Beautiful, Natural, Timeless, Candid & FUN Photos
$2,985 starting price
California, Wine Country, San Francisco
Service area
Olivia Smartt
OWNER
AWARD WINNER (5X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Based out of the San Francisco Bay Area & Napa-Sonoma Wine Country, Olivia Smartt Photography offers thoughtful, experienced and professional wedding photography services to discerning, down-to-earth couples. (Couples of all types... all makes and models.)
Olivia and her hand-picked team capture all of the touching candid moments, natural beauty and architectural elements of your venue, and guide you so that portrait time is effortless and enjoyable. The results are a breathtaking imagery collection that tells the story of your day, your love and connection, and all of your best friends and closest family members coming together -FINALLY! - to celebrate.
Who is Olivia Smartt?
An artist jack of all trades: Fine Artist with a BFA in photography and painting, recreational lap swimmer & international touring cyclist, sustainable management MBA with a soft spot for patio gardening, and human caretaker to my New Zealand white rabbit, Bun. I’d also love to tell you about moving to San Francisco in 1999 with a dream of being a professional DJ, my too-big disco ball fiasco, or how I’m 6’3” and thus I am a walking flattering angle, but I’m supposed to keep this to just 3 things and I’m already at 5 or 6…
Why are you drawn to wedding photography?
The stories of love, celebration, friendships, family, beauty, creativity, meaning and ceremony all come together during the wedding day. Inviting me to tell your story is an honor and a professional responsibility that I deeply appreciate.
PS: My personality type is The Guide, and I truly enjoy supporting my couples. You’re literally about to have the best day of your lives + the photos to relive it.
Wait, did you say Pet Rabbit? What about wedding albums?
I invite all of my clients to come to meet Bun (and me, but he’s cuter) in person at my photo gallery loft and home in Oakland. Sure, you’ll get to see gorgeous Italian leather and linen heirloom wedding album samples, a 1927 schoolhouse loft and my portrait studio, but the fun is meeting Bun.
We’ll have a fun and relaxing Discovery Meeting (about 90 minutes), and together we’ll get wonderfully clear on:
(1) What photography coverage and options align with your values, budget, and camera-comfort-level,
(2) Are we a good personality fit, and
(3) Any good questions, ideas, or anything else that you’d like to ask of or share with me.
PS: Technically, we can also meet via FaceTime or Google Meet—especially if you live outside of California, but my Bay Area clients will tell you: The experience of meeting your wedding photographer in-person is invaluable. There’s a trust that’s created from being invited into someone’s home, and a deeper level of understanding—personally as well as aesthetically. This trust becomes effortless comfort between you and your photographer, and that comfort flows into an indescribable ease + happiness in your imagery.
I look forward to meeting you both, and it's an honor to be considered as your wedding photographer.
Prices & packages
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Details
Photo Shoot Types
Bridal Portraits
Day After Session
Engagement
Photo & Video
Digital Files
Online Proofing
Photo
Printed Enlargements
Second Shooter Available
Social Media Sharing
Wedding Albums
Photo & Video Styles
Artistic
Classic
Documentary
Lifestyle
Modern
Wedding Activities
Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Wedding
After Party
Any questions?
Meet the team
Olivia Smartt
Owner
From Olivia: I want your entire photography experience be as easy, comfortable and professional as possible—as though your most experienced, trusted and talented friend was photographing your wedding. I studied photography and art in college and I have photographed special events, people and landscapes for over 20 years. I feel incredibly fortunate to do what I love, and it thrills me to delight my clients. My personality is uncomplicated, warm and helpful and my imagery is a blend of the photojournalistic and editorial styles: classic, candid, fun, naturally beautiful, and true -- to you two.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0108 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Olivia, the photographer, is highly praised for her exceptional skills, creativity, and professionalism by multiple clients who were thrilled with her work for their weddings and engagement photos. They appreciated her attention to detail, ability to create intimate moments, and her calming and friendly demeanor which put them at ease, resulting in natural and magical photos. Olivia's communication and organization were also highlighted, with clients noting her responsiveness and ability to make the photography process smooth and stress-free. Overall, clients enthusiastically recommend Olivia for capturing special moments and would choose her again for future events.- Top reviews
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Paul G
5.0
6/09/2024
Olivia photographed our wedding and she did an absolutely phenomenal job. We felt very well taken care of throughout the entire process working with her, from our first meeting with her several months before the wedding to when she delivered the final pictures 2 months afterwards. Her eye for detail is amazing. She is incredibly easy to work with. And she was completely committed to making sure that our wedding was captured as well as possible. Several of our guests commented on how much they enjoyed interacting with her. And all of the pictures looked wonderful. We HIGHLY recommend her to anyone looking for a wedding photographer. You'll be very happy that you went with her. We certainly are. :-)
Troy B
5.0
4/11/2023
Olivia did our engagement photos and couldn’t have been happier! She is creative and kind, bringing out the best in people. My only regret is that I couldn’t get her booked for my wedding as she was already spoken for. Hands down worth it!
Any questions?
