Paul Retherford Photography

My wife Lindsay and I were married on Mackinac Island 5/27/18 and used Paul as our photographer with amazing, magazine quality results. Being from out of state and knowing nobody, we had to rely on recommendations of photographers in the area and he was highly recommended. Paul is an exceptional photographer and an all around great guy. We were only able to speak on the phone with him before the wedding day and he did an excellent job on the call of helping us plan the day and spots he and us needed to be at different times so we could maximize location opportunities. Upon meeting him on the wedding day, he was very laid back and easy to work with. He wasn't pushy at all and let us all do our thing with minimal direction, but enough to make our pictures natural while still coordinated. He knew the island and all of the best locations as well as how long it takes to get to and from each. We were able to get around in a timely manner to as many suggested spots as possible and we couldn't be happier about all the different views and places he chose. During the reception, it was as if he wasn't even there. He stayed out of the way as to not interfere with anyone or distract us or our guests from enjoying their time, but was all over the place getting great pictures of everyone. We would highly recommend Paul Retherford to anyone and would love to use him again in the future. Worth. Every. Penny.

Paul was so easy to work with and captured all the iconic wedding moments along with some fantastic candid shots. He was so easy to work with. I received multiple comments from my bridal party about how wonderful he was and we couldn't agree more. Highly recommend!!

Anytime anyone looks at our wedding photos, we hear about what an amazing job Paul did. We couldn't agree more. Paul was easy going, professional, and had a great eye for backdrops, scenery, creative uses of light and shadow, and cute and romantic poses for my husband and me. Paul was a dream to work with. His communication was almost instant throughout the entire process. He scheduled a phone call with us the week of our wedding to discuss the details. He was early the day of the wedding and stayed until we had assured him we were done. The photos speak for themselves, but I want other couples to know that Paul is the ideal photographer. He even included drone photos, video, and complimentary boutonniere pinning when we realized none of us knew how to do it. The best part was we received our photos TEN DAYS after our wedding. I couldn't believe how quickly he got them to us. I would recommend Paul to my closest family and friends. Thank you Paul for capturing our day so beautifully!

We are so happy that we chose Paul for our wedding day! A few days before the wedding, we met and talked about exactly what I wanted and he offered some great suggestions of shots that I would not have thought about! Even though tensions in the bridal house were running a bit high getting ready the morning-of, Paul had a great personality that put everyone at ease to get some good photos in. Paul was great at communicating throughout the reception, and even stayed later to capture a few pictures of the dance floor. Our photos turned out beautifully , and we would definitely recommend Paul to anyone getting married in northern Michigan!!

Simply put, Paul rocks. If you are getting married or have other photography needs in the northern Michigan area, Paul is your guy. Right from the beginning, he was nothing but friendly, professional, and responsive. He always answered my many, many questions super quickly, and was really helpful brainstorming outdoor venues before we landed on our final spot. He never tried to push additional services or upsell us, and even talked me out of some things that would have added expenses he didn’t think were necessary (e.g. 2nd shooter). The day of our wedding, he was amazing. He was both everywhere—he captured SO MANY amazing photos that I suspect he has the magical ability to be in two places at once—and nowhere—he was never in the way or sticking a camera in our face—at the same time. He also went above and beyond, including arriving an hour early at the venue to get shots of everything set up before the bridal party arrived for photos. We received multiple compliments from guests on how great he was, and the whole wedding party just wanted to hang out with him socially…he’s that wonderful. To top it off, our pictures turned out absolutely stunning AND he had them all back to us while we were still on our honeymoon. Paul was an amazing addition to our wedding team, and I cannot recommend him highly enough!

Paul was absolutely wonderful. Not only were the pictures amazing but he was calm and collected the whole day when pretty much everyone else around him was not. I think his prices are very competitive for the area and well worth the price. I would highly recommend.

We loved Paul. He took incredible photos and had a very calming demeanor on a day where it is needed. Would recommend him to anyone!

