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Central Florida, Orlando, Winter Park
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Chris Gillyard
OWNER
AWARD WINNER (4X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Think about it — the older a photo gets, the more it's worth. A photo of your grandparents on their wedding day is priceless. Twenty years from now, your wedding photos will be the same way for your kids, your grandkids, the people who weren't even born yet.
That's what drives me. Not the gear, not the awards (though I'm genuinely grateful for those), but the fact that what I create on your wedding day will still matter in fifty years.
I've been photographing weddings in Orlando and throughout Central Florida for over 15 years. I've shot at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park, Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Hard Rock Hotel at Universal, Bridlewood Ranch in Clermont, and everywhere in between. I've also packed my bags and traveled for destination weddings — because love doesn't care about zip codes, and neither do I.
My style? I like to blend in. I'm not the photographer barking directions every five minutes. I'd rather be a fly on the wall catching the real moments — the way your dad looks at you when you walk down the aisle, the quiet exhale right before you say I do, the table at the reception where the real laughing is happening.
If that sounds like what you're looking for, I think we're going to get along just fine.
Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
Bridal Portraits
Day After Session
Engagement
Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
Digital Files
Online Proofing
Photo
Printed Enlargements
Same-Day Edits
Second Shooter Available
Social Media Sharing
Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic
Documentary
Lifestyle
Modern
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Wedding
After Party
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Showing slide number 1 out of 2
- Chris GillyardOwnerThink about it — the older a photo gets, the more it's worth. A photo of your grandparents on their wedding day is priceless. Twenty years from now, your wedding photos will be the same way for your kids, your grandkids, the people who weren't even born yet. That's what drives me. Not the gear, not the awards (though I'm genuinely grateful for those), but the fact that what I create on your wedding day will still matter in fifty years. I've been photographing weddings in Orlando and throughout Central Florida for over 15 years. I've shot at the Alfond Inn in Winter Park, Reunion Resort in Kissimmee, Hard Rock Hotel at Universal, Bridlewood Ranch in Clermont, and everywhere in between. I've also packed my bags and traveled for destination weddings — because love doesn't care about zip codes, and neither do I. My style? I like to blend in. I'm not the photographer barking directions every five minutes. I'd rather be a fly on the wall catching the real moments — the way your dad looks at you when you walk down the aisle, the quiet exhale right before you say I do, the table at the reception where the real laughing is happening. If that sounds like what you're looking for, I think we're going to get along just fine.
- Amy GillyardStudio ManagerHi beautiful couple! My top priority is to ensure your wedding day goes smoothly with confirming details with your wedding planner, answering any questions on your photography package, and connecting you with other wedding professionals. I look forward to hearing all about your dream wedding!
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.034 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.
The photographer delivers stunning, emotional images with an excellent eye for lighting and composition. Couples praised fast turnaround, professionalism, flexibility, and fun energy that put everyone at ease. He works well with kids and pets and captured every detail of the day.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Mariel L
Highlighted review.
5.0
1/10/2026
Chris is so much fun! He took AMAZING shots and made sure we had scheduled everything to get the perfect lighting. We got our pictures back SUPER fast! I would 100% recommend Chris...
!
Ashley C
5.0
1/22/2026
Do not look any further and hire Chris! The photos he captured are amazing. His eye for lighting and capturing the right moments is amazing. He is fun to work with and makes the pr...
ocess easy and fun. Best photographer in the Central Florida area! I could add hundreds of photos. Here are a few of our favorites including one from our engagement session.
Any questions?
Brianna V
5.0
12/10/2025
Chris was the perfect photographer for my wedding. He captured every detail and every emotion. His pictures came out lovely. He also made me, the bride, feel very pretty (an emotio...
n I do not feel too often). He was super kind and knowledgeable in what poses to try and let me use my creativity for ideas too. I would recommend him for anyone trying to capture raw emotions and beautiful photos.
Nicole B
5.0
10/02/2024
Chris was such a great option for our beach wedding! He was on time, quick, efficient and full of energy. He was a pleasure to work with!
Kelly B
5.0
8/01/2024
I can’t say enough good things about Chris and his amazing photography skills! He has an artistic eye that creates the most memorable pictures I couldn’t even think of on my own. H...
e did an amazing engagement shoot for us prior to our wedding day in addition to our wedding day. We had 4 kids and a dog on our wedding pictures, he was able to capture everyone’s attention and get great pictures with the difficult audience he had.
Jenna S
5.0
12/28/2023
Chris was amazing. He shot our January wedding and did our engagement shoot too! He was super flexible with us, made us comfortable during the shoot and was super easy to work with...
! Our pictures came our gorgeous and we really appreciate everything Chris did!
Terry C
5.0
12/27/2023
Chris did an outstanding job of capturing our “elopement” wedding performed by “Ceremonies by Crystal.” A great team—they capture our love, joy, and perfect day at Hollis Gardens. ...
