chris van winkle photography

Chris was outstanding and we highly recommend him. The photos and video are amazing !

Not being a fan of having my picture taken, I felt like we spent way too much time taking photos. Boy, was I wrong! The pictures turned out incredible. Chris really nailed it when it came to our wedding photos. My wife and I could not be happier with the results. If you're like me and don't really know what you want out of your photos, Chris will show you. Just let the man perform his craft. You won't be disappointed.

Chris was absolutely incredible for our wedding day! He was so great at getting candids and making us feel comfortable in front of the camera the entire time. He was great at coming up with locations with magnificent backgrounds which we are obsessed with. As well as getting great shots of us as a couple, he was able to shoot our location and details of the wedding so we will be able to remember them! In addition, he was able to capture multiple pictures of our guests that we have been able to look back and share with them! We are so happy with how every pictured turned out and how helpful and professional he was through the entire day! Couldn't recommend him enough!

I found Chris Van Winkle Photography as one of the vendor options on the website for my wedding venue. After looking through his previous work me and my husband decided to go with him as our photographer! we are very happy we did! He did such a good job with our photos they all came out beautiful! We got PLENTY, and we got them pretty quick too! I would definitely book him again!

As local northern Michigan residents, we were very familiar with the photographers in our area but we wouldn’t have chosen anyone besides Chris for our wedding day. Chris is not only an absolute joy to work with but he is so creative in capturing the beauty of the moment naturally without over editing his images. Every image seems as if you are in that very moment - which we have always fallen in love with! Chris and LeAnn did a wonderful job working with all of our families and were very helpful in choosing the location of our shots based on the weather that day. We couldn’t believe the quantity and quality of the photos that were captured. I personally have watched his customized image slideshow (with our wedding songs) probably a million times! If you are looking for an easy-going, creative and talented photographer in northern Michigan, I would highly recommend him for your special day!

The pictures were awesome and will remind us of the great moments of the day our daughter got married. He was great in suggesting poses for pictures but also took many candid shots of our guests. He helped write a time line to keep everything flowing. They were the BEST wedding pictures we have ever seen.

I didn't know taking photos was supposed to be this fun! Chris was an absolute champ! We planned to have Chris for our up North 2020 Wedding but when that was not to be and we moved our wedding to a different state, we traded our deposit for engagement photos. We looked for a photographer for our 2021 wedding in Wisconsin and meanwhile and got our photos back from the engagement session. We were head over heels in love with these photos and couldn't choose anybody else. Chris so kindly agreed to come to Wisconsin for our wedding and we were overjoyed. Chris made our whole day so simple. He kept things light and fun and when he needed to get unruly groomsmen to behave, he did it with great expertise. We spent alot of time with Chris on our wedding day and he was simultaneously professional and artistic. Chris capitalized on some beautiful lighting and some non-traditional spaces and it made for gorgeous pictures. I liked how bright Chris's pictures turned out and how wholesome they felt. Every photo was unique and simple. Nothing felt posed and Chris was so willing to let my husband and I just play and be ourselves. Chris gave guidance on our timeline and helped us get pictures with almost all of our guests. Chris returned our photos in a month which was such quick turn around and his pricing was no-nonsense simple. He never tried to nickel and dime us and was always quick to communicate. Chris was great at managing family and friends. He has a well trained eye and exuded joy during our time with him. We loved working with Chris and we loved the product he created.

Chris and LeAnn were great. Our wedding plans, location had some challenges to overcome but they rolled with things and helped us make the best of them. Our pictures are beautiful. We're appreciative of the support and guidance that was provided.

HONESTLY could not have picked a better photographer. Chris was amazing and made us feel so relaxed. Nothing stressful about the whole process. Also, his assistant LeAnn was amazing! They both worked so well together and had fun. I highly recommend them!

I can't say enough great things about Chris and LeAnn! Chris was very responsive and very easy to work with! From our fun engagement photo shoot to his guidance in prepping a day of timeline and throughout our wedding day, they were an absolute joy to work with and I am so excited with how everything turned out! Highly recommend Chris for your photo needs!

Chris and Leann did a wonderful job photographing our wedding day! Our family and friends still speak about how great they both were! We were pleased with how the photos and video turned out that was shared with us (and so were our guests)! Both Chris and Leann brought an easygoing and professional vibe to our event and we will forever appreciate the role Chris Van Winkle Photography played in our special day!

