Melissa Perella Photography

Hands down the best photographer in WV and beyond. She has done our wedding, newborn and friends photos for years. Her use of natural and spaces is amazing. Her work is in an elite class above others.

Melissa first photographed our wedding in 2007 and just had her photograph a big group of friends and kids in November 2021. From the beginning, she was amazing, so much fun to work with, got the best shots, and really takes pride in her work. After my wedding, at least 2 of my close friends used her and their wedding experience and pictures were all fabulous. We have continued to use her for newborn pictures and family pictures and love her work more and more every year. We have big group sessions with our best friends and all the kids together and the pictures could all be in magazines. So much more beautiful and creative than any other pictures I’ve seen shared. Melissa loves and cares about her clients. She will end up being your best friend and do your pictures for years!

Our wedding would not have been the same without Melissa as our photographer! She captured every moment while remaining unobtrusive. She is a delight to work with because of her positive attitude and passion for weddings. When you work with her, she makes it feel like you're the most important project she's ever worked on. She was flexible throughout the day, quickly adjusting our list of preferred shots given time constraints, but still made sure to cover all the bases. She has an eye for lighting and backdrops that allow her to capture your wedding the way you dream it to be. When I asked to take a picture in a certain location that wouldn't have yielded good shots, she nicely asked if I would be willing to consider another spot for better lighting instead of wasting our time on a less-than-perfect setting. She was kind to all of my bridesmaids, groomsmen, and family members. She made efforts to learn important guests' names before the big day. She skillfully gave recommendations about tilting my chin, moving my arm, etc. to make the most natural looking but extremely beautiful photos. We had a very unconventional ceremony setup which would have been challenging for any photographer, but she quickly found the best angles and strategized every shot (to the extent of bringing her own ladder to catch our special arrangement). We look so great in these photos, but we never felt like we had to "pose" for these shots. She offered two-shooter coverage of the whole day and we really liked her partner Americo. I'm not planning to get married again, but if I did, Melissa would certainly be the one to shoot it! Maybe my baby shower?

What can we say that hasn't already been said. Melissa and Joel are SPECTACULAR!!!!! We have had the best experience using them for engagement, Christmas and now wedding photos. They are easy to deal with. Amazingly open to ideas but also so full of ideas that it took the stress off of us. At no point did anything feel forced. It all felt natural and easy. After an insane day of wedding/reception the last thing you want is a stuffy photo session. This was far from the case. We are so excited to see the final product but based on ori engagement and Christmas photos we already know they are going to be phenomenal. We would emphatically recommend them to anyone who is looking for a top notch photographer that is really easy to work with and produces spectacular results. Thanks so much Melissa and Joel for sharing in and chronicling our special day so amazingly. Jana and Andy