Pictures were professional and he made entire experience fun and memorable.
Cheryl C
5.0
12/27/2023
Chris Gillyard has no match! He is an excellent photographer, capturing every special moment of our garden wedding. I highly recommend Chris for his skill, expertise, communication...
, and professionalism. A+++
Danny S
5.0
11/12/2023
Chris brought an amazing energy to our day and captured us on a picture perfect day, and the shots are amazing. He knew how to capture our beagle's attention too. Total pro, and...
he gave us a sudden needed lift to our reception! Great guy with awesome gear and knows how to use it.
Kailee A
5.0
4/07/2023
Chris was incredible!! Not only did he help in a pinch but made sure our shoot was incredible! He also accommodated our wedding day and made sure that everything went off without a...
hitch!! The photos are stunning, his personality brought these two photo shy people out of their shell. It all felt so natural. Thank you Chris Gillyard for being professional, accommodating and always willing to go the extra mile. Max and I are forever grateful. If I could rate you 10 stars I would!!! Choose Chris and you will not be disappointed!!
Jill P
5.0
3/18/2023
Chris was AMAZING! He made photos feel stress free for me and was alot of fun to work with.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 03/19/2023
Thank you so much Jill! I appreciate the 5 star review. Happy to hear I made your wedding ...
day stress free and was a lot of fun for both of you. Enjoy the memories.
Clint S
5.0
1/15/2023
Chris was super helpful in the process leading up to our wedding. He gave us ideas and let us make our own decisions, but was there to guide us if needed. He’s a consummate profes...
sional and did a fantastic job the day of!
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 03/19/2023
Clint, Thank you so much for the wonderful review. Much appreciate the kind words. Wishing...
you two many more wonderful memories!
T L
5.0
11/30/2022
Chris is an amazing photographer full of creative energy. He knows exactly what it takes to get beautiful photos each and every time. He's very accommodating and professional as we...
split our wedding and reception dates/venues.
Karrissa C
5.0
5/21/2022
When I say Chris is AMAZING… I mean he is absolutely everything you could ever want or need in a photographer! His attention to detail is impeccable. He made our wedding day so str...
ess-free and truly captured the most important parts of it, things we wouldn’t even have thought to ask for photographs of, but definitely are so grateful to have now! He handled our huge family photos with care and patience. Our wedding went off without a hitch and I know a lot of it was due to his professionalism and the time he took to make sure we had everything we needed. I 100% will be referring everyone I know to him 😊
Casey C
5.0
4/05/2022
Chris was fantastic! He was energetic, excited and really captured the best moments! He listened to my wife and I’s wants and came to us with some great ideas, as well as showed an...
enthusiasm for our wedding photos that really made us comfortable and excited to take a bunch of photos! If I could rate him higher I definitely would!
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 05/11/2022
Casey, Thank you so much for sharing your experience with me. It was my honor to capture t...
his beautiful day for you two. Wishing you two many years of happiness.
Jennifer F
5.0
2/06/2022
You will fall in love with Chris as hope photographer. His energy is infectious. He makes sure you're having fun and comfortable. My guests all loved him and the pics were amazing!...
So many beautiful shots.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 02/08/2022
Jennifer - Thank you for the kind words. I'm so happy you loved your pictures. Your weddin...
g was absolutely beautiful. Cannot wait to capture more memories.
Qiana A
5.0
2/03/2022
Chris was absolutely AMAZING to work with. So friendly and professional. I'll suggest anyone to get the engagement package because hubby and I are super shy and that broke the ice....
The day of the wedding was so easy and fun. Chris was like a Ninja one minute he's there the other he was taking pics of family and friends, monitoring the sunset communicating with the DJ and event planner. Yup sounds like a lot of work and guess what? he managed it all so gracefully. Thanks Chris for capturing our special day.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 02/08/2022
Thank you Qiana for such a wonderful review! It really means a lot to me when my couples s...
hare their experience. Photography is my passion and you obviously saw it on your wedding day. Thank you again for choosing me to capture this beautiful day.
Glendaliz G
5.0
8/24/2021
Chris his work ethic is excellent. I love his work made my day a dream in reality. I will definitely contact him again. Thank you Chris for your excellent service and the most impo...
rtant for making me happy on my day💓
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 09/09/2021
Thank you so much Glendaliz for the wonderful review! It truly was my honor to be chosen t...
o capture your beautiful wedding day. Looking forward to photographing more magical moments for you.
Kathy P
5.0
7/20/2021
My husband and I recently celebrated our 50th Anniversary and hired Chris to be our photographer at our celebration. I can’t say enough wonderful things about him! I am the picture...
taker in the family and to relinquish that huge responsibility to someone else was a big deal for me…From the first conversation I had with Chris, I knew he was the one and our entire family was very pleased, we received so many compliments. Chris was professional, courteous, kind, patient… lol and funny! An absolute pleasure to work with! I absolutely 100% recommend him! Thank you so much Chris!