Our wedding venue had a list of preferred vendors that we used as a guide when we chose who would be a part of our wedding day. Be aware that just because a vendor is on the list, does not automatically mean that the vendor is wonderful and you won't have any issues. We emailed and spoke with different vendors in the different categories, but sadly we ended up questioning why some of the vendors even made the cut. This was definitely not true of Chris Van Winkle Photography. Both Chris and his assistant, LeAnn, were amazing! We had emailed him images we wanted to recreate and they came prepared with the images printed on paper, which were crossed off as we went through the day. Chris even shot a heart-shaped photo of all of our guests with a drone that turned out beautifully! They were both easy to work with and our bridal party and guests were also very impressed the day of the wedding, as well as when they saw the photos and slideshow within a month after our wedding. We loved all of the personal touches and have watched the slideshow he created (with songs from our wedding) numerous times! The pictures they took will allow us to remember all of the special moments from the most magical day of our lives. We will be forever grateful and we can't wait to make canvases for our forever home that we'll be building soon...

We couldn’t recommend Chris more!! He is professional, personable and very is good at his job. Our wedding pictures as the wedding couple and our families were fantastic. He also does a great job at keeping the wedding party in tune for the pictures required to make your special day memorable. He did a great job taking pictures during the entire day/night and it was fun to see the wedding guests interactions and experiences that we were not present for. Overall we couldn’t recommend him more!

Chris and LeAnn were amazing on our wedding day. They showed up on time and ready to capture our day. You can tell Chris loves what he does and has so much fun with it. His easy going personality is exactly what we needed on such a high stress day. We now have the best memories of our day thanks to him. He kept us on time without rushing through any shots and made sure we were comfortable along the way. Our guests keep commenting on how wonderful Chris and LeAnn were as well. We would not hesitate to contact Chris for any future photography needs!

Chris was incredible on our wedding day! He was very easy to work with, easy to communicate with, and caught amazing shots. His easy-going and chill personality went well with our wedding vision. We loved how kind and flexible he was. We got so many pictures that we absolutely loved. Chris and LeAnn worked quickly and efficiently to get all of the photos taken so that we could also enjoy the reception with our guests. He knew how to capture the beauty of our day and the scenery around us. We would highly recommend him to anyone!

Chris and LeAnn were absolutely outstanding! Our photos are simply beautiful. Our family and friends have shared how comfortable the photographers were to work with, and how high-quality the finished images are. They were so personable and got all the shots we were looking for, and really captured the happiness of the day. We had to reschedule our wedding and move the location to a different city, and Chris was willing to travel, which we are so grateful for. They went above and beyond. I can’t recommend Chris highly enough!

I loved working with Chris! He traveled to our wedding on Mackinac island, he, and his team, were very easy to work with, and our pictures came out beautifully!!! I was freaking out a little bit before the wedding about the weather as our wedding was outside and 6hours from our home. I would check my weather apps a couple times a day fearing the worst, as the forecast was abysmal! On our phone call a week before he was very reassuring and said “don’t even check that! It changes daily and you’re going to stress yourself out! Let me worry about that. We will get beautiful pictures no matter the weather.” He was very right During my wedding, it seemed like he and his staff were omnipresent! He got everything! Everything that I remember that was great about my wedding, and everything that might not have been amazing but made it unique, he has an absolutely beautifully shot picture of! We had talked before about how I wasn’t really into posed photos, and we talked about getting more candid shots. While we do have some of the required posed photos(and I get it, you need them) I actually really love them! He made those easy to achieve also by having me check off which photos I needed to have and send it in before the wedding date. Those photos went so fast and smoothly that most of my bridal party got to enjoy a HUGE chunk of the cocktail hour, and were VERY appreciative. He had good timing throughout the wedding day that allowed my husband and I to enjoy ourselves. He took just us out for photos at the perfect times that also allowed for our guests to have fun. We were able to do everything at our wedding- cocktails, mingle, food, dance and nothing felt rushed! He also got the most amazing photos! They’re gorgeous and ALL of my guests loved them! He was very easy to work with while shooting as well. “Smile… now don’t smile.. don’t do that… what do you think?” Allowing is to look at them as we go. The process of receiving them was so easy, and he took pictures of the guests as couples and families. We were able to put a link to the photos he had taken throughout the night in the thank you cards, and our guests were then able to purchase them in many different formats. He was the perfect photographer for us and our wedding!

Chris was fantastic! He and LeAnn were professional yet relaxed and were so fun to have throughout our entire wedding day. He gave great tips for posing in certain shots, but also let us be our natural selves. The lighting wasn't great at our ceremony spot and he quickly knew a great backup option. In addition to getting the photos back quickly Chris also prepared a beautiful slideshow set to music that we loved seeing and sharing with others. Highly recommend!!

