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About this vendor
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Details
Photo Shoot Types
- Engagement
Photo & Video
- Photo
Photo & Video Styles
- Documentary
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Wedding
Awards and Affiliations
2-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2023.2013.
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
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Reviews
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5
out of 5.045 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 3
Working with Don Mears and his team was an absolute joy, and I couldn't be happier with the incredible experience they provided. From the moment we started working with Don, it was...
evident that we were in the hands of a true professional who not only excelled in his craft but also made the entire process enjoyable.
Don has a remarkable ability to make everyone feel at ease during our wedding weekend. His friendly and approachable demeanor created a relaxed atmosphere, making it easy for us to be ourselves in front of the camera. This not only resulted in natural and candid shots but also added a layer of fun to the entire experience.
One of the standout qualities of Don and his team is their attention to detail and commitment to capturing every moment. Don went above and beyond to ensure he not only got the shots we requested but also captured unexpected, beautiful moments that added depth and richness to our wedding photos. His keen eye for composition and timing truly sets him apart.
Don's professionalism throughout the process was exceptional. From the initial planning stages to the actual day of the event, he demonstrated a level of expertise and dedication that reassured us we had made the right choice. His communication, organization, and ability to adapt to different scenarios showcased his skill and experience in the field.
Above all, the photos turned out absolutely stunning. Don's talent for capturing emotions and telling a visual story is evident in every image. I am beyond happy with the results, and I'm grateful that we chose Don Mears for our special day. If you're looking for a photographer who is not only incredible at what they do but also brings a sense of fun and ease to the process, Don Mears is the perfect choice. Thank you, Don, for capturing our memories so beautifully!
Our wedding day was the most magical and memorable day of our lives, and a significant part of that magic was expertly captured by Don Mears Photography. From the first consultatio...
n to our engagement photos to the final delivery of our wedding album, Don exceeded all our expectations.
Working with Don Mears Photography was an absolute pleasure! His professionalism and dedication were evident throughout the entire process. Don and his second shooter seamlessly blended into the background during intimate moments and confidently directed group shots, making everyone feel comfortable and ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for all.
Don took the time to understand our funky family dynamics, our story, preferences, and the moments that were important to us. This personal connection translated into a collection of photos that not only documented our wedding day but also reflected our personalities and the love we share.
The quality of the photos captured by Don is nothing short of exceptional. The colors were vibrant, the composition was perfect, and each image told a unique story. Looking through our wedding album has us reliving the day, with every emotion beautifully preserved.
Choosing Don was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. His passion for his craft and commitment to creating timeless memories truly shines in his work. We 100% recommend Don Mears Photography to any couple seeking a photographer who goes above and beyond to make every moment count!
Don was amazing and took the most amazing pictures of our wedding ! He was so fun to work with and did a great job capturing those little moments of the day!!! He is a must if you...
are crazy about pictures like I am !
We cannot recommend Don highly enough. He is a consummate professional from first contact, through execution, and beyond. He is a masterful artisan and a complete people-person. He...
draws beauty and joy from the wedding party and manages to blend into the background while capturing the moments you want to remember forever. He worked seamlessly with our wedding planner and videographer. In fact, Don essentially served as "deputy wedding coordinator" in keeping "Team Bride" on time throughout the wedding day. He easily filled both roles without sacrificing photos. We would love to work with Don again, and we consider him a friend.
Don was wonderful to work with! He really understood our preference for more candid photos, and he worked with our schedule (we did all posed pictures before hand, and we had an af...
ter party several hours later). He also did very well with the six month old twins we had at the time… he took all the chaos in stride :) He’s also super friendly and thoughtful, did a great job directing people in the photos, and he captured some really beautiful and joyful shots!
First off, we couldn't have asked for a more personable, down to earth, and professional person and photographer to work with! From the start, Don was always easily available to g...
et ahold of and answer any of our questions without hesitation. He helped make us feel at ease during this fun but stressful time, and ensured us that everything would work out as planned, which it did! We had our wedding during COVID and ended up having two separate ceremonies, our first was with our immediate family, and our second (a year later) was with all of our friends and family. Don was very accommodating, flexible, and happy to be our photographer for both ceremonies and reception. Both events Don was able to capture exactly what we wanted for our photos; candid, classy, and natural. Since our wedding we have referred friends and coworkers to him, and we wouldn't hesitate to have him be our photographer again for any event in the future!
