's timeline and ensuring we got photos we wanted, and more! She was always there for any questions or concerns along the way and was so accessible on our day. Absolutely would work with her again in a heartbeat- giving the highest recommendation!!!

I highly recommend Arika! Her approach is comforting, making bringing out the best in those who are camera shy. Her expertise is obvious, and her results speak for themselves. She is easily approachable and very professional.

Arika was so great to work with, highly professional and friendly. She said as very receptive to our vision and has a fantastic eye. She is a natural talent and our photos really captured the day and were more beautiful than expected. Would highly recommend!

We absolutely adore Arika! In addition to being super talented, she is so kind, communicative, professional and patient. We have been going through our wedding photos, and continue to be blown away by her talent, and the ability to capture such genuine moments of our day. Her photos are very artistic, unique, and thoughtful. We have so many favorites, and are extremely happy with them all (and the online gallery is so organized and easy to use!) From our initial inquiry, Arika was always very responsive, answering any and all questions. We originally hired Arika for our wedding day only, but then decided a few months prior to do a micro engagement session. We thought it would be a good idea to meet Arika prior, and get a bit more comfortable in front of the camera. We knew the type of setting we wanted, and Arika picked the perfect spot. Not only did the photos all turn out beautiful, but we had a great time in the process, and she made us feel at ease. On our wedding day, Arika and Nick arrived early, set up all the detail shots we wanted, captured so many beautiful moments that we weren’t even aware of, got that golden hour just right, and truly fit right in with our family and friends. We highly recommend Arika to anyone and everyone. We cannot thank her enough!

From the moment I first spoke with Arika on the phone, I felt at ease. She has such a comfortable and calming demeanor. This was so important to us in that we wanted to feel comfortable with the photographer, and know that our family and friends would be as well. Arika quickly understood the approach we wanted, she was flexible, and also very helpful with her suggestions. She captured so many amazing moments on out wedding day and her photos are beautiful. Thank you Arika for taking care of everything so flawlessly that day!

Arika was absolutely amazing to work with! She did our engagement and wedding photos with us in January 2021 and October 2021. Arika helped us think about what photos would look nice in specific settings and always ensured we had every photo we wanted before wrapping up. She is very personable and makes the setting very comfortable to give us pictures that are better than I could have imagined!

All I can say is, do not hesitate to book Arika for your wedding. She is so awesome to work with!! Arika kept me calm and stayed calm herself while my well meaning mom tried to take over and be the photographer the day of the wedding! The pictures from our engagement shoot and wedding are fantastic. My fiance and I spoke with so many photographers and we are so happy we chose Arika. If you book her, you will not regret it!!

It was a pleasure working with Arika. She was very sweet and thoughtful on the wedding day. She captured unique wedding moments. We are happy with the weddings photos, she did an awesome job!

Thank you Arika for making our wedding photos better then we could ever imagine. Arika is professional and truly loves what she does. Her passion is reflected beautifully in her amazing work. By nature I am camera shy which made engagement/wedding photos a little scary. Within moments of meeting Arika I felt comfortable being myself in front of a camera thanks to her bubbly personality. She gives direction to her clients while giving them enough space to express themselves. She executes her artistic vision with precision and it was exciting to see her get inspired during the whole process. It was an absolute pleasure working with Arika. Thank you x1000 for capturing our wedding day in the most magnificent way possible! I could not be happier!

Finding and working with Arika was one of the best parts of our wedding. Not only is she an amazing individual, but she’s also one of the best wedding photographers out there. She has the perfect eye, gives great direction, and is extremely patient. She made us feel so at peace on the day and helped out where she could (way to more than she needed to). I am a photographer and was very uptight about who would photograph our wedding; however, Arika was the perfect selection. If we could give her 10 stars instead of 5, we would. Our photos are absolutely amazing and will age beautifully. We are completely blown away. Look no further, Arika is the right person for the job!

Arika is an absolute gem! She was able to capture the essence of our love so well in these beautifully composed vignettes. There was just instant chemistry and she understood exactly what we wanted. She also made the shoot SO FUN! We happily took her suggestion by playing some of our favorite songs and having an endless flow of champagne. She is the best decision we made! We already have her booked for all of our future milestones.

