Elena Skaya Photography and Cinema

As an out of state couple, relying solely on online reviews and portfolios, picking the perfect photographer for our wedding felt like a daunting task. However, when we stumbled upon Elena and Nik, we instantly knew we would be in good hands. We reviewed their wonderful website and portfolio of photos and reached out to book immediately. From the day we booked until now, almost 3 months after our wedding, communicating with Elena and Nik has been a breeze. Not only did we receive our engagement photos, sneak peeks, and wedding photos in a timely manner, we were surprised with thoughtful gifts along the way! We have received so many compliments on our photos and even have friends wishing they were getting married in VB so they could book with Elena and Nik! We would recommend them to anyone and everyone! They made everyone from our older family members to bridal party feel comfortable and at ease. We are so happy to have had such a wonderful experience with such wonderful photographers.

It was very hard for us to find photographer and videographer who will do exactly what we need. We were looking for a long time and we’re upset already and then we came across Elena and Nik on google and met with them at their office in Virginia Beach and what we really love about hiring them is that they are husband a wife team who does both services. When we received our wedding gallery and wedding film we were impressed! It’s just perfect! Exactly what we were looking for! Also they educate themselves constantly and this is what really make them different from others!

Throughout the entire process, both Elena and Nik were a pleasure to work with. They were responsive to our ideas and requests, offering valuable input to enhance the final product. On the wedding day, they seamlessly blended into the background, allowing us to enjoy our day while ensuring no moment was missed. What impressed us the most was their flexibility and creativity. They adapted to unexpected changes with ease, and their creative approach added an extra layer of magic to the final results. It's clear that they are passionate about their craft, and it reflects in the exceptional quality of their work.

Choosing Elena and Nik was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. They didn't just capture images and footage; they created lasting memories that we'll cherish forever. We wholeheartedly recommend their services to anyone seeking talented professionals who are dedicated to making your special day even more unforgettable. Thank you Elena and Nik! You are simply the best!

Elena and Nik are incredible and I highly recommend using them for your wedding! From the moment we met them in their office to the day they delivered our images and video we felt very taken care of. They captured our wedding day beautifully and we'll for sure use them for future shoots.

Elena and Nik were amazing! We booked with them for our Sept 2023 wedding at the Norfolk botanical garden. With the booking we also got an engagement photo shoot as well which was just wonderful. Both our wedding photos and engagement photos came out amazing. I’m beyond excited to work with them to create our wedding album. They are super sweet and so easy to work with. They are genuinely the most amazing people and artist. They make you feel so comfortable in front of the camera. They have so much fun shooting weddings and because of their joy and creativity we got some of the most incredible photos! We also somehow missed a photo I wanted in chaos of our wedding day. I reached out the day we got pictures back and Elena did a quick photoshop edit and got it back to us the next day. Highly recommend working with them for photos! 20/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Olga R.

You will not be disappointed! Super professional, amazing photos, and they make it easy! We did a studio shoot for our wedding and it was very, very comfortable and accommodating. You will not find a more knowledgeable, professional, and honest photographer. I know a lot of people only want photos at the wedding but there’s a lot going on and we felt like we missed the creativity that you can get in the studio! I highly recommend Elana Skaya Photography and Cinema for any media needs! She says what she’s going to do then she does it! Thank you so much for creating such beautiful photos and memories for my beautiful bride and I. You guys rock!

Loved this husband and wife wedding photographer and videographer duo! I could tell they took such pride in the work from the engagement photos! They thought of so many thing when it came to the wedding and put together THE BEST wedding video ever! I also participated in her bridal special for a bridal boudoir photoshoot. (I was nervous at first) but I had so much fun doing it! Will likely hire them in the future for other events

Elena and Nik are some of the sweetest people we met during the wedding planning process. They were very easy to talk to and very flexible with our schedules when finding time to meet. My husband and I are so glad we went with them as both our photographer and videographer. We are blown away with the photos and video!! We would recommend Elena and Nik for photography and videography to anyone that asks!

Elena and Nik were amazing to work with! Our photos look magical. I'm so happy I spent the extra money because photos last forever and bring back memories. Most beautiful photos ever.