I can not believe it has taken me this long to write this review!!! Shame on me. That being said...let's get right to it. From our very first communication Paul was absolutely awesome to work with. He was very professional and responded to my many, many.....haha emails in a very timely manner. Our wedding took place this last July on Mackinac Island, MI. :) Paul is very knowledgeable of the island and was able to recommend some very lovely places to have our pictures taken besides at our hotel/wedding reception area and he also gave us a few insider tips of places we might like to visit on the island during the rest of our trip. Which was very thoughtful and nice of him to do. :) All of our pictures were absolutely stunning!!!! I could not be happier with the final product. I would recommend Paul for any occasion you may have that you would like to have a professional photographer present. You will not be disappointed!! Our pictures were available to us less than a week after the wedding!! It was amazing!! And he took so many pictures! He really went above and beyond and he captured our day perfectly! Thank you again Paul!! :) :)

Paul was an absolutely delight from our first conversation until after our wedding took place. He was great with working with our blended family, made sure to capture the moments that meant the most to us & even the moments of our family & friends. Paul had an eye for the perfect skies, positioning of everyone & even through the posed moments it all looked natural. Paul also handled our curveball of me being 21 weeks pregnant with twins like a champ! He was understanding of angled shots, moments of rest & ensuring throughout the whole evening I was comfortable. I'd hide Paul again in a heartbeat for any photography we needed!

Nothing but 5 stars here. Paul was absolutely more then we could ask for in every way. We highly recommend him!! You will not be disappointed. Our images are amazing and he was so easy to work with!!! Thank you!!!!!

Hands down the best photographer! Not only are the photos absolutely gorgeous, but Paul makes you feel a sense of calm in the chaos of your wedding day. We got so many compliments from our guest about how wonderful he was! He took every photo we requested and then some and posted our pictures right away! Also, the photo booth was a blast. So many great props and kid and adult friendly. We can't say enough great things!

I wish I could give him 10 stars. He was amazing. He made us laugh and put us at ease immediately. And the photos!!! WOW!. Stunning and beautiful. Every picture, and I mean EVERY picture turned out perfectly. Can not say enough about how great he was to work with and what a wonderful job he did. He even had our pictures back to us with in a few days.

Paul was a pleasure to work with from the very first communication. He responded quickly and thoroughly. I live in Dallas, TX and got married in Mackinac Island, MI, and we did all communication via email until the week of the wedding, which I prefer. He was quick to offer help with other vendors. His work speaks for itself, I knew after looking at his photos that he was a great choice. The day of the wedding he was wonderful. Very professional, and his expertise of the island was much needed. He made sure we got photos done at ideal locations and kept us on schedule. His sense of humor is fantastic, he made our special day that much more fun. We also booked a second shooter that captured video for the day of the wedding, and did photos/video the night before on a sunset cruise. Paul turned out the images and videos in 6 days, which is unheard of! They are so beautiful, and we are so thankful that he captured so many beautiful moments. There were so many pictures taken when I didn't even know he was around for. He's basically a ninja. I highly recommend him for your special event, excellent results and an all-around professional.

Paul is an amazing photographer and a great guy! We are so fortunate he was able to shoot our wedding in June after a last-minute cancellation by a different vendor. So many guests and our entire wedding party complimented his professionalism, creativity, great personality and constant awareness, which allowed him to capture amazing shots from Noon till night. We couldn't be happier with Paul's work.

Absolutely perfect! Paul was the best vendor we selected by far. From day one he was willing to work with us and answer all our questions for our mackinac island wedding. He referred other vendors and gave us great advice. Paul responds very quickly and I received so many compliments of his professionalism during the reception from our guests and wedding party. I would refer Paul for any occasion and his work is beautiful. I feel very fortunate to have worked with him and am obsessed with all that he captured!!

Paul did a fantastic job with the photography for our wedding. He was professional, organized, thorough, and very personable throughout the event. The photos turned out great and we are very happy we decided to hire him as our photographer. We highly recommend Paul’s services.

One of the best decisions we made for our wedding was hiring Paul!! He is such a great photographer! He is so nice and personable and everyone at the wedding had such great things to say about him! He knows what to look for to make your pictures so beautiful and is able to think ahead and determine what spots will make great pictures! If you are not sure of what poses to do, don't worry because he is on top of it, suggesting things you won't even think about! We also had the photo booth and are so happy we choose to have that at our wedding! Not only were we happy with the pictures, but we are so thankful for all the help Paul was in making sure our big day went as smoothly as possible! Once we got our engagement pictures done and spent a couple hours with Paul, we knew we made a great decision! He communicates very well and quickly with you during the booking process and throughout the planning of your wedding! I would definitely recommend him to everyone!