Arika is a pleasure to work with. She has great ideas to capture the perfect shots. I would highly recommend her as a photographer

Arika truly haves a talent in capturing the PERFECT moments and making each shot memorable , she was extremely professional and truly kind. She shot our engagement and wedding photos and it was worth every single penny and more. She went above and beyond and I couldn’t imagine asking anyone else to have done them. Highly highly recommend her

Over the past few years I’ve had the privilege of having Arika take my photo countless times. She creates an effortless and comfortable environment while shooting, even playing the perfect music to set the mood. With Arika I have always walked away with photos and an experience that make me feel beautiful and confident in a way nothing and no one else can. Whether this is your first experience hiring a photographer, or your 50th, I can guarantee you it will be your best.

Arika was a gem front start to finish! She did our engagement photos and we couldn’t be happier. Despite deciding we were going to do them on a peak with a hard hike involved, she took the challenge and blew us out of the water with the photographs. On our Wedding day, she captured all the important moments stunningly. She was always reliable, sweet, supportive, knew how to direct us and had a great eye! Your photographer follows you throughout the whole day and we felt like we were with one of our best friends. When covid and weddings in general can be difficult terrain choose someone who will help make it effortless! Totally recommend Arika!✨

Oh my goodness!! There is not enough time in the day to list all of the wonderful things about Arika! She was very punctual and on top of getting all of the detail shots done, and that was just the start to our day! She took all of the suggestions I wanted to cover (most of them from my Pinterest board) and remembered to get every single shot I had interest in even though I didn't remember anything in the midst of my bustling wedding day! She kept me sane and was very patient and took time to make sure she captured every detail of my day! She was able to get shots that I didn't even remember happened that I will be able to cherish for the rest of my life! She was so welcoming and friendly but still was able to keep my husband and I, and my whole crazy wedding party on track the whole time! I cannot thank her enough for everything she has done for us and the invaluable memories that she has been able to preserve for years to come! She was able to capture everything even while blending into the crowd, rather than some photographers that block guests' important views, especially during the ceremony. There is a not another photographer that I could think of that would be better for anyone's wedding! She is simply the best! Highly recommend!

Amazing doesn't even begin to describe Arika. Our COVID wedding changed location and time about 2394802 times. Arika rolled with every punch. She was not only professional but caring and thoughtful. She would check in on how we were dealing with all the changes and accommodated all of the strange requests we had, even until the day of. She was such a HUGE part of our wedding day and experience. I'm honestly upset that there aren't any pictures with her IN them because in my mind, she was drinking mimosas that day with the rest of us. She is beyond kind and understood that my husband and I are NOT models and need to be directed extensively to look human and she DID HER THING. We looked AMAZING. I couldn't stop staring at us. She also captured all these behind the scenes moments that we had with the few people who could attend. It was incredible. Anytime I'm marrying my husband again, I'm calling Arika. And getting a picture with her this time.

Arika was amazing to work with. Highly recommended. Our photo session evolved from a couples shoot to an elopement and Arika was easy to communicate. The pictures came out beautiful, we received so many compliments on our pictures when sharing them friends and family. She has such an artist eye when taking photographs, I love the how she was able to capture the moments

Arika was an absolutely delight to work with - from engagement photos to Wedding photos. Of course with COVID, our June wedding was cancelled and we ended up eloping. It was a fairly last minute ordeal and we are so happy she was available for our Elopement. She was kind, patient, and flexible through it all. We didn't have many details with the elopement, truly just the essentials really, but she captured what we did have so well and made them shine. As for her photography - absolutely BEAUTIFUL. We will cherish our engagement and wedding photos forever. Highly recommend Arika. You won't regret having her "by your side" on your special day(s)!

