Kivus & Camera

pful, and is super relatable and just a very cool person. She really just blew us away right from the start. She also had some great tricks up her sleeves to loosen us up for our engagement session, which resulted in really fun photos. I also did a boudoir shoot with Elyssa which went really well. By the time the wedding rolled around, I had complete faith in Elyssa and I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about anything related to the photography. We met John on the wedding day and he was also very friendly and professional. Above all, they came through with incredibly stunning photos at every turn. They also sent us our preview of the gallery like two days after the wedding with a link to share the photos with family and friends. They were a dream to work with and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Book them now, you won’t regret it!

ing celebration later on. Even though it was a very small elopement in a local park, we still wanted to capture and remember the moments of that day. And wow, Elyssa really knocked it out of the park! Not only did she capture perfect moments and gorgeous photographs, but she made us feel comfortable and at ease while doing it. We had such a fantastic time together, it seemed like we had known her for years! Elyssa went above and beyond for our little elopement. She was more than willing to travel all around the park, getting phenomenal images. She was able to catch those oh so difficult moments such as our pup Luna (who always refuses to face the camera haha), the emotion in our eyes, our random bouts of playfulness, and even the champagne popping! Thank you so much Elyssa for helping make our elopement so magical!!

front porch mini shoot for our social distance ceremony, and open communication about rescheduling our June wedding to October (and maybe beyond?), Elyssa has been amazing to work with, both professional and fun! Very cool, calm, and collected, which has been very comforting during this trying time. We also incorporated our pup into two of our photo shoots and she immediately took to Elyssa, and she’s a very good judge of character. I’m hoping to keep up with Kivus & Camera for all of our family photo needs as we go through milestones in our life!

deas they both captured!

Camera !

ortable when it came time for the shoot itself. During the engagement shoot, they were both so kind, easygoing, and professional. Elyssa is a true artist, and yet also amazing at getting people to relax and be photogenic (even people who think they can't be). After the engagement shoot, they had the photos ready quickly, all of which were exactly in keeping with the style we asked for and envisioned. Really, they are the best! Then, they were equally awesome, if not more awesome for all of the wedding photography. Leading up to it, they helped us square away all the little details so that things were as smooth as possible on the day of. On the day of, John and Elyssa were rockstars. They split up to capture both of us getting ready and then blended in during the ceremony, handled the following portrait session very efficiently (and yet in a pleasant relaxed manner), and then even came back later to capture some of the afterparty. Then, again, the previews and pictures were ready quickly (but not too quickly) and captured everything that'd we'd asked to be captured. We cannot recommend them highly enough! Look no further than Kivus and Camera!

osphere of our reception and that was precisely what we were looking for in our photographer. The turnaround period was amazing, we received preview pictures within 48 hours of our event and the entire gallery in about 3 weeks. Besides being great photographers they were also lovely people and made themselves available to us throughout the wedding planning process.

munication. We were shocked at the level of professionalism in the pictures that we received! Elyssa has such talent and provided lighting and all of the additions to make for the most beautiful photos in full light, little light, and no light! Not to mention how fun they were at the event! We are OBSESSED and cannot recommend Kivus & Camera enough!

w unobtrusive their picture-taking was (neither of us loves getting photographed and it didn't feel like they were ever there). Also, we got the photographs so quickly! It was just a great experience all around.

he shared her advice on other areas of the wedding when asked. Incredibly detail oriented and an ace on time management, Elyssa and John never made any aspect of the process feel rushed. Both Elyssa and John had such a calming presence and made everyone, and I mean everyone, feel incredibly comfortable and at ease. At multiple points throughout our wedding night, we had guests coming up to us and telling us how much they loved the photographers. Needless to say, they also delivered AMAZING photographs! I honestly can't imagine our wedding day with any other photographers. I HIGHLY recommend Kivus & Camera for any and all photography desires. Not only will you get an amazing photographer, but you'll make a couple new friends in the process.

econd, they were so flexible. We are from Durham (where the wedding was) but live and planned everything from Colorado, which can be difficult. They were able to easily schedule with us during our time at home and be patient with us when we had a million things going on. On the weekend of the wedding, it was incredibly helpful having them around. In addition to getting all the behind the scenes shots, it was almost like having a second wedding planner! They knew where we needed to be when at all times way better than I did! My favorite Kivus story from the weekend was at the rehearsal, when we had a logistics issue getting the shot of the groom, while the bride walked down the aisle. After some discussion, they were able to figure out where to be to get the perfect shot! It was great to have Elyssa there to express the importance of the those moments! Having two photographers was another great perk. We were able to get pictures of the groomsmen getting ready, as well as the bridesmaids. The photos turned out amazing but I can’t express enough about how awesome the experience was along the way! Thank you!

e. I have gotten endless compliments on her photos. I also love that she posts a preview blog just a few days after the wedding. It is a nice way to tide you over till the whole album. Elyssa and John thank you so much for being a part of our big day! I would choose you over and over again!

