You create the monents, I turn them into memories
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Central North Carolina
Travel area: Within 300 miles See details
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Matthew Danser
OWNER
Typically responds within 24h
AWARD WINNER (7X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Matthew Danser Photography, based in Durham, NC, provides couples with photography services for each milestone of their wedding journey. Owner Matt has been capturing weddings and events for over 20 years and loves what he does, whether it's crafting a visually stimulating composition or freezing a fleeting moment in time. From your first moments as an engaged couple until your first dance, this talented professional will be by your side each step of the way, making each moment last forever.
Blending traditional and contemporary styles, Matt takes inspiration from each couple he collaborates with. During an initial meeting, he'll get to know your love story and style and help you fine-tune your day-of timeline. Matthew Danser Photography can fill your album with as many posed shots as you like, or if you prefer, they can blend in with your guests and make candids the priority. When Matt's not behind a camera, he can be found in the kitchen cooking up something delectable or spending quality time with his cat, Iggy.
Matthew Danser Photography would be honored to capture your wedding ceremony and reception and also offers engagement shoots, boudoir portraits, and trash-the-dress sessions. Matt can provide a second shooter, additional hours, and coverage of multiple venues, perfect for documenting the entire day, from start to finish. In the weeks following your big day, you can choose your favorite shots for printing and request keepsakes, including albums, flush mounts, matted prints, and save-the-dates.
Details
Destination Weddings
Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
Boudoir
Bridal Portraits
Day After Session
Engagement
Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
Digital Files
Film Photography
Online Proofing
Photo
Printed Enlargements
Printed Proofs
Same-Day Edits
Second Shooter Available
Social Media Sharing
Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic
Classic
Documentary
Dramatic
Lifestyle
Modern
Vintage
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Wedding
After Party
Awards and Affiliations
Any questions?
Meet the team
Matthew Danser
Owner
Hi there! My name is Matthew Danser and I am a Durham, NC based photographer specializing in wedding, event, portrait, and fine art photography. I have been making photographs for over 20 years and am passionate about what I do; whether it is crafting a visually stimulating composition, freezing a fleeting moment in time, or capturing a stunning image of your daughter on her wedding day. I am prompt, professional, and guarantee that you will be satisfied with my services or your money back. When I'm not working I like to spend quality time with my cat Iggy, build guitars, cook, and scuba.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.089 reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.
Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Matt received glowing reviews for his wedding photography services. Multiple reviewers praised his professionalism, flexibility, and ability to capture both candid moments and staged photos beautifully. His communication skills, attention to detail, and personable approach were highly appreciated by couples who worked with him. Matt's talent and easygoing demeanor made the entire experience stress-free and enjoyable, earning him high recommendations for future weddings.Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 8
Kat C
5.0
10/30/2025
Matt was an absolute delight to work with leading up to and on our wedding day. He is very professional. The photos turned out amazingly.
Yolanda Y
5.0
9/21/2025
Matt was professional, flexible, and patient throughout our work together. On the wedding day, he was quiet and thoughtful in capturing candid moments, which made us feel at ease, ...
and we truly enjoyed working with him. During our couple session, he gave clear, helpful instructions on posing and was mindful of the inspiration photos I had shared beforehand. We would happily recommend Matt to other couples looking for a stress-free wedding day experience!
Any questions?
Kayla B
5.0
2/18/2025
We could not be happier after working with Matt for our wedding photos. He was very professional and had great communication the weeks leading up to the event. He did an amazing jo...
b capturing the spirit of the day and made everyone feel at ease for the pictures. Highly recommend
Micaela C
5.0
11/17/2024
Matt is fantastic! 10/10! We had the pleasure of meeting and working with Matt for our engagement photo shoot as well as our wedding day. Matt did an incredible job with both, and ...
I would highly recommend him! He was extremely professional, kind, accommodating, and talented. We loved our pictures and will cherish them for years to come. He was extremely personable throughout the process and made us feel comfortable. Definitely recommend to anyone!
Gerisa W
5.0
10/28/2024
Great experience with him, very flexible with last minute suggestions and changes and mindful to capture as many pictures as possible, had a lot of suggestions for posing for the p...
ictures.
Evan C
5.0
7/04/2024
We had an amazing experience with Matthew! He did a phenomenal job taking and editing the pictures, and he's a great guy to talk to. He also did a variety of different shots and ev...
erything turned out the way we wanted it to.