Michael M
5.0
4/03/2023
We found Olivia to be a wonderful, skilled photographer! Her eye for composition is creative, yet she demonstrated the connectiveness of us as a couple. The one thing that stands out is how Olivia totally put us at ease by using innovative ways to relax us as we were posing. She had us, as we were holding a position close to each other, to tell each other 3 things we love and appreciate about each other. This of course brought smiles and was totally relaxing and sincere. She made us so relaxed and comfortable . As a result , the photos look completely natural. We actually became engaged the afternoon, immediately after these photos were taken. She made the moment so relaxing and magical. It was serendipity. I recommend her highly, and will be spreading the word amongst my friends and contacts. We will treasure these photos forever.
brandy s
5.0
10/13/2022
Where do we even begin? From our first exchange of emails with Olivia we felt like we had found our photographer. After spending sometime chatting at her loft and meeting her infamous rabbit named “Bun”, we were so happy to have Olivia locked in as our photographer for our big day. We booked about a year in advance, anytime we had questions she was extremely responsive.
Its very clear to us Olivia is not only an excellent photographer, but all around a great communicator and human being. She helped make our day run as smoothly as possible and pictures didn’t take too much time thanks to the trusty homework she had us do before the big day. During the ”getting ready” portion of photos she did a phenomenal job creating an environment that made genuine intimate moments. Moments that I’m so happy to have captured.
We really could not be happier with our decision to go with Olivia. She is worth everything you pay for and more. If we have any other major monumental days that need to be documented, we’ll definifely be reaching out to Olivia.
Cornelia M
5.0
8/07/2022
Absolutely fantastic photographer to work with and even more wonderful photos. Highly recommend!
Gene L
5.0
10/05/2020
Olivia Smartt is truly the best and amazing partner that we had for our wedding. It was our priority to have the top quality engagement and wedding photos and after going through many searches and talking to photographers, Olivia’s work stood out the most and we thought that she would be the best fit. Olivia knows how to capture the bride and the groom, and families and friends in a still shot. She captures the best moments, and you can clearly see the people’s expressions and the background are not compromised. She is truly awesome at seizing the best moments, coupled with her style of producing vivid images along with standout natural colors (especially white and green). We love her passion, respect her professionalism, and laud her organization skills. Before we started working with her, we had a meeting going over our plans and went over how the wedding days would look like. She really understands and listens on what we want and need, and incorporates her style with our vision. We wanted to stand out but also capturing our friends and family was important aspect of wedding photography as well. So we hired her assistant, which worked out great because Olivia was able to focus on us at all times. Overall, the results exceeded our expectations and we are highly satisfied and grateful of her work.
Jennifer B
5.0
4/04/2020
Working with Olivia may be the best decision we made for our wedding. We were looking first for a photography style that we liked (natural, clean, bright, unstuffy portraits and warm candids) and second for a personality fit. You’ll end up spending almost all of your wedding day with your photographer, so it’s important that you like and feel comfortable with them. When we saw Olivia’s work and spoke with her on Skype, we immediately knew it was right.
Olivia was a great fit for us because she is professional and reliable, her work is absolutely beautiful, and she is just a joy to be around. She is cool, calm, fun, trustworthy, kind, and she put us at ease every step of the way. Olivia was also the keystone of our wedding--she recommended lots of other vendors, including our superstar planner.
We did an engagement shoot with her, which was a great primer on how to interact with each other in front of a camera. We then spoke with Olivia many times leading up to the wedding--she really got to know us, and I think that resulted in photos that feel personal and very “us.” She scoped out great locations to take photos on the day-of (including charming our hotel into letting us do our first look photos in a special, closed off part of the hotel), worked on a detailed timeline and portrait list with us, and was very thoughtful about asking about family dynamics and priorities. She also offered to come shoot our welcome party, and we decided to go for it at the last minute. We are so glad we did! That night people were reuniting for the first time that weekend, and she caught some really beautiful moments. She also got to meet our families, who all loved her! My mom has always had trouble smiling for pictures--she can be really happy and in a great mood, but when you get the camera out, her face sort of freezes up. I don’t know exactly how this happened, but my mom came up to me midway through the party and said “Olivia taught me how to smile!” Olivia had shown her a trick to relax her face and smile naturally, which has literally changed our family photo experience for life. We still tell people that Olivia fixed Mom.
At the end of the day, Olivia delivered our photos before we expected them, and we were absolutely blown away. They were better than we could have imagined. Olivia has a knack for commanding attention during chaotic family portraits, while also managing to be completely unobtrusive. I still don’t know how she got some of these photos that I don’t remember her being there for, but she did, and I’m so glad! Thank you, thank you Olivia. Your photos are a huge part of the way we will think about, remember, and share our wedding with the people we love. It’s hard to overstate how happy and grateful we are.
Kirsten B
5.0
3/07/2020
Olivia was so wonderful to work with from the first email. She went above and beyond to answer questions and tailor her services to us. Katie was our day-of photographer, and she was also amazing! She spent a full hour getting to know us and our vision even before we hired her, and we got more compliments on her supportive, relaxed guidance during the wedding than anything else. The photos are gorgeous, and we couldn't recommend Olivia Smartt Photography more!
Elizabeth N
5.0
8/04/2019
Olivia was organized, talented, and fun to work with! She was so calm and kind with our crazy families and made sure she got every photo we had wanted. The photos were absolutely beautiful! Highly recommended!
