Melissa Atle

ll a teaser! Then we got our full gallery and I am amazed by how beautifully she captured the day. We had a fantastic time shooting with her, and she made us feel comfortable and at ease. While the weather was good, it was incredibly windy, so I was worried my hair blowing everywhere would decrease our chances for good photos; so we walked away from the shoot thinking well if they don't turn out how we imagined or we don't look good in them, we still had a blast - however, she's managed to make two un-photogenic people, photogenic! Melissa is fun and talented, she really is the whole package and we couldn't have asked for more. For anyone on the edge of if you go for it or not, DO IT! You won't regret it. Recommend, recommend, recommend!

st phone call and upon meeting her the day of the shoot, she helped calm our nerves. Everything was so comfortable with her that we were able to relax, be ourselves and get our best photos possible. Not only is she an excellent photographer, her use of light and composition makes for incredibly compelling photos that initially drew us to her, but we laughed the entire session with her, and had so much fun. Melissa was not only incredibly talented and knowledgeable about shooting in the Bay Area, but also very accommodating with our busier than average travel schedule. She helped us pick a day and place that worked perfectly. Absolutely hire Melissa!

coffee one morning. When we met, it felt like everything instantly clicked. I seriously thought to myself “did we just become best friends”. After that meeting I knew she was the one! Her photography was amazing, her personality was amazing, it was a dream come true. Melissa captured our engagement photos and to be honest I was extremely nervous about them being that we have never had professional photos taken. I thought it was going to feel extremely staged and awkward and in fact it was the complete opposite. Melissa made us feel very comfortable, we laughed the entire time and our photos turned out amazing. After receiving our engagement photos we couldn’t wait for her to photograph our wedding day. Well ladies and gentlemen, the wait was totally worth it. Melissa showed up on our wedding day ready to rock and boy did she rock it. The day was fun and it moved fast but she was able to capture everything. We received our wedding day photos and we love every single one of them! Melissa captured the day, our emotions, and our guests perfectly. Three words to sum everything up: we love her!

photos and our wedding day and both sessions did not disappoint. She goes above and beyond as a wedding photographer; she went from taking photos and safety pinning my dress to giving me breathing exercises and coaching me through some of the biggest moments of our wedding day. She is hilarious, kind, and an all around wonderful human being. I absolutely love her and cannot recommend her any more highly.

hat more could you ask for? She was so fun to work with and she was stern with the groomsmen, which I loved!! Trying to organize a group of 26 year old (tipsy) men is NOT easy, she got it done. I loved working with her and have already recommended her to MANY brides-to-be. THANK YOU MELISSA!

absolute Artist. I highly recommend booking with her! She was an absolute gem!

otos. When it came to the big day, it rained. ALL. DAY. LONG. Melissa worked with us to capture the most fabulous moments while making the best of the rain. She even chatted with me at length a few days out when I was freaking out, and provided a calm and empathetic voice right when I needed it. Technically, she has a talent to capture the shot and personalities, and she made everyone comfortable with the camera. She dealt with family dynamics with ease and grace. After the big day, she delivered the photos before the timeline promised and they were GORGEOUS. She captured things I missed as the bride! Additionally, we got married in late November and she gave me a photo early to use for our family holiday card. I can't say enough about how pleased we were to work with Melissa.

ictures from the prep to dinner, to cake, to dancing... I turned around and there she was capturing the moment, which was amazing because we can really relive that wonderful day through the gorgeously composed pictures. She worked with us to see what we wanted our of the pictures and the schedule for our day. She was very reliable, from with our facetime meetings to our actual meet and greet and walk of the site. The pictures arrived not long after our wedding (about 1 month which is totally normal, even fast) and looked beautifully treated. We were very happy! We knew we didn’t want to compromise on the quality and experience of our photographer and Melissa was the perfect choice for us! 5 out of 5 stars! Thank you, Melissa!