Allison W
5.0
5/03/2024
Matthew did an excellent job capturing our wedding. He was professional and efficient with our limited time (budget) resources. Would hire again. I loved all my photos and his styl...
e.
Jack P
5.0
12/14/2023
Matt and his second photographer were wonderful. The pictures came out looking amazing, and the two of them were gracious, professional, understanding, and all-around wonderful to ...
work with. They were on time, ready to go, and even helped my father set up his phone on a tripod in the back of the room to record some of the ceremony for my 99-year old grandmother who couldn't make it. Thank you so much for helping make our wedding such a perfect day we will never forget.
Leah N
5.0
11/09/2023
Matthew was very easy to work with, very accommodating to our schedule and needs. He provided high quality work and was helpful throughout the course of our working relationship. S...
trongly recommend his services.
Max S
5.0
8/17/2023
Matthew and the photographer he brought with him (I forget her name, but she was amazing too) were so incredibly kind, fun, and professional. Working with Matt was a total breeze a...
nd one of the few painless processes we went through with our wedding. I can't recommend Matt enough.
Caroline H
5.0
6/11/2023
We were very happy with Matt’s photography and professionalism. He met with us for about an hour a month before the wedding to go over the timeline, picture requests and any pertin...
ent family information. He and his partner arrived on-time and immediately got to work. He was very willing to accommodate our timeline and last minute requests. We got our pictures back very promptly. The staged photos were very thought out and well executed. But the candid photos blew us away. He and his partner were everywhere without being seen. The reception was such a whirlwind for us. We appreciate seeing all the fun our friends and family had when we weren’t looking. Thanks again Matt for a memorable experience.
Pamela K
5.0
5/02/2023
Super communicative and flexible. Matt did a great job with our photos and was always responsive to emails. He also met some tight turn around times for my portrait.
Kiera C
5.0
4/29/2022
Matt was professional and friendly, extremely helpful, and just great to work with. He went above and beyond to be helpful during our wedding, actually running out and grabbing som...
ething we'd forgotten from the store as a kind favor. His photography is excellent, the hiring process was painless, and he was the perfect choice to help us commemorate our wedding day.
Melanie M
5.0
9/24/2021
Matt is absolutely amazing! Not only are his photos amazing, but his personality is too. He was so sweet and friendly to all my friends and family! Everyone adored him!
Price was ...
great too, especially for the quality of photos we got!!!! He doesn't try to rip you off, like a lot of wedding photographers these days!
Can't wait for my next big event-we will absolutely use him again!!!!!!!
He made my big day so easy and relaxing!
Anna G
5.0
9/15/2021
Matt was the perfect choice for our wedding photographer. He was extremely communicative with us after we had to postpone our wedding multiple times due to covid. He showed up exac...
tly on time, got all of the photos that we had specifically requested, and so many more beautiful moments. The area around our venue wasn’t exactly the best for photos but he worked with us on the space we had and made everything look beautiful. We’re not the type to have our photos taken often and I was nervous about it being awkward, but he made us feel at ease and told us exactly what to do!
On top of all of that, he got our edited photos back to us SO quickly! Definitely can’t recommend him enough :)
Raven J
5.0
9/09/2021
Matthew is an awesome photographer. He is extremely polite and captured so many beautiful moments during my wedding. He really went above and beyond his call of duty.
Alyssa C
5.0
9/07/2021
Matt was absolutely amazing, I am so glad we found him to photograph our wedding. He was professional and also easy to talk to. There was a mask mandate in effect during our weddin...
g and he had no problem following guidelines. The photos are unbelievable. He managed to capture every moment and we have a great mix of fun and serious photos. I highly recommend him!
Hunter G
5.0
8/31/2021
Wonderful photographer! Really knows what he is doing! He is very laid back so he will definitely not stress you out on your wedding day! He gets all the best photos but it doesn't...
even feel like he is there! Such a great experience!!
Annie B
4.0
8/23/2021
Matt was amazing to work with! He was professional, yet laid back and easy/fun to work with not only on my wedding day, but also during my wedding portrait session. He always see...
med to be in the background covering as much as he could. I would definitely recommend using him!
Melissa L
5.0
8/23/2021
This may be a duplicate review but Matt deserves it anyways. He was so professional, punctual, and personable. He made us all feel comfortable on our wedding day and we were able t...
o do things how we wanted. I love how our pictures turned out. To me, this is one of the most important vendors for a wedding, since it captures the memories of your day & Matt didn't disappoint.