Ashley E
5.0
12/20/2018
I don't know what we would have done without Olivia as our photographer- she is the absolute best!! She is not only uber professional, but her passion is infectious. I may not be an in-front-of-the-camera person, but she made capturing these moments oh so fun!! Even our wedding guests noticed and mentioned how much they enjoyed her company. It shows in our photos, too!
Olivia certainly knows what she is doing in guiding and directing us to the best lighting, most romantic spots in our venue, and gathering the families together for joint photos. When we got our photos back we were stunned at how masterfully she captured our special day!! <3 She is very well organized and will take all the stress and worries out of at least this factor of your wedding event for you.
We love you Olivia,
Ashley , Tyler, and The Emmons Family ;D
Kate K
5.0
11/04/2018
Having Olivia on our team for our wedding day couldn't have been a more perfect decision. I had done a significant amount of research for photographers, and when we met Olivia it was very clear that she was a great fit for what we were looking for. Her passion for capturing special moments and working to ensure the process was as smooth as possible shined through in our conversation. I could see from her previous work that Olivia is an incredibly talented photographer, and on top of that, Olivia is incredibly organized. These qualities along with her easy going personality, plus her ability to be firm + direct when needed (our families are somewhat disorganized, so I was looking for a photographer who was able to take charge when needed), made her beyond perfect to help us have the most wonderful experience on our wedding day.
Throughout the entire process, Olivia was extremely responsive and helpful in recommending other vendors as well. The images she captured and moments she helped us create on our wedding day were amazing - we were beyond thrilled with how the photographs turned out.
Needless to say, I would highly recommend Olivia to anyone, and I would hire her again in a heartbeat. She is exactly the partner you want on your team for you wedding.
Shing I
5.0
10/31/2018
Olivia and Katie were great! They helped deliver a great plan for the day based on the budget we had. Katie was very professional and we could tell they were passionate about getting the best shots. They were very thorough meeting with us, great attention to detail, and were very organized. The pictures turned out amazing and we couldn't have asked for anything more.
Troy M
5.0
10/31/2018
Olivia was great to work with! She was very responsive, met all her deadlines, easily worked with other vendors, and most importantly took great photos!
Eric Z
5.0
10/31/2018
My wife and I hired Olivia Smartt to photograph our destination wedding in Cabo San Lucas Mexico earlier this year. We were very pleased with each aspect of the process from start to finish. Olivia is incredibly well organized, professional, an amazing photographer and now, a new friend.
When we first decided to use Olivia, she had us over to her studio for a client interview in which she laid out the whole process thoroughly, set all our expectations appropriately, and let us know what she would need from us and what to expect during our special day. As I said before, Olivia is VERY professional, and super well organized.
On our special day, Olivia was the consummate professional. She directed the whole photoshoot with a soft spoken, yet firm air of confidence and authority. She was very specific on the direction that she gave us, as well as with friends and family as to where we / they needed to be and gave great suggestions on how we should pose.
Once we finally got our pictures back, the results were FANTASTIC. Her selection of photos from our shoot and her color correction was spot on.
I am SO glad that we spent the money to have a professional photographer capture this most special day in our lives, and I am even happier that we chose Olivia.
Olivia is more than a photographer to us, she is now a dear friend. If you are considering hiring Olivia, all I can say is DO IT, and have confidence that you will not have to worry about that particular aspect of your special day.
Hayley V
5.0
10/31/2018
Olivia is a fantastic photographer! She single-handedly ran all over the place on our wedding day and captured hundreds of beautiful shots from every angle. I felt like I was able to be a part of the moments I had missed once I got to through our photos.
She also helped us with our day-of schedule, something I hadn't spent a lot of time on since we decided not to use a wedding planner. That was an extra bonus that certainly helped our day run more smoothly.
Mike F
5.0
10/31/2018
Olivia is an amazing photographer! In addition to her great eye and the beautiful photos she captured of our special day, she was an exceptionally calming, thoughtful (and fun!) presence throughout the planning process and on the wedding day itself.
We had seen her work prior to our engagement and love her style—elegant and polished but also totally real and candid. So, when we found out that she was available for our wedding day, we booked her immediately! Well, we technically had a consultation with her first, which only made us more certain that we had made the right decision. Not only are her photos fantastic, she is also super organized, pro-active, and professional—exactly what a newly engaged couple who has no idea what they’re doing needs to get things off on the right track.
We signed up for the engagement shoot + wedding photos. For the engagement shoot, she helped us pick a spot that had the right rustic + urban feel that we were looking for, and when the weather threw a bit of a curveball, she was—as always—cool as a cucumber helping us figure out a plan B and making sure we got the experience we wanted. Neither of us are particularly comfortable in front of a camera, but Olivia made us feel great and gave us the tips we needed to figure out what poses work best for us. It was a super fun day and we felt like we really got comfortable being ourselves, which led to great photos.