essional, and oh-so-talented. She has a way of putting you immediately at ease, which I have to imagine helps to keep the moments she captures pure and authentic. Everyone wants to be surrounded by their closest friends and family on their wedding day, and even though you may have only recently met and spent little time together, her warmth makes her feel like one of the family. The photos caught so many small moments that provide an opportunity to not just see what was happening that day, but actually feel it all over again as well. I would never hesitate for a moment to recommend Melissa to anyone in need of a photographer, and she’ll be the first we call the next time we’re looking for someone to help us capture some memories.

d all of our expectations! Melissa went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable even when everything around us wasn't very comfortable :) She got so many more photos than we had thought and for this we are so thankful. Thank you for being such a trooper during the whole day and letting me take the cutest photos ever with your umbrella! We can't wait to look at these over and over to remember such a special day. We can't wait to work with her in the future!!!! Thanks again Melissa!

with. My friends and family were all super comfortable with her and she felt like a friend hanging out with us! Thank you Melissa for the beautiful photos!!!

iends. I am the least photogenic person I know so I didn't have high hopes about how the photos would turn out but I could not be more pleased with the results and I think a lot of that has to do with Melissa's personality, her natural ability to make us feel comfortable in front of the camera, as well as just her sheer talent. The day ended up being a bit of a blur (I think I blacked out from the adrenaline rush) but when we got the photos back all the memories and feelings and emotion of the day came rushing back. She perfectly captured the essence of the day. I really can't recommend her enough!

taking photos and Melissa made the whole experience so fun. Plus, we got amazing photos from the engagement shoot that we will treasure forever! As for the wedding...there were so many unexpected twists and turns that Melissa had to navigate (fires nearby, big fat Greek & Irish family to photograph and 48 father of the bride speech!) Melissa not only managed all of these obstacles but was my saving grace in keeping me calm. The wedding photos turned out so fantastic and arrive in a very easy gallery to share with family & friends and to print for gifts, etc. I would 100% recommend Melissa for your wedding (or any event for that matter!) -Kristen G

n engaged. And I was thinking to myself, "I definitely NEED Melissa to shoot for my future wedding." Once I got engaged, I told my husband (fiancé at the time) that we need Melissa for our wedding. He trusted my word and we had Melissa for our engagement shoot and for our wedding! Hanging with Melissa for our engagement shoot was great. My husband and I aren't the most photogenic couple but Melissa made it easy for us. Also, It was so cold and windy and I was thinking that I would look crazy in all of the photos but they came out PERFECT. Fast forward to our wedding day, Melissa was great and literally everyone in our bridal party loved her. At times where Melissa would take photos, she made it so much fun. Once my husband and I returned from our honeymoon, we received the pictures from our wedding and we absolutely LOVED them!!! They seriously came out perfect! We showed our wedding party and family the photos and they were in awe of how amazing they were. It was so nice to look back at our wedding through the photos and remember how much of an amazing/perfect time we had that night. Melissa captured it all! It was really so great being able to work with her. We can't thank Melissa enough. We will cherish the photos from the engagement shoot AND wedding day forever!

How does it work? What do you do? How do you not look like you do in all of the couple selfies you delete? Melissa is an absolute pro, and has the ability to put your mind at ease and make the process so much fun. Within minutes, my fiance and I were laughing, being playful and being ourselves in front of the camera. Melissa does not do forced poses, but instead knows how to cue you to get the most amazing, heartfelt, honest images. It felt like a really fun night out running around in beautiful places where we happened to be photographed. The proof is in the images- my fiance and I are so, so happy with every photo in our gallery. They are so beautiful, so real and so US. Melissa completely captured our spirit and our love for each other- you really can't ask for more than that!

color, and (most importantly, to me) an aesthetic that I LOVED paired with the ability to capture special details in a meaningful way, I was overwhelmed to say the least... Once I came across Melissa’s work, my search ended. If you’re reading this, no need to look any further!! I’ve done the legwork for you, Melissa is the ultimate combination of everything you could ask for! Do yourself a favor and book her NOW!!! You will get everything you want and more! Melissa’s quality of work and talent speak through her photographs. I could gush about what a talented photographer she is forever... Beyond her visual talents, Melissa has an amazing skill of being able to integrate and meld with people that puts everyone at ease, and in turn, she captures truly magical moments that are honest and beautiful. You will cherish her images and your memories FOREVER! My family couldn’t stop talking about how much they enjoyed Melissa, she kept us laughing and felt like one of the family! I will always treasure the memory of running through dreamy fields by the ocean and laughing our butts off, while Melissa worked her magic. Thank you for making our photo shoot a magical adventure!