Mercedes T
5.0
8/10/2021
Matthew completed my bridal portrait shoot and took photographs at my ceremony. He is very professional and an attentive photographer. Matthew was very patient and understanding wh...
en we postponed our initial wedding date due to COVID-19 restrictions. He was very flexible with his schedule and was able to accommodate the wedding date change. I had a great time working with him and will highly recommend if you are in need a photographer. I will also keep Matthew in mind for my own future events!!!
Charles B
5.0
7/07/2021
Matt was extremely professional and simultaneously creative. He had tremendous ideas and tool great care of us. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. 10/10 would recomm...
end!
Monica U
5.0
7/03/2021
We loved Matt as our wedding photographer! He really captured the feel of our wedding and did a great job making sure we got all the shots we wanted!
Melanie V
5.0
6/27/2021
My husband Jake and I loved working with Matt! He is so kind, professional and fun. His wonderful personality was quite comforting on a day that can be celebratory yet stressful. W...
e hired Matt for our small backyard wedding in May 2021. Matt's initiative, insight, (and patience!) in taking shots was great. And our families loved having him with us on our special day! Definitely recommend Matt for wedding photography. THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Derek B
5.0
5/17/2021
Matt was the perfect photographer for our wedding! He went above and beyond to accommodate our needs and was extremely easy to communicate with. His photos turned out amazing and h...
e captured a good mix of candid shots that we couldn’t be happier with. We would absolutely recommend him to anyone in the area!
Eimile W
5.0
6/19/2020
Matt was an amazing photographer for our wedding day. I was so impressed with his professionalism and flexibility as we dealt with COVID-19 requirements and changes.
Matt was low...
-key all the way-- just what a bride needs as she's suffering from decision-fatigue from planning every other detail. He arrived early on the wedding day and was such a professional the whole time. I hardly knew he was there as he snapped the most precious pictures of us and our families before the ceremony. He travelled between where I got ready and where my husband got ready without a hitch. And again at the venue, I hardly knew he was there.
BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE-- Even though all of that was fantastic, THE BEST PART were the pictures. He got the perfect lighting and the perfect poses. Cute ones, serious ones and ones that we will treasure forever. Matt really captured how happy and grateful we were just to get married during the pandemic. I highly recommend him. He is a talented photographer and a joy to work with.
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 06/19/2020
Thanks for the kind words Eimile! You guys are great!!
Kayla R
5.0
5/17/2020
Matthew Danser was a wonderful choice for our photographer. Matthew worked with us to find our perfect package, took our recommendations of photos we wanted, and was patient with u...
s during the wedding day! We loved our photographs! They were perfect!
Paula D
5.0
5/08/2020
We cannot say enough great things about Matt. He is wonderful to work with - professional, has great ideas, and he makes you feel at ease. We decided to go ahead and get married d...
uring the pandemic, and Matt came through for us, never hesitating. We love our pictures and glad we chose him as our photographer. You can’t go wrong with him!
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 05/08/2020
Thanks Paula, you guys are great! Have fun in Greece!!
Erin T
5.0
1/09/2020
Matthew was the first (and only) photographer we met with. After the first meeting we knew that he would be a perfect fit to our perfect day. He was prompt, creative, flexible and ...
extremely fun to work with. The package deals were incredible and definitely worth the money. On the day of the wedding he showed up on time and got right to work, capturing everything. Matthew worked with every idea that we had for pictures and shot every photo that we requested. His partner was an absolute delight and was just as amazing. We recieved our pictures a week after the wedding, they were edited and exquisite. Just a short time after we recieved our photo book! The quality is outstanding and is one of our favorite pieces from the wedding. If we ever need any other photos done in the future he will definitely be first on our list.
Karen H
5.0
12/09/2019
Matt did an amazing job capturing the joy and emotion of our day! He and his cophotographer were at the venue early to capture the preparation moments of the day. His photographs a...
llow us to relive the emotions of the day and are all beautiful. The turn around time was excellent <3 weeks! We had an incredibly hard time narrowing our photos down for our album because they all contained such great feelings and memories of the day.
Aria H
5.0
11/11/2019
My husband and I used Matt for both our engagement shoot and our wedding. \We loved our engagement photos and used them on our invitations and save the dates. We also got them prin...
ted to display at our wedding. When our wedding day finally came, Matt showed up early - which spoke volumes. We got our photos back incredibly fast and let me tell you....THEY WERE GORGEOUS. We have so many favorites. Overall, Matt was incredibly professional and did a phenomenal job at capturing our special day. Seeing that photos were on of our top 2 priorities, we highly recommend!