While my daughter's wedding was almost 5 weeks ago, I am still coming down from the wedding high of how beautiful and happy it all was. Thanks to Chris I don't have to just remember it, but can look at the picture and relive it. The slideshow he compiled set to two songs the wedding couple picked was breathtaking and I couldn't stop watching it, it was that amazing. Chris got all the important planned shots, as well as capturing moments and expressions that are so fun to look back on, perhaps seeing some for the first time since we could not be everywhere at once! His style is professional, yet fun and pleasant. And he doesn't do any cornball contrived shots, which my daughter and I really appreciated. We both highly recommend him.

Chris was so great! My family are still talking about how socialable he was and how lovely our pictures turned out. He was charismatic and made the day so much fun!

LeAnn (Chris’s business partner) was ABSOLUTELY incredible & I would recommend her 1000 times over!!. She not only delivered (in a timely fashion) the most spectacular photos from our wedding day, but she made me, my husband and all of our guests feel so comfortable! She had us laughing throughout the entire day and she got some truly amazing candids (she did an amazing job snapping those sneaky shots!) Look no further for your wedding day (or special occasion photographer.

Loved working with Chris! He was so personable and fit right into the family so much so someone thought he was part of the family! He made everyone feel very comfortable which made it easy to take photos. He was also very easy to get a hold of and responded very quickly to our emails. Would use him again no question!

The vendor showed up right on time and captured every single picture we asked of them. Their creativity and wonderful personalities made the day so special and fun for us! The pictures are absolutely stunning! We were very impressed with their services and would absolutely recommend them for your event.

Chris was awesome! I do not like pictures being taken, but he made me feel comfortable when taking the wedding photos. I am so happy with all of the photos that we got!

Chris was absolutely awesome!! He was incredibly flexible with the hiccups in our original schedule due to covid, and was willing to change dates to be able to accommodate our new wedding date! Excellent photos and AMAZING service!! He has a great team!

Chris did an amazing job photographing our beach destination wedding! Neither my husband nor I enjoy having our photo taken, but you would never guess that from our wedding photos! Chris was very fun to work with and I LOVED all the creative and unique settings that he put us in. His relaxed and professional energy allowed our guests and us to have a great time and now have gorgeous lasting memories of our perfect day. I would HIGHLY recommend Chris!

Chris and LeAnn were just perfect for our wedding day! We met with Chris prior to our wedding and we were at ease with how chill yet very knowledgeably he was with his craft. We provided a list of all the unique elements our wedding had and Chris and LeAnn both made sure to capture every detail!We were so delighted that they were able to capture everything! During the day of the wedding, they were both on time and very efficient with their photography. They were both very flexible and friendly during the entire day! Our guests noted and mentioned to us how much they liked our photographers. Not only very easy to get along with, but also excellent photographers too! On top of everything, Chris even let our engagement photographer shadow him to get more experience - he provided lots of great feedback for her. This was a wonderful thing that he did for someone who was new in the field - she really got a lot from the experience. We were very impressed and happy with our photos. They will be great to treasure for years to come! Thank you, Chris and LeAnn! We highly recommend considering Chris Van Winkle Photography for your wedding - you will not be disappointed!

We had such an amazing day and Chris and his team were a big part of that! We loved his work and that is why we chose him as our photographer. But his personality was what made him the perfect choice for us. His relaxed personality and exceptional organization (both ahead of time and day of) allowed me to really enjoy all the moments of our day. I can be a little Type A when it comes to planning and it just felt like we were in really good hands the whole time, so I didn't need to stress about the details. He kept us on track without feeling rushed through the day. He was a blast to work with which definitely helped everyone to loosen up. Lastly, he had a great presence- he was there capturing each moment while still giving my husband and I space to enjoy our time together on our special day. I was really impressed with how he managed that. Would definitely highly recommend Chris Van Winkle for photography!!

Chris and his assistant were absolutely brilliant in their vision and capturing the personalities of my husband and I on our special day! We truly couldn’t have asked for anything better, we are so incredibly happy with our choice in going with him! They both got to know us and made us feel comfortable. Honestly the photo process was effortless and fun! I highly recommend Chris 110%!

Where do I start...well, there is a reason Chris and his team have 5 stars and over 100 reviews...its because they rock! Chris was very easy to work with and put us at ease in front of the camera. You can tell he has some experience...he kept us on schedule (but never made us feel rushed!), made some great suggestions for photos and has a knack for catching special moments. Thank you Chris and LeeAnn for capturing our special day. Highly recommend!

