Dana Tate | Wedding Photographer

as smoothly as possible. She's also a licensed hair and make-up artist so when my lipstick faded and my hair came loose, she was able to make it look like new. She also brought me back from the edge of panic more than once and gave us the best marriage advice we've gotten yet. Seriously, look no further than Dana Tate - she will not disappoint! Our photos and memories of our big day are so fantastic thanks to her and the time she put into getting to know us. I do not even have the words to say how amazing she is but once you meet her, you'll understand!

pleased we are and how truly blessed we are to have had Dana as our wedding photographer. She did our engagement session which was wonderful and our pictures are phenomenal. Coming from someone who recently got married, your photographer is by your side through your whole day. Your photographer is the person that makes your special day run smoothly, make decisions that you don't need to make on your wedding day, keeps you calm, and creates the memories you will display on your wall and in books for years to come. Dana is truly a gift! She made my wedding day run so smooth. Here is one of many examples: right before our first look, my husband had misplaced his letter he wrote to me-so there was some hustle and bustle going on-but I had no idea it every happened until on our honeymoon when he told me. We were also racing a storm on our wedding day, but Dana still worked in all of our photos that we wanted plus some-and kept us safe lol. Our photos turned out fantastic and no one would even know that there was a storm happening unless you were there. Dana is so fun to be around, so sweet, and so professional. She even put my vale and floral hairpiece in for me. So not only was Dana an incredible part of our wedding day as a person, but our wedding pictures are INCREDIBLE! So many people told us how wonderful Dana was and how awesome our pictures turn out. Dana, thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you did and are still doing for Thomas and I!!!

mportantly, took the most fabulous photographs of our wedding! We worked with Dana for our engagement photos as well and fell in love with her style immediately! She was fun and engaging; kept us moving and on track. On our wedding day (with inclement weather looming) she kept us calm and assured us that everything would turn out perfect (Little did we know she was also great at predicting the weather!) Post-ceremony she blended in so well that she was almost invisible, and she was always subtly positioned where she could capture the best possible moments. Her pre-wedding checklist is comprehensive and invaluable! It brought to light minute details that my wife and I would never have thought about, such as: the time it takes to do group photos based on the amount of people in the picture, or what poses you would like to do and with whom. Dana does a fabulous job of not only keeping you on track but she also does a wonderful job coordinating with the venue to ensure everything moves smoothly. When taking family photos, she does not hesitate to say “no” to that one second cousin twice removed that always seems to want things to go her way when they try to hijack the photo shoot. We could not have wished for a better photographer! Thank you Dana!

kidding when I say that. Dana brought a level of professionalism and fun to our wedding experience that was unmatched by anything else we planned for our day or anyone else we hired. She pro-actively offered her knowledge and expertise, which was beyond helpful when we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Even in our very first meeting with her, she pro-actively shared answers with us to questions we didn’t know to ask. In preparation for our actual wedding day, she pro-actively helped us anticipate hurdles to ensure that our timeline stayed on track and that we were able to get photos with the people we cared about most, all without feeling rushed or stressed. On top of all these bonus features, Dana is a phenomenal photographer. We could not possibly be more pleased with how our engagement and wedding day photos turned out. They are sharp and crisp, with an eye for the right angle in a particular setting. We also loved so much how naturally Dana was able to capture our relationship – we were nervous about feeling posed in every photo or not looking like ourselves because of contrived positioning. Instead, Dana put us at ease right away, making us comfortable and creating a playful atmosphere that immediately calmed our nerves. When I look at the photos she took of me with my husband during our engagement session and on our wedding day, my heart swells at how authentic we look and how crisp the images are. They just make me so happy. One final thing I want to note about Dana is what a joy she is as a person. She is the most down-to-earth, patient, kind, big-hearted person. She is funny and smart and fun. She is a pleasure to work with. She’s an advocate for her clients and she oozes care and authenticity when she works. I cannot begin to say how much I admire her work ethic. She shows up prepared and ready to get creative at all times (for example, it drizzled on us for engagement and wedding photos and she kept our spirits high and made it work in both instances). She is just the best. She has become a friend to us and we appreciate her so much. Thank you for everything, Dana!