Hiring Paul was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding. From the second I started talking to him on the phone it was obvious that he was a total expert in his field - professional, knowledgable, and personable. Your photographer is with you your ENTIRE wedding day - you want someone with a great personality that creates a fun and relaxed environment for people to look natural in pictures. My rowdy groomsmen were coming up to me telling me that “my photographer was awesome” and I cannot tell you how many wedding guests commented on how “cool” my photographer was - the photos show that the guests love him! So many natural shots that completely capture the tone of the whole wedding day. I referred to Paul as half photographer/half wedding planner and that’s the truth - he was teaching girls how to pose in a flattering way, putting corsages on the guys, and provided me with wedding ideas leading up to the big day (including great vendor referrals!). We genuinely enjoyed him and felt like we were hanging out with a friend all day. Obviously, the most important thing is that we LOVE our pictures. They are truly beautiful - I honestly was in awe of them. He missed nothing - he knew every shot I wanted and he was constantly looking for the best light and trying to capture every moment. The equipment he has is down right cool - he even used a helicopter drone to capture ariel images. A week after my wedding, I get a link to 2500 edited photos and each photograph is beautiful. Any photographer can take a couple great shots out of thousands - but Paul will give you a thousand beautiful shots that are all frame worthy. You won’t regret your decision in hiring him - you will have no worries on your wedding day with Paul as your photographer. Paul is a class act and worth every penny and then some. Thank you so much Paul - we would recommend you to anyone!!

Paul was great! We hired him for our late July wedding in Petoskey and we’re so glad we went with him. He was so incredibly knowledgeable about the area – where to take the best pictures, with the best lighting, etc. that we feel like we didn’t have to even think about much. He also gave us so many helpful planning tips and recommendations which all turned out to be great decisions including ideas on ceremony locations. I even trusted Paul’s thoughts on where to get my hair and makeup done – he’s worked with so many brides in Northern MI that he knows every in and out! His all-around expertise and knowledge of the area and wedding industry was such a bonus to us considering we were planning the wedding from California. During the wedding, he was so attuned to every detail and I felt completely confident that he was getting all of the important shots – I seriously felt like I didn’t have to worry about a thing. He also did so many things that day (and in delivery of the files) that I really consider above and beyond what we expected, which I feel really grateful to him for. Our pictures turned out amazing (which he got to us what felt like immediately) – months later, people are still commenting on the images and how incredible they are – he is really good at his craft and based on what he did for us, I would guess that he is more advanced technology wise/out of the box thinking than the average wedding photographer. And not to mention, he is a really cool guy that we genuinely enjoyed talking with and being around. Hire Paul for your date before someone else does!

Paul was incredible. He is professional and has an amazing personality. He makes sure to find out what is important to you, he makes sure things go smoothly, I cannot say enough good things about him. The photos were gorgeous! He made my day fun and less-stressful. If having amazing photos that will last for generations is important to you go with Paul, he was the best investment I made that day(besides my husband).Thank you Paul!!!

Our wedding was a destination wedding so we had no friend referrals when hiring vendors. The photographer was the most important hire we made in our planning process. I spent months searching for the "perfect" photographer from 100's of miles away. We could NOT have made a better decision when we hired Paul and his staff. I had 100 questions for him, and he answered every single one. He even let me email him pictures I'd found on Pinterest so he could recreate them. He was early the day of the wedding, walked in a disaster created by the reception venue, and a very stressed out bride. He jumped right in, helping where he could. It was freezing cold the day of our wedding and Paul was out running all over Leland with us (literally running at times). Our guest have still, two months later, not stopped talking about him. Even before anyone had seen the pictures, our guest were blown away by personality and overall workmanship. I just was back at the salon yesterday that did everyone's hair. The first thing my hair stylist and the girls who traveled with her said was how great our photographer was and how amazing our pictures were. They do a lot of wedding and complemented Paul over and over again because he was so easy to work with. They said that they typically struggle when it comes to trying to work with photographers in the same space. They said Paul was so helpful and respectful. I just created photo books for our moms and the quality of the pictures is amazing!! We were very lucky we have two great cakes, a beautiful ceremony and reception site, and great food but time after time people talk about how great Paul and his staff were when talking about the wedding. I am so pleased with our choice. He checked before leaving to make sure there were no more photos I needed taken. Which allowed for me to grab one last family photo and a high school friends photo. I feel like I am going on and on but we couldn't be happier with our photos. You cannot go wrong in picking Paul. You will be so happy with your choice. He really went above and beyond his job title to make our day so amazing and we can't thank him enough!!!