On the wedding day itself, Olivia was the perfect balance of helping us stick to our timeline without being obtrusive or getting in the way. We loved laughing with her during the “getting ready” photos in our hotel suites, she made us feel totally comfortable during the magic “first look” moments, and she was a champ at managing the families for family photos. When it came to the actual ceremony and reception, we barely noticed that she was there—meant in the best way possible. And the photos just go to show how good she is at picking her angles and finding a way to be there without taking away any attention. All in all, we couldn’t have asked for a better photographer!
Miles S
5.0
10/31/2018
Olivia was an amazing wedding photographer.
We spent a lot of time looking for the perfect photographer, and really appreciated Olivia's style. She captures the energy and emotion of the event AND all the little details, with impressive technical finesse in a way that really wowed us. She was great at coaching us into fantastic photos, without becoming overbearing.
She was a calming force on the day of the wedding, and was utterly reliable. She’s extremely organized (almost like a wedding planner herself), and we felt so comfortable with her every step of the way. She got the required posed photos quickly and efficiently, letting us get to the party with haste.
On the day of the wedding, she was perfect photographer. She seamlessly glided through the event, capturing everything.
And, in the end, the proof was in the photos. We got about a thousand photos, and they were perfect. I think dozens are going to make it onto people's Christmas cards, and we're going to treasure them for decades to come. Couldn't have asked for more.
Johanna L
5.0
10/30/2018
Her detailed and warm presence made for the best wedding photos ever! Olivia took her time to do all the necessary prep work for our very special private vineyard wedding setting. She nailed it! She captured beautiful outdoor family portraits, infinity poolside dancing, vineyard ceremony closeups and vistas, and guest couples shots. We will recommend her over and over!
Chris H
5.0
10/30/2018
We found Olivia through a mutual friend, and by the time our wedding day approached she had become one of our own friends. We knew we had struck photographer gold seven months before our wedding, when we saw the result of our engagement photoshoot. The day of the big event Olivia and her assistant Jamie captured every moment beautifully, from the "getting ready" photos through to our grand exit. She effortlessly coordinated a lot of moving parts (especially with our families involved) and kept everything fun and lively, and always put our wishes first.
Her eye and skill are evident in the results - our wedding photos are AMAZING and do a wonderful job taking us back to the moment. We especially appreciate that she captured so many little details (like pictures of all the appetizers) so that we can relive what otherwise might have passed by in a blur.
We're sad that we could only have the one wedding - we'd love to work with Olivia again!
Kellie C
5.0
10/30/2018
Oliva was such a pleasure to talk to and work with leading up to the day, and Katie, her photographer was simply perfect for us, getting pretty much all the the shots we wanted, and not in any way being pushy or detracting from our ability to just be in the moment. We strongly recommend her to all our friends!
Cate L
5.0
10/30/2018
Olivia was so wonderful to work with. We just received our photos and were blown away with how beautiful every shot was! We love you Olivia!
Tiffani L
5.0
10/29/2018
Olivia was very professional personable. She was on time. Pictures came out great. She was lovely overall to work with on our wedding day.
Denton Z
5.0
10/29/2018
It was awesome to work with Olivia. Normally I am not very comfortable with taking pictures, but she made me feel relaxed and calm. She was very thorough in her work and extremely professional. I highly recommend her to anyone.
Laurie L
5.0
10/27/2018
We had an amazing experience with Olivia and Katie as our wedding photographers. Katie photographed our wedding and Olivia managed communication / edited photos after. Both are incredibly professional, sweet, and detail oriented. Katie's pictures perfectly captured our wedding day. She seamlessly blended into the background, while simultaneously capturing our most precious moments. It felt like a friend was taking our pictures the whole day. She kept such a positive and calm attitude throughout the evening - and was truly pleasant to work with. I have nothing but great things to say about working with both Katie and Olivia. I give them my highest recommendation.
Richard H
5.0
10/26/2018
Olivia was prompt, unobtrusive, and professional. Her selection of photographs was well shot and well chosen. The album is wonderful!
Leanna F
5.0
10/26/2018
Hiring Olivia was the best decision we made in our wedding planning. She brings a wonderfully calming energy to every interaction. She is so organized and thoughtful. My husband and I are incredibly shy and get nervous in front of the camera. She has techniques to draw you out of your shell and get beautiful candid photos. She produced incredible images that we will cherish for a lifetime. 10/10 will hire again.
Sheigla A
5.0
10/25/2018
Working with Katie and Olivia was truly a dream. We hired Katie to do both our engagement shoot and our wedding, and we hit it off with her right away. She made us feel completely comfortable so that our photos came out relaxed and happy. We were so happy we had done the engagement shoot, because by our wedding day we had already established a rapport with Katie. She was super friendly and excited but also kept us calm and reassured. She rallied our large families for group shots, and managed to get some great couples shots without keeping us away from our reception. Most importantly, our photos are absolutely gorgeous! We had such a blast at our wedding and Katie captured that beautifully.
We corresponded frequently with both Katie and Olivia, and they were very responsive and helpful and calmed some of our anxiety leading up to the big day. They gladly worked with our wedding coordinator to keep us all on the same page. I would recommend Olivia Smartt Photography to anyone looking for a someone trustworthy and reliable to capture their special day!