nted first. They worked their butts off from the moment they arrived and before I knew it after 8 hours they were leaving. My photos turned out so incredible and I couldn't have imagined anyone else doing my wedding photos. You put A LOT of trust into a wedding photographer and Dana didn't let us down or skip a single beat. She is so incredibly professional and really loves what she does which I think shows in the photos. Another service she offers is prints, canvas photos, albums, etc which is a really nice offer. I would recommend Dana over and over again to anyone we had nothing but a wonderful experience.

l pictures to relive the day again and again. Dana is organized, professional, and knows how to make posing for pictures so fun! Even the groom and groomsmen enjoyed having Dana and getting their pictures taken! The instant I walked into Dana’s home only days after getting engaged, I knew that she was the type of person I wanted to photograph the wedding. She took the time to get to know me and my family and went above and beyond to accommodate special needs I had planning the wedding from out of state. The included engagement session was perfect to get to know Dana and have more time to be introduced to the different “poses” so when the wedding day came, taking pictures was fun and stress-free! Dana is extremely talented and I truly could not have hand picked a better person to get to know and work with over the past year.

tle ones). She made the entire process stress free and easy!

f her assistant, etc. It was all about making it the best day for the bride! And she executed just like she said she would! She has such breadth of experience that she was able to make suggestions on not only things that will make a picture look natural and beautiful but also on how to get all the eye hooks on the bride's dress hooked up when this mother was all thumbs!! She gets to know the bride and groom so she can create a portfolio that captures their essence. The end product is personal, artistic and delightful pictorial journal of my daughter's special day!

o mention SO easy to work with. When we did our engagement pictures, Dana made the evening so much fun, we laughed, danced, and in the process got some of the most stunning photos we've ever taken. We saw them and immediately said "wow, Dana captured what our love looks like, she captured our spirits in a photograph". Throughout the wedding planning process, Dana was a resource for us. She was able to recommend vendors, give me advice about my hair/shoes/accessories, anything I could have possibly needed. She was so kind and patient with me at all times. The week of our wedding, there was a huge flood in St. Louis. Dana was flooded in her neighborhood a few days prior to our wedding and when I frantically called her, she was able to calm me down and put my mind at ease. She even had an evacuation plan to get out of her neighborhood! She was determined that she would be at our wedding no matter what! Needless to say, we were thrilled for Dana, who had become our friend over the past year, to be at our wedding that Saturday to capture our wedding. The entire day, Dana was calm, cool, and collected- even with a large wedding party. She and our videographer worked flawlessly together. Dana had SUCH a quick turn around time on our photos, and we are in love! She captured every little detail of the day and we couldn't be happier with our pictures. We will cherish them for a lifetime. Dana has an indescribable talent to take a picture that can convey so much emotion and love. I would recommend Dana to any and everyone looking for a wedding photographer. She has such a special place in our hearts, and we will always be thankful for her talent and friendship.

s. We met Dana in 2013, and I have been a bridesmaid in three weddings that Dana was the photographer. As the bride, I knew what to expect from Dana and she takes care of everything. Our engagement session provided us an opportunity to get to know her even better and she made us feel so comfortable. Our wedding day had a 100% chance of rain and Dana never let that rattle her. She had at least two different backup plans for us and had the day of the wedding under control. We were able to go to both of our locations and Dana captured everything we wanted. Our second shooter (Mary Kim) was wonderful as well. Our final wedding images turned out so beautiful and we highly recommend Dana!!

t we have to have her. Dana captivates your attention from the moment you meet her and has a unique ability of making everyone around her feel comfortable. Even in our initial meeting, Dana made it a priority to get to know my husband and I individually as well as our love story together. It is important to her because each of her photographs tells a story. Not only is she a phenomenal photographer, but she truly finds joy in helping each bride create their dream wedding. Dana knows a phenomenal network of the best vendors in the St. Louis area. Just weeks before my wedding, she found out I was unhappy with my makeup. Within days, she put me in contact with Savannah Moore. Savannah is one of St. Louis's leading hair and makeup artists. Dana is the complete package. With her by my side, I was able to have a beautiful and stress free wedding while she was capturing the biggest moment in our love narrative thus far. Now, I have the most beautiful pictures to show my family and future children to come. Once you meet Dana, you will understand exactly what I mean.

