5 out of 5 stars and 18 reviews Best of Weddings (1x).
5
(18)San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Worldwide
About this vendor
We are living, breathing, walking dichotomies. We’re a barefoot bride in a Vera Wang dress. A sleek Tom Ford suit with hot pink socks. We’re early morning workouts and chocolate cake for dinner. We’re real. And you are too, and we can't wait to capture the true beauty of your love story.
Details
Photo Shoot Types
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
- Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Second Shooter Available
- Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
- Artistic
- Classic
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- Wedding
Awards and Affiliations
2017 'Best of Weddings'
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.018 reviews
Michelle and Damien were awesome!! They photographed our wedding in April 2016 on Shelter Island. I found them on the Knot website and fell in love with their photography style. I ...
emailed them for more info and they promptly returned my email. After a few more emails and a hour long phone call with Michelle and Damien, we decided to pick them to photograph our big day and engagement photos. We spent a lot of time with both of them on the phone as they got to know us and our vision for our photos. Michelle and Damien were always very responsive, prompt, professional and super friendly during all of our phone, email and in person meetings. They were super easy to talk to and work with. They helped us plan out our entire wedding day so my husband and I could have photos of just us two during the sunset. On the day of the wedding they arrived when we were getting ready and were super friendly but professional with our family and friends. After a few minutes, Damien had remembered everyone's name! We loved working with both Michelle and Damien and hopefully one day they can take more photos for us, maybe maternity photos 😀
We had a wonderful experience from start to finish! Damien and Michelle went above and beyond from inviting us into their home for planning and layout of the entire event. We fel...
t like their photography planning comes with a day of coordination because their experience helped us dial in our whole day! Their relaxed style allowed us to modify and be open to the pressure of the big day! Everything went so smooth and our photos are above and beyond what we expected to capture our best day.
Do they really take the Best wedding photos ? Well if that's all that's important to you, then sure! But what we really appreciated was their attitude, skill and generosity. The ph...
otos are just part of it, the real gift was an experience to treasure. Noel n Johanna
Michelle and Damien aren't just the nicest people but they also shine with their photographic skills. We were looking to have our dream wedding at sunrise and these two just exceed...
ed our expectations million times. From taking time to getting to know what we are about, to arranging incredible special props (I drove on a castle to my wedding site), to taking time at the shoot and their endless creativity making this memory last in our amazing pictures. We couldn't be happier with the results. Thank you Damien and Michelle you guys are amazing!!!
Hands down they were the single reason that made my wedding perfect.
From the care and attention they gave us from our first phone call, till even AFTER the final photos were del...
ivered... 6 stars!
The BEST THING ABOUT THEM:
Is their wedding planning schedule... they took us step by step on the exact timings we should have for the ENTIRE day.
I cannot imagine what it would have been like without that help and guidance.
Id get married again just to have them work their magic for us again! :)
My photos were amazing! I love their teamwork.
My husband and I chose Michelle and Damien for our photographers because of the amazing job that they did at our cousin's wedding, and we are so glad we picked them. They are kind ...
kindest, most welcoming, thoughtful people. They met with us several times throughout our wedding planning process (including taking our amazing engagement pictures), which really helped us get to know them and made us feel 100% comfortable getting our pictures taken on our wedding day. Our wedding day could have gone any better and our pictures show just that. We love each and every picture we got back and I am still looking at them daily three months later. We got many comments about how wonderful our photographers were, and we totally agree! Our favorite part was a preview of our pictures from that day during our reception! We love Michelle and Damien and if you are looking for amazing photographers capture gorgeous pictures of your big day, we know you will love them too!
We had the pleasure of working with Michelle & Damien this past weekend at our daughter's wedding. They were timely, professional , provided direction to the large wedding party, a...
nd all of the above with patience and humor! Previews of their work are stunning! If you're looking for awesome photographers, this is your team! If we could give 10 stars instead of 5, we would!! Loved working with them!!
Where to begin with these two?
I initially started following Michelle and Damien on Facebook long before I was engaged simply because I was obsessed with their photography. I rea...
lly enjoyed looking at all of the engagement/wedding photos and the other pro-women's body appreciation and athletic photos. Every woman captured was so beautiful, every shape and size. Their confidence in themselves was exuded in a timeless shot, surrounded in breathtaking scenery. And all of the couple photos were so artistic, yet simple.
Once I was engaged - I knew that I wanted Michelle and Damien to capture my special moments. But I wondered if my awkward, self-conscious personality would be able to transform into a beautiful shot? One to be proud of - and cherish. That answer was - yes. Without a doubt. In fact, I have so many beautiful moments, that I still have not been able to pick out just one as my #1 - all time favorite. I have too many perfect, stunning contenders!
For my photography package - I was able to discuss option with Michelle and Damien and pick my own "creation" - in order to maintain my small wedding budget, but still have Engagement and Wedding (Pre-ceremony, Ceremony, and Reception) Photos.
