Justin Hankins Photography

el so lucky to have had Justin at our wedding.

kindness has left our family, our friends, especially me and my husband speechless. Justin supported us from the beginning to the end of wedding planning, I received countless letters from him to help me figure out what I want, the timeline, and to help me relax. The week before the wedding, I even received flower delivery from him, perhaps the sweetest thing ever for someone I had never met at that moment. He showed up at the rehearsal even when it was not included in our package and took amazing photos. He made everyone so comfortable as if he was not there, yet still took the most amazing pictures on our big day! Justin and his assistant showed up from when the bride and bridesmaids were getting ready until the end of the night, more than 12 HOURS, between two cities! He ran around in more than 90 degree weathers to make sure to get the perfect light by lake michigan to ensure we get the best photos! My family attended our wedding all the way from China, and the first comment from them was we need to get you a photographer like that for the China ceremony to, it touches our heart how dedicated he was. We also received some of the most amazing couple and group portraits the day after at 4AM in the morning, because Justin thought we might want to share with our friends and family who could not attend, and for other social media purposes. In less than a month, we received out complete gallery, online and the usb in mail, a total of more than 1000 photos! Justin later sent thank you card to us and our families to express how thankful he was to be part of our big day, when in fact our hearts are so full from the grace and dedication he demonstrated. We will be showing our photos to our kids, grand kids, great grand kids, for they are the most timeless and classy. Book Justin, and I guarantee you will not disappoint. <3

guy is everywhere and rightfully so). I was so jealous when my friend was able to secure her for her own wedding a few years back and loved seeing the pictures hanging in her home. So, when my fiance proposed last October, the first thought that popped into my head (aside from "yes!") was, I need to call Justin. We set a date and I reached out, expecting a disappointing "I'm booked" as a response. Much to my delight Justin was available and I was happy that I was going to be a part of the beautiful pictures he captures, but that was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the "beyond the call of duty" service Justin provides. From the moment we contracted with Justin, he let us know that he would be there every step of the way and boy howdy was he ever. He always put me at ease. When I awoke panicked at 3 am and wrote a rambling email about control issues I was having in a dream, Justin knew just how to ease my fears and had answers to all my problems (both real and theoretical) with simple solutions, like it was nothing -- and didn't make me feel like I was insane (even though the jury is still out on that). He worked with us tirelessly leading up to the ceremony to make sure he was going to capture the day exactly as we pictured it. He asked questions I never thought of and when I handed him a ridiculously "ambitious" list of posed bridal party/family photos he didn't bat an eye when other photographers would have ran in the other direction and he worked through it so quickly we were still able to enjoy some of our cocktail hour (unheard of at most weddings). This man will hang from the ceiling, roll in the mud, deal with the crazy family drama, research whatever weird things the internet has to offer, just to make sure your moments are captured through his amazing rose colored glasses. He checks in to make sure you're still breathing and not being carted to the loony bin throughout the process. He becomes a person you genuinely want at all your gatherings because he's hilarious and witty in addition to being an amazingly talented photographer. Justin is a professional through and through, his knack for anticipating shots is rivaled only by his knack for anticipating your needs (and maybe his dreamy eyes). Dropkick people to hire this man. You will not be disappointed.

ithout a doubt say that his services and our experience with him was the ONLY a thing about my wedding that I couldn’t critique! In fact, he surpassed all of my expectations, then made new ones that I couldn’t even believe could exist! Hands down the BEST, most talented artist (I believe that all great photographers are truly amazing artists!), and such a thorough professional! From researching and visiting my venues weeks before (on his own without me knowing, mind you!), to checking in on me the week before the big day, to arriving early and staying late the day of! All of this was done without even receiving my wedding timeline until after 9 pm the night BEFORE my wedding (I was literally the WORST bride, and so overwhelmed!)! Justin made everything go off without a hitch, and captured the most amazing memories during the most important day of our lives! He will always hold a special place in our lives together, and no other photographer will ever be able to even compare to him!