We knew that finding the right photographer was one of the most important parts in our wedding planning. So many people told us that after the big day, they were able to relive their memories through their photos and we wanted someone who could truly capture all of the feelings and moments of our wedding day. We found Paul by searching for Northern MI photographers, and through his posts on Pinterest. When we spoke to him we instantly had a good feeling about him. While we were in town finalizing our venue choice, Paul came and met us to show us his work and we were sold. His work was amazing, and he was someone we enjoyed spending an evening getting to know. He captured amazing engagement photos the fall before our wedding which helped us get more comfortable with him in front of the camera, and the images were beautiful and online that evening. For our wedding, Paul was nothing but professional. We spoke a few days before to discuss everything we hoped would be photographed and to confirm the way the day would go. He kept me calm and on time on our wedding morning and helped everything run smoothly- which was above and beyond his role as our photographer. He also kept our wedding party focused (although also having fun) so that we were able to get all of the photos we wanted within a limited time period. Our parents, wedding party and guests loved him and reiterated what we already knew- that he was fun, professional and extremely talented. We were able to look at our images throughout the day, and they were posted online within days! Our digital images were mailed to us within a couple weeks! He sent us a sample album while we were on our honeymoon for us to customize. His packages are reasonable and can be tailored to your needs and budget which was also very convenient. It is no surprise that my sister and her fiance recently hired Paul for their wedding and also recently had beautiful engagement photos taken. His photos perfectly capture the individuality of each couple and their wedding day. Thank you Paul- we will be forever thankful for the beautiful images you have given us of one of the best days of our lives! We look forward to seeing you at my sister's wedding in next fall!

We had the pleasure of having Paul shoot our engagement pictures last fall, and our wedding photos at the Perry Hotel this past summer. We are so pleased with his work! So many people have told us one regret they have about their wedding is that they didn't get enough pictures. With Paul, having too little photos will not be a concern. He captured the whole day beautifully. The pictures were unique, had great lighting, and they captured people's emotions and the scenery around them in a stunning way. I am so thankful we have these photos as memories we can keep forever!

Paul is an amazing photographer, he has such a great eye and captured the perfect moments of the wedding. Paul was great to work with we got married at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, he met us at a house we rented, took pictures there, was open to different opportunities and knew exactly how to pose us and where to take the pictures. He had a great list to ensure he doesn't miss a picture whether it was friends, family, or the entire wedding. Paul had a great personanable personality and was a joy the entire night - I couldn't of asked more from any photographer he truly is top notch and his pictures are amazing.

We hired Paul Retherford to photograph our Mackinac Island wedding at the Inn at Stonecliffe. Paul was very professional and personable in his approach at photography as well as being very helpful in keeping the guests and wedding ceremony on time. He was very knowledgeable of current trends in wedding photographs and styles and knew the wedding location very well. He made us, the bride and groom, feel completely at ease throughout the day and went above and beyond his duties to make sure we had our wedding photos for a large family reception just one week after our wedding ceremony. We are grateful to have had such a great wedding photographer and would highly recommend his services!

Paul Retherford was our wedding photographer on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Both me and my husband totally enjoyed working with him. Besides providing very professional photography services, he also gave us his recommendations and advice as to the best photo locations, was extremely patient during the bride&groom photo shoot (it was very cold and I (the bride) had a hard time walking in my shoes during the photoshoot!), and made us both feel completely relaxed and comfortable. Paul was very professional with the guests and helped keep everything on track. We were really impressed by the fast turnaround - we received all of our photos and video on a flash drive right after we came back from our honeymoon (approx 10 days after the wedding). And just recently I received my wedding album custom designed by Paul. The album is leather-bound and the quality is great. It was made taking into account all the edits and comments I made. One thing I guess is the improvement opportunity - for me making edits and reviewing the wedding album turned out a bit more complex (and took more time) than I expected. I'm sure there's a way to improve the followup and give more directions as a way to simplify the process. Overall, if you are looking for a great wedding photographer, Paul Retherford is the one I would highly recommend.

Paul donated his services to my husband and I as part of the military wedding giveaway at castle farms. We could not have asked for a better photographer. He got all of the shots that we asked for plus so many more. Viewing his album of nearly 2000 pictures was truly like watching a play by play of the entire evening. He captured every moment perfectly. We expected to have to wait weeks to see the pictures taken at our wedding, but paul had them posted on his website and facebook for viewing by Monday morning after our friday evening wedding. Paul is personable and professional and definitely a great choice!

We hired Paul for our wedding at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, MI. We have absolutely nothing but great things to say about him and his services. Not only did he make us feel comfortable, but we were amazed at his photography and images he captured of our day. He was professional, yet fun and easy to work with. Numerous guests kept coming up to us throughout the night complimenting our pick in a photographer. In addition to his photography skills, he also was a wonderful helping hand and great advice giver in other area of our wedding. In the future, we already know we will take our family back up to his area and have him do our family photos.