We chose Elena and Nick as our photographer and videographer for our wedding this past fall and they were A-M-A-Z-1-N-G. Amazing!! They captured tons and tons of fabulous shots and really made a point of following the style of photos that we wanted. The video they produced was amazing. I highly suggest getting their video service. All night long, our guests kept coming up saying they are the best wedding photographer and videographers they'd ever seen, and we have to agree! We 100% recommend Elena and Nick !!!!

Elena and Nik came highly recommended from my friend and previous client of theirs. They are truly masters of their craft, and we enjoyed every minute of working with them from the initial consultation to the big day itself. We also can’t stress the importance of having them for your engagement shoot as it is a great way to get comfortable posing and being in front of the camera prior to your wedding day. Needless to say, my wife and I were blown away by their work. We look forward to working with them in the future for other photo sessions. Thank you Elena and Nik for capturing the big moments on a very important day!

I was so happy to come across Elena and Nik! They are such a great team that has such an eye for amazing photos! We couldn’t imagine our wedding day without them! My now husband and I were worried about being awkward in front of the camera, but they tell you all the poses to do and make it very fun and comfortable. Elena also did our engagement photos and I did a boudoir shoot with her as well. We were so pleased with all of our photos that will last a lifetime! We are looking forward to more shoots with Elena and Nik in the future!

Amazing photography team! My husband and I had them do our engagement pictures as well as our wedding! They are very professional and so easy to work with (especially if you’re not comfortable having professional pictures taken). The pictures have all been absolutely beautiful! We would highly recommend them to anyone!

When Elena Skaya captured my sisters wedding in 2019 I knew they were going to be the ones I wanted to have for my own wedding. Fast forward two years later when I found myself planning my wedding, Elena & Nik were the first vendor I contacted. Photography/Videography was the biggest expense of my wedding, and though it may seem like a small fortune, it's not one you want to cut corners on. The flowers will be withered away, your dress stored, never to be worn again, the food will be gone & no one will even remember what was served, & lets be honest, that piece of cake you have in your freezer is going to taste like cardboard on your first anniversary. The photos and videos will last a lifetime. They will capture just how stunning you look in that dress & how perfectly your bouquet coordinates, how beautiful your cake display was & how all of the decor you spent countless hours deciding on came together. Having the video you will be able to watch all of your "first looks" over and over again. You will be able to see the look on your grooms face the moment he sees you walking down the aisle. For this, you cannot put a price tag on.

Simply the best! Elena and Nik are hands down the best photographer and videographer team out there! I cannot say enough about how great this dynamic duo is, even if I wrote pages and pages! When we first started researching photographers, I was immediately drawn to the artistry of Elena's photos and her ability to capture these beautiful moments between couples through unique perspectives. We were not originally thinking of hiring a videographer, but after viewing Nik's wedding films, I quickly realized this was an essential addition. We could not be happier with our choice! From our very first interview, Nik and Elena made us feel incredibly comfortable. We decided to do a bridal portrait session one month prior to the wedding, since multiple friends had recommended this. I'm so glad we decided to do this! I also did a hair and makeup trial that day, and it was a great way to make sure I was going to feel comfortable the day of the weeding and start to feel really comfortable in front of the camera. The day was an absolute blast!! I felt like a model, and Elena's cues for the shots helped me feel more comfortable in front of the camera. When it came to the wedding day, we were absolutely blown away by the level of care and professionalism. From start to finish, we always felt that they were capturing every important moment, but it never felt distracting. All the cues they gave us for arranging our group shots with family helped us feel natural and not like we were posing for the camera. They were able to send us a teaser photo and video very quickly, which was amazing as we were able to share with friends and family so soon after the wedding! I cried tears of joy when I watched the teaser video and looked through those first photos. I felt like I was reliving the magic of the day all over again. Everyone always said the day goes by so fast, and it's absolutely true! We are so so glad that we were able to have the magic of that day captured and to be able to go back and relive those wonderful moments time and again. Planning a Covid wedding was one of the most challenging experiences I've faced so far. But one thing that was never a challenge was working with Nik and Elena. We knew the weather would be touch and go that day, and sure enough we did get rain for our planned beach wedding. The rain broke just long enough for is to run out to the beach for our couples portraits, which was hands down our favorite moment of the day. We were so impressed at the ease at which Nik and Elena were able to switch gears from capturing an intimate candlelight indoor ceremony to family portraits under the covered porch, to action shots of running on the beach in a moments notice when the rain cleared just just long enough. I can say enough good things about this talented and genuine couple and how happy we are with our choice!