Chris is amazing!! Not only did he make sure to capture every moment of our big day but he was there to help out with anything and everything! My husband and I searched all over for the perfect photographer and he by far nailed it!! We felt like Chris was part of our family from the moment he arrived. Our pictures turned out absolutely amazing and I’m so thankful we had him capture our big day! Chris, thank you for everything you did for us and the pictures we will cherish forever!

Chris did such a great job! Chris and Leann captured some spectacular photos of priceless moments throughout our wedding! I was so impressed and highly recommend him!

Chris and his assistant were efficient with our time where nothing felt rushed and we got all the shots we wanted plus the most beautiful candid shots of our reception. Chris’s knowledge of the Castle Farms venue meant he knew exactly where to take us to get the right picture with the right light, but he’s so easy going that we were able to also throw in shots he hadn’t plan when we saw something we liked. Guests commented how our photography team was the best they had ever seen and I had to agree. Our wedding was beautiful and when I received the slideshow preview from Chris it brought tears to my eyes because he really captured the look, feeling, and joy in our day! I highly recommend and I am so grateful we chose Chris to capture this day for us.

Chris is an excellent photographer! He was wonderful to work with, he is both efficient and calm. He helped our wedding day run smoothly, we got the shots we wanted without feeling rushed. Would highly recommend!

Simply the best! It was an absolute honor to have Chris photograph our wedding. In fact, next to marrying my wife, hiring Chris was the best decision we made regarding our wedding. He captured so many moments of our wedding which conveyed the spirit and essence of our wedding day, which we will be able to relive for the rest of our lives. Chris made a wonderful impression on all our guests and displayed the perfect combination of patience, flexibility, passion, creativity, imagination and an eye for detail. His turnaround time was even more amazing! We were married on August 25, 2019 and he allowed us to view and download all our photos just a couple days later. He even included a couple extras, that we were not expecting. Thank you Chris, we are forever grateful!!!

Chris and his assistant were awesome! They were on time, accommodate all our wishes, kept it cool when everything got stressful and got great pictures although it rained (a lot). I would definitely recommend to book Chris for your wedding!

Chris & his associate were awesome!! Their interaction with all of us from start to finish the day of the wedding was amazing. All of us were so comfortable with them as we got ready that afternoon. They were nonintrusive but were able to capture every detail & emotion of the day. Their creativity, passion, & professionalism for their art is so evident from the moment we met until we viewed the finished photos & video. They were absolutely breathtaking! We are so grateful & highly recommend Chris VanWinkle Photography.

We can’t say enough good things about Chris and Leanne! From our first conversation over the phone to the last photo snapped, everything was perfect! We talked to a few different vendors and I immediately knew I wanted Chris just from our phone call. He is so easy to talk to and worked so well with everyone in our family and wedding party. Chris was super reasonable in price but his photos and work ethic were worth so much more! We met with Chris a few days before the wedding and we could have talked with him for hours. He made us feel so comfortable and we had so much fun with him! I highly recommend these two and would work with them over and over again. Thank you Chris and Leanne for being so awesome and giving us such amazing photos that we will cherish forever!!!

Chris is an amazing photographer and his assistant was wonderful as well. Not only did our pictures turn out perfectly, Chris was super fun and easy to work with. He is very go with the flow and captured every little moment. He got us our pictures in less than a month after our wedding. Additionally, he made a little slide show from our pictures to two songs we picked. It was a great way to share our photos with those who couldn't be there.

Chris did an amazing job with our wedding!! He is very easy to work with, and extremely efficient. We had some last minute changes on our day, and Chris was wonderful to work with. Very flexible, kind, and talented! We were blown away with the finished product! We would highly recommend Chris if you are looking for a wedding photographer!

Chris was amazing! Very easy from beginning to end. While we dislike being in front of the camera, Chris made it easy and fun to shoot our photos. The turnaround time was very fast as well. I highly recommend Chris to anyone!

Chris is very easy to work with and always responds to emails/calls in a timely fashion. He’s open to suggestions and very flexible. We had an awesome experience working with him and our photos turned out great! Very knowledgeable of castle farms and where the best picture opportunities are at! Highly recommend.

Chris was great! He was super responsive leading up to the wedding and was incredibly easy to work with as we approached our wedding despite us living several hundred miles from our venue. He took wonderful photos that truly captured the spirit of our wedding and got them back to us far more quickly than I expected! The best part about working with Chris was his understanding of what we were looking for and being able to adapt throughout the day. My wife hates super staged photos, so Chris made sure we only took natural looking photos. When my wife got tired of staged photos, aside from the obligatory family-group shots of course, Chris made sure he stopped directing us and just stayed close to get the perfect shot. I can't recommend Chris enough!