s, and finally the wedding day, he worked so hard to make sure all the little details we wanted became a reality. My (now!) husband is super camera-shy and Justin made him feel completely at ease at our engagement session, and our wedding pictures were so easy! Our wedding day was in January in the 5 degree foot of snow and he handled it like a champ, got AMAZING pictures, and kept us laughing and having fun the whole time. It is honestly my favorite choice in all my wedding planning to have chosen to be a Justin Hankins Bride! All my bridal party STILL talks about how great he was and how awesome the pictures were. A few of them have talked about hiring him when it is their turn! He was absolutely 100000% worth every single penny!! I am so thankful for his attention to detail, positive attitude, and wonderful pictures that we will treasure for a lifetime. Thanks Justin for all you did! You are phenomenal!!!

feelings for Justin. Our relationship with Justin began in 2015 with the wedding of our youngest daughter. The photographs Justin produced, the memories he captured and the relationship our family forged with Justin made the decision of our oldest daughter to engage with Justin for her wedding in 2018 as an absolute must. To be very clear we called Justin first to ascertain his availability and only after we knew his calendar did we book the wedding venue and the date. If you spend five minutes researching Justin’s website, his Facebook page or his Instagram account you will see with your own eyes the talent he brings as a photographer, you will read comments on how beautiful his images are, and you will understand from others such as myself that we share a debt of gratitude to Justin for his incredible ability to capture forever the joy that was present in each of our daughter’s wedding days. I travel extensively and wherever I go as soon as I learn that someone is planning a wedding I suggest strongly to them that the single most important decision they will make is who will be their wedding photographer and then point them immediately to Justin. Quite candidly as time goes on you will forget the food, the music, and even the flowers…however it will all come flooding back to you as you return again and again to the incredible images and work that Justin delivers ! Thank you Justin for your personal passion, for your professional talents and for your effort and commitment in making sure that our daughters have such beautiful memories that will last a lifetime ! Justin Hankins is absolutely the best and he will absolutely be the best decision you can make for your wedding !

. His contribution and presence was so fluid and natural. Of course we were "lucky" enough to have rain on our wedding day; something I had worried about plenty being a frizzy-haired gal planning an outdoor wedding. While I thought rain would really slow things down, photography went without a single hiccup. Justin knew exactly what to do at every exact moment whether it was misting, pouring or just cloudy. The pictures he took are timelessly beautiful and truly capture who we are as a couple. He is the most considerate, thoughtful, talented person and truly knows how to make a bride and groom feel special not just on our special day but leading up to it and after. If we had to go back and do it over, we'd hire Justin in a heartbeat! Thank you, Justin!!!

nning to photographing, to getting our pictures afterward, so fun, special and fantastic. And his pictures...are just gorgeous. He not only takes stunning photos, he really listens to who you are and tailors the photos to you. He captures the essence of people and finds the most special moments. Our guests could not believe how amazing the photos were--everybody wanted to know his name and how we found him (here on the Knot after reviewing about a million portfolios that weren't really speaking to us, and then we saw his and just knew). The number one comment from guests is "Oh wow--he's an artist! Where did you find him?!" The pictures. Are. Fantastic. Beautiful, heartfelt, fun, special, just perfect. And his super friendly, easygoing personality fit right in with the wedding. If you're looking for someone who won't stand out or make people feel too "watched" he's great that way. Seriously. If you're lucky enough to book Justin as your photographer, you will love the results. Can't say it enough. Pure magic :)

elpful throughout the whole planning process and was very patient with my many photo requests. He truly cares that you are getting the best of everything and more than what you ever wanted! He had amazing communication throughout the whole process and was willing to travel for our engagement photos! He sent us several beautiful handwritten cards throughout the process and even had a bouquet of flowers delivered to my house the week before the wedding as encouragement and congrats on the big day! He put my needs and wants 100% first the day of and leading up to my wedding! He’s fun and super personable as well, which makes the situation less awkward! His second shooter for the day, Liz, was also exceptional and really added to the wedding day experience for me! She was really fun to have around and did a great job as well! My husband and I really can’t say enough good things about working with Justin! He was one of the best decisions we made in the whole wedding planning process! He is amazing and we highly recommend him!