ckly I might add) was a beautiful record of every moment we wanted to capture, and most importantly, the spontaneous ones we didn’t plan. We’re so grateful to her for making the long winding drive into the woods for us at a fantastic rate, and for such beautiful photos of our love. Trust in Melissa’s dependability, skill, and sweet spirit. Highly recommend!

eriously!!! Melissa is a truly gifted photographer. As a photographer myself I knew that I was going to be very selective about the photography for our wedding. After looking at over 50 different photographers, Melissa’s work POPPED off the page and I instantly knew I loved her style. Most other wedding photographers have a tendency to overexpose their wedding work, which is usually intended to give the subjects a “glow”, but often takes away from the naturally beautiful color and contrast of the photography. Melissa’s work is crisp, properly exposed, and truly tells the story of the moment being captured. We live in Santa Clara, but our wedding venue was in Santa Rosa so we met Melissa at Aroma Roasters (great coffee!) in Santa Rosa. From the moment we sat down we knew we loved her, and wanted her to be a part of our big day. Choosing a photographer was one of the most critical decisions for us so we wanted to take some time and think about it, but in the 60 second walk to our car, my wife and I had already made up our minds with zero hesitation; Melissa was the one we wanted! We decided to book our engagement shoot with her as a “trial run”. We wanted the classic “fall look” for our engagement shoot, but due to the California drought it was pretty difficult to find a time and place where the tree leaves would be turning autumn colors. Because of this we had to reschedule a time or two, and Melissa was completely flexible and accommodating. On the day of the shoot, Melissa was happy to walk around the Davis Arboretum with us to shoot a couple of different locations, and she made us feel very comfortable in an otherwise typically awkward situation. Despite the 90° heat and sweating like pigs, our engagement photos turned out amazing! Booking the Big Day was then a no-brainer. Melissa and her second-shooter Sarah had an awesome energy together that easily translated to the wedding party. Both Melissa and Sarah are the nicest people you’ll ever meet, but had no problem “herding” our families and guests to ensure that we got all of the photos we wanted. Exactly 5 weeks after our wedding we received an email with a link to our wedding photo gallery on Pixieset. Just the simple fact that Melissa chooses to host her photo galleries on Pixiset is a testament to the level-of-detail that she puts into all of her work! The gallery was stunning, and we definitely had a hard time choosing our favorite “selects”. Melissa was very generous and provided a large number of extra photos at no additional cost. We live 2 hours from Santa Rosa but we will absolutely be using Melissa for our baby photos, family photos, and more! Crossing our fingers that she continues professional photography for many, many years to come. Thank you Melissa, Sarah, Chris, and the rest of her team for carefully ensuring that our once-in-a-lifetime day was captured in the most beautiful way possible!

apher with a creative style, and I dreamed of finally getting to work with her. For a host of personal reasons, our overall wedding planning process had some twists and hiccups, and I'll admit I became rather overwhelmed at times. But every step of the process with Melissa was effortless, from the photography pre-planning, to the wedding day and post-wedding communication. Her wedding expertise even helped us smooth out some of our non-photography issues! The day of the wedding, she captured amazing and genuine moments with loved ones and created intimate and artistic settings for the two of us to explore. Melissa put us at ease and had us laughing the whole day. She rolled with the punches of my crazy family (love you guys) and ultimately her photography exceeded all expectations. I highly recommend Melissa as a wedding photographer and overall wedding guru!

nd knew instantly we wanted to meet with her. After sitting down with her for 5 minutes we knew we had found the perfect person to capture our special day. She went above and beyond to make sure she captured all of the most meaningful moments and we were thrilled with the end results. Look no further, Melissa is the best you will find!

s to hire a quality photographer, because after the party and the wedding, the only thing you have to look back on is the photos. I’m so glad we took this advice and as a result we ended up meeting with a couple photographers and nothing compared to Melissa’s talent and sweet nature! Book Melissa you won’t regret it, she exceeded our expectations!