Jacob D
5.0
10/25/2018
Olivia and Katie were amazing to work with, competitively priced, and gave us amazing wedding photos. Katie was so nice. I’ve been to weddings where the photographers get in the way and make their presence felt loudly and rudely, but Katie got the shots she needed without making herself the center of attention and we got beautiful photos to last a lifetime.
Amy O
5.0
10/25/2018
Olivia shot our wedding in May and we were really happy with our experience. Here are some things that stood out.
Olivia is extremely professional and organized, e.g. for our intro call she had a whole list of topics to go over that made me a lot more informed about choosing a photographer and comfortable choosing a package. She even emailed me a customized timeline based on info we discussed that was super helpful before we booked (e.g. how long will family portraits take? I had no idea!).
Olivia has a calm presence and warm personality - I'm not someone who likes having my photo taken and I usually freeze up in front of a camera, but her demeanor really put me at ease. We barely noticed her at the wedding she was very unobtrusive, but it made for amazing photos!
The photos look really beautiful and natural. tbh i don't know much about photography so I had a hard time choosing a photographer, I mainly wanted to get a few nice portraits and capture the feeling of the day so I could relive it, and I feel like I got just that. Olivia captured so many lovely moments and emotions, I really can feel those moments again when i look at them. No cheesy poses or any other weirdness - she let us know if anything didn't feel natural there was no pressure. She also allows a variety of privacy settings at no extra charge (even though I'm sure using her work as advertising is valuable to her business), which I thought was very considerate.
Overall she really went above and beyond to make our day amazing! She met with us leading up to the wedding to calm our nerves (we didn't choose to do an engagement shoot), she helped me curl my hair when I was having a styling fiasco, she even stayed a few minutes overtime when a great song came on and the dance floor blew up. Highly recommend!
Susanna N
5.0
8/27/2018
So amazing! I am an optimizer--I wanted to get the best photography, for the best price and exactly the package I wanted. I made phone calls to over a dozen Bay Area photographers and compared notes. It was obvious that Olivia Smartt's photographer Katie Johnson would be able to meet my needs.
My husband and I had no experience in front of the camera and opted not to do an engagement shoot. This put a lot of pressure on The Big Day and Katie did not disappoint! Through the chaos and brideszilla moments, she framed up beautiful shots and captured special moments.
The final package of photos was excellent and captured the whole event very nicely.
Justin C
5.0
8/15/2018
Olivia was so wonderful, we really enjoyed meeting with her at her house and discussing our upcoming wedding, and getting excited about it. My wife was the one who really wanted good photographs, as I really don't like having my picture taken, but Olivia really made me feel comfortable and that it was going to be worthwhile.
Katie, the photographer who shot our wedding was really just the best so fun and easy to be around. She got so many beautiful shots and when she wanted a particular angle or backdrop, the way she suggested we move really made me feel chill and not like I was some kook flouncing about. In doctor terms, her bedside manner was amazing. I'm so glad that she was the won to immortalize the most special day of our lives!
Lindsey F
5.0
7/03/2018
Do yourself a favor and hire Olivia to be your wedding photographer. You know that satisfying feeling you get when witnessing someone who is incredibly good at their job? Someone doing exactly what they are meant to do? That's what watching Olivia photograph our wedding felt like. Olivia is incredibly professional, developed positive and calm rapport with all family members and friends (of all ages), and produced amazing photos at a reasonable price. She was a great positive presence at our wedding, and we could not recommend Olivia more highly. Now we just have to figure out what future life events we can hire Olivia for.
Olivia C
5.0
6/07/2018
My wife and I knew we had to have Olivia Smartt photograph our wedding within seconds of viewing her website. Finding our wedding photographer was one of the most important tasks for us because it encompasses a lot of trust. What drew us to her work was how she is able to capture the essence of every moment. When we look back at our pictures we are able to re-live our wedding.
Olivia has the utmost respect for her clients. We live on the east coast so we did not meet Olivia in person until the wedding. We had two Facetime meetings with Olivia to meet and get to know each other and about our wedding. Olivia made herself available 24/7 for us and responded quickly to emails. She is very organized, prepared, and professional. We had a timeline for the order of pictures, who and what we wanted her to photograph, and still left room for spur of the moment ideas. We we able to relax and enjoy our wedding and not worry about whether she was capturing our day how we thought she would. Even after the wedding when we were waiting on the pictures we had no doubt that they would come back exactly how we thought they would. She simply loves what she does and that improves the quality of her work and sets her apart from other photographers.
Olivia did not tell us what she envisioned for our wedding, instead she took the time to get to know us so she can best capture our vision and our personalities. She was extremely respectful to our families and friends too. Olivia feels like family now and our guests loved her and they are still raving to us about how wonderful she was.
You will not regret hiring Olivia for your special day!
Angela Q
5.0
5/23/2018
The best decision I made during my wedding planning was to hire Olivia for my photography. She was so incredibly organized and responsive leading up to the wedding, that when the big day finally arrived, I knew Olivia had everything under control. She made me feel so relaxed while taking the "first look" photos of me and my husband--it was just like an old friend was nearby, quietly sharing the moment with us. Later, she was so professional and friendly while corralling my crazy relatives for family photos and dealing with family drama--everyone loved her! And the photographs: unbelievable!!! In addition to the beautifully posed photos, Olivia captured some wonderful candid moments. I am so happy with her work--she truly is an amazing photographer!
