Charming Hearts Wedding Photography

For the Wildly in Love!

Centralia, MO

$1,500 starting price

See details

Mid-Missouri, St. Louis, Kansas City & areas in between

Travels up to 200 miles See details

Lori Benson

OWNER & PHOTOGRAPHER

Typically responds within 24h

AWARD WINNER (2X)

Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot

Offering - Photography - Wedding Planning/Coordination Hey there! Welcome to our page on The Knot! You're getting married and we are over the moon happy for you! ❤😍 Being three happily married women ourselves we know the exciting adventure that awaits you as you take the next steps together. So many wonderful moments. And we can't wait to walk with you on your journey to "I do". We are located out of Centralia, MO, and Columbia, MO. Me, I'm the owner, Lori and I LOVE working with couples. Making sure you laugh, have fun, and melt into romance while we grab engagement and wedding day portraits, is a must! I want all of my couples to have an exceptional experience and never lose focus on what the day is about. You! Making sure you make time for yourselves and get the portraits that matter is what I strive for. Helping me in this, are two amazing and passionate photographers, Jennifer and Bri. These two ladies' second shoot, or if you only need one photographer they assist. We understand what it takes to make your day amazing from the time you say that you want to book Charming Hearts all the way until after your big day when we lovingly put all your finished wedding day products in your hands. Establishing trust and nurturing relationships is key. We are celebrating you, real people, and the moments you share. Your love is a wonderful adventure, and we are delighted to help you tell your story.

Woman-owned Business

+11 years in business

Speaks English

3 team members

Prices & packages

Package Three

$1,650 starting price

Package Three

$1,650 starting price

6 hours

1 Photographer or * 2 Photographers

Personalized USB

1-11X14, 2-8X10, 6-5X7 Prints

Personal and shareable online gallery

Pre-wedding consultations

Ask about Wedding Coordination

Details

Destination Weddings

Destination Wedding Packages

Photo Shoot Types

Bridal Portraits

Engagement

Photo & Video

Digital Files

Online Proofing

Photo

Printed Enlargements

Second Shooter Available

Social Media Sharing

Wedding Albums

Photo & Video Styles

Classic

Dramatic

Modern

Vintage

Wedding Activities

Getting Engaged

Rehearsals & Parties

After Party

Wedding

After Party

Awards and Affiliations

Any questions?

Meet the team

Lori Benson
Owner & Photographer
Hello all! My name is Lori Benson. I’m so excited that you are thinking about booking a photography session with me, and I can’t wait to chat with you. In the meantime, here is a bit about myself to help you get to know me a little. Besides specializing in wedding, engagement, family and maternity portraits.... I married the love of my life February 10, 1996! We are parents to two great kids. We have two dogs and cat. Surprise, surprise...they get along perfectly! I love romance novels. I not only read them, but I have some published novels myself. Anything chocolate with peanuts, walnuts, or almonds is a must on my list. I am an emergency disaster services volunteer for The Salvation Army. My passion for photography is matched by my passion to help others. My disaster images as well as other events and articles have been published on their national sites, and posted nationally across all social media platforms. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to do photography. I meet so many amazing couples and now, for some couples, I have become their family portrait photographer.
Jennifer Herron
Photographer
Hi everyone! My name is Jennifer Herron. I started mentoring with Lori several years ago when I began assisting at weddings, to second shooting and now a lead photographer. Here are some of those 'fun facts' about me: I married my best friend, biggest fan, and the love of my life, Wesley, on September 19, 2015 We are the proud parents of two daughters. Our youngest girl loves school, dance, and playing wiffleball. We have four fur babies. Two dogs that love us and two cats that seem to like us. LOL! I was in health care for nine years before I became a stay-at-home Mom. As a SAHM I volunteer for a group in our community that helps families who have fallen on hard times. I've served as president of that group for three years now. As well as recently started volunteering to be a coach for my daughter's wiffleball team. I am truly blessed to be where I am.
Brianna Thoenen
Photographer
Hello! My name is Brianna Thoenen, and I am a photographer based out of Columbia, Missouri. I have the amazing privilege to second shoot for Charming Hearts and have loved every minute of it thus far! Photographing such magical moments is my passion and I love getting to meet new people, travel, participate in unique experiences, and be a storyteller; a memory keeper. Outside of photography: I love to spend all my time on outdoor adventures with my family. My high school sweetheart and I have two beautiful daughters who keep us forever on the move in all the best ways! My first career was in medicine and biology. I am a big science person and actually started my professional photography career photographing wildlife, nature, and landscapes. I have major goals of photographing for NASA and Nat Geo. I love SEC football. Roll Tide! My favorite place in the entire world is anywhere as long as I have my camera, my family, and a good book. Maybe some coffee too....I love coffee.

Availability

5.0

out of 5.0

26 reviews

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Review Summary

This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.

