Before I describe our wonderful experience with these two in more detail, I just want to say upfront that hiring Onda was easily the best decision we made for our wedding. Their photos were perfect, and the Super 8 video they made for us was un...believably good. Even my dad, who is notoriously hard to please and always unimpressed, said without hesitation the photos they took were the best wedding photos he'd ever seen. They did a better job than we could have ever hoped.
I will always remember the first time we spoke with Hanna and Fernando. We had already talked to a handful of bland photographers who just seemed to be going through the motions, but these two were different. We made small talk in the beginning of the conversation, and Fernando mentioned they were doing some painting. Something about that line always stuck with me. After our conversation, we had pretty much made up our minds that we were going to hire them.
Still, we weren't really sure what to expect. Our wedding was going to be large (originally estimated 200+ people), our venues an old Catholic mission and a stuffy country club, which, to be honest, didn't really seem to fit with Hanna and Fernando's experience and style at the time. My wife's parents were even a bit uneasy about the choice, not sure if they could handle the task. Well, Hanna and Fernando were more than capable.
Due to COVID, we ended up doing a small formal ceremony with just immediate family on our original wedding date, and then the following year we did the reception as originally planned with a brief, light-hearted ceremony right before. Hanna and Fernando accommodated the scheduling change without issue and worked both events, even though they moved from Santa Cruz to Denver in between the two events, making a road trip back to Monterey for the reception.
Their work speaks for itself. The photos they took captured the emotions of the events and the personalities of our friends and families. They made the Super 8 video of the larger reception, and it turned out incredible. We gave them a couple songs to put in the video and they selected the rest, and each one matched up perfectly with the visuals they captured. We had 100% trust in them from the start, and that trust paid off.
Finally, as the title says, Hanna and Fernando are both amazing human beings. They connected with us and our families/friends, which certainly added to the beauty of their photos. After our first ceremony, we had a small gathering at our Airbnb and had Hanna and Fernando take photos for a couple hours. They ended up voluntarily sticking around beyond the time we hired them for, hanging out and capturing some candid, relaxed moments of us and our family. Their thoughtful and easygoing nature allowed them to both blend in while they worked and connect with the subjects of their photos. Despite seemingly being inexperienced, they expertly threaded the needle of letting the events happen in front of them and reacting accordingly while also being stern and direct when necessary to keep things on schedule and running smoothly.
I would fully recommend Onda to anyone for their photography needs, whether for weddings or any other event. You will get both talented, creative artists you can trust and professionals who can handle any type of event, whether it's small and intimate or large and chaotic. You will not regret your decision to hire them.