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 07/27/2021
Thank you Kathy for this five star review! I'm so happy you chose me to capture this miles...
tone anniversary for you two. You and your family were so great! Looking forward to capturing more special memories for you.
Nicole Q
5.0
7/19/2021
Thank you Chris for being such an amazing part of our wedding day.
His communication, professionalism, personality & quality of work is great. Choosing a photographer was one of ...
the harder decisions during the wedding planning process and I am so happy that we decided to go with Chris.
We received our pictures quicker than I expected & have so many amazing pictures that captured our day from start to finish.
I would highly recommend Chris Gillyard Photography for anyone looking for a wedding photographer in or around the Central Florida area.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 07/20/2021
Thanks for making my day! I appreciate the kind words as this is so important to me when m...
y couples share their experience. Wishing you two a lifetime of beautiful memories as you look back on your wedding day.
Laura T
5.0
3/01/2021
I would highly recommend Chris to any of my family or friends! He was so accommodating and made the daunting task of taking pictures enjoyable. He's very creative and has an eye ...
for unique pictures. We had a lot of last minute changes due to Covid and Chris was able to maneuver flawlessly. We had several different locations to shoot and I am so glad we did. He was able to capture both of our personalities with each shot and I am in love with our pictures.
Thank you so much, Chris! It was such a pleasure.
- Laura
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 03/03/2021
Thank you Laura for sharing your experience with us. I am so happy that you chose me to ph...
otograph your wedding day that started at the church then onto Hard Rock Orlando for some amazing photos.
Karen W
5.0
2/04/2021
Chris Gillyard, thank you so much for making our wedding day so special! We cannot thank you enough for our amazing pictures. Chris, was professional, super fun, and easy to work w...
ith.
Words can never describe how stunning and dreamy our pictures came out. The angles, the coloring, the natural poses. He captured everything, including prep, details, ceremony, reception, family and friends, and bride and groom portraits so that every subject was covered.
We simply could not be more pleased with your photographs of our wedding.
We love how you captured so many special moments and the beauty of the day.
You were a pleasure to work with in the excellent advance planning and all during our wedding day. Thank you! We have a lifetime of memories through your pictures.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 02/09/2021
Wow! Thank you so much for this amazing review. I am so happy you chose me to capture your...
love story especially since you two are high school sweethearts. Wishing you a lifetime of love!
Sahel E
5.0
1/30/2021
Chris Gillyard is a wonderful photographer!!! We contacted him last minute, and although he had a family event he still made it for our ceremony. Cheerful, funny, smart and super e...
nergetic he has a great eye for details and colors. He made the whole experience really fun for us. We couldn't be happier with the pictures he took.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 02/04/2021
Thank so much for sharing your experience with us Sahel! I'm happy to hear that you loved ...
your pictures and so glad I was there to capture this beautiful day for you.
Jennifer W
5.0
11/27/2020
Chris kept in contact with me throughout the process. He was open to my ideas and suggestions for photos. He was very responsive and answered all my questions. He arrived early ...
for my wedding and had an assistant. He was professional and you could tell he was genuinely happy to be there to capture the day. He was great with all the guests.
We even received compliments about him from our guests! We received our sneak peaks while on our honeymoon and full access to the others not long after! Wonderful professional photos and equally wonderful experience!
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 11/30/2020
Jennifer, Thank you so very much for the 5 star review! I am so happy to hear that my team...
and I gave you such a wonderful experience. Also happy to hear that we received compliments from your guests. It means a lot.
Michelle H
5.0
9/12/2020
Chris Gillyard is the finest photographer you could ever ever hope to shoot your wedding. He and his wife go above and beyond to capture the most amazing and special moments of you...
r wedding. The creativity that is put into the shots and overall final Product goes beyond excellence. It is PURE PERFECTION!!! He even went above and beyond years later. My husband and I paid for our album but never followed through to have it finalized. This year I found Chris and asked him to put together our album so that I could give it to my husband as an anniversary gift. Mind you this is eight years later. Chris not only put it together but found the original design and got it done!!! If that isn’t going above and beyond, I don’t know what is!! We plan on using him again in two years for our 10 year anniversary in Saint Augustine. Thank you Chris for everything you have done for us.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 09/13/2020
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We are so thrilled that we were able to make ...
this happen. We are even more excited to celebrate with you on your 10 year anniversary!!
Susan S
5.0
7/24/2020
Chris and his team, were amazing, He was able to capture the beauty of our wedding, friends, family and love, like no one else. I highly recommend his services. There's no one else...
that would make you feel as comfortable in your own skin and fun!