Kristin W
5.0
3/12/2018
Olivia was wonderful from beginning to end. As I was planning our elopement from Australia and the wedding taking place in San Francisco it was so important to have a reliable and professional photographer on the business end. Not to mention the pictures we have of our special day are stunning and I get soooo so many compliements on them!
Keely J
5.0
12/29/2017
Olivia and Katie were awesome to work with. We were extremely happy with our photos and with the quality of services they provided. Katie has an amazing eye and she captured every important moment of the evening. We felt comfortable, were able to enjoy the evening and weren't rushed at any point. I would highly recommend Olivia Smartt Photography and specifically Katie for wedding photography.
Xander P
5.0
11/21/2017
What an amazing experience we had with Olivia. When the wedding rolls around she will not only be your photographer, she will be your best friend, your auxillary nerve calmer, and a great source of advice as the day proceeds. From the first consult, to the engagement photos, to the day of Olivia was like a guardian angel taking the two of us through the process step by step, with warmth, professionalism, expertise, and humor. We were very glad we did the engagement photo shoot with her, they turned out fantastic, but more so it was a fun time to get to know her and get relaxed about taking photos. She was very helpful with getting the photo plans created, with a strong eye for detail, and making sure everything was planned for. When the day came she was the person calming a groom who was getting anxious about the day going right. She was always kind and helpful around little things like teaching us how to attach our boutonnieres. Always with kindness and restra When the photos arrived they were spectacular! Everything had been caught and was documented and we were blown away by how beautiful everything was. We will treasure these photos for the rest of our lives, and our only major issue is we don't have some with Olivia in it since she was such an important part of our big day!
Mike R
5.0
10/30/2017
Olivia is the most organized, thoughtful, and talented professional photographer I’ve ever encountered. My (now) wife knows how much I abhor posing for photographs but Olivia made me feel comfortable and natural during our photo shoots. She’s amazing and I’d highly recommend her for documenting anyone’s special day.
Karleen E
5.0
10/30/2017
Where to begin! Olivia Smartt is absolutely amazing in so many ways. First of all, she takes beautiful photos. Second, she is so professional and organized - you won't stress at all! Third, wow her photo tool belt is the coolest thing I've seen. At our initial meeting with Olivia, her informative, thoughtful and organized approach actually helped us plan our entire wedding day. Payments, logistics were a breeze. She was so fun and sweet to work with, even had water for us after our wedding ceremony and photo session. Wrangling family, getting our desired friend shots, and working with both our outdoor settings didn't throw her a single curveball. As the bride, I was in the center of a vortex and didn't really get a birds-eye view of the entire day. I didn't stress at all because I knew that Olivia was capturing all the photos I needed. Her presence, and professionalism allowed me (the bride) and my guests to really be in the moment and enjoy the day. Definitely hire Olivia Smartt! :)
Mike S
5.0
10/29/2017
Olivia was amazing! She was great at giving recommendations while also giving us the freedom to do things the way we wanted, and the shots looked great! I highly recommend her.
Alexandra S
5.0
10/29/2017
Olivia was absolutely fantastic. We loved working with her as she captured our special day. She was great at managing our friends and family for the photos and absolutely delightful with us! The entire process was easy and she was extremely helpful. I highly highly recommend using Olivia - she is fantastic and will provide you with last memories through her photography. Thank you so much again, Olivia!
Jamie G
5.0
10/28/2017
With the rise of social media, you see engagement/wedding photos on your feed frequently. Admit it, you see a lot to compare and know what you don’t want in yours. I decided that mine would be one where the person sees the photo like he is experiencing the scene himself. That’s what Olivia brings to the table. Her photography stood out from the rest because of the way she captures the reality that the subject in her photo perceives. She worked on both our engagement and wedding photos and she was just incredible. From her professionalism to her talent, no one comes at par. A five-star rating won’t do justice to her art. Experience it for yourself.
Maryssa S
5.0
10/28/2017
Olivia and I worked together on a wedding this past July. She was so pleasant to work alongside, and took BEAUTIFUL photographs of the clients and their families. She was timely, efficient and made everyone feel comfortable while photographing (as not everyone is use to being in front of a camera!)
I also recently had Katie take engagement photos of my fiancé and I. Katie was so friendly and down to earth - she really made the whole session fun and the results were AMAZING! We love our photos and I'm excited to work with Katie and Olivia again in the near future :)
-Maryssa Stovall
Wedding Planner
Hannah Smith Events
Megan S
5.0
10/28/2017
Olivia was an amazing photographer. From the day we booked her, she sent us detailed agendas, dates, deadlines, and tips to help us stay on track, not just in the photography-realm, but for our entire wedding! To say that Olivia was just our photographer would be a lie--she truly went above and beyond her role. For our wedding day, she was punctual, and stuck her to agenda, but also allowed for flexibility when needed. Though we did have a wedding planner/coordinator, we look back and really feel that Olivia was the one who kept the wedding going smoothly. And of course, in terms of photography, she is top-notch. She shoots high quality and vivid images that truly capture the beauty and reality of what happened that one amazing day. We love looking back at our photos and re-living the joy and beauty of that day, that was so wonderfully contributed by Olivia and her hard work!