Arika Mendenall was amazing. My husband and I got married September 18, 2020 at Mills Mansion in Staatsburg, New York after a few postponements due to COVID19. Arika was wonderful and flexible and was willing to work with us during this crazy and exciting time. She came with an assistant and their photos are beyond amazing. We were lucky to have a gorgeous day, but her photos are above and beyond what I could have ever expected. She was so patient with us and so kind. We would highly recommend her !

Arika was an absolute gem! She captured every detail of our outdoor wedding this year, in gorgeous, flawless photos that will help us to remember this special day with so much joy. Arika has been so pleasant and patient throughout every step of the process, especially considering the unique stresses caused by the current pandemic. Arika's kindness and gentle presence allowed us to just relax and be ourselves, resulting in photos that are both flattering and truly us. She captured so many quiet, beautiful moments during our special day that we weren't even aware of! I know we will treasure these photos forever. We are so grateful for Arika's hard work, attention to detail, and kindness and would recommend her to absolutely anyone, without hesitation.

Planning a wedding was a unique experience in itself, but when COVID-19 hit the process took its twists and turns. Arika completely went above and beyond accommodating us, and being flexible with our needs leading into the big day. Arika was extremely punctual, and never let up in making me feel comfortable and calm the entire day. There needs to be a bigger word than talented to describe how phenomenal she is! Her and her husband completely captured the mood we were looking for and understood our vision completely. They embody exactly what wedding photography should be in every way! I would work with them a thousand times over! Complete gems through and through!

Arika is simply amazing! We had the privilege of having her shoot our wedding. Arika is professional and personable, and helps keep you at ease on what can be a very stressful day! I was extremely impressed when I saw the photographs that she took of our day. Arika managed to capture every moment & emotion, ...these are memories that I will always cherish. I highly recommend Arika!!!

I was nervous about our wedding photos because I generally don’t like photos of myself. But who doesn’t want beautiful wedding pictures? When we got our photos back from Arika I couldn’t stop looking at them for 3 hours. Me and my husband had such an absolute blast at our wedding with our family and friends and she really captured that. Not only did the pictures come out beautiful, she and her sister worked as a great team in making our tight schedule go exactly as we had hoped. Our wedding day was a dream and Arika made sure we can relive that whenever we look at our photos. I can’t thank her enough.

Arika and her second shooter (her sister Alissa) were so amazing that we couldn’t wait until we got our pictures back to write a review! We got married on a military base, meaning that there were extra layers of security and formalities to go through. While I was out if my depths trying to figure it all out, Arika was so understanding, and quickly got back to me whenever a new rule or request was given to me that affected her. From getting a pass to get on post (the morning of!) to answering all of my questions to offering to help find vendors, Arika always got back to me quickly and left me feeling calmer than before I called. She and her sister worked well with everyone, from a vivacious flower girl to shy groomsmen to a very nervous bride. When my mom and I couldn’t figure out how to put up my bustle, they knew. In between snapping pictures, they were constantly asking what they could do to help and how I was feeling, or making a joke to ease our nerves. My only regret is that I couldn’t have hired to be our wedding planner as well! If we were still living in the area, we would definitely be using Arika for every other occasion that arises, but because we can’t, we hope you do!

WE LOVE HER! We booked her for our wedding and engagement photos, haven't had the wedding yet but we just finished our engagement photos and I couldn't wait til the wedding to review her. she and her sister were amazing! we were pretty nervous (we've never had our photos taken) but they put us at ease even before the engagement shoot. she and her sister are so kind and we had so much fun with them. AND we received our engagement shoot album so quickly! excited to see what she has in store for us on wedding day :) highly recommend.

Where do we start, first off the photos were amazing, and delivered to us in a timely manner, in addition to that Arika is very flexible and always works within your schedule. Her and her sister truly made our wedding extra special, and we are forever grateful for their contribution to our day. We can honestly say that if you are considering getting married and need a photographer, without a doubt Arika is first choice, you will not regret it.

Having Arika as my wedding photographer was the most stress-free part of my wedding! (She also did my engagement photos.) She was professional and really understood my aesthetic. My photos totally exceeded my expectations! She captured so many candid moments that I can cherish forever. I highly recommend Arika and hope to work with her again!