If you are looking for a phenomenal photographer, look no further than Paul Retherford of Petoskey, Michigan. Paul recently photographed our daughter’s wedding and we are beyond thrilled with the content and quality of his work! Paul captured the entire day (12.5 hours) with all of the sentiments, joy and beauty of the celebration to perfection, and I do mean perfection. When beginning the process of seeking a photographer, I first looked at the online/publication work of a number of local Northern Michigan photographers. Everyone’s featured work looked wonderful … making it difficult to narrow the field down. An acquaintance told me that not only was Paul’s photography exceptional, he was also very client centered. That was definitely important to us and Paul became the first photographer on our list. After meeting him and reviewing all he had to offer, my daughter and I knew immediately he was the photographer we wanted. In addition to being client-centered, we could see that he was well versed and experienced in shooting images in multiple settings with varying lighting conditions ... something also very important to us. Paul came through with flying colors on the wedding day as he went seamlessly from artificial lighting and mirrors in the hair salon; to the outdoors; to the church setting with multiple lighting challenges and opportunities; to Northern Michigan sun and water; and finally to the reception held under tents with twinkle lights. During our initial visit, Paul commented that he works really hard. What an understatement … I’m convinced he works like no other. Although a second photographer is an option, we chose to have only Paul. I’m still amazed at the equipment and tricks he had up his sleeve to capture memories from when he couldn’t be in two places at once or when he wanted to capture moments from different vantage points. Within all the demands and time constraints of taking the critical photos, he worked diligently to also take photos of the flowers, the table and venue décor, the food, and all of the other sentimental touches we wanted to “hold onto” long after the wedding. He was extremely organized and efficient, which allowed not only for things to run smoothly, but also for additional flexibility and creativity. His images showcase not only the people, the fun, and the emotion of our most special day, but also his artistic eye. His work is simply exquisite. Paul’s easy-going personality and kind sense of humor put everyone at ease (especially my daughter) for all 12.5 hours. When she panicked a bit looking for the toss bouquet, he knew right where to find it … and went to retrieve it as well! Two final things that really stand out to us are 1: Paul’s extremely prompt communication and helpfulness with any questions or thoughts we had during the entire 10 month period prior to the wedding (as well as after) and 2: his unbelievable efficiency and promptness in preparing and delivering his incredibly beautiful images. For such an important, heartfelt day that cannot be recreated, we feel so very blessed to have found and hired Paul. We had high hopes and expectations and he exceeded them all. Paul is the "complete package!"

My husband and I were very pleased with the quality of our photos. Paul was very responsive by email and phone. We received our photos within a month of our wedding and were very pleased.

Words cannot begin to explain how great of a photographer Paul Retherford was! Paul truly made our dream wedding come to life! He is one of the most professional people I have met and you can tell he loves his job. He helped out so much, seeing as we really had no idea what we were doing. Paul helped fix flowers on the men's lapels, coordinated us to start cutting cake, and really helped everything flow smoothly. We felt 100% comfortable with him and he captured the most beautiful images I have ever seen. He had some "faves" up on facebook within two days and we had our disc drive of images within 1 1/2 weeks. I can't gush enough over the pictures! He did such a fabulous job! Also, he sent us a cute little red "brag book" album to be able to show off to people wherever we may be! We had a horse-drawn carriage, with Paul following behind on his own bike, and Paul knew exactly where to take us to capture some great shots! It was an amazing experience and I am so glad we went with Paul Retherford for our wedding photographer! =)

Paul is AMAZING. He was a great communicator before and after the wedding, and made sure we were very comfortable with everything before the big day. On the wedding day, she showed up hours before the wedding to make sure the getting ready process was captured. He was one of the gang and it was very natural to have him around.. not at all awkward. Which is good because we were all sitting around in spanx :) He also made my husband feel comfortable, and he HATES taking pictures.. it was amazing to have him work with us both to take beautiful images of our most important day yet. The guests really enjoyed his presence at the wedding and he made sure to capture every single person who attended in at least a couple of photos. He sought out pictures of us when he saw something fabulous happening (the sun setting, a freighter sailing past, etc), took all the pictures we requested, and captured every amazing moment that happened throughout the day and night. I received my photographs only TWO WEEKS after the wedding.. such an amazing turnaround and just mind-blowing photos to boot. If I had to do it all over again, I would book Paul again. He is a fantastic photographer AND was awesome to have at the wedding. Brides, book quickly... Paul is in hot demand!!!