Lizzie P
5.0
10/31/2019
How can I even begin!? Besides marrying my husband, hiring Matt to be our photographer had to be one of the best decisions I made. He went above and beyond and captured a side of ...
us, our family and guests that we would never have been able to see without him. We will treasure the photos he took forever. Do not hesitate.... Matt is who you want!!! KILLED IT.
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 10/31/2019
Wow, thanks Lizzie for the stellar review! Amy and I had a blast documenting your big day....
You two are great!
Heather F
5.0
10/30/2019
Matt was professional and creative. He listened to our needs/wishes and captured the emotion of our ceremony and party. He delivered a beautiful photo series that allows us to reli...
ve that incredibly special day.
Mamie M
5.0
4/28/2019
We met Matthew six months before our wedding based on his impressive portfolio. We wanted "in the moment " pictures , which he excels at . He walked us through his services and wa...
s very professional from the beginning. He spent a lot of time capturing every possible important moment the day of our wedding and we could not be more happy with the results . He did a great job of being present while allowing us to do our thing . Highly recommended!
Anonymous
5.0
7/26/2018
Matthew deserves 5 stars! His photographs for us were amazing and he was attentive to our family/friends ordering. He did a fantastic job for our destination wedding for the rehear...
sal dinner/wedding/reception!
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 07/26/2018
Thanks Kim! You and Chase were a lot of fun and I loved your style. Five stars to you t...
oo!!
Katie S
5.0
5/27/2017
Matt did an amazing job shooting our wedding! He managed to capture all of the important moments and got so many good candid moments. He also helped us capture the perfect sunset s...
hot. He was very nice to work with and delivered way more images than I expected. He was also very accommodating for a more casual wedding without all of the more typical "events". I would highly recommend him!
Chelsea J
5.0
4/26/2017
Matt Danser and his assistant, Carlos, where so much fun to work with!! They fit seamlessly into our wedding day... and honestly felt like part of the wedding party by the end of...
the night (in a good way)! They were never in the way of a guest's line of sight during the ceremony, however, were always present in the correct place at the correct time to capture the moment. They were there for ~8 hours throughout the entirety of our wedding day on 4/8/2017: makeup application through the sparkler getaway at midnight. I would choose NO OTHER photographer.
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 05/16/2017
Thanks for such kind words Chelsea! You and Ian were a lot of fun to work with and the we...
dding was gorgeous!
George H
5.0
10/28/2016
Let me preface by saying that I'm really picky when it comes to photography - I'm actually a 5 star photographer on here myself :-) Saying that, Matt is a photographer's photogra...
pher. He has great packages, is flexible and very professional.
He did everything I wanted to do if I could clone myself and more. He was non-intrusive, but managed to get every important moment and the photos came out fantastic. The lighting and composition are spot on his technical skill are good enough you won't see overly photoshopped images in his portfolio. He is consistent and every image is solid. I am glad that our special day has been documented by someone so talented.
Beyond being skillful Matt is just a nice guy. He's the type of person you'd be happy to kick back and have a drink with. You can tell he really enjoys what he does and it shows in his work ethic and attitude.
To sum it up - check out his work and talk to him. You won't be disappointed!
Katy T
5.0
10/28/2016
Matt was incredible! We couldn't have been more thrilled with how our photos turned out. He is a steal for the price and I can't say enough great things about him. My selling point...
was that he knows how to flatter people (especially girls!) and provide excellent quality all around. Tip -- it's totally worth adding on the second photographer to a package. Thanks Matt!
Sergio R
5.0
10/19/2016
Matt did a fantastic job - he perfectly captured the style and feeling of our wedding. We really wanted to emphasize the colorfulness of the occasion, and he made sure that all our...
pictures were full of life. He was always available for questions before and after the wedding, and he was always punctual. I've had several friends ask who took our pictures because they came out so great. I give Matt my full recommendation.
