Bonita Jane Photography

I found Bonita after an extensive search about a year and a half before my wedding. Like most newly engaged brides, I was shocked by how expensive wedding photography was! Now of course I get why but finding someone whose work I absolutely loved and who fit our budget (higher end of average 110 person wedding cost in MN, 30 minutes outside of MSP, in June at Green Acres Event Center) was such a relief! Her style immediately stood out to me. It's timeless, romantic, and elevated while still feeling documentary, authentic, and approachable. Beautiful without ever feeling overly posed. From our first meeting, Bonita immediately put me at ease. She is incredibly personable, professional, and collaborative. She felt less like someone I hired and more like a creative partner who genuinely wanted to understand us and bring our vision to life. Every meeting made me more excited for the wedding instead of stressed. Our engagement session confirmed we'd made the right choice (first pic). She was relaxed but confidently in charge (which I LOVED), knew exactly how to get my adorable-but-camera-shy fiancé to loosen up, and captured us in a way that felt completely natural. I loved our engagement photos, but nothing prepared me for what she delivered on our wedding day. I told Bonita I wanted something between Bruce Weber editorial and candid documentary photography—real emotion, funny bloopers, gorgeous portraits, and a wedding that felt like one big amazing party. She absolutely nailed it. Respectfully... I didn't know my husband, myself, and the 100+ people she photographed could look that good! I've very casually modeled extremely part-time since I was 13, and I genuinely don't think another photographer has ever made me look as good as Bonita did. Somehow she made everyone look like the best version of themselves while keeping everything natural and authentic. We kept well over half our gallery because there were simply too many incredible images to let go. Beyond being unbelievably talented, Bonita always had my back throughout the day. She anticipated what I needed before I even asked, kept everything moving seamlessly, and somehow managed to be both an absolute professional and the kind of person who makes you think, What would I do without her? Looking through our gallery doesn't just remind me of our wedding—it feels like I'm reliving it. She even captured beautiful moments with my nonverbal special-needs sister, who doesn't usually like new people getting close to her, and made sure my dog was woven throughout the day in the sweetest ways. Those photos mean the world to me. Bonita and her team completely knocked it out of the park. The photos are so beautiful that instead of choosing a handful to frame, I'm making an entire coffee table book. If you're looking for someone who is exceptionally talented, endlessly kind, collaborative, and able to take your vision and make it even better than you imagined, I truly can't recommend Bonita enough!

10 stars! Bonita was such a pleasure to work with. We hired Bonita to photograph our small wedding, on short notice. Bonita worked with us ahead of time to plan an appropriate photography timeline for the day. She arrived early and went above and beyond to ensure our special day was perfect. She captured every special moment! Bonita even stood out in the freezing below zero MN January weather to get the most perfect shot! Our photos came back quickly and WOW! They are fantastic. We love everything. Her pricing is affordable, and the quality of work is outstanding. We will definitely be booking with Bonita again for future family pictures!