to my request and set up a time right away to discuss my needs. Fast forward to our wedding day, we had 10 adults and 6 kids in attendance, all direct family. Melissa was on time and ready to go. She vibed really well with the videographer that we had chosen which was really nice too. Once we got through the ceremony and had to do more of the "staged" couples photos, she told us how beautiful we were and made us laugh the whole time. I think that's really why her photos come out so well. She puts you at ease. I will also say that she fit in so well with our small crowd that I was just having fun and enjoying the day and didn't even notice some of the awesome shots she was capturing. Finally, she posted some fabulous teasers less than a couple days after our wedding, and then had the full offering available a few weeks after that. Highly recommend Melissa!

ptly and professionally. I wanted to be sure my fiancé and I would be comfortable with our photographer for our wedding so that I could be relaxed in our pictures, and Melissa went above and beyond to make this happen. There was no pushy sales pitch; she genuinely wanted us to be happy with our decision. We chatted on the phone and in person before hiring her, but once we met her, hiring her was a no-brainer! She is easygoing, but I could tell she would be assertive enough to corral our family and large wedding party for photos. We did our engagement photos with her, and she was so easy to work with. We joked and laughed with her the whole time. We didn't know how to stand or pose, and she gave the perfect amount of direction so that our pictures looked great but not forced or unnatural. This was a great warmup for our wedding photos and definitely made taking those easier. On our big day she was WONDERFUL! Our wedding party and family adored her and her second shooter, Leigh; they raved for months about what a good time they had taking pictures (who knew tons and tons of pictures could be fun!?!?!). She got every picture we had discussed ahead of time and then some, all while keeping to our timeline. She also did a great job of catching candid moments too! Almost 5 weeks to the day after our wedding we had our photos and a short slideshow of some of the highlights. I cried when I watched the slideshow. That's how good her photos are; she perfectly captured the love and magic of our wedding day. I hope she continues to take professional photos for a long time because we hope to be able to use her for other milestones in our lives in the future.

ding. She blended right in and got some amazing shots that I love without being disruptive at all. From the planning stages, to an early delivery of the final product, Melissa was a pleasure to work with. She's a total pro with a great down-to-earth energy that puts you at ease in front of her lens.

rs are warm and she did a wonderful job of taking candid and special shots that are both unique and gorgeous. From our first meeting, a site tour and the day-of, Melissa and team were always professional, but as if we had known her for years. Throughout the wedding, Melissa made the photo experience feel natural and special at the same time. I love that the photos capture our actual dance moves, laughs and emotions, they aren't just a bunch of family shots.

e the wedding to get to know us and the venue. She listened to what we wanted, subtly helped guide us into the best poses and places, and she caught incredible moments that no cookie-cutter photographer would be able to capture. What I really appreciated was that she focused on making the photos natural and personal instead of the posed group shots or forced cheesy poses that some people tend to have. Really amazing - we highly recommend Melissa and her team!

ove with the moody, warm tones of her photographs, it just suited our needs so well. Melissa was prompt, professional and super friendly. Our first call was on FaceTime and I was so caught off guard. I was in my pajamas, bare faced, just got off work but Melissa and I laughed it off and we clicked instantly. We finally met her in person on our engagement shoot a few months before our wedding. My husband and I had never done a professional photo shoot before and we're both a little on the shy side, but Melissa made it so easy and fun! It was a cold, foggy day but our engagement photos turned out amazing! On our wedding day, Melissa came with Kristen who was her 2nd shooter and they were both amazing! They didn't just capture our wedding photos, they captured moments and emotion that will forever be still for us as we look through our photographs now and in years to come. As soon as she sent us the previews post wedding, I cried lol. Mind you, i was on my honeymoon eating breakfast in a busy restaurant, but that's just what looking at our wedding photos did to me. I remembered every single moment and emotion as if i was re-living it all over again. Melissa isn't just our photographer, she has become our friend throughout the process and I'm so excited for what's to come for her. Highly recommend her! My younger sister is getting married summer 2018 and hired her as well. I can't wait to see her again!