Chris was absolutely amazing to work with. We had so much fun working with him. His cool and calm personality kept us at ease during the rainy morning of our wedding and he made taking our wedding photos fun! The final photos were sent to us in a reasonable amount of time and turned out perfect!! We ended up with a lot of very natural looking posed pictures and great candidates during the ceremony and reception. We have received many comments on how amazing our photos are. I would highly recommend Chris and hope to use him again in the future.

Chris was great to work with! Not only did we get amazing pictures but we had so much fun taking pictures on our big day. He knows all the good local spots and we would highly recommend working with him.

Chris was a consummate professional, both in the planning stages and on the day of. He was truly an invaluable part of the day, and worked to fix small problems we and even our wedding planner didn't notice. FWIW- the photos are stunning, too.

Dreams! That is the only word we can think of to describe Chris and Melody... they captured moments that as a bride, I had dreamt about. The photos are out of this world and beyond anything we could have asked! Not only did we love working with them, our family and friends who were in attendance had many compliments. They were so much fun and easy going that it made for natural photos filled with life, love, and genuine happiness. Book Chris VanWinkle, if you have ever trusted and relied on a review.... let it be this one. You will not regret it, that I can promise!

I cannot even begin to articulate how much I recommend working with Chris. The quality of the pictures he took at my wedding were outstanding and ensured that every single photo of me was flattering. I do not think it would have been possible to feel more beautiful in the photos he took. He truly captured our personalities and happiness on our wedding day. Highly recommend!

Beyond the amazing pictures Chris provided, he is truly a calming presence which is something that is absolutely essential for your wedding day. He made the day super fun and easy and we cannot thank him enough for it! He got us our pictures back within 3 weeks!!!!!!!! Even after the wedding, he has been extremely accommodating promptly responding to all the annoying questions I have had for him. I have no regrets and would recommend him to any one! If you are having your wedding at Castle Farms, he knows the property like the back of his hand and will get you AMAZING pictures! Thanks Chris!

If you are looking for a reliable, professional, and helpful photographer, Chris Van Winkle is your guy! My fiancé and I are getting married in Charlevoix next year and when we e-mailed Chris to find out more information about his business, he was quick to reply and answered all of our questions; and because he is based in Charlevoix, he had lots of suggestions for other vendors for our wedding. When we booked our engagement photo session with Chris, he immediately suggested a ton of great locations near where we were staying. Chris was so helpful in every step of the process. We had so much fun doing our engagement photos with him. He works fast but in the most efficient way possible. He took our pictures on Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, Chris sent us all of the photos! In planning a wedding, I am shocked by how long it takes some vendors to reply to e-mails. You never have to worry about this with Chris. He replies right away! Often within minutes. We are so excited to be using Chris as our photographer for our wedding next year! I feel like there is a load of stress taken off my plate because I know that with Chris Van Winkle, we will be in good hands! Thank you Chris!

Chris V. was absolutely amazing to work with. He is laid back and cool but gets the job done beautifully. He also listens to what you want and doesn’t force any poses you’re not interested in. The turnaround on our pictures was so quick and they were absolutely beautiful. Thanks Chris!

Chris was fantastic! He was very organized and kept to our timeline. He had great ideas and all of our pictures are absolutely beautiful. He is so nice and fun to work with!! We had the most perfect and beautiful day that we will never forget!

Chris was amazing - the pictures truly captured my special day. He was able to capture the moments that I wanted to remember without being aggressive or taking me away from the special day, which I think is very rare in a photographer and why he was absolutely perfect!

We met with several photographers about a year prior to our wedding date. After our first meeting with Chris (at his home), we both left feeling that he was the one for us. His laid back personality and professionalism both really stuck out to us. He made planning a Northern Michigan wedding from across the country seem like it was no big deal. Chris was always prompt at answering questions even with a 3hr. time difference. Chris and LeAnn were amazing the day of our wedding. You knew they were around, but it didn't feel like they were, which is what we wanted. Our pictures turned out perfect, and we'd HIGHLY recommend Chris to anyone! He provided us our slideshow with music of our choice, website and flashdrive - as written in the contract. Just book with Chris - you won't be disappointed!!

Chris and his assistant are awesome to work with !!! I recommend them for your big day, you won’t be disappointed