ional and thoughtful, he brings a great energy to the wedding day, and he does a great job of listening to the bride and groom about what they want. We did not do a first look, and so we took some photos during cocktail hour and the reception. He was very efficient so that we could quickly get the photos taken and jump back into the party.

her but a *truly* fantastic human being. He made every step of the process fun, exciting and easy. As for the actual wedding day, he honestly added an element of fun and joy that I've never seen a photographer bring to the table at an event before. We were SO excited to have him there. His calming presence and his sunny personality and sense of humor were a joy. He got the photos back to us within like, TEN days, which was incredible!! And the photos? Wow. Absolutely gorgeous. They were all beautiful and really captured the joy of the weekend. He managed to be nearly invisible during the ceremony and reception and somehow got all these incredible photos! Do yourself a huge favor and book Justin for your event. He will make your wedding experience extra special and memorable. I legitimately miss him already!!!!

he year and even sent us flowers before our wedding! Our family and friends told us repeatedly how much they enjoyed having him as the photographer. Since we posted the photos, everyone has complimented how beautiful they are and have asked us who our photographer was. He was worth every penny!

amazing; he was always there if you needed him, but never stood out or interfered with any of the day's events. His positive energy was infectious, and the pictures!! Amazing!! He is everything his website claims him to be in terms of an artist and capturing the emotions of the day. We received our pictures extremely quickly. He was even willing to give us black and white options as well as color, which we loved! If you choose Justin for your wedding, you will not regret it! Working with him not only helped make the day of our wedding wonderful, but now has allowed us to revisit that day in stunning images forever. Thank you, Justin!!

and beyond. He is so prepared and talented. Even after our wedding, he continues to surprise me in beautiful days. I can't say enough about his ability to capture moments!

the best encouraging and funny emails and even sent us cards in the mail! The photos are stunning - the colors are vibrant and clear, the scenery amazing, all of it fantastic. His relaxed personality helps smooth the awkwardness of photo shoots. He also edited and sent us SO MANY photos. And turn around time was quick, only one month! After the wedding he sent us (and both our parents) hand written thank you's on cards with our wedding pics. It's those little extra touches in addition to his amazing photography skills that make hiring Justin such an easy choice. Do it.

hout either smiling or crying (out of awe). Justin goes above and beyond to make wedding planning easier, relieve stress day of and capture every beautiful moment. A month after our wedding, he continues to surprise us with personal notes and emails. From the moment I talked to him, I felt completely comfortable with him. Best decision we made. MVP fits him well. We got so many compliments from our guests about him.

s, and sent us flowers the week before the wedding to reassure us that all would go well! During the wedding, Justin was always available without being intrusive. He has a knack of seeing interpersonal exchanges and capturing them, showing the real people behind the story of the wedding. He was professional, funny, fun, engaging, and seemingly everywhere at every important moment of our event. The pictures are truly stunning. We see why he has been awarded the Knot Hall of Fame!! You cannot go wrong working with Justin.

ful and captures all of the sentiments, love, memories, laughs that we wish to remember from our special day. I cannot overstate how lucky we were to have Justin. The second I saw the photos he did for my friend's wedding, I knew he was the photographer we had to have. From the second we reached out, Justin went above and beyond to answer our questions, talk us through the process and encourage us all the way up to and through our big day. There are not enough superlatives in the English language to capture how we feel about Justin's photography. We cannot stop looking at the pictures he took. He is truly an artist and will help you commemorate and celebrate any occasion you have.

equests for photos we hadn't discussed in advance. He even sent over some pictures late after the wedding while he began working on the rest of them. We couldn't wait to review him till the rest came because he was so awesome! I would highly recommend him to anyone and everyone! We cannot wait to see the rest of our pictures, the 5 we've seen are wonderful. Justin was very professional and fun and awesome. Our entire bridal party enjoyed working with him

, which was absolutely incredible. His excellent advice during the process of wedding planning was above and beyond what a photographer needs to give. He got all of our engagement photos back to us within 2 weeks and our wedding photos back within 3 weeks (and apologized for the delay!). I am impressed by the level of professionalism, care, and attention he gave to us, our wedding, and our photos. I wholeheartedly recommend him to any and every couple!