Jason K
5.0
10/28/2017
I reached out to Olivia about capturing a "surprise" proposal for my fiancé. While Olivia was booked for that day, she connected me with one of her associates, Katie, who was absolutely fantastic. Katie and I brainstormed the surprise over the phone many times (she is very patient!), and Katie was always responsive when I sent her ideas over e-mail. Best of all, Katie actually participated in the surprise itself by "acting" like a student photographer and luring my fiancé to the place where I would eventually propose. Suffice it to say, the actual proposal would not have gone down without Katie!
Now for the actual photography. Annie and I absolutely LOVED the photos Katie took. We took her to the places at UC Berkeley (where we met) that meant the most to us and she captured all the moments perfectly. She told us how to pose, where to look, and found places where the lighting was just right. She basically held our hands through the entire process, and we couldn't be more thankful.
If you're looking for a photographer, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Olivia Smartt and Katie. We loved working with them and know you will too!
Brandy F
5.0
10/28/2017
Of all the wedding decisions we made, Olivia Smartt Photography was the wisest one. She was so accommodating and easy to work, instantly putting family at ease during family photo time, and stealthily working in the background to capture candid moments. The fact that, two years later, we continue to receive compliments on our engagement and wedding photos is remarkable. When the memories of songs and cake begin to fade, these ones will not. Thank you, Olivia, for capturing that day so well.
Pete A
5.0
10/27/2017
Olivia was an absolute pro! The photo process was seamless and she captured everything we asked for and more. She went above and beyond, scouting out locations to shoot and then scouting out back up locations in the event the first location didn’t work out.
The final photos turned out better then I imagined. Olivia captured moments that my wife and I had completely missed or forgoten about, It was nice seeing those moments after the rush of the wedding.
Overall, we couldn’t image having another photographer capture our wedding. Thanks Olivia!
-Pete
Kate J
5.0
10/27/2017
From the moment my now husband and I met Olivia we knew we were going to hire her. She is warm, inviting, and professional, but what really sealed the deal for me was her amazing organization skills (not to mention her breathtaking photography). I opted not to have a wedding planner and with Olivia as my photographer I really didn't need one. She has an amazing time line that she gently keeps everything and everyone on schedule. I wasn't at all nervous to get married, but having Olivia there was just a warm reminder that everything was going to go well. I love her "unplugged ceremony" concept and even when one guest ignored that completely, Olivia gently stepped in and had him put his camera away. When we cut the cake she let everyone know that as the photographer she wanted the shot, so that all you see are your family and friends in the moment, not watching the moment through their cell phone camera. I can not say enough good things about Olivia, everyone mentioned her, from my parents, my in-laws, and even my guests - everyone had lots of praise for her. She really made our wedding that much more special, I can't wait to see my pictures!
Ralph R
5.0
10/27/2017
WOW, just wow. Olivia takes the art of photography to a new level. Olivia really made us feel comfortable being in front of the camera from the engagement photo session, to our wedding day. She made sure to give us enough direction while making sure we felt natural in our poses.
Olivia also has amazing project management skills. From day 1, she helped us create a timeline of our whole wedding day and how photography fit into the schedule. She went above and beyond to help plan the order our wedding party and family photos so that no one was missed in the process, and was really flexible with last-minute changes and requests. (Olivia even helped us when we were unsure of how to cut our cake at the reception!)
Olivia really allows for you to put 100% of your trust in her to make sure that you'll have beautiful memories through photos. Looking forward to having Olivia photograph our next special event!
Alex L
5.0
9/17/2017
I cannot express enough how great Olivia was during our entire wedding process. She helped us from the very beginning by learning as much about my wife and I so she could shoot in a way that would be unique to us. She helped a great deal with the scheduling of events, far more than I would have expected from a photographer. She was on top of everything during the big day, and made sure we got great shots throughout the event. I don't think we could have come across someone as professional and skilled as Olivia, and I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone having a wedding or special event. Thank you, Olivia, for helping make our day so special and giving us the ability to relive this day!
Monica B
5.0
8/20/2017
We are so happy that we found Olivia and chose her to photograph our wedding! She exceeded our expectations throughout the entire process, from first contact to final photo delivery. While many of the photographers we initially reached out to only communicated via email or brief introductory phone calls, Olivia invited us into her home to review her work and see if our chemistry was a fit. Her ability to connect with her clients on a personal level allows you to relax and feel comfortable in front of the camera.
Not only does Olivia stand out for her kind personality and calm demeanor, but also for her professionalism. She's knowledgeable, responsive and extremely organized. She asked us all the right questions and made it easy to provide information through the use of Google docs, emails and phone calls. On the day of our wedding, her presence was unobtrusive; she managed to capture all the important details of the day without taking anyone out of the moment with the presence of a camera. When it came time to take family portraits, she did an excellent job of directing everyone to get the photos we needed in the shortest amount of time possible. Many of our guests commented on how great she was.
Most importantly, our photos from both our engagement shoot and our wedding turned out beautifully. Olivia is truly talented and we love her photography style so much. We will treasure these images for the rest of our lives. Thank you Olivia for capturing the love and beauty of our big day!