Charming Hearts Photography received glowing reviews for their exceptional service, talented photographers, and beautiful wedding photos. Reviewers praised Lori and her team for their professionalism, communication, and ability to make couples feel comfortable and at ease during photoshoots. They were commended for their quick turnaround time, organization skills, and attention to detail in capturing memorable moments. The overall consensus was highly positive, with multiple reviewers recommending Charming Hearts Photography for engagement and wedding photos.

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Amanda M

1/18/2025

Lori did a fantastic job on our wedding photos! I always said if I got married again, I would use Charming Hearts for our photos, and I meant it. We got all the photos we asked for plus some. Lori is kind, a clear communicator, talented, and thoughtful. She even helped me fasten my bustle after the wedding, which was definitely beyond her contracted responsibilities. I could call her a miracle worker because we used fake snow for our exit and it made a huge mess! I had it in my hair and thought it would show up in all our photos but she made sure they were all lovely! I cannot think Lori enough for everything she's done for us. We tragically lost my brother-in-law a few months after we got married and we will always treasure the beautiful photos we have of the memories we made with him and the rest of our loved ones that day. It is an irreplaceable gift. Thank you, charming hearts photography. You are amazing!

Abbie S

12/03/2024

First of all, Lori and her team are an absolute blast to work with. They made us feel comfortable and cared for the entire time. You could tell they really know what they're doing. I really appreciated her help with the timeline of events and that we could give her a detailed list of family photos etc that we wanted due to some complex family dynamics we needed to manage. She delivered a sneak peak to us the day after the wedding and a tiny subset while we were away on our honeymoon. The full ~1,000 digital photo album arrived abour 6 weeks after the wedding. Our photos turned out so amazing - the hardest part is deciding which ones to order!

Any questions?

Stephanie P

9/18/2024

Lori was the absolute best! She exceeded our expectations in every way. My husband and I are not picture people and she put us completely at ease throughout the day. Leading up to the day, she made sure we knew what to expect and answered any and all questions we had. We even had a few hiccups the night before and had to quickly pivot, but Lori was super flexile and understanding. Our gallery was ready lightning fast and our portraits were just gorgeous!

ashley l

8/14/2024

We were extremely impressed with Charming Hearts Photography. Lori’s communication and organizational skills throughout the wedding planning led to a flawless wedding day. Lori and Jennifer’s patient demeanor made us feel at ease throughout our entire wedding day. Our photo gallery left our friends and family asking how we were going to choose which photos to hang up because they were all so great. We 100% recommend Charming Hearts Photography for your engagement and wedding photos.

Jana B

11/10/2023

Lori and Charming Hearts Photography was amazing to work with! They provided all of the help along the way that I didn't know that a photographer would do! So professional, warm and literally charming :) Lori makes you feel comfortable throughout the whole process and makes you feel celebrated! I was stressed out about making my timeline and BAM Lori already had it handled! Lori and Jennifer also made us feel one of their family during our day with their kindness. Wouldn't recommend Charming Hearts Photography enough!!

Caitlin B

11/05/2023

Lori and her assistant Jennifer are the absolute BEST photographers to work with! From our engagement photos to the wedding, Lori made sure to communicate everything to make sure everything went perfect. They are fun, encouraging and make sure you look your very best in every photo. I would HIGHLY recommend them!

Breanna T

10/30/2023

Lori with Charming Hearts Photography was not only a master behind the camera but also a true professional. She is always on point with her time, maintains the most friendly and loving attitude (even with my family of 9), and made us feel at ease throughout our wedding session. She patiently listened to our ideas and incorporated them seamlessly into the shoot. 5 stars is just simply not enough for her!

Travis H

10/30/2023

Lori and Charming Hearts did an excellent job with our wedding photos. They were professional, kind, and just flat out enjoyable to be around. They went above and beyond and really helped our wedding go smoothly, efficiently, and captured all of our memorable moments.

Jenn C

10/30/2023

Lori was a total delight to work with and exceptionally supportive on the days leading up to and on our wedding day. She coordinated our first look photos briliantly while making sure everyone had the best time. I love that she wrote up a little bit of our "love story" to accompany our sneak peek pics, capturing our relationship in words as well as images. And her photos were stunning, luscious, and light-filled. I couldn't have had a better experience.

Shelby G

10/03/2023

We absolutely loved having Lori as our photographer! She was super nice yet professional when taking pictures. She made the entire process fun and stress free! We would 100% recommend her if you want to have an amazing time during your photoshoot.

Morgan B

4/26/2023

Lori is absolutely incredible! She did our engagement pictures and wedding. We instantly clicked with her and felt super comfortable. Lori is amazing at directing, posing and capturing moments. She was able to capture so many moments during our special day that we didn’t even notice, and we are so grateful. I will always recommend Charming Hearts to everyone!

Olivia F

4/14/2023

Lori was the best!! She made the process of getting portraits done fun and was very professional. Both of us felt very comfortable with Lori, and she arrived at the site well ahead of our meeting time so she could scout out locations for the shoot. When we had some weather issues, Lori was quick to reschedule so that we would have the best possible lighting. Overall Lori was amazing!