VP. From your initial inquiry, Justin will walk with you every step of the way. He takes the time to get to know you as a couple and understand the expectations of your loved ones. His attention to detail is endearing. To our bridal party's surprise, he learned all of their names prior to the wedding day, so he was not repeatedly shouting "hey you! step to the left." His photos will capture the feelings and emotions of the day. He truly lives up to his slogan of #MomentsNotMasonJars.

sincerity, and thought he puts into his clients. I found Justin's business when I was in college, years before I broke into working in the wedding industry and light years away from planning my own wedding day, but I knew then that he would be my wedding photographer one day and it was the best decision I made (aside from the man I married!). Justin became someone I confided in during the planning process and as a result is now a dear friend too. He is not someone you book and don't hear from until a month before the wedding. He does everything possible to make sure you know he is there for you during the planning. He provided humor to me during some stressful times. He also did our engagement session and we loved how comfortable he helped us feel in front of the camera. His delivery of the galleries is SO fast and the pictures I received were absolutely incredible! I have had many friends and family members say how impressed they are at how many pictures he took, but also seemed to not be there at all. He managed to catch moments that I didn't even realize were happening because the day goes so fast and you're pulled in many different directions. He is worth every penny and more!

not have asked for a greater person to work with than Justin. He went way beyond the second mile to get us everything we could possibly have asked for. He is extremely personable and works with you as if you are his only client. For my daughter's wedding, we have chosen vendors who love their work and do not do it just because it is a job. Justin obviously loves his work and it shows. I would highly recommend him to anyone.

depth, symmetry, texture and most importantly emotion into a single photograph is unrivaled. On top of that he was not only a pleasure to work with but it felt like our best friend was capturing our big day. In the end it went too fast but at least everything was captured so we can relive every moment, from that day, through his art.

our wedding. We were lucky enough to have an engagement session with Justin before our big day. I highly recommend doing this. Your photographer plays such a big part on the day and it was really important to us that we gelled with him. Justin has a great sense of humor and made picture taking fun and easy for us. Justin put our family, friends and guests at ease though the entire weekend. He was with us from the rehearsal dinner Friday night until the very last sparkler went out on Saturday evening. Even before and after the wedding Justin has his own special touches that make you feel like he is truly invested in your big day. He has a very quick turnaround on his pictures and we were able to view his amazing work shortly after the wedding. The photos from the engagement, rehearsal dinner and wedding were fantastic. His attention to detail and thoughtfulness to each picture shines through. We highly recommend Justin to anyone wishing to have a genuine, seamless session that turns into gorgeous pictures that will last a lifetime. Thank you for everything Justin!

r ceremony. Justin’s pictures are so creative and beautiful. Everytime we look at the photographs we are instantly taken back to our wedding day and are so excited that we have those memories captured forever. Not only did we love working with Justin, but our guests raved about him too. You will not find a better photographer who is as talented, professional and easy to work with as Justin Hankins. Thank you so much for capturing our day, we cannot express our gratitude enough! Jason & Megan

because he is flexible and open, and, at the end of the day, a super person. His talent is truly top notch, from candids to still lifes, group and family photos and more. He is refreshingly creative and cares so much about the final product. My daughter and her husband as well as my husband, family and friends were also so pleased with everything he did. His final product-- the leave behinds, books and other goodies--are so classy and elegant. If you are looking for a stress free, superior quality photographic experience, look no further. You will trust him completely and be charmed by his personality and immense talents.

d. I would hire Justin again for ANY event for which I need a photographer. I was thrilled with his work!

k everything in stride and did an AMAZING job. In addition, within a month of the wedding, I had all 800 photos he had hand edited!

