Russ Levi Photography

of the camera, and the whole experience felt so natural and fun. On our wedding day, Alex truly shined. She came prepared and professional, seamlessly managing big group shots with our families and making sure to capture all the important moments throughout the day. Even though our ceremony was outdoors at a venue she had never shot at before, she handled the tricky lighting beautifully and delivered stunning results. We were blown away when she sent us the preview gallery within a week. The photos were breathtaking. Alex exceeded all our expectations, and we truly couldn’t have asked for a better photographer.

vous about the "golden hour" photo shoot feeling awkward. Instead that part of the wedding ended up being incredibly fun and special. We have our photos back now and I cannot stop looking at them. He managed to capture the quite moments, the ones of pure joy and energy, and somehow every single one of our 160 guests.

ce added to our wedding day. I actually approached Russ with an unconventional request for the morning of our wedding — my husband and I wanted to read our vows privately, in our hotel room bed, in our jammies. He said he'd never done something like that before but he was up for it! When he showed up to our room (at 8 a.m. sharp), I started to wonder if it was too weird and if I'd made a mistake. I was worried I'd be too conscious of him being there and it would take away from the intimacy of the moment, but once we started reading our vows, I honestly forgot he was there. He somehow made himself invisible; he was subtle, respectful, gentle, and he executed my vision flawlessly. I'm so glad I trusted him to capture such a private and personal moment. I was equally impressed with his performance at the wedding later that day. I didn't realize how much of wedding photography is actually people management lol. Our family photo time started to get a little chaotic and Russ stepped up to the plate, kindly yet firmly directing people where to go and getting everyone organized in what seemed like a fraction of a second. We probably spent more time with Russ that day than anyone else. He was with us when we were getting ready that afternoon, during the ceremony, during family photos and couples photos, and during the reception. Like I said, it was a joy to have him around. He brought an excited and fun yet encouraging and calming energy to our time together, and it made my husband and I feel at ease. Our one-year anniversary is next week, so naturally I've been spending lots of time looking at our photos. Russ captured us as a couple so perfectly — they really feel like us. I love how he did a mix of classic poses and creative shots, leaning into the natural surroundings at our venue. Looking at the photos instantly transports me back to that day and time — I feel the same butterflies in my stomach as I did that day, I can feel how happy we were, how supported and loved we felt. It's a gift my husband and I will cherish for the rest of our lives. You won't regret booking Russ for your own special day!

definitely wanted to share with all the couples out there about our wonderful experience with him. Russ was super fun to have for our big day. The bridesmaids love to joke around, and we were being silly throughout our “getting ready” time. Russ captured our ridiculous personalities, and was even game to jump in with a joke or two. When it came to photographing the wedding ceremony and reception, we were so delighted to see the pictures because we have a great balance of the typical photos you expect to see (walking down the aisle, kiss, formal family photos, speeches, first dance, etc.) but also some really sweet yet unexpected moments (a young cousin napping, us newlyweds cracking up at a ceremony mishap, guests dancing up a storm, us being competitive at a Street Fighter 6 arcade station that we had set up for the guests, etc.) It was during the outdoor photo session with the wedding party and close family, however, that Russ’s vision and experience in the Sonoma/Bay Area really shined. Russ knew our wedding venue like the back of his hand, and he took us to many different locations at the venue. As a result, we now have a diverse combination of natural, artwork, and vineyard photos to treasure forever. He captured so many different styles – we have glam, we have silly, we have traditional, and more! The grooms party in particular has a flair for the dramatic, and Russ made our dream of looking like GQ models a reality. Russ was great in giving us very helpful directions for posing and—looking back at the photos—we love his visualization and composition! Finally, he KNOWS his golden hours so we have absolutely gorgeous sunset photos. He knew exactly when and where to take us to capture the beauty of our venue. In sum, we highly, highly, highly recommend Russ Levi as your wedding photographer.

y on his website. The vibrant and candid photos he displayed were exactly the portrayal I wanted for my big day. Russ worked with me and my budget, which I am so thankful for, and he was so helpful with any questions I had. Russ was wonderful on the day of the wedding, and he made my husband and I feel so comfortable in front of the camera. I never felt like the photos were staged and cheesy, it really felt like I was hanging out with a friend all day who happened to be taking photos. I absolutely recommend him to anyone looking for a photographer!