he beauty and essence of this wonderful day and I will never forget it!!! The quality of her work is outstanding! She really knows what she is doing!! The photo booth was so fun, too! We would highly recommend her to anyone!

s about her clients and it shows in her attitude and in her photos. Dana is professional but caring, very easy to work with and has amazing ideas. We love our wedding album and how she went the extra mile to be sure she we got what we wanted. Thanks so much,Dana!

e invited us to her home to meet her and we knew right away she was the right choice. She shot our engagement photos and our wedding photos, and we have so many beautiful images. She offers a lot of great services that other photographers may not offer.

we were picking a wedding date based on Dana's availability, I happily agreed. Dana invited us to her home office very early on in our wedding planning process to get to know us and offer some advice for moving forward and I believe that was a significant step in getting prepared for our wedding day. She understood what we liked and didn't like and did a beautiful job of capturing "Us" in our photos. From beginning to end, it was a fantastic experience working with Dana Tate.

es amazing, quality work, and her pricing can't be beat for all that she offers!

ed.... but totally did!) on our wedding day. Rounding up our wedding parties wasn't always easy, but Dana did it was pure grace. Thank you for giving us amazing wedding pictures that we will treasure forever. You are an amazing photographer, mother and person whom we are so thankful to have met.

the photos (that looked like they were from a magazine) I was set on having her capture our special day. She takes the time to get to know you as a couple, which allows her to capture your personalities and your story in the photos she takes. My husband and I let Dana pick the locations of our engagement and wedding photos, allowing her to use her talent and creativity, and we were not disappointed! I enjoyed every meeting with her and appreciated all of her help and honesty. I feel like Dana and I became close over the the last year and I will miss working with her! I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND Dana to any couple looking for a very talented photographer to capture their day. She will be your photographer but also become your friend.

ay of our wedding, even while dealing with our demanding families, she was there every step of the way offering help as we needed it. Dana made our wedding easy and comfortable. We couldn't have asked for anything more!!!! Dana truly has a gift and love for what she does.

. She made sure we got all the pictures we wanted and that all our wedding party focused on getting the pictures done. She captured every moment at the wedding and reception and we know have these memories to last a lifetime.

We live out of town and she was so willing to work with us on skype and move her schedule around to meet with us for our engagement session when we were in St. Louis. She is professional, flexible, compassionate, energetic, and creative. On our wedding day the weather went from sunny and 99 degrees to pouring rain, but that did not affect her at all. She was still smiling and coming up with wonderful ideas for our photos. Her attitude really helped us to stay calm and worry-free all day long. I have complete confidence that she and her second photographer, Kelly, captured every detail and special moment of our wedding day beautifully! (We have only seen sneak-peak photos so far, which are amazing.) We will have these stunning photos as our wedding memories forever, and we are so glad that Dana was our photographer!!! I recommend her 1000%!

there is SO much more "behind the scenes" work that requires a lot of work and details to make the day go off without a hitch! Dana Tate does just that. After meeting with her multiple times and communicating my husband and my vision and style, we knew she was the right pick (and after viewing our engagement photos, we were even more elated with our decision). She even helped us create a timeline for the wedding day! She has your (bride's) and groom's best interest at heart first and foremost. I was concerned with how some crazy relatives might try to take over the day or photographs (everyone has them right?!), but Dana Tate took charge and communicated our requests and photos. We had a couple of cranky flower girls and ring bearers and she managed to get multiple smiles out of them for the photos! (WOW!) Another thing, how many photographers stop mid-wedding day photo shoots and fix some fly away hairs?!?!? Yes, Dana does that! She is so much more than a photographer; she truly wants your day to go as smoothly as possible because she cares! My husband and I both cried and laughed when we viewed our wedding shots for the first time. She captured the big and small moments of the day and I'm still trying to decide which shots to frame (she's so good; it makes it difficult to choose!!!!). I have no hesitation with recommending her to future brides. She keeps you on track and organized! You won't regret your choice of choosing Dana Tate Photography!!!!!!

ll the emotions, little details, and the story of your day to help you reminisce for a lifetime. From our first conversation I knew it was a perfect fit. Everything from meetings, payments, scheduling, and gallery viewings was very organized and easy to navigate. On the day of the wedding, Dana is not only your photographer but a therapist and scheduler! Which you are going to need when things feel chaotic! I absolutely LOVE the way all of our images turned out... elegant, classy, and fun too! You know she is great when you just have to add 5 more pages to your album because you can't possibly narrow down your favorite photos any more! The best part is how easy it was to add our dogs into the mix in our engagement session and wedding! So so happy with my decision to pick Dana!

