About this vendor
You are a quality over quantity person. You want natural, beautiful wedding photos and film, but a traditional wedding doesn't quite feel right. You are in the right place!
Whether you are eloping in the Blue Ridge Mountains, planning an intimate micro wedding or dreaming up a sustainable shindig for all your friends, all you have to do on your wedding day is be present and have a good time. I'll capture all the real, honest moments as if you were in your own epic indie film. Think of me as your trusty sidekick who always helps you have a good time and makes you look gooood.
I'm Kara -- I'm a cage-free, Birkenstock-wearing, there's-no-such-thing -as-bad-weather Montessori mama who lives in a tiny work-in-progress ranch with my two toddlers, two dogs and college sweetheart.
I specialize in intimate weddings and elopements but photograph and film all kinds of weddings for people who want authentic, emotional and natural images that tell the full story of their day. No awkward, stiff photos here. You get all the incredible candids, the editorial-style couples portraits AND the posed family shots your mom/auntie/graddad want to print for their mantle.
You should get in touch if you want to fully experience all the moments from your wedding day with the person you love knowing it's all being captured in a way you can feel forever.
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Photo Shoot Types
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Printed Enlargements
- Same-Day Edits
- Second Shooter Available
Photo & Video Styles
- Artistic
- Documentary
- Dramatic
- Lifestyle
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.016 reviews
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Five stars is not enough to describe what working with Kara Leigh Creative has been like. On so many levels, she goes above and beyond every single time - both in her work, but als...
o her customer service. We've had Kara booked for our September 2025 wedding for over 2 years now and truly couldn't have imagined a better person for the job. Her stylistic choices create truly beautiful photos and working with her feels like being around someone you've always known somehow. Having just received the sneak peeks of our big day (very quickly might I add) we could not be any more in love with her work than we are right now.
From a recently promoted bride's perspective:
ANY couple that gets to work with Kara is beyond blessed. She took time out of her own schedule on multiple occasions to help us navigate some planning challenges and the peace she brought us has no price tag. I whole heartedly believe that Kara treats each of clients in this manner and so, it goes without saying that if you're looking for a wedding or elopement photographer - YOU HAVE FOUND THE ONE!
Kara was fantastic to work with for my sister's wedding last weekend at the Chrysler Museum! Her commitment to her work shows brilliantly through her photography. We had less than ...
stellar weather leading up to the big weekend, yet you couldn't even tell from the photos! She was able to take what could have been a stressful day and made everyone at ease with her team's professionalism and courtesy.
I would definitely consider Kara Leigh Creative for your next shoot or special event. 5 STAR VENDOR!
I cannot express how happy I am to have chosen Kara Leigh Creative as our engagement photographer!
From the very beginning of the process, Kara has been very quick and responsive...
to all forms of communication (both text and email). She answered all of our questions, reviewed the contract with us, and the payment schedule was very easy and straightforward.
We had to fill out a questionnaire about our likes/dislikes, a get to know us as a couple, and general information going into the photo shoot. It felt a little overwhelming before we started, but once we got into it, we quickly understood why it’s important to her creative process. She also reassured us that not every question needed to be answered and we can just have fun with it.
I will admit, my fiancé and I were very nervous going into the photo shoot! We had never been photographed together before and we didn’t know what to expect. We honestly had so much fun and the time just flew by. We were so impressed by the level of professionalism! Kara had us walk with her to the main site and take photos on the walk to loosen up. Even on a busier Friday night, she knew exactly where she wanted us to go to take photos and had them all timed out exactly with the sunset behind the mountains. Nothing was forced, she made it clear that she would guide the shoot but we could interpret or do things our own way.
The gallery was turned around very quickly and I love how they turned out. They captured not only our love for each other but how much fun we were having in the moment. 10/10 recommend do not hesitate to book Kara Leigh Creative!
5 stars to Kara! She was so easy to work with through the whole wedding process and very flexible. From day one, she got our vibe and ran with it. The turnaround time was so fast! ...
We got a sneak peek of photos shortly after the wedding and the VERY LARGE album delivered during our honeymoon. Kara captured everything I asked for and was able to wrangle our family and guests to gather for photos as needed.
This fall, we held a non-traditional wedding celebration to commemorate our covid-era courthouse wedding. Photography was a priority for us and Kara couldn’t have been a better fit...
. First, her style is beautiful and aligned well with our outdoor aesthetic. Even more importantly, she was easy to be around, kind, and patient. We are both generally uncomfortable in front of the camera and she still managed to capture great images. Also, she knew when to insert herself because it was an opportune moment for portraits or to shift to candids, when we were having fun with friends and family. Without hesitation, we’d highly recommend her to anyone.
Kara is such a wonderful and talented human! We had to reschedule our engagement shoot last minute due to weather and she was very accomodating. During our engagement session, she...
made us feel very comfortable and relaxed. If that wasn't enough, her photos are absolutely gorgeous!! They tell our story so beautifully and are carefully edited to showcase us and the scenery behind us. Bottom line: absolutely book Kara as your photographer!!!
Kara's talent, creativity and ability to connect with people is top notch! We had our engagement and wedding photos along with videography with Kara and she produces such high qual...
ity, beautiful pieces of art that truly captures the feelings of the ones being photographed. Looking at our photos, we can not only relive these moments, but also FEEL them - it takes a true artist to capture feeling.
I HIGHLY recommend Kara for ANY of your photography and videography needs - she is open-minded and has the talent to make sure your special moments in life are captured.
