Kayla Hurst Photo

g engagement photos done on short notice), and communication and planning with her was seamless. The day of our wedding was equally excellent - Kayla and her second shooter Morgan did a great job handling all of our requests/preferences while also utilizing their own professional/artistic judgment throughout the day. And intangibly, it felt like having friends/guests around more than vendors (in as professional a way as possible). And then the photos themselves, wow! We were truly blown away by the final products and can’t stop looking at them! We can’t say enough wonderful things about Kayla. Hire her now if you haven’t already!

engagement shoot we gave her a few ideas of the direction we wanted to go, and she created an entire vision. We were nervous about being unnatural in front of the camera and she made us feel comfortable, relaxed, and gave us good directions! We are so thrilled with how our wedding day photos turned out. She captured our day so beautifully with our family and friends and we truly couldn't be happier with our photos! We will cherish these memories she captured for life.

ion to life. Starting with our engagement photos that were like something from a magazine, to capturing stunning candid moments that told the story of our wedding day perfectly. She went above and beyond, even to blow-dry my dress after we got caught in an unexpected downpour, making what could have been a stressful moment feel manageable and even fun. She read me so well throughout the day, knowing exactly when I needed a quiet moment to myself versus when I was ready for portraits. Her attention to detail, kindness, and genuine care made her an invaluable part of our celebration, and her work is something we’ll treasure forever. We hope to continue to work with Kayla to capture future milestones!

about whether I made the right decision on a photographer. From engagement photos to wedding day-Her resources she provided are so helpful in planning out the wedding day timeline start to finish and made us feel prepared. Along with her overall support leading up to the day- I felt like her approach was so individualized for us as a couple. Not only did she honor our requested highlights for the day, she offered an extra little preview/short collection of phone videos to show my mom- who unexpectedly wasn’t able to attend our wedding due to hospitalization. Now, this could very well be a norm of Kayla’s but it felt so personalized and special- I would have never known otherwise. They say you get what you pay for, but I think Kayla is a steal. There are so many good shots to choose from in our gallery and we have gotten SO many compliments on our photos and Kayla- highly recommend!

so many beautiful, small moments I was able to reflect on long after our big day was over, and she even caught things I missed! She was fun and positive and the ultimate hype girl. Not to mention, she did all this just a month after becoming a first time mom. 10/10 HIRE KAYLA!

effortless and of course they came out beautifully. She also would go above and beyond and stepped in on wedding day if I needed help (specifically she saw that my shoes were slipping off and ran and got my more comfy option for me after cocktail hour began) I could not recommend her more. Will definitely be using her again for pictures in the future!! Thank you so so much Kayla <333

stress free thanks to her preparation and experience at our venue.

nue, and was beyond excited that I was able to book her. She was so friendly, helpful, and professional throughout the entire process. Having an engagement session wasn’t something we had planned for, but we’re glad we did it because she gave us a ton of great tips that helped us on our big day, and it was a great opportunity for us to get to know each other. Her candid style was just what we wanted, and exactly what we got. Thank you, Kayla, for the beautiful photos we will cherish forever!

be happier. She was super organized and paid attention to the detailed timeline to a T. She captured all the small, fun details without us asking! I would 100% recommend booking Kayla!!!!

our wedding party, and guests! Pre-ceremony there were a couple mishaps that’s could have derailed the day significantly and Kayla kept everyone feeling calm while working to have backup plans in place. We got along great and were on the same page every step of the way! At the end of the day she was practically our day of coordinator in addition to our photographer! Cannot recommend her enough!!! Thank you Kayla 💓

SO GOOD at what she does! She remembered things I forgot, she kept us on time and, maybe most importantly, she knew when I needed a break from photos! She is very communicative, arrived early and delivered photos I will cherish for a lifetime. I felt so comfortable with her and she really listened to everything I wanted. I can't say enough good things about her!

s that I had forgotten & truly took THE most beautiful images. If I could go back and do it all over again, I’d pick her a million times.

express how thankful we are for her. She is so genuinely talented and the shots she gets are perfection. Not only is she an excellent photographer but is such a sweet person with the most easy going and focused personality. She was a point of comfort to me throughout the wedding day and I feel so grateful she was able to work with us.

o share our special day with us and thanks to her we can share it with anyone that wasn’t able to be there.