From our initial meetings (in which Don was very generous with his time and very thorough with his questions), to our actual wedding day (at which Don and his colleague were never...
missing, always available and flexible, and professional throughout), and the delivery of photos (which were prompt on time and exactly as beautiful as we expected), Don and team delivered. It was obvious from the get-go that Don cares about his clients, their happiness, and giving them perfect, pristine memories. His easy-going personality made everything so much easier, and everyone from our wedding party to our planner to our guests raved about him. Highly recommended!
It was within moments of first perusing through Don's instagram that we felt we had most likely found our photographer. His photos were captivating, often giving us a sense of know...
ledge & enjoyment of people & settings we knew nothing about. His photos were also accompanied by finely written paragraphs which oozed of the passion Don has for his craft. From our first conversation, we were completely sold and put down our deposit immediately following with a high degree of certainty our wedding photos would meet the high expectations we had mentally set for them.
Going to our wedding day Don lived up to these expectations & more. He brought his professionalism & personality into every interaction. At no point did we feel uncomfortable or for that matter not absurdly excited for the settings Don was placing us in. Don was able to make wonderful photos out of cranky children & nervous parents. Don even went above & beyond placing himself physically in some not-so-comfortable locations in order to capture photo opportunities that he had somehow recognized possible.
After clicking five stars when rating Don, the Knot provided the commentary of "The Best Ever!', my only addition to that is when speaking of Don Mears Photography it needs more exclamation points"
My husband and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know and working with Don during our engagement and wedding planning process! He kept us smiling, laughing and having fun during our e...
ngagement photos and wedding weekend. Don is an incredibly talented photographer and was able to capture a mix of artistic, candid, action, and portrait shots. He was very accommodating and understanding when we had to postpone our wedding multiple times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and we appreciated how seamless everything went during our two day wedding weekend at Main Street Station and The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, VA. Don captured all of the vibrant colors and details within our multicultural Indian wedding, and we were so impressed with and grateful for the final compilation of wedding pictures. We would highly recommend him and hope to work with him again in the future!
Don was absolutely awesome!! Could not have imagined working with anyone else on our special day. From our first conversation, he made the process clear & concise. Wedding day, he ...
blended in and never felt intrusive. Don made sure to capture all the photos we requested, and so many more that were unbelievable. The turn around on photos were quick and brought tears to our eyes!!! Thank you, Don, for capturing the most incredible day of our lives. We will forever treasure your photos!!!
Don was an amazing photographer and did a great job as our photographer. I would highly recommend him again as a wedding photographer. (:
Don Mears was the only photographer I ever considered. When I was forced to reschedule a week prior to my original date due to COVID, his availability was the only one I cared for ...
my new dates out of all my vendors. This is how much I love the photography and art Don produces.
On our actual day, it was a relaxed environment and we were able to get every single photo requested in time for the ceremony and cocktail hour. Don was able to wrangle in all of the bridal party and family members quickly for each photo, so that my husband and I could enjoy the rest of the night. I have not stopped hearing compliments from our guests about the work Don has produced. One of my favorites is “Your photographer was one of the hardest working ones I’ve ever seen. I won’t forget watching him bolt up the steps in the lodge to try and capture a moment below”. Watching him pop in and out of the crowd capturing some of our favorite moments will be unforgettable.
It has been 2 weeks and our photos are already populating on the private website provided. I’ve heard horror stories from other couples who waited 6 months after their wedding. If I have any other life events that need to be documented, Don will be the first person I call.
Don is an incredibly talented and professional photographer. Although I live in New England and got married in New England, I selected Don as our photographer because of his work a...
nd personality. He willingly traveled up for our wedding and captured every moment of our day- from the details to the ceremony to people getting their groove on during the reception. All of his shots perfectly captured the day. In addition to his high quality photographs, he has the skill and patience to deal with multiple personalities that exist while photographing a wedding. During the ceremony and reception, you barely noticed his presence which led to him capturing the raw moments of the day. Don has my highest recommendation!