y have been kind, given advice, and gone above and beyond the call of duty for a photographer! Elyssa advocated for what she knew I wanted with my pictures and helped plan it so it would happen. She answered my random scheduling questions and helped keep me sane day of. And they gave us a preview of our pictures SO quickly. I would use them again in a heartbeat!

ng for wedding photographers, you usually find two camps -- dark and moody or romantic. Elyssa and John fell into a perfect balance of that for us. We first did a Skype meeting where we hit it off! They are a perfect balance of quirky, nerdy, and extremely knowledgeable/helpful! Elyssa is very quick to offer any help she can give you, and they truly work with you to make your day absolutely amazing. They are super responsive throughout the entire planning process, and send you so many helpful tips that really help you plan so thoroughly. When the day finally arrived, I don't know what I would have done without Elyssa's super helpful, laid back, and calming presence. She's also spot on comic relief! My now husband and his groomsmen can say the same for John as well. They work as a perfect team! They work so efficiently to capture your day and really go above and beyond! They keep everything running smoothly, and are so accommodating. They are also super down with all of your quirky nerdy wedding fun too! We also got our wedding preview back faster than any vendor I've ever worked with, for any event, and we were BLOWN away by how gorgeous the photos were. They so beautifully captured our day, no detail was missed, and we could not be more grateful to them. I highly recommend Kivus & Camera! They are so much fun to work with, and produce some truly breathtaking work.

el like hiring Kivus & Camera was one of the best decisions we made in the wedding planning process. We have received SO many compliments from everyone about our amazing pictures and we can not recommend them enough to anyone and everyone!

Elyssa and John. For starters, Elyssa and John were super understanding about my trying to plan a wedding in NC from CA. I got to sit down and have coffee with both of them in 24 hours’ notice, during a brief trip back to NC. It was also easy to hop on the phone and chat with Elyssa as we were narrowing down our photography choices, and even after just to talk through wedding timelines and details. From a photography perspective, vivid imagery and bright popping colors are what I love. When I first saw Elyssa’s portfolio, I was immediately drawn to her photos. Having just gotten our own photos back let me tell you, I was not disappointed and I can't not smile when looking at them. Not only does she deliver on her photos, Elyssa is extremely organized and has her process well defined. She provides specific instructions on what she needs from you ahead of your wedding day, and has you fill out very simple and easy forms to help provide her with your details and thoughts. When I felt like I was drowning in wedding prep, this process and efficiency really made all the difference. As someone who feels extremely awkward posing for pictures, I was really impressed by the techniques Elyssa used to get me, my husband and bridal party to feel at ease. She also has some really neat tricks to help draw out real emotions, rather than just fake posed smiles. Did I mention that Elyssa agreed to shoot my wedding which was ON HER BIRTHDAY? I truly don’t think very many vendors out there have the amount of dedication and love for their craft as do Elyssa and John Kivus. I really can’t imagine choosing anyone else to photograph, you will not be disappointed by choosing them.

nd color in my favorite ways. Elyssa and John were so easy-going and they encouraged me with my wildest ideas. It was a daunting day for them with SIX different locations to shoot at. (I like a change of scenery, I guess. 🤷‍♀️) Elyssa was so present and attentive during our celebration. It shows in her blog posts, because she documented all the small things I would have overlooked. They are worth their weight in gold. You should definitely hire them.

there is color everywhere, we wanted someone who wouldn't mute the colors but would rather work with the colors and embrace them, which they did! Elyssa and John got so many creative and unique shots and used some really fun effects to capture the energy as the night got going! It's also important to get along with your photographer, considering they are spending the day following you around, and we loved talking to them and getting to know them. They are so personable and there was such ease working with them. They are very professional - around but not in your face, giving clear directions for formal portraits, and so organized with the planning! Elyssa sent out several online forms throughout the process, which was so helpful, especially since we were planning out of state. We loved meeting up with her, and she was incredibly helpful at our rehearsal, which she attends if she isn't working another wedding. I also got many comments from guests afterwards that they were so impressed our photographers were on the dance floor capturing all the action. Needless to say, we are thrilled with the photos and are so happy we worked with them. They are fantastic! I can't say that enough!

mend Kivus enough, both for the amazing photography and for how easy they were to work with.

nd even laid in the grass to get some great shots of wedding guests. We had a morning event that ended at noon, they had previews to us by 3pm, and they were back on our doorstep by 4 for more. They had a great sense of how to light us to get pictures that were unique and lovely. I cannot recommend them more for colorful, fun pictures. We can't wait to download the rest!

e to e-mails, and loaded with good suggestions--for photography and anything else! On top of that, our pictures came out BEAUTIFULLY! They captured all of our important moments and even ones we didn't even think of! I've received so many compliments about our pictures and am always sure to recommend Elyssa & John for any of their photography needs. I can't wait for an opportunity to arise to work with these guys again!!! They're worth every penny!