Lets talk about breathtaking photos! We could not have asked for anyone better to take our wedding photos! We have only received the preview photos and she captured so many amazing...
moments on our big day and these are only the preview photos! We HIGHLY recommend Kara for your perfect day! She was on-time she was making sure we got all of the shots that we needed and wanted. She is beyond accommodating and friendly and is VERY good at her profession! We cannot wait to see all of the photos she captured :)
If you’ve decided to elope for your wedding, look no further for your wedding photographer! Kara has an artistic eye, a sense of adventure, and fun vibes to go around from planning...
to the day-of the wedding.
My husband and I were planning a big, multicultural wedding for almost a year and a half before we decided to elope. With the uncertainty of the pandemic and getting nowhere with our wedding, we decided to contact Kara about having an intimate wedding in Shenandoah. Looking back, we’re SO glad that we did!!
Kara was able to calm my husband and I’s stressed-out wedding brains. She knew a lot about the area and made planning an intimate wedding a breeze. Kara was intentional and detail oriented with the planning process. She took into account several factors- timing of the sunrise/ sunset, parent AND dog friendly hikes with views, places to stay, and even helped us find an amazing officiant willing to hike with us to the summit!
Being a hobbyist photographer, I can be picky, but Kara gets it- the details, the angles, the lightning, but most important of all, the emotion. She was able to capture all the important shots and more. We can’t help but relive the memories of our wedding day, and we’re so happy we have beautiful photos that we can cherish for many years to come!
Working with Kara was one of the BEST decisions we ever made! She was so refreshing to work with and made us feel comfortable during the whole process, Kara- thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!! We are so grateful for you and can’t thank you enough for making our wedding day a reality!
Kara made my wedding day happen! Everything from finding the location, helping me find a florist, and pick out an airbnb. If it wasn't for her the day wouldn't have happened so eas...
ily. Through the entire process Kara hung in there every time I changed my mind (67 times to be exact, including my wedding date!) and handled all of it so kindly. Her pictures will give you the entire landscape, the up close intimate details, and everything in between. Kara was also there to zip up my dress and help me find a hair style when I couldn't make another decision while I was getting ready. I am so glad we did the engagement shoot with her, it truly helps you get comfortable working with her and builds your confidence while moving around for her camera. She builds a quick relationship with you and brings out the most real emotion in the pictures.
Kara more than exceeded our expectations as our wedding photographer, where do I even begin?!….We planned our October 2018 wedding from afar (TX) and I had been on the search for t...
he right photographer for months. I came across Kara’s work in a deep dive Instagram search and her storytelling style immediately caught my eye. We wanted the perfect mix of candid moments captured, classic wedding portraits and ultimately, an accurate depiction of our love for one another and Kara truly delivered on all fronts.
She was excited and communicative from day one, she explained her process for the upcoming year in our first meeting, she was always quick to respond to any questions or changes we requested. Kara’s expertise and calming demeanor allowed a stressful process and day to feel at ease. We opted to do getting ready photos and a first look (if you choose to work with Kara, you won’t be disappointed with these options!) so that we could spend more quality time with our guests after the ceremony. Kara perfectly represented the progression of our day. We’ll always be able to look back and remember how we felt in those moments, something that is truly invaluable. She also went above and beyond to deliver our photo album so quickly after our wedding, it was such a happy surprise for us! Her pictures made us feel like movie stars and there is a true glow to each one. Kara, we can’t thank you enough playing a huge part in the best day of our lives.
Kara was phenomenal! Very quick to respond to emails and answered all of our questions. She made us feel very comfortable in front of the camera. The previews we have gotten have ...
been amazing!! We have gotten so many compliments on our pictures already. I cant wait to hang them all over our house! We had a neighbor's dog crash our wedding and Kara, and the second shooter, Chris got some fun pictures of the dog and the guests. Kara goes with the flow but will still kept you on track with pictures. I highly reccomend her for your wedding or any adventure shoot!
As soon as I saw Kara's work I knew I wanted her to photograph our wedding. My fiance (Daniel) and I have had two sessions with her already and our wedding isn't even until May! We...
went on an adventure session to the New River and we also had a mini pet session. All the photos we received were breathtaking! Kara is so easy to work with and what sets her apart is that shes creates a friendship with her clients and she made us feel so comfortable during our sessions. I would recommend Kara Leigh Creative to anyone and I will continue to go to her for all my photography needs! Thanks so much!
I asked Kara to shoot our ten year anniversary photos in our home, and we had an incredible experience! Kara is so down to earth and easy to work with, and I highly recommend an in...
home session with her! We were thrilled with the photos, and it was so special to have them done in our home. Thank you, Kara!
Kara worked very hard to deliver both an engagement session and wedding package that was not only beautiful and to our taste but also timely. I would book her again and recommend h...
er to anyone.
Kara was with us through every step of our marriage celebration . She took the most beautiful engagement photos of me, my husband, and two dogs in early fall 2018 at Babcock State...
Park in West Virginia. She then traveled with us to Tobago in May to capture the island's beauty at our intimate beach wedding. The photos are absolutely stunning. A few weeks ago, she completed the trifecta by taking candid shots at our West Virginia reception where we celebrated with family and friends who did not attend our small destination wedding. Kara has a great eye and goes above and beyond to get magical shots. Case in point, Kara asked a local fisherman use his boat so that she could get photos of us with our wedding party on the jetty at Pigeon Point, Tobago. Her use of light and color make for almost surreal photos. If you want awesome photos, Kara's the photographer for you!
Contact
Roanoke, VA | Roanoke, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg
Kara Leigh Creative's photos