During my Engagement shoot: I arrived late to a location that they had picked for our session due to my hairstylist, but I never felt rushed to maintain a schedule. Michelle and Damien took as long as they felt they needed to provide an enormous amount of quality Engagement photos. My awkward, self-conscious personality was not captured (maybe in one or two shots ;) ), but for the most part - I felt confident, COMFORTABLE, and beautiful! Michelle and Damien made sure that we both felt 110% that day; they encouraged us to giggle, have fun and sneak in those extra kisses. My reward - Too many absolutely stunning pictures! And the location (which at the time seemed like a strange setting for someone unfamiliar with photography) - was perfect! The area glistened gold, the sunset set a romantic hue across the sky and I genuinely enjoyed my time with them (and thought even for a second, maybe I could model after all!) I was so excited for my wedding day photos at this point!
On my wedding day: Michelle and Damien had discussed the option of us having a private "first look" where me and my husband would be photographed as we first saw each other, in private (minus the cameras), before the wedding. They thought it was a wonderful way for us to enjoy the day, appreciate each other, and get the love flowing to start the day! They were right! I was able to really appreciate my husband, and get a bit emotional walking up to him - knowing that we were about to take a journey together. And enjoy the moment, without rushing into a ceremony. We took beautiful photos on the beach and got excited for the rest of the day. Ladies - even though my husband saw me before the ceremony, his emotions while I walked down the aisle were just as strong as if he was just seeing me for the first time. He was more emotional when I walked down the aisle - than in our first look. And that moment was beautifully captured by Michelle and Damien!
Anyway, I apologize for the length of this review - but I cannot sing their praises enough. I am awkward and shy and would never imagine having such beautiful engagement and wedding photos. I definitely felt modelesque, stunning, relaxed and comfortable. I still can't pick my favorite photos from them - it's such a beautiful collection!
Michelle and a Damien are exceptional photographers. They captured every moment of our wedding and did it with style. The photos are breathtaking. They are friendly, funny, and a j...
oy to be around. They are organized, detailed, efficient, and effective. I genuinely cannot say enough about how wonderful they are. Hiring them was one of the best decisions I made.
Michelle & Damien are the sweetest people ever! I found them while searching online for Photographers within the San Diego area & after my first phone call with Michelle, I loved h...
er! We instantly connected & she made me feel like we've been friends for years. While planning our wedding from 3,000 miles away Michelle & Damien were so thorough & helpful throughout the whole process - they went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and ready for our wedding. While in town visiting the venue they cleared their schedules, met us for lunch & drinks, & even did a walkthrough of the venue with us so they could really vision the place & show us some ideas of what they were thinking for pictures & 1st look. They also gave us some really great ideas for the wedding (outside of the pictures) & friend-to-friend advice that we were truly grateful for. They were even more amazing the day of the weeding. They made us and our families feel so comfortable the whole day, we (including our families) still talk about them to this day & how wonderful they were. They are so creative and know how to capture such special moments between us. I truly believe they are so great at what they do & so great to work with because Michelle & Damien are best friends & so in love. I cannot recommend these two enough – they are now lifelong friends of ours & cannot wait to use them again for future events! Xo
After seeing the photos that Damien and Michelle created for my Sister in Law's engagement and wedding, I knew they would be our photographers of choice when it came time to plan f...
or our engagement shoot and wedding. From the beginning, my now husband and I loved working with them. They really took the time to get to know us. We met several times in person and talked over the phone as much as needed prior to both our engagement shoot and wedding day. It was clear that it was important to them to know our relationship, hobbies, style, expectations, and timelines. It also was a great chance for us to lean more about Michelle and Damien too. These two make an amazingly talented team, and most importantly, they made us feel comfortable which allowed them to capture us naturally. There is no being camera shy because they are so friendly and fun to work with. With every photo they guided us in a way so that we would look our best.
We just received our wedding photos a few weeks ago, and we were honestly blown away. From capturing the details of our wedding decor/venue, to the love, happiness, and joy of the wedding ceremony, to pushing our adventurous side and snapping shots of us on the rocks of La Jolla cove, our wedding photography collection has allowed us to relive our day each time we look at them.
In fact, we used several of our wedding photos for our Holiday card this year, and so many of our friends and family have told us our photos look like they should be in a magazine and are the best wedding photos they have seen. Such a compliment!
Thank you Michelle & Damien for all your hard work while capturing our wedding festivities! Your love for each other and your passion for your work is inspiring and exactly the type of photographers any bride and groom should have beside them on their big day! Can't wait to use you for future life moments :)
We love Michelle & Damien! They photographed our wedding as well as our rehearsal dinner the night before. They blended right in with our family and friends at both events. The day...
of the wedding they helped us stay calm and worked closely with the coordinator to keep us on schedule...neither of which was an easy task! They both have an eye for light and angles, and great instincts about when to capture a moment.
Planning our wedding from across the country posed many challenges. But Michelle and Damien spent hours on the phone and exchanged countless emails with us to ensure they understood our vision for the day. They explained how daylight, timing, and changing locations could impact our photos and the flow of our wedding day. They asked all the important questions and arrived early for both events to scope out the locations.