Not only are her photography/editing skills INCREDIBLE, but she has a way making sure you, your partner, and everyone in between are comfortable. She sent us our preview within 48 hours and I sobbed—she captured the energy, the love, and everything perfectly. She asks thoughtful questions, takes the time to get to know you, and offer suggestions that are better than I could have ever imagined. She is just incredible and we were so lucky and blessed to work with her again. I cannot speak highly enough of her — everyone has raved about the photos we've seen. And she, as a person, is just so genuinely excited and happy to work with you and capture your day. Ugh, we love her so much and words can't capture how amazing she is.

hy. From the day we booked her to the day of our wedding, she was on the ball. Her level of organization made planning the wedding (we planned it ourselves) so much easier! On the day of, she made sure we were always on time, almost acting as a second day-of coordinator. The day went off without a hitch and she was with us every step of the way! I really can't express how much I appreciate her for what she brought to our special day!

ding day, she made sure I was okay (I was extremely overwhelmed) by seeing if I needed water or anything in general, she also helped me place my veil in. I could not recommend Kayla enough her work is incredible and she is a true gem!

all our photos came out incredible and natural. She was beyond organized throughout the whole process and made everything so easy for us! She went above and beyond by helping with every little thing possible on our wedding day. She captured everything so perfectly and we are so grateful to have such stunning pictures of our special day to cherish for a lifetime. Kayla is not only an incredibly talented photographer but such an amazing, caring human!

hicago for our engagement shoot, which gave us so many gorgeous photos to choose from for our Save the Date. On our wedding day, Kayla arrived right on time, kept us on schedule, and captured so many special moments and details. She knew all the best spots to take photos – even spots we would have never thought to choose. We were so impressed with her knowledge and photography skills. We will cherish these photos forever. Thank you so much Kayla for capturing the best day of our lives!

ing. Thank you, Kayla!

the perfect moody, romantic vibe we were looking for. I look forward to continuing to work with Kayla as we grow! She is the sweetest, most talented gal and I loved working with her. Thank you Kayla!!! <3

ible. So, when I got engaged in 2019, I immediately knew who I wanted our wedding photographer to be. The day of our wedding was a bit chaotic and Kayla handled it like a champ. Her patience knows no bounds so even when I insisted on redoing my own hair after spending the entire morning getting it done by someone, she remained level-headed and used that time to take pictures of my groom and his groomsmen. While I was caught up in panicking over my hair not being satisfactory, Kayla remained calm and kept us all on track so that we completed all of the pictures we needed to before the guests started arriving. Her time management skills and levelheadedness made up for my lack of them. The photos turned out amazing, especially for two people who have zero idea how to pose for pictures. We have gotten many compliments from our friends and family that we "look like professional models" and we owe that ALL to Kayla and her amazing artistic abilities. We asked for lots of candid photos of us and our guests interacting and Kayla delivered; the photos from the dancing portion of our big day are some of our absolute favorites! It's amazing how much the bride and groom miss out on during the whirlwind that is the wedding day, so we cannot thank Kayla enough for documenting so many of those memories for us. We are so happy to have such gorgeous (and hilarious) pictures to look at and relive our special day for the rest of our lives!

e was so supportive on our wedding day, made sure that we had all of the shots that we wanted, and the second photographer was equally as amazing. We absolutely plan on coming back to Kayla for professional photos in the future. She communicated VERY well and we never felt out of the loop with any step of the planning process. Kayla being a part of our day made it even better than it already would've been. Thank you Kayla!!

t the whole process. She took time to get to know us and our energy, and then went above and beyond to match and exceed that energy! On the day of the wedding, Kayla again exceeded our expectations by her attention to detail and all-around care. From adjusting an out-of-place hair to giving us little tips to get the best photos to helping with my bustle when it fell out, she was an all-star throughout the whole day. We have spent so much time looking at our photos and reliving our amazing day through Kayla’s beautiful photos (and ALL our friends and family have raved about how great they are!). She truly captured the emotions we were feeling, which is the BEST thing you could ask for in a photographer, especially since the day goes by so quickly! Definitely book Emerald Tide Photography - you won’t regret it!

? Kayla absolutely KILLED IT! Getting to know her during our engagement photos was like an ice breaker for the big day. She is so fun, always laughing, willing to try anything and photo us being our weird-selves. By our wedding day, she felt like our friend. She captured all the raw moments of the day that you just can't fake and beautiful posed portraits that make you look like a magazine ad. She is gem. 15/10 would recommend.

h passion she had behind it. She loves what she does and it shows. Not only did we feel supported and loved but she went above and beyond to get the shots she knew we would love and cherish for the rest of our lives, even if we didn't know it yet. She's fast-paced and fun, but knows how to slow down and allow moments to happen on their own. Having her by my side on my wedding day was such a gift... We could not say enough great things about Kayla. We love you, girl. Thank you for going above and beyond any expectations we could have had for our wedding day photographer. We're so grateful.