Elena Skya were amazing! Our photos turned out so great, we were so happy with them! From the first phone call to getting our photos back, they made the whole experience so easy and enjoyable!

My fiancé and I hired Elena and Nik for our engagement portraits. I had done some research and found them on the Knot and Google, and I really loved Elena’s photography style. They were so easy to work with and made the trip up to DC to do our session. My fiancé and I had not really been professionally photographed, so we were a little nervous about what to do, but Elena and Nik made us feel comfortable and gave us direction. We had a great time shooting with them, and when I received our full gallery, I was blown away! Elena made us two goofballs look elegant and classy, while still capturing our personalities. I’m in love with our photos! We really loved working with them and highly recommend them!

Dont look any further. You’ve found THE BEST photographer and videographer husband and wife duet in all of Hampton roads. I had a special request to surprise my husband with a horse to be in our wedding photos and they were just as excited about it as I was! They did a day-of surprise slide show at the end of our reception with about 15 photos which made everyone ball their eyes out. They also posted over 20 fully edited breathtaking photos in less than 32 hours. Elena and Nik were so genuine, calming, and professional. You can’t ask for 2 better people to take along with you on your wedding journey. From the beginning of the 14 month planning process until well after the wedding was over, these 2 made us feel like we were family. Never once did we feel like we were a bother, even with our hundreds of questions that we probably asked more than once!!! Thank you Elena and Nik. You guys helped make our dream come true.

Elena was the most amazing photographer for our wedding. She was so willing to work with us, despite our crazy schedules and ideas for our engagement pictures and our photos on our wedding day. She had so many great ideas for poses, pictures, etc. All of our photos were edited and sent back to us in a timely manner, and we couldn't be happier with how they turned out! We will use her as our photographer for all of our life milestones! She's amazing!

Elena is Extremely professional and gifted. She works with her husband (they are so cute) so you essentially get two for the price of one. The Background: I met Elena and within 30 seconds of meeting her I knew I would I hire her. I booked a photographer and that photographer, who will remain unnamed, backed out 90 days before my wedding. we were already on a short timeline (5 month engagement). So I was in a panic. Also, I'm the worst bride ever and I have a super busy job and no wedding planner and I had no idea what to ask, look for, etc. She met me on a short turnaround and was very responsive throughout the process. She was professional & patient. Every questions she asked of me, my answer was: "um, I don't know." and she was very patient and professional and told me how she ran things. I knew she was perfect because she would guide me through the day. Wedding Day: The weather was gross and the church did not allow flash photography but My photos are perfect. Also I was running late to the ceremony and stressed out but she told me to wait and take some bridals...I think I was a bit annoyed and stressed but it was worth it. She said something to the effect of "they can't start without you" and took some beautiful photos of me on a Colonial Couch....it was stunning. My husband absolutely HATES taking photos but she captured some amazing VERY NATURAL shots of the two of us...truly talented.. I will absolutely be recommending Elena and calling her for any future life events. THANK YOU!

Absolutely in love with photos and video Skaya photography made for us! So many beautiful photos and great memory! They are so way to work with, definitely recommend this amazing team!

My husband and I had a wonderful experience working with Elena and her husband Nikita! They were very professional, friendly, and fun to work with. Elena had many creative ideas and suggestions that helped make every shot look amazing and unique. We are extremely pleased with the final results and can't wait to work with them again in the future! Highly recommended!!!👍🏻

Elena and her husband are an amazingly talented team! They are extremely attentive to their clients and have excellent communication. They made the months leading up to our wedding very easy, and thanks to them and their hard work our wedding pictures were exactly what we wanted. We loved taking pictures with them and they made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera and made sure to capture all of the moments of our day. They go above and beyond for their clients and are always open to new ideas. I would recommend them to any couple planning their big day!

Elena Skaya was FANTASTIC! My husband and I are generally pretty awkward in front of a camera, but they do really well with angles, directions, and encouraging real moments to capture in film. They are also good at getting quality pictures, and many angles, in a very short amount of time. I am so happy with the way they turned out, one of the best decisions I made for my wedding, for sure!