We received over 900 photos, all of which were simply beautiful. Most importantly, they were really able to capture the personalities of our families and friends.
If you choose Michelle & Damien, you will end up with absolutely gorgeous photos!
I am SO happy I stumbled across M & D's facebook page a couple of years ago. Their images immediately grabbed my attention. The pictures were so beautiful and told such a unique an...
d radiant story. We had no connections to them, nor did we know anyone who had used them. We inquired about their services and received a phone call from Michelle and Damien. Immediately, they were so kind and genuine. They wanted to get to know myself and my fiance. We talked about our love story, our vision, and our wishes for a wedding photographer. We had no idea that we would end up with life long friends. When you meet these two, it will be impossible to be unhappy. Their kind hearts and love for life is absolutely contagious. Words cannot begin to express how wonderful they are. They are professional, punctual, and very reliable. They go ABOVE and BEYOND (every time). They helped my fiance and I coordinate our outfits, make up artists and props for our engagement photos. They also helped us prepare a timeline for our wedding that flowed so perfectly. They shot our engagement pictures, my boudoir session, our rehearsal dinner and our wedding. They are shooting my sister-in-law's wedding this January because of their excellent work. Their images are stunning, their ideas are so creative, and they know how to capture emotions flawlessly. They consistently did an impeccable job. My husband and I recommend M & D, without reservation. P.S. I HIGHLY recommend the boudoir session, a first look and the day of event slideshow. I was hesitant to do the boudoir session, but they made me feel SO gorgeous, sexy and comfortable. My husband LOVED the timeless gift. WE LOVE M & D and WE KNOW you will too!!! :)
To say that Michelle and Damien are incredible photographers is a huge understatement. They see magic in ordinary moments, turn fleeting glances into forever memories. They perfe...
ctly captured my wedding in a way that I'm sure no other photographer would have been able to do. They blend in so well that I really don't even remember seeing them after we took the pictures with bridal party just before the reception. Even though you cannot see them though, rest assured they are there and they are ready to get the best shot! They are perfectionists, which is a good thing in this instance. More importantly, Michelle and Damien are beautiful souls. They make you feel right at home with their personalities and their genuine love for each other as well as their love for love. Trust your day to Michelle and Damien, you will not be dissapointed.
I first was introduced to Michelle and Damien when they photographed my Best Friend's wedding. After feeling the chemistry and seeing my BFF's beautiful photos, I knew I wanted th...
em as my photographer when the time came. They had an amazing connection with our entire wedding party. They captured everyone's personality elequently. One of our Bridesmaids gave them the nickname 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Photographer' because she said she would find Damien climbing trees and ducking behind bushes in order to get the perfect shot. M & D do much more than just photograph events, they capture perfect moments that will stay with you forever. They exude a positive, carefree energy like no one else. It felt like they had been a part of my life for years and they just fit right in perfectly. They both understood the family dynamics and handled stressful situations with ease. They are beyond great photographers, they are amazing people with a loving soul. I plan to work with M&D for all our future big life events! Why have a vendor when you can have friends photograph your special day!
Damien is not only extremely professional and incredibly talented but he has a way about him that is so personal and respectful like he's not even there....but his perfectly timed ...
humor and gentle presence reminds you that you're so glad he's there!!! Other than my groom he was the only other person I needed at my wedding. :) I am forever grateful for his lifetime gift of taking the most beautiful pictures ever!!!!! I could not imagine anyone more patient, kind and creative to have on my most important day!!! I would recommend him and his wife with the highest sincerity!!!
Photography for any big event is the most important thing, because when the day is all said and done, the only thing you will have to (physically) look back on and remember the day...
by, are the photographs. With that said, if you are looking for amazingly talented photographers to make you feel like a million dollars on your wedding day (or any other special event), to capture every special moment with perfection and creativity, and you want to have so many PERFECTLY breathtaking photographs that it is difficult to choose which photographs to frame, share with people, put into an album or blow up, then you need to hire Michelle and Damien. I have never met two people who care more about their clients- who all inevitably become their friends- then Michelle and Damien. Because of their genuine affection for their clients, these two produce the most stunningly perfect photographs. They capture such pure love with their images that it is tangible. And I truly believe it is because they have such love for their craft and for each couple they encounter, that it translates into their work. I consider myself a very picky person with photographers and I have extremely high standards- as I am pretty artsy myself. I have been so over the moon about my photographs from Michelle and Damien that I have used them for my maternity pictures and my baby pictures. I have recommended them to EVERYONE I know and I have never heard one single complaint by any of the numerous people who have used them since my referral. In fact, I look for any excuse to hire these two again and again! I couldn't love these photographers more if I tried. And if all that wasn't enough for you- they are also a husband and wife team who are madly in love. Their positive love and energy is infectious and I couldn't more highly recommend anyone if I wanted to. Love these two!! Xox.
Contact
PO Box 866, Solana Beach, CA | San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Worldwide
Michelle & Damien's photos