I’ve started and restarted this review more times than I can count at this point, and it’s only for one reason. The words I wrote each time couldn’t fully explain the joy and appreciation that my wife and I feel for Lina and Jeff, the owners of... Cora+Sal, for what they did to truly make our day just that much more special. From the moment they walked in the door, they brought an energy that was both welcoming and fun. I can truly say that, had it not been for them, the entire wedding wouldn’t have gone as well as it did for us.
We had interviewed a photographer prior to finding Lina and Jeff, but didn’t feel like the individual had the “feeling” we were looking for. All it took was one conversation with Lina and we knew that they were right for us. They were available via email or phone if needed until the “big day,” although luckily we didn’t need to have much more than some basic detail conversations. Just before the week of the wedding, we were able to have a nice video chat to really get to know each other a bit beforehand, which was greatly appreciated due to the importance of their role in our day.
The day of the wedding is always hectic, with tons of people and projects all over needing attention and help. As the groom, I can say that Jeff was INCREDIBLE for me and my group. Some of my team didn’t know how to tie ties, and most needed help with their boutonnières, and unfortunately I was a little bit preoccupied with getting married! Jeff stepped in to help with this expertly, while also taking amazing shots of everyone and everything! He made sure to keep us on track to be ready in time, as well as getting proper shots for the album. He let us be ourselves in most photos without trying to make us “pose” or be fake.
From the bride’s point of view, Lina was a saint! She knew exactly what shots to go for, with documenting all of her outfits. Her candid shots she took throughout the afternoon were incredible, as she was able to capture all of the most important moments of my wife’s preparation. Most importantly, when she arrived my wife was beginning to feel overwhelmed with stress, and Lina noticed immediately and helped her focus on other things to calm down. This was something she mentioned to me multiple times, so I had to include it here!
From the preparation during the afternoon, to the ceremony, and through the reception, these two were our MVPs in many ways for the whole evening. They were visible, yet not “in the way” like so many photographers can be. They kept us as the focus, while also including our family in friends in ways we didn’t expect, such as making sure to take portrait shots of couples and immediate families together. Throw in a number of candid shots throughout the evening and if I were to call the album we received “perfect” I’d likely still be underselling just how great they are!
All in all, the word I’d use to describe these two on that day would be “family.” I say that because they truly became members of our families that day, which is honestly the highest compliment I could pay them. They didn’t have to do half of the things they did, and they certainly weren’t part of any “package” we purchased, but they did them to make our day just that much more special to us. Their photos came out beautiful, and greatly exceeded any expectations we may have set. I can truly say that, without these two, our day wouldn’t have been nearly what it became with their help!
-Mike and Anna