hroughout the day (even non-photography related troubles). Our photos turned out even better than I could have ever imagined. If I could do it over again I would choose Dana every time!

big day (from the villas to get ready in not being ready on time to unexpectedly having no cell phone reception to communicate on the property) and Dana did great keeping a level-head about what pictures should be prioritized. We also weren't able to ever have our engagement shoot because my husband was in training for his federal job at the time in another state so the first day he met Dana was our wedding day and she and her assistant did a wonderful job making him feel comfortable in front of the camera. Our pictures came out beautifully and we are so happy to have them to look back on our big day for the rest of our lives!!

hich is really important when you need to get pictures done pretty quickly. The photobooth that we rented from her was also the hit of the whole reception! The props provided are A LOT of fun. I 100% recommend Dana Tate to any and every bride looking for a photographer!!!

omfortable, and wonderful. Not only are her photos incredibly beautiful and straight out of an enchanted storybook, but she has true and deep knowledge about the wedding industry. She demonstrated her knowledge to my husband and myself on numerous occasions. If I had a question about aesthetics, decor, lighting, or fashion I turned to Dana. She answered all my questions with her honest expert opinions and helped us make tough decisions. Dana is always smiley , cool and collected. She is so kind and fun to be around. Our wedding day was the day of our dreams and it was perfectly captured by Dana. It looks like a fairy tale and we couldn't be happier! Thanks Dana!

e like a friend than a business relationship. She is very well organized and definitely knows what she is doing. Her pricing was reasonable (for a wedding photographer). We did an engagement session with her (included in our package) and she made us feel at ease. My then fiance isn't always the most enthusiastic about photographs, but Dana got him smiling and relaxed. On the day of our wedding, Dana and Amanda (the second photographer) felt like part of our day, not outsiders. They are clearly experts at dealing with all sorts of family dynamics and were able to wrangle the people we wanted for special shots. We are looking forward to seeing our final pictures. The teaser picture we have seen and the engagement pictures were awesome. Overall: very friendly, very accommodating, easy to talk to, very on top things, and overall awesome!

everything. I was initially worried when looking for a photographer about whether we would find someone who could capture a church with darker lighting. Dana put my concerns to rest by showing me several gorgeous photos she had shot in dark churches, and she did not disappoint with ours. (I learned later that she even helped our videographer adjust her camera for the setting!) I was also really happy that Dana includes an engagement session in her packages. I had been planning to forgo these, but Dana is right - they allowed us to get comfortable being photographed and gave her a chance to get to know us and learn how to capture our personalities. (And it's wonderful to have beautiful photos of you and your husband that aren't just wedding photos as you start your marriage together!) My favorite *Dana moment* from my wedding day was when my mom was buttoning up my dress and starting to talk through some last-minute details, and Dana delicately reminded us that this was my WEDDING day, and we should put the details on hold for this lovely, once-in-a-lifetime moment. I really appreciated that. I was also grateful when Dana politely made it clear to some of my *opinionated* family members that she knew what she was doing and had already been given a list of shots that she would be following. :) All in all, our photographs are STUNNING, and we could not be more thrilled with them. They're honestly more than photographs - they are pieces of art that we - and our families - will treasure forever. Dana captures sunlight and nature exquisitely, and she also caught several quieter moments, which I adore. It was hard to choose which photos to include in our album, because each and every shot was simply beautiful. Dana and her assistant did an absolutely amazing job capturing the joy of our day, and I would wholeheartedly recommend her!

rk with, whether it was communication, payments, meetings, or the timeline for the day. She was not only a photographer, but a wedding planner as well. She did research for me and found florists, videographers, and hair stylists she thought I would like. She brought props to our engagement shoot that I mentioned I liked. Dana is more than just a "photographer"! She is a truly compassionate human being and I can't say enough about how wonderful she is.

r friends weddings. We wanted someone who we could trust, someone who was creative with different photograph areas and someone we could spent numerous hours with! She was IT! You're going all wrong if you don't decide her mad skills. And she already gave us a preview of our photos? Hello… I've been married 9 days! Impressive!