I loved my engagement and wedding photos!

I was really lucky to find such a professional as Elena, even though we had a limit time for the shooting she did her best and now we enjoy the beautiful photos

Elena and Nick were absolutely amazing! They did a great job with all of our wedding pictures and made a great video that we will watch and cherish forever. I selected for them to also make a photo book for me after the wedding and with the pictures I pick they made an amazing book! I have and will always recommend Elena Skaya Photography to anyone I know getting married, that just got engaged, or even for family pictures. These guys were just overall great!

This husband-wife, photography-videography duo is amazing! The pictures were gorgeous and the edited video, which we watched at a video "premier" party, made all of us cry. They catered to all of our requests and needs, and never disappointed us, even when they were overseas for their wedding and honeymoon! I would HIGHLY recommend them for your upcoming wedding!

There are just no words for how impressed i am. I am a dancer and have done photoshoots before and never have i ever had such an experienced photographer and videographer. Elena and Nik are so talented it put me at ease. A weight was lifted off my shoulders because their level of expertise put my mind at rest. I totally handed over some ideas and that was it. They rolled out my vision in to a magical creative master piece with no effort. Good god they were a blessing. Do yourself a favor and book thesr two. It will be the best money you spend during wedding. Promise!

You WILL not need to look at any other photographer. They are absolutely the best. They were wonderful to work with and wow the pictures and video are breath taking.

Nik and Elena has done wedding services for our family twice. The quality of work that they put out and services that they offer are phenomenal! They are a great team to work with and we look forward to working with the both of them again for our future needs! Thank you again Elena Skaya Photography!

Book this vendor, so accommodating and my engagement and wedding pictures are beautiful! My wedding sneak peek pictures are beyond gorgeous, I love this photographer, her work is amazing. I will be using her in the future, I am so pleased, and have gotten so many compliments on my photos. I can't believe how gorgeous my pictures came out. If you book Elena for your event you won't be disappointed.

I hired Elena and her partner for my wedding in April and I have nothing but great things to say. She was very helpful as I have never had professional pictures done before I didn't know anything about the process. The day of the wedding she was on time and helped with getting all the pictures she knew I wanted. And she even had some of her own ideas which I loved. We have gotten all the pictures back and I am in love with all of them. She really captured the love and happiness of my special day! Definitely recommend to anyone looking to book a wedding or special occasion photographer!

Highly recommend! Elena and Nik are awesome and an unbeatable value. They did our engagement session photos and video and we will love our photos and video forever!

Thank you so much Nick and Alena. It couldn't be any better. Josh and I love the pictures and video of our wedding! We can't thank you enough and I'm sure we will have you in future events!

Elena was our photographer for our fall 2016 wedding. What we really wanted to see in our photos were the love my husband and I have for each other and Elena did just that! Not only did she capture everything beautifully but quality of the prints she gave us were phenomenal. we could not be happier! I recommend her to anyone and everyone.

I will definitely recommend them to my family and friends for sure they won't regret. Elena and her fiancé working together and you can see them they're enjoying what they're doing! Good Job, Elena! and thank you for making my wedding memorable.

Once you meet Elena and Nick, the decision to choose them is easy. They are so much fun and keep your ideas in mind while bringing their own amazing creativity to the table. Everyone who saw our pictures loved them and said they have never seen wedding pictures so beautiful and full of life. They are very easy to work with and to communicate with. Choosing Elena Skaya Photography and Cinema was one of the best decisions for the wedding we made!

What an amazing job!! We had an outdoor ceremony and indoor reception and every single picture came out perfectly. They are wonderful to work with, very easy going and easy to get along with. We recommend them to anyone we talk to! They made our day so special and stress free!

Elena and her videographer partner are such a great team! They know what they are doing and not only that but they know how to work well and effectively together. They have a lot of experience with weddings yet their prices aren't through the roof, they give you the quality we all hope to have for our wedding day pictures and video without it being out of the question just because of the cost. I am so thankful I found this duo off of thumbtack otherwise I would have never been able to get everything I wanted out of my wedding day and more! The pictures I have received thus far as absolutely beautiful and professional. We have received many compliments and are completely awed by how they all turned out. I would definitely recommend their services to anyone searching for high quality photography and videography needs for any special event or occasion.