en she wanted to get a shot she was very clear in her direction what to do to signal her (i.e. our first dance dip) so she could get the perfect shot(s). She has grown in this business and has a lot of creative ideas. She will certainly tell you if a picture will work or not work in space but goes out to find a good spot where it will. She is a normal Wisco gal who loves to travel and her photos certainly project that creativity. She was super fun and just comfortable...especially with candids...it was like she wasn’t even there!!! If you like a little pop of color and more of a dark/natural glow vibe to your pictures...Kayla is your girl. Again SHE LOVES TO TRAVEL and is growing this side of her business in addition to her local weddings/engagements/family sessions and Boudoir photos.

yla does amazing work start to finish and left us with pictures we will love to look at and hang on the walls forever! During our engagement session she really got to know us and capture our relationship perfectly. She had a way to make us feel so comfortable that by the time the wedding came around it was like having a close friend there taking your photos! Planning our wedding during a pandemic and having to change plans was tricky but Kayla made sure to be flexible and adjust even as our plans did. On top of all that she was there all day to support me as I needed, checking on me asking if I needed food or drink, at one point she even helped set up some of the decorations I had forgotten, and she definitely helped me stay on time! My day would not have gone as smooth without her. I highly recommend going with Kayla as a photographer for an occasion you are planning!

ve to do on your wedding day, Kayla made things go smooth and stress free. I would highly recommend Emerald Tide Photography, you will not be disappointed!

lanning, rescheduling, and then changing our venue and reducing our guest count because, well, 2020. She was SO helpful and helped us figure out how to best go through the rescheduling process. Before the wedding, she helped us come up with our timeline for the day which was an added bonus since this is something we were struggling with. She sent us a questionnaire to get to know what we expected and wanted from our wedding day. She also sent us a template to help us decide which photos we wanted and with whom (one set of grandparents, entire families, siblings, etc.). This was really helpful so that photos went smoothly after the ceremony. On the actual wedding day, she was more than helpful with absolutely everything. She made sure that we had the exact photos we wanted, and that they were done in a timely manner so as not to take up all of our time. She was so respectful and accommodating to all of our guests and somehow got every last one of them to smile and look at the camera. Her ideas were really creative, and really captured our personalities. Kayla was a big part of why we did not feel stress on the wedding day. She dealt with anything that was thrown at her- or us, that was unexpected and we can’t thank her enough for that. Aside from her kind personality and determination to truly make your wedding day the best day of your life, she is professional and knows better than anyone that those moments cannot be recreated. The investment in her and her skills is a thousand times worth it because you essentially get a confidant, photographer of course, and a lot of advice (about everything wedding related) from someone with experience in the industry willing to share. As far as the actual photos, all I can come up with is, wow. She captured everything so perfectly. All of the small details, all of the emotion, and all of the love. She was able to capture our relationship in our photos and they are so, so beautiful. She delivered an online gallery as a preview to us very quickly, and was sure to communicate with us when she expects to deliver all of the photos. We cannot recommend Kayla and Emerald Tide Photography enough! She clearly went above and beyond what you would expect from a photographer.

er photographers before meeting Kayla) was how it was about them and what THEY do. Kayla from the start was concerned about our goals and what we wanted from our photographer on our wedding day. She customized everything exactly as we dreamed and it couldn't have been better. On the day of our wedding she HUSTLED so hard! After the ceremony, when we were taking family pictures, the venue had already set up tables right behind her. For every shot she took a picture in front of the dinner table and behind it. Every. Shot! Our package turned out amazing and we are so glad we connected. Her dedication to detail, care for what was important to us, and overall command of the day was flawless and we were straight up wowed. I can't recommend her enough! Thanks Kayla!

re everything we asked for and more. Check it out for yourself @emeraldtidephoto

a made us feel totally comfortable and we had a lot of fun during the sessions. Kayla has an amazing eye for her work and really considers your individual style and personality when choosing settings, poses, angles, etc. it poured rain on our wedding day and I was soooo worried about our pictures. Kayla was able to help me through the tears and her pictures turned out absolutely stunning! In most of them you can’t tell it was raining. However, the rain really set the mood in the photos that you can tell. Just amazing! We continue to receive compliments on our photos all the time. I will continue to use Emerald Tide for all my photography needs!

l into her sessions. From family portraits to wedding photos. She has done my engagement photos and my wedding and I couldn’t be happier with the results. She made us feel very comfortable and made sure to get every angle of the day so that our photos could tell our story. I don’t think she stopped moving for 10 hours. She was the PERFECT person for us and I will be hiring her again and again after that. Book with Kayla and you will have no regrets ♥️