era is not natural for us and and Dana did such a great job coaching us and making us feel comfortable. I also have to note that she was so good with our large bridal party and even with my extended family when we were coordinating chaotic group shots. We loved having her and know any other couple would too!

eft at the end of the day after your wedding. Had I known how amazing Dana was going to be, I would have stressed way less, and maybe not at all! First of all, Dana must be one of the most kind, lighthearted, fun people I have ever met. She instantly makes you feel comfortable and puts you in a good mood. Second, it is very apparent that she wants to get to know you and wants to make you feel like your wedding is the most special wedding she has ever photographed. Third, our entire wedding party loved her! And you don't really think about this when you are wedding planning (or at least I didn't), but you spend a significant amount of time with your photographer and it is really important that you like her... and it is really great when your wedding party enjoys her as well. Dana totally saved the day when one of my bridesmaids disliked her hairdo and was trying to redo it. Dana politely asked me if I would excuse her for 15 minutes, and in those 15 minutes, she redid my bridesmaid hair and created a beautiful up do that she LOVED... it was awesome!... and then she was right back to taking pictures :) Fourth, we are just now starting to go through all of the pictures that she took (there are TONS of them) and we are having a hard time because we love SO many of the them! Fifth, Dana is so professional and is always available and responds quickly to emails and phone calls. As an out of state bride, that was EXTREMELY helpful to me and made my wedding planning process at lot easier. I will definitely be recommending Dana Tate to all of my friends and family who are looking for a wedding photographer

ver even knew you wanted. I knew Dana would be our photography immediately after meeting with her. Her showroom is beautiful and welcoming and there is no doubt that she loves all aspects of being a wedding photographer. Our engagement session allowed my husband that opportunity to meet Dana and for them to make a connection for the upcoming wedding day. My husband had a clear vision of wanting to make sure he had enough time to socialize with all our family and friends and Dana was able to assist us in coming up with a schedule that would fulfill my wants for lots of pictures and my husband's to begin the party. On the day of the wedding, Dana was able to efficiently control our large and sometimes bossy families while capturing genuine moments of our day. She helped us stage our first look to be very private and captured those little moments like my husband playing with his new ring that would have been lost without her keen observations. We were thrilled when our sneak peek was posted while on our honeymoon and even more ecstatic when our proofs came through about 2 1/2 weeks later. I was beyond pleased with all the moments Dana and her assistant were able to capture both staged and spontaneous. I cannot recommend Dana enough when choosing your wedding photographer; her cheerful, professional, and joyful spirit made our day absolutely perfect!

ons and all of her experience made her super helpful. She knew all the details we didn't know - how to put the veil in, how to bustle the dress, how to get the buttons hooked. When my niece was tired of pictures and didn't want to cooperate any longer, Dana to the rescue! She started singing songs from frozen to her and was able to get her back in the picture game! Besides all of those amazing details, we just got our pictures back and they are BEAUTIFUL!!! During our engagement session, Dana told us one of the reasons she loves her job is because she loves to show people how she sees them. I don't think there is a way to possibly pick a favorite. We will cherish these beautiful pictures and look back on them for years to come. Thank YOU!!

n the photos perfectly!!!! I can't image what my wedding day would have been like if Dana wasn't there. Dana is very organized, helpful, sweet, and calm. She learned the names of EVERYONE in our bridal party and they all praised me about her. We had several set backs on our wedding day but Dana handled them with a smile and kept us on track. Needless to say my husband and I love her and will be recommending her often.

to capturing every emotion - it was all amazing! I knew from the moment I visited Dana's website I wanted her to be our photographer! Her work is phenomenal. Dana was an absolute joy to work with. She has the best attitude and she is awesome with photographing kids! I was planning my wedding from across the country, but I never felt anxious or worried about anything. She was very thorough and it was important to her that we were happy with everything. Her confidence in her abilities and her calm demeanor kept me at ease both throughout the planning process and on my actual wedding day, which I so appreciate! I will highly recommend Dana Tate to all of my friends and family in the St. Louis area. Thanks to Dana my husband and I have the most beautiful photos to remember our special day.