I can not even begin to do Don justice with this review. He is simply amazing. We had 75 guests at our wedding, so we only hired him (no additional photographer or assistant). I ca...
n not believe how quickly he got around and captured EVERYTHING! Looking through the photos, it looks like there were multiple photographers running around. He is a magician and an absolute artist.
He is also hilarious and sarcastic, which fit into our family and friends so perfectly. Honestly, he felt like he was just another fun guest at our wedding.
10/10 would HIGHLY recommend!!!
Don was absolutely PHENOMENAL to work with!!! As soon as we met Don we knew he was the one to take our wedding pictures. His awesome personality shows in his work and he will captu...
re moments that you may have never seen otherwise! Highly highly highly recommend Don if your photos are important to you!!!
Don Mears is hands down the best! Look no further -- he is worth every penny! Don and his wife Lindsey were able to blend in the background on our wedding day and capture all the b...
eautiful interactions and details that flew by us in the moment. I normally hate taking time away from events to do staged photos, but Don made the experience painless. He is a expert on finding great spots for photos so you don't have to worry at all about planning!
We cannot say enough wonderful things about our experience with Don Mears. He has a laid back personality that makes you feel instantly at ease, yet he doesn't hesitate to take ch...
arge to ensure he gets the shot. The two compliments we got ALL night long from our guests were about our venue and our photographer. All the guests were impressed just watching him work, and of course even more so once we received the finished product. We couldn't be happier with the photos, and our experience from the very start to the very end, we wholeheartedly would recommend him for your next event!
Lindsay and Don were absolutely delightful. They were amazing off the set and on the set. Lindsay was our photographer on the day of our wedding, and from the moment I first spoke ...
to her to the time I last spoke with her, she has been professional, flexible, generous, and talented! She really listens to your wants and needs and captures those special moments. I chose Lindsay & Don from various photographers' portfolios because I really liked the way they were able to capture photos that looked dynamic. Lindsay also provided us with about 10 edited sneak peek photos within 2 weeks of our wedding so that we could use it as decoration for an after-wedding party for some family friends! Then we got our final images a few weeks after that. A few weeks ago, we received a gorgeous flash drive containing all the photos with three complimentary professional quality printouts in the mail. Seriously, from start to finish, Lindsay and Don really captured our wedding and our hearts!
Don and Lindsay are amazing to work with and their photography is of the highest quality. My husband, myself and our families are so glad we were able to work with them for our wed...
ding and the photography certainly exceeded our expectations! Don and Lindsay shot not only our wedding day, but also engagement photos and bridal portraits. When I initially reached out to them, Don set up a quick call (we were planning our wedding from out of town) to get to know us better and to learn about our vision for our wedding day and to tell us more about himself and Lindsay. This made us feel really comfortable that Don and Lindsay were dedicated to ensuring they were a right fit for us and our big day!
Throughout the process (including engagement photos, bridal portraits, and the actual wedding day), Don and Lindsay were so professional yet so relaxed and did such a great job of helping us feel and look natural in front of the camera. I also had a videographer the day of the wedding and Don and Lindsay worked seamlessly with his team to ensure they both got the shots they needed. Don and Lindsay were always prompt in responding to any questions and worked with me to ensure the wedding day timeline was appropriate and allowed plenty of time for pictures so no one was rushed.
I certainly would recommend Don and Lindsay and am beyond happy with all of our photographs from them!
Love Don and Lindsay and love their work!
My husband and I cannot thank Don and Lindsey enough for capturing our wedding day so perfectly. From our pre-wedding consult, it was clear that Don's attention to detail was going...
to serve us well on our day. There are lots of photographers in Richmond, but Don and Lindsey have a unique eye, especially in indoor locations that do not have a ton of natural light. Lindsey and Don took such incredible photos and captured moments that we will treasure forever.
Don and Lindsay were absolutely fantastic. I can't recommend them enough. They were wonderful to work with and made the taking pictures a great experience. They were also familiar ...
with our venue and helped out with other aspects of our wedding.
Don and Lindsay Mears are phenomenal! They are so sweet and wonderful to work with. Their pictures speak to their dedication to their work! We loved the moments they captured!