Natalie R

11/29/2022

Book Charming Hearts now! Lori and Jennifer were absolutely amazing to work with. They were both so friendly and easy to work with, not to mention our wedding photos turned out amazing. The weather was not cooperative (super windy and a little rain), but Lori and Jennifer made it work and still went above and beyond getting us the perfect wedding photos. We loved working with them both! 10/10 recommend for any photography needs!

Nik R

11/23/2022

I cannot begin to say enough amazing things about Lori and James, as well as Jennifer! We hired Lori for our wedding on 10/15/22 and she was absolutely amazing! From the first time my wife and I met her and her husband, we knew we were going to have incredible photos and outstanding service! Our engagement session last fall was perfect and we have so many beautiful photos and memories from that day. Our wedding day was no different! Wedding party and family photos were so smooth and managed wonderfully! Jennifer did a great job at organizing everyone and maneuvering my dress to capture the best photos. I will never not recommend Charming Hearts Photography! Thank you, Lori for everything you do!❤️

TYLER W

10/27/2022

Charming Harts photography did a Great job on making our wedding day a whole alot better by taking all the photos we requested, they were very respectful and passionate. THEY WERE AWESOME!

Tapanga W

10/27/2022

charming hearts photography was amazing Jennifer and her husband were so helpful and sweet and really made the day that much better!

Kylee M

10/21/2022

If you are looking for someone very professional and dedicated to you as a couple and your vision for your day, Charming Hearts is THE ONLY way to go. They made the whole experience stress free and fun. When you book with Charming Hearts you not only get awesome pictures but photographers who care about your experience and are the best hype women you can ask for! They made everything easy and have a great system in place to take the stress off of you! They are absolutely wonderful and if I could give them more than 5 stars I would!!

Christine K

10/17/2022

A huge thank you to Lori Smith Benson of Charming Hearts Photography for all of our wonderful pictures. The weather wasn't the best and we had to compromise a bit, along with a change in our timeline, but she made the best of it. Her and her assistant Jen were awesome to work with. Our day is one we will never forget.

Chasity F

10/13/2022

Our experience with Lori and Charming Hearts was nothing short of absolutely amazing. My family and I enjoyed taking wedding pics so much with her and cannot say enough nice things about Lori and her assistant Jenn! She got our photos back to us in less than the estimated time and they are absolutely breathtaking! Highly highly recommend! 🙂

Renee M

10/04/2022

We had Lori take our engagement photos. She went above and beyond! She sent us so many photos that we loved, and she was so easy to work with. Lori had us laughing the whole time. She helped us to feel at ease and led us in some fun games that became some of our best photos. She never made us feel rushed or like we were just another couple; she clearly makes all of her couples feel special and loved, and we're so grateful for her hard work!

Taylor L

9/13/2022

When we first got in touch with Lori, there was an instant connection which is why we hired her. Lori is an amazing person and photographer - my husband and I aren't much for taking pictures together but she made us so comfortable and made it so easy-going and enjoyable. She was very responsive and so easy to work with - she made a day-of timeline and it was perfect! What surprised me the most was how much we LOVED working with Lori. Our engagement and wedding photos are so beautiful, I can't thank Lori enough for her work and just being overall an amazing person to work with.

Renee S

9/09/2022

Charming Hearts Photography did an amazing job capturing our wedding day! Both Lori and her assistant did very well with posing us and making all of the picture taking a fun experience! We are so happy with the quality of our finished pictures and we would definitely recommend Charming Hearts Photography!

Alex H

8/26/2022

I would highly recommend Charming Hearts Photography!! Lori and her assistant were soo helpful and patient all day! My wedding pictures turned out amazing!! I’m obsessed with them all! If you want awesome photos for your wedding or any other pictures I would definitely make this your choice! You won’t be disappointed! Thank you again for everything and for the amazing pictures, you guys are the best!

Candace H

5/25/2022

Lori worked with us so well on all the shots we wanted for the engagement shoot and wedding day. She made it easy to decide on things by sending questionnaires and bringing up topics we never thought about! Communication and payment was easy, and it felt like a family member or friend walking us through all the details. Lori is very warm and welcoming, and will make your experience great! We loved our photos and were so excited to get our album and relive the wedding day!

Alysa R

3/14/2022

Lori did such an amazing job capturing our big day ! We love love love how all our pictures turned out and how she made all the posing for pictures fun too !

Ashley J

10/12/2020

wow! I can't thank you enough for capturing me and my wedding. You caught genuine emotions that I had no idea I needed to see, and brought us closer together than we were before. and then at our wedding you caught all the perfect moments we wanted to treasure forvever.

Service area

974 N Hickman St, Centralia, MO

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Mid-Missouri, St. Louis, Kansas City & areas in between
Service area

Travels up to 200 miles

Additional charges may apply

Contact

(573) 682-7165

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Charming Hearts Wedding Photography

Lori Benson

Owner & Photographer

Typically responds within 24h

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Charming Hearts Wedding Photography

About this vendor

Prices & packages

Details

Meet the team

Availability

Reviews

5.0

Review Summary

Service area

Contact

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