was the one for the job! He was extremely patient with all my questions, replied to all my emails (super important to a bride!) He kept me informed about all the "wedding details" and even met twice with me to go over the timeline, photo opportunities and day of events. The single most important and best quality about Justin is that he is calm.. He reassured me, made sure I was calm and made me feel beautiful (even through the stress) Justin and his assistant followed me and the bridal party around all day and took over 1,000 pictures. I have so many beautiful photos, I am going to go broke making prints! His soft spoken demeanor and easy going attitude made our day even more special knowing the precious moments were in good hands. I HIGHLY suggest to any bride getting married to do your research.. Go to the wedding shows, meet all the photographers.. Some are less expensive and some will be very accommodating, but in the end if you want perfection, professionalism and piece of mind, BOOK JUSTIN IMMEDIATELY. Love, The Greek Bride :)

very creative shots. His approach is unique...one-of-a-kind! He's professional and personable, and you'll feel like you've known him all your life.

nd actually celebrate WITH us. He was there to help and support us throughout the planning process, and helped accomplish everything we could have ever hoped for. His style is completely unobtrusive and organic. Aside from the few planned group portraits before the ceremony, we didn't even know he was there, yet he captured every emotion throughout the day. Our images came back very quickly, and he even sent a couple to us while we were still on our honeymoon! Photography was incredibly important to us so that we could remember our wedding day, but Justin was able to externalize the feelings and emotions - every time we look at our images, we laugh and cry, just as we did on our wedding day! Words cannot describe how grateful we are that he was able to be there for our wedding!

it felt as if we were having a close friend take our pictures. His work is peerless -- the same vibrancy that initially captured my attention showed up in every one of our photographs, and all of them capture the exhilaration, joy and mixed emotions of the moment. Justin is committed to and excited about what he does, and it shows! It's been a privilege to have a photographer whose genuine warmth is rivaled only by his excellence of skill. Given the chance, I would choose Justin as our photographer again in a heartbeat.

feelings for Justin. Our relationship with Justin began in 2015 with the wedding of our youngest daughter. The photographs Justin produced, the memories he captured and the relationship our family forged with Justin made the decision of our oldest daughter to engage with Justin for her wedding in 2018 as an absolute must. To be very clear we called Justin first to ascertain his availability and only after we knew his calendar did we book the wedding venue and the date. If you spend five minutes researching Justin’s website, his Facebook page or his Instagram account you will see with your own eyes the talent he brings as a photographer, you will read comments on how beautiful his images are, and you will understand from others such as myself that we share a debt of gratitude to Justin for his incredible ability to capture forever the joy that was present in each of our daughter’s wedding days. I travel extensively and wherever I go as soon as I learn that someone is planning a wedding I suggest strongly to them that the single most important decision they will make is who will be their wedding photographer and then point them immediately to Justin. Quite candidly as time goes on you will forget the food, the music, and even the flowers…however it will all come flooding back to you as you return again and again to the incredible images and work that Justin delivers ! Thank you Justin for your personal passion, for your professional talents and for your effort and commitment in making sure that our daughters have such beautiful memories that will last a lifetime ! Justin Hankins is absolutely the best and he will absolutely be the best decision you can make for your wedding !

y step, thoroughly answering our questions and making sure we had enough time for photographs. When it came time for the wedding, he literally held my hand and calmed me down when I had a mini panic attack before the ceremony. The cherry on the top was when we saw our beautiful wedding photos - my mouth hit the floor and I couldn't stop looking at them! I've received so many compliments about both the pictures and my "ninja photographer" from my family and guests. Justin is a real treasure, and I'm so thankful I found him.

de me forgot there was a crazy storm swirling around us.

g photos and I pull them up the first thing they say is "you had the best photographer. Your pictures are beautiful, amazing, etc". They are right! We are in love with our pictures. Justin is not just a fabulous photographer, he's conscientious and thoughtful! I promise you, you won't regret choosing Justin Hankins Photography for your wedding (or whatever your photography needs are).

otographer.

ything Justin does is well thought out and done with care.

ns of our wedding day so well that when we look at the photos, we feel like we are there all over again. Hankins Photography comes with our highest recommendation.

ng his minimally-intrusive style. Highly recommend!!