We intentionally skimped on other things/costs in order to be able to have Don and Lindsay photograph our wedding, and we could not be happier that we made that choice. I haven't a...
ctually gotten back the photos from our wedding yet, but I have nothing but confidence in how they will look. It was really important to my spouse and me to have a photographer who captured the natural expressions, moments, and people there in addition to staged/posed moments. We want to feel like we were everywhere at the wedding when we look at the photos, and have them be honest as well as beautiful. I've never seen a photographer who is as adept at that as these two. In terms of interacting with them, Don was SO helpful - not just with regard to photos, but he also gave us tips and advice about other aspects of our wedding based on having worked at the venue before, and helped us out with various things that were not on him at all day of! I was wildly impressed. He and Lindsay were so kind, so personable, so funny, and so professional, all at once. I realize that it's his job to make people feel this way, but he really made us all feel like he deeply cared about and KNEW us personally. The fact that we felt that way tells me that our photos are going to reflect US the way we want them to - and it was a pleasure.
Don and Lindsey were such a fun team to work with! Their photography and vision is fantastic, and we couldn't have enjoyed their personalities or quality more. All of our guests c...
ommented how they were able to be everywhere to capture the great shots, and we love reliving the moments by looking through all of our photos. They capture the moments through pictures. I was stressed out in the beginning before everything started, and they helped keep me calm and focused. Couldn't say more wonderful things about them.
If you are looking for photos that capture all the laughter, beauty and love of you wedding, these are the photographers to use. They have an eye for detail and emotion that is as...
tounding, and they seamlessly float around the wedding capturing all aspects. My wedding day was dream like, and it went by so quickly, but when I saw the photos that Don and Lindsay had captured, it was like being in that wonderful moment all over again - and I think that being able to capture all of the feelings that the Bride and Groom remember about the day is a gift.
In addition to being incredibly talented, Don and Lindsay are easy to work with. For our engagement photos I had a few crazy ideas involving a canoe and instead of balking or trying to change my mind, Don jumped on board and helped my ideas come to life.
I think picking a photographer is one of the most important decisions that you will make during your wedding planning, and I believe if you choose Don Mears Photography you will never regret it.
Don and Lindsay Mears made my wedding day so special! Their artistic eye made for some very beautiful photos! They helped me out throughout the day to get the photos I wanted and m...
ore. Their personality also made it so enjoyable having them around! Throughout the night I didn't even notice them as they blended with the crowd and weren't obtrusive! I haven't seen my proofs yet, but I am anxiously awaiting them!
Don & Lindsay did an excellent job and lived up to their great reputation. They were very easy to work with and we had no worries when it came to photos. Highly recommended.
Don and Lindsay are utterly amazing. Not only is their work incredible but they are so much fun to work with!!! They made our wedding day!! Best decision you can make is choosing t...
hese two as your wedding day photographers! THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!
Don Mears is the perfect photographer. He has the ability to capture moments like no other. Even my wedding guests commented how he managed to pick up on elements of the wedding th...
at most people would not have noticed (including family pictures). His calm, professional, creative approach made us feel comfortable. He made it fun. We purchased the package to include engagement pictures, rehearsal and rehearsal dinner pictures and wedding day prep pictures. Don and his wife, Lindsay, managed to capture every perfect moment, yet they remain almost invisible. They got along with the other vendors and were an amazing additional to our very special day. And, their photos are simply stunning!
Don & Lindsay worked with us over the course of the year to photograph our engagement session, my bridal portrait and our wedding day! They made us feel comfortable in front of the...
camera, nothing ever felt staged or too serious. We have photos that reflect our personalities and relationship but nothing seemed to be too trendy or fleeting. All of our photos will be cherished and we will definitely reach out to Don & Lindsay in the future!
Wedding images are something that you have forever to look back on that incredible day when almost everyone you know and love is in one place. Bruce and I couldn't be happier that...
we had the privilege of working with Don and Lindsay for our engagement and wedding day photos. Not only were they great to work with, but the images came out better than we could have imagined! We planned the wedding entirely from our current home in Hawaii; nevertheless, Don and Lindsay's professionalism, organization, and commendable communication skills made us feel like we had them by our sides to answer questions throughout the whole planning process. A testament to their experience and passion for what they do, Don and Lindsay were able to achieve the perfect balance of staged, organized photos and more photo-journalistic styled photos that captured the emotion and action in all the right moments! I have recommended Don and Lindsay to other friends getting married and would do so again and again!