Erin B
5.0
8/16/2017
We cannot say enough good things about Olivia. I'd give her 6 stars if I could. She was extremely professional from first email to the day our wedding photos were delivered. Olivia is detailed, thoughtful, organized, and great at controlling crowds. My husband has a very large family and Olivia was able to get everyone together and focused to capture some great photos. What I love most about Olivia's photography is her ability to capture the moment. Our photo album will be filled with many genuine, smiling faces, that we can cherish for years to come. Thanks Olivia!
M N
5.0
6/28/2017
After witnessing Olivia's impressive organizational skills at my brother's wedding, my fiance (now husband) and I knew that she was the best choice for us at our wedding. We were right. Olivia was amazing! She even got 12 kids to stand still for 5-6 photos! We couldn't be happier with the experience or the photos. The photos are gorgeous! Thank you so much Olivia!
Kayla U
5.0
6/06/2017
WOW – we are so glad that we had Olivia as our wedding photographer! From the first time that we talked with her, she was professional, fun, and unbelievably helpful for our entire wedding planning process. We did an engagement shoot and day of photos with Olivia and we could not be happier with the results of both. Olivia’s emphasis on gorgeous lighting and candid “real” photos really drew me to her, and she exceeded my expectations. Our photos turned out exactly how I was hoping they would – beautiful shots that captured not only assorted posed photos but also candid photos that captured the fun of the event with our family and friends. Olivia not only takes amazing pictures of groups and great pictures of guests candidly, but also takes absolutely FANTASTIC dancing shots which produced some of our favorite pictures from the whole event.
Beyond her photography skills, Olivia is an excellent asset and helper while planning a wedding. In building out our photography timeline, Olivia helped me frame my full day timeline and was invaluable for questions that I had throughout. On the day of the wedding, she was so fun and calming – she helped keep us on track getting ready, helped corral our family and bridal party where they needed to be, and even saved a bridesmaid’s dress with some fancy safety pin skills! She was great to have with our bridal party and the photos she took of our day are absolutely gorgeous. We couldn’t be happier with our photos and we are so happy we had Olivia as our photographer! I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a casual and fun style that is still gorgeous and elegant.
Neel L
5.0
2/06/2017
Olivia is so much more than a photographer. She is an expert, a support system, an organizational mastermind, a friend. Olivia is all smiles and helped us organize our wedding timeline from the start. She took the time to get to know us and always made us laugh. She is responsive, considerate, and always exceeds expectations. Our wedding album is breathtaking (literally). Olivia didn't just capture photos, she captured memories, our emotions, our love. Working with Olivia was the BEST decision we made with the wedding (after deciding to marry each other).
Adrienne R
5.0
1/24/2017
After 3 months of extensively searching and searching for photographers all over the Bay Area, we've came across Olivia. It started when she invited us to her gallery in her place in Oakland and from them on, my husband and I fell in love with all her work. Olivia is a very talented, successful, soft spoken, passionate professional and her attention to detail makes all her work look absolutely perfect! Olivia's photography skills produces a very natural, elegant, romantic, fun and high quality photos. My husband and I totally RECOMMEND Olivia 110%!!!!!
Isabelle n
5.0
10/31/2016
My wife and I could not have asked for a better photography experience showcasing our wedding day. Our moments and memories have been beautifully captured by Olivia Smartt, our imagery is beautiful. She was very punctual and patient. One thing we loved most about our experience was that we felt like ourselves. Through our session she gave us a little guidance for postures- (all of which were great!!!) and she also let us just be natural. Our day was perfect and the photos absolutely reflect that. Our photos became available on time as promised by Olivia as well. All in all, we had an amazing experience, Thank you again!!!!
Jamie W
5.0
10/29/2016
Olivia is just incredible. From initial contact through ordering our albums, she has been professional, kind, fun, and an absolute star. Not only do you get breathtaking photography when Olivia is your photographer, you also get her sense of calm collectedness. She commands attention as she's herding that cats that are your friends and family for group portraits, and might as well be invisible while she catches that perfect moment of your groomsmen belly laughing with your two-year-old ring-bearer. She may even come on a neighborhood pub crawl for your engagement shoot in order to capture the neighborhood you fell in love in before you move and say goodbye. Olivia truly is the best. Our photos of our SF City Hall wedding are absolutely stunning, and you would be lucky to book her for your wedding.
Mel S
5.0
10/23/2016
Olivia was the first person to arrive and one of the last to leave. Her tireless effort, positive attitude and quality of work make her a clear choice. She has a way of putting you at ease and getting an entire group of people to laugh and smile, which results in beautiful photos. Our photos really tell the story of our special day, and it's wonderful to see so many candid shots of our guests and family that we didn't get to witness ourselves. Thank you for making the day special and capturing the essence of our wedding in a way that will keep those memories alive for us as we look back through our photo album. :-)
Kristin W
5.0
10/23/2016
Olivia was fantastic and we are so happy with our pictures from our San Francisco City Hall Wedding. Coming from Australia it was great to have someone friendly and helpful on the other end of the world to help prepare for our wedding!
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