o make my life easier on such a stressful day. I had an outside ceremony and reception, it started to rain 20 minutes before, Justin and Charlie (additional photographer) helped the groomsmen move furniture inside our rental house to move the wedding inside. For our wedding, Justin was not only a photographer, he was part of our family. We will forever grateful. You will not be disappointed, that I can promise! Gina & Chuck

the small details that make the event so special. Justin is detail oriented not only in his photos but also his presentation from the CD covers to sending flowers before your event. He is truly a special person and you will not regret investing in his fabulous work.

rop" and we were honored to share our day with him.

important moment. I would highly recommend Justin to anyone getting married. He was very quick about getting the photos edited and back to us and we got the ipad which was also done very quickly. Thank you Justin for helping make our day perfect!!

e was also very flexible when trying to schedule and then again reschedule (twice) our engagement pictures due to the rain. His photos are amazing and I am so glad we chose him as our photographer. All and all, he is just an awesome guy and I will use him for any future photo needs! A very happy bride.

just simply so much more than just my photographer. He truly cared and gave 110%. Quick story, he lives about 45 minutes from my house and drove out to mine for my outside/backyard portrait and it was downpouring, no question. Even though it was easy to call it quits, he hung around and checked out the scene to see shots and ideas. We rescheduled to my convenience and he MADE sure I had my bridal portrait there for the reception. Hands down, I would select him again and so happy I found him to do the pictures! The ceremony, reception, he captured it all! Thanks Justin!!!

hich is so nice when you feel that you've planned everything to a T. He's really easy to work with, great personality and sense of humor, but he's also unobtrusive. If it wasn't for the fact that I love hanging out with the guy, I wouldn't have known he was there which is great when you're dealing with so many other distractions. He captured all these great little moments at our wedding that we missed, it really made our special day complete. I checked everyone out in the area, and he is truly the only one I would recommend to friends and family based on my experience.

reet that after the initial hello and some discussions about our first glance session, I forgot they were there! They did an incredible job of documenting all the DIY and unique details that I (and my friends and family) slaved over. I have used my iPad to show my pictures off and it's so easy. Justin has been fabulous to work with - I can't recommend him enough!

ing day I was absolutely blown away. His photos are amazing. He has such a creative and natural talent for photography. He made everyone feel so comfortable by knowing everyone in the bridal party's name when he showed up and keeping the mood light when the nerves settled in. He captured my wedding day with the most beautiful and high quality pictures I have ever seen. I would recommend him to anyone and plan on using him for any other photography needs.

d way more than he had to. He is worth every penny that you will spend on him! His pictures are gorgeous too!

took at our wedding and reception (pictures which we received only a couple weeks after the wedding!). Justin was always available if we had questions, and I never had to worry about my photographer. It was a blessing to have one less thing to stress about! During the wedding and reception ceremonies, I know he must have been running around to get the different angles, but I never saw him do it! He was so respectful when others gathered around to get the same photograph he was trying to take. He made everyone feel included and comfortable around him. He even politely reminded me about my schedule when time started slipping away, which will happen! All of my guests were very impressed with his professionalism and friendliness, and how he felt like part of the event, not just the fly on the wall. He came early and stayed late and made sure everything we wanted, he did his best to achieve. My brother-in-law even hired Justin a few weeks later for his wedding in September. Justin, we cannot thank you enough!

eremony due to location but he did a phenomenal job recreating great shots that don't look recreated at all. He was great to work with leading up to the event and very quick to give us the photographs afterward. Definitely worth the money!

also great to work with - we were comfortable the whole time and he went the extra mile to make us feel special. I'm so glad we had Justin to document our special day. I would definitely recommend him to anyone who is interested in a photojournalistic approach to their wedding photos.

for a top notch wedding photographer!

nd professional. I would recommend him to anyone getting married.

etter photographer! :)

....I would highly recommend him for any photography work!

hat you are looking for and take photos that reflect that. He has a great demeanor and will make you and your family totally comfortable. Beyond the creative excellence, we were so impressed by Justin's polish and professionalism. He was responsive and professional at all times, always responding quickly to emails. He was our go-to for vendor recommendations and general "Are we on the right track?" questions. We would recommend him to anyone.