Beautiful photography. Extremely easy to work with.
No review can do justice to how good Don Mears and his wife Lindsay are at photography. Their pictures capture every moment you could ever want to remember from your wedding day. L...
ike I said, reviews can't do their pictures justice so check out the website!
http://www.donmearsphotography.com/#/page/c0cc/home/
Don and his wife Lindsay were fabulous. The photos were outstanding and they were a pleasure to work with.
Sohair and I got married on September 1, 2012 at the beautiful Keswick Hall in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was the happiest day of our lives, but overwhelming and hard to soak u...
p all the day’s events in our memories. Everything happens really fast! That’s why it was so important to have a good photographer; someone we could trust to capture some of the most important moments of our lives -- and we think we had the best.
Don Mears photography (Don and Lindsay) could not have been more professional, friendlier, or frankly cooler to have as our photographers. They were the perfect blend of assertive and attentive, and they worked seriously with Sohair, me, and our families and friends to get all the shots we wanted. We loved their creativity and commitment to us as a couple. Sohair and I felt so comfortable with Don and Lindsay, which turned out to be incredibly important since your wedding day truly turns out to be a whirlwind of events and emotions. Their teamwork was admirable, their attitude was infectious, and their demeanor was charming.
It is worth highlighting that Don and Lindsay’s professionalism extended well past their day-of expertise. Prior to our wedding, Don took the time to meet with Sohair and me as a couple to get to know us a little better, learn about our families, and understand our personal backgrounds and histories. We think this helped Don and Lindsay capture our personalities the day of the wedding. Additionally, Sohair and I have been happy with Don’s follow-up after the wedding. Sohair and I can’t wait to see our photo album!
Sohair and I have very clear advice to any couple looking for a wedding photographer: hire Don and Lindsay (Don Mears Photography).
Don and Lindsey Mears are the absolute best! We discovered them at the Richmond Wedding Expo and they made it worth all the wedding overload we dealt with! Not only were the best...
photographers we could find (and we did our research), they are both unbelievably wonderful, friendly and warm and most of all, patient! :) We'd recommend them to anyone who wants artistic wedding photos - not just wedding photos! The produce photography that is a level (more like 10 levels) above.
We made sure that photography was one of our top 3 most important things - and we paid more than expected, but it has been worth every penny.
So happy that we went with Don and Lindsey. They knew what I wanted before I even had to ask! Made even my most camera phobic family members want to smile!!
Forget they were t...
here at times because they were so non-intrusive. Love their work and loved having them photograph our wedding!
Waiting to get our pictures back from last month and are very excited!
I could not be happier that I chose Don and Lindsay Mears.
There was never a doubt in my mind that I wouldn't use Don and Lindsay as my wedding photographers. They take beautiful pictures and are able to capture moments that you may not e...
ven know happened. Pictures are one of the most important parts of your wedding, and I wouldn't trust anyone else to handle them!
Don Mears and his wife wre great. They were like ghostduring the wedding. They caught moments that I missed and the quality is amazing. Sometimes people say you get what you pay ...
for ... at this moment that saying is true. Don Mears was amazying.
Awesome people - great to have them there, good sense of humor, went unnoticed throughout ceremony and reception. Always on top of the perfect shot.
Don and Lindsay are the most professional yet friendly people to work with. They arrived early and worked nonstop. Don preplanned the order of the formal pictures at the church, ca...
lled everyone by name and got through the formals in no time. He was great at helping me follow the timeline I had laid out, noticing the best time to get my attention. I really can't explain how great they were, how comfortable I felt with them, and how happy I am with their work!
Don Mears handled my bridal portraits and did an absolutely fabulous job. We were able to use The Jefferson Hotel, an already gorgeous venue, as the background for the photos. We m...
oved around the hotel to include all of its historic charm and architectural design into the pictures, and Don made sure the lighting, angles, and poses matched with the vintage look I was going for. We purchased a large portrait, which looked wonderful displayed at my reception, and about 12 prints. All are extremely high quality, and my family, husband, and I will treasure them forever.
Contact
1623 West Broad St, Central Virginia, VA
Wedding Photographers