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 07/29/2020
Thank you so much for wonderful review. We are so happy that our team was able to capture ...
all of the beautiful moments of your wedding.
Samantha M
5.0
7/19/2020
Chris was incredible!!! We originally booked him for our June 9th intimate wedding aboard a Disney pontoon for a fireworks cruise! Unfortunately due to Covid-19, we weren't able to...
have our original plan. Chris was extremely understanding and accommodating during our replanning process, offering us many options to choose from as we moved forward! Chris was very easy to get ahold of and extremely flexible when it came to rebooking our last minute elopement to Cocoa Beach!
Chris arrived early and eager for our ceremony. He met my husband at the bar and quickly got him both comfortable and excited for our ceremony! My husband has never taken formal photos before (no senior photos, no homecomings, no proms), but Chris was able to make him feel confident in front of the camera immediately! Chris captured beautiful photos of our first look, ceremony, and after I dos. He was incredible at giving directions and making us feel AMAZING on our special day!
He was very quick in returning out photos to us. Normally in photos, I struggle to find a range of selection of photos that I like. With the photos Chris captured, I have had a hard time narrowing down to photos to share with others! He really does make magic with his camera. We look forward to using him again when we renew our vows in a few years!
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 07/21/2020
Thank you so much Samantha! We appreciate you sharing your experience with us and so happy...
we were able to capture this magical day for you despite the changes to your original plan. Looking forward to capturing your vow renewal!!
Annamaria T
5.0
3/31/2020
Christopher Gillyard is just PHENOMENAL!!!
I cannot find words to thank him enough!!! He’s pictures are fabulous, simply breathtaking! He is an amazing photographer! He was consta...
ntly creating poses, making sure everything checks out like the lighting the background etc... He had helped me tremendously to make our wedding day happen!!! He captured memories that we will cherish for a lifetime! I will eternally be thankful for him!
BEST DAY EVER!!! 🥰
Thanks a MILLION!
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 04/16/2020
Thank you so much Annamaria! We are so thrilled that you chose us to capture your beautifu...
l sunrise ceremony. Greatly appreciate this wonderful review.
Ana B
5.0
3/07/2020
Great Photographer who is not only very professional, but he also put his heart and soul into capturing the best moments on any special day! I highly recommend Chris to catch with ...
his camera the magic of any special occasion.
Thank Chris for your outstanding work!
Ana.
Cassandra C
5.0
6/21/2018
We had the pleasure of having Chris Gillyard for our photographer. We met him at a bridal expo and could tell within the first few moments of our discussion that he was our guy! He...
was professional, to the point, artistic, and had beautiful photographs. He was extremely helpful with guiding how we should pose in the photos to get top quality photos for our engagement and wedding photos. Because Chris is such a great vendor, he knew all of our other vendors which made our nerves decrease because we knew they would work together well. We have gotten many compliments about our photographs from friends and family. We plan to continue to use Chris in the future for other events as well! He is highly recommended!
Stephanie C
5.0
4/22/2018
Chris and his team are wonderful to work with. I met Chris at a Bridal Show and from the moment I saw his pictures I was hooked. He is professional, very easy going and knows when ...
to capture the right moment. My husband and I have so many amazing pictures and fun candid shots of our reception. In addition, we got our wedding photos back in record time! I would recommend Chris Gillyard Photography to everyone and would hire him again.
Response from Chris Gillyard Photography on 04/27/2018
Thank you so much for the wonderful review! I'm so glad we were able to capture some speci...
al moments of your wedding.
Anonymous
5.0
12/20/2014
Chris was amazing! We had an unconventional wedding theme and he went with it and had a lot of fun. I have a special needs daughter and he was very patient, and understanding. He g...
ot some great shots and never got in the way, its like he wasn't even there. My husband and I aren't very photogenic so he would show us some shots to make sure we were happy. He was friendly and professional and very down to earth. He made sure everyone was comfortable and got some good shots. Every single guest had something nice to say about him. He went above and beyond to help us. He was by far our favorite vendor we worked with and we will be recommending him to everyone we know.
Carissa O
5.0
1/12/2013
I'm not a very photogenic person and Chris really helped with suggestions on posing and had very creative photo ideas. He is also very artistic and the photos came great and unique...
.
Carolina C
5.0
6/24/2012
Chris I met because he did my sister-in-laws wedding. He was willing to drive to Miami for the wedding since I wasn't getting married in Orlando. He is great to work with, very per...
sonable, and amazing photos. Everyone at my wedding asked for his information after seeing his work with the engagement session as well as how he was during the wedding. And to top it off it was raining and my ceremony was outdoors, and he was totally fine with it! I would highly recommend him
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Chris Gillyard Photography
Chris Gillyard
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Owner
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Chris Gillyard Photography
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