much more than that! Dana listened to what we wanted and made sure it happened. She also helped walk us through the process. Together, we made a timeline for the day that fit our wedding perfectly and still allowed us to spend plenty of time with friends and family. On top of photography, Dana fixed a bridesmaids hair into an up-do when it fell down, and sewed on part of my wedding dress that had come undone. She was organized, focused and kept our bridal party on task. My husband and I are not very comfortable in front of the camera or being the center of attention and she constantly reassured us and made us feel beautiful. We just received our photos and couldn’t be more excited. She was able to capture how extremely happy we were! Dana was so easy to work with and made our day that much easier and better!

while remaining completely professional. Leading up to the wedding, Dana was awesome helping us plan and create timelines to make sure we got the most for the package we purchased. She also made it clear if we needed her to stay longer the day of, it could be accommodated (which is a relieving feeling!). Our wedding day didn't go exactly as planned, and I don't know what we would have done without Dana on our side. She got everything in order and our group organized for the last minute changes and we cannot thank her enough for that! She turned what could have been a disaster to such a memorable day. We recently received our wedding pictures back and I cannot stop looking at them! Truly amazing work and I am so thankful she was there to capture our special day! Thank you Dana!

hat we wanted in our photos. Dana is very versatile in being able to work her camera magic with any number of environments and it really showed in our engagement and wedding photos. Dana went above and beyond to ensure that we would not forget our blessed day. She was also amazing with keeping our special day on track and guiding us through the unexpected. We were so impressed with her creativeness in bringing out the best in our photos with her positioning and lighting. Dana and her assistant truly created beautiful and unique shots that we will cherish for years to come. There really is little question - you cannot go wrong with Dana Tate :)

r with the results. Being an out of town bride she was very helpful with everything and made the process incredibly easy. She was very helpful in suggesting beautiful locations to have our wedding photos taken and offered great advice. The day of the wedding she made us feel at ease and did an amazing job keeping everyone organized and focused. Did I mention she's a sweetheart? I don't think I've ever encountered such a cheerful, caring, positive person! So incredibly honored to call her a friend. We can't thank her enough for her time and talent and would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding photographer.

e my husband and I feel comfortable in front of the camera, which is no easy feat! However, what I think I loved most about Dana was her positive energy and that she made my husband and I feel important and that our business was important to her. I'm writing this review 5 months after my wedding and she is still promptly responding to emails and putting time into working with me as we prepare my wedding album. Dana definitely follows through and does not abandoned you once the reception is over. Other things that stood out about Dana was that she arrived early on the day of the wedding and worked so efficiently that we ended up running ahead of schedule all day. I even had time to kill before the ceremony started, which was an incredible feeling! Dana was also able to handle large group photos and keep things running smoothly. She also worked with us to get not only the shots she wanted, but the ones we as a couple felt were important. The final thing to know about Dana is that she has outstanding communication skills and is really great with email. This was especially important to me as our wedding was taking place in St. Louis, but the majority of the planning was being done from out of town.

for recommendations. After all the comparisons, one photographer stood out among all the others: Dana Tate. It was at our first meeting that I knew I had made the right decision to choose Dana to take my engagement photos and to photograph my wedding. Due to a short engagement, we were hoping to have photos taken right away. Unfortunately for us, Dana was booked. However, when she had a change in her calendar, she called us and we were able to move our engagement session up sooner. Dana was awesome on the day we took the photos. She was extremely patient and the pictures turned out great. She also promptly sent the proofs, and our timeline for using photos for save-the-date cards was right on schedule. On the day of the wedding, Dana and an assistant arrived early and right away started taking pictures. Again, she was patient with the wedding party, my guests, and even our dog, who was not cooperative. Not only did Dana accommodate all the photo requests that I had given to her in advance of the wedding, but she also suggested some creative backdrops that turned out to be some of my favorite pictures. Dana really added to the fun and excitement of our day, and through it all, she never stopped smiling. Both our engagement and wedding proofs arrived promptly following the sessions, and we were thrilled with them all! I can’t brag enough about Dana Tate! Her attention to detail, knowledge of her craft, and pleasant personality make her the epitome of a professional photographer. We would highly recommend her. She is the best! Thanks, Dana. By capturing our wedding day, with all its beauty, emotion, and pure joy, you have preserved our memories that will last a lifetime.