Aimee S
5.0
10/17/2016
I simply cannot imagine having picked a more amazing photographer to work with for our wedding than Matthew! From our first meeting at Whole Foods, I was beyond excited. Matthew's ...
work speaks for itself, and I had zero doubts that he would create anything less than the best memories. Matthew shot both our engagement and wedding photos, and it was great to get to know him in a more relaxed fun setting first. When I saw our engagement photos, I was in love and knew we'd made the best decision. Throughout the entire process, Matthew was very professional, knowledgeable, and obviously passionate about his work. When it came to our wedding day, he put everyone at ease while still capturing the most beautiful shots, usually when we didn't even realize he was there! We loved the second photographer, Carlos, as well. We are simply blown away by our gorgeous wedding photos and I can't recommend Matthew and services more highly!
Kate P
5.0
10/13/2016
He and his helper were great! We got all the images we were looking for and nice candids too. He helped keep the ball rolling with family shots even when it started raining, and we...
ended up with some creative ideas that ended up awesome. Also our photo booth was a great success and everyone talked about it later, definitely added some fun to the party. Thanks Matt, we'd recommend you to everyone!
Mark K
5.0
10/10/2016
Totally blown away!! Matt was so professional and gave us the Best engagement pictures!! I highly recommend Matt for any event!
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 10/11/2016
Thanks Mark! You guys were a blast to work with and I think the shots really show how muc...
h you love each other.
Brooke M
5.0
10/10/2016
Matt Danser is an amazing photographer! He's super friendly and professional, and has great ideas and suggestions. He shot our engagement photos and they turned out amazing! Bef...
ore our photo shoot with Matt, my husband and I probably only had a handful of pictures together where both of our eyes are open and where weren't smiling awkwardly. Matt made us feel so comfortable and relaxed, and our engagement photos turned out gorgeous! He's the best!
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 10/11/2016
Thanks Brooke, you guys were great and I had a lot of fun shooting your engagement photos ...
at Bull Creek!
Jamie S
5.0
10/05/2016
I planned a long-distance wedding, so I didn't have the opportunity to meet with Matthew before our wedding. He was AMAZING to work with - prompt, efficient, professional and so ea...
sy-going. Our photos are spectacular, and our favorites are the ones we didn't even know he was snapping. If given the opportunity, I will absolutely work with him again. He's worth every penny!
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 10/11/2016
Thanks for the review Jamie! You and Cody were so much fun to work with and the wedding w...
as really beautiful!
Barb S
5.0
10/04/2016
We felt like we clicked with Matthew from our very first meeting! He was a pleasure to work with and extremely professional. I remember thinking all throughout the reception that...
he was there to capture every special moment, but he never felt the least bit intrusive. We are still waiting to see pictures, but I know that we will not be disappointed!
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 10/11/2016
Thanks Barb! You and Aimee planned such a magnificent wedding. I was really touched by y...
our family's kindness.
Laura B
5.0
7/06/2016
My husband and I were thoroughly impressed with Matthew. He was very easy to work with and answered all our questions upfront before the wedding. We barely new he was there takin...
g photos. He was very approachable during the wedding and always got the best shots of us. He is a true professional and highly recommended for all your photography shoots.
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 10/11/2016
Thanks Kim! I hope you and Kevan are enjoying your new life as man and wife!
Emily R
5.0
6/15/2016
Matthew is amazing! He had shot our friends' wedding and took a picture that became our favorite picture of us together. We decided that when we got married that if we could, we wa...
nted the same photographer. We had a very small ceremony with just some close family on a Wednesday, and the only thing we decided we wanted to spend money on was quality photography. We are so glad we did! The pictures are priceless and you'd never guess we had such a small wedding. It's pretty incredible too considering we only had about an hour for the whole thing, but now have well over 100 gorgeous photos. His prices are also more than fair and unlike many photographers he doesn't copyright his photos. Instead, he gives you a dropbox with all the high-resolution, beautifully edited photos. A++++ would hire again.
Response from Matthew Danser Photography on 06/15/2016
Thanks Emily! You and Omar were a pleasure to work with and the wedding was absolutely be...
autiful!
Christina H
5.0
10/27/2015
Very professional! Puts you at ease immediately. He had great ideas for poses and locations. I will use him for all of my photography needs.
Anya D
5.0
10/25/2015
I was soooo incredibly happy with how my pictures turned out, as well as how great my entire experience was! Matt is very professional, talented and so much fun to work with. I wou...
ld recommend him for any occasion and would love to use him again in the future! Thanks so much for capturing those memories that will last a life time :)
Service area & Contact info
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Central North Carolina
Typically included in the starting cost
Travel area: Within 300 miles
Additional charges may apply
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Matthew Danser Photography
Matthew Danser
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Typically responds within 24h
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