The Ganeys

Emily and Thomas Ganey are two of the most talented and kind hearted people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. I first heard about them while on a walk with my best friend, who at the time was planning her wedding at the Museum of Fine Arts in St.Petersburg, Fl. She was showing me the Ganey’s Instagram page and I immediately thought that their work was the best I had ever seen. It looked so professional and beautiful! The film photography is what sold my friend over at the time, but meeting and working with them firsthand as a bridesmaid in my friends wedding is what sold me over, and I decided I had to have them for my own wedding one day! Fast forward to 2020, my now husband and I were well into planning our wedding and were lucky enough to book the Ganey’s as our photographers. However, COVID-19 hit and it changed all the plans we had made. Not only were Emily and Thomas extremely empathetic towards our situation, but they went above and beyond to be flexible and accommodating. We went from planning a wedding for 130 people, to a micro wedding scaled down to a total of 15 people at our ceremony. It was one of the most difficult decisions we have ever made as a couple, but we both knew it was the right thing for us. Even though that day was scaled way down compared to what was initially planned, I still had a lot of anxiety while getting ready that morning. However, as soon as the Ganey’s arrived to the getting ready location, I immediately had a sense of peace and calmness come over me. They have such a calming, easygoing presence mixed with a contagious energy that puts you at ease and takes away any wedding day jitters! Emily had come up with a timeline for our day to ensure everything ran smoothly and were able to accomplish what needed to be done. Her attention to detail not only shows in her photography, but also in the planning and executing of the entire process! There is a confidence they exude which is very reassuring when things like rain or other unexpected problems arise on your big day. There is a plan B and C in Emily’s head, which I learned about while raindrops started to fall from the sky before the ceremony began. She was focused on where the best lighting would be coming from all while reassuring me that it was going to be ok. Looking back, the Ganey’s were not only our photographers that day, but our advocates, encourager and our friends. Emily placed my veil in my hair for me when my mom wasn’t quite sure how to do it. She encouraged my maid of honor and sister saying “you have this girls, let me show you how to do it!” when the day of coordinator said it would be impossible to bustle my dress after it had been rained on. After the Ganey’s had finished shooting and were leaving at the end of the reception, I ran into Emily in the restroom and she all of a sudden remembered she didn’t photograph one last spot that I had requested months prior. It was at the entrance of the Vinoy Hotel that has beautiful architecture. I told her it was alright, but she insisted that she wanted to do it for us! Truly amazing. My husband and I will forever be grateful for the calming presence that they provided, their level of professionalism, and the attention to detail. You truly feel like you are in the best possible hands for one of the biggest days of your life. Not to mention they captured the day with the most stunning photographs! Best decision we made hands down.

No words can truly do these two justice- they were the best decision we made! Not only are they incredibly talented, they have a true passion for capturing these memories that shines in every photo. When my husband and I first looked through all of the photos from our wedding day, it felt like I was gasping and saying "we should frame this one" or "this is definitely going in the album" with every picture. They even documented all the little details we didn't really get to see in the blur of the day- the seating chart we DIY’d, the table accents, even the bar signs. They took the time and effort to go to our venue before the day of to find all of the best spots for portraits and sunset, and found a couple of amazing places we never would have thought to focus on, but made for some of our favorite pictures. All of our bridal party and family commented on how amazing these two are, and how they seemed to be everywhere at once. They are so genuinely warm and made everyone feel really comfortable. The portraits of the two of us came out so wonderful, and I have no idea how we'll decide which are our favorites- they made two incredibly awkward people look romantic and natural. Emily’s advice on doing a first look was right on- I can't imagine not having had that time together beforehand to ease our nerves and have a few last memorable moments before starting our married life. Part of what makes the Ganeys so special is that they truly care about getting to know and having a connection with the couples they work with. We were already sold on the idea of taking engagement photos for our save-the-dates, and it makes so much sense that they consider that a part of the whole experience. We had such a great time spending several hours with them the day of our engagement shoot, and then continued to be in touch during the planning process. Emily gave great advice and a proposed timeline, and by the time the actual day of our wedding came, we were excited to see our new friends again. They even sent us a coffee table book with favorite photos from our engagement shoot as a gift before the wedding, which was incredibly thoughtful and touching. As someone who is not at all comfortable in front of a camera, it made a huge difference to feel so comfortable with the people capturing our memories of that day. I am so thankful that we found these two and that they shared their talents and gave us this incredible gift of photos that we will look at for so many years to come. It’s also nice to know that we made two great new friends in the process. These two are such amazing people, and I'm so happy that they came into our lives!

There are no words to truly describe how incredible these two are! You are not just getting a professional wedding photographer duo - you are gaining a friendship. For Emily and Thomas, this is not just a job. This is their passion and it shows in their work. They are invested in your happiness and are committed to delivering the greatest memories you will have of your special day. They are timely, professional, extremely talented (check their website), and honest. Above all that, they are two of the kindest people my husband and I have met. You feel comfortable around them and taking pictures becomes something that feels natural - that means a lot from someone who does not feel like a natural in front of a camera! Some of the fondest memories leading up to our wedding day were with them and we look forward to continuing our friendship. Our engagement and wedding photos came out better than I ever could have imagined. They captured every little detail. Everyone that was at our wedding, every emotion, and every dance move was photographed! I don't understand how the two of them were literally EVERYWHERE all night! They didn't miss a beat. Search no further - I can guarantee that you will not find anyone better!

Emily and Thomas Ganey are who you should hire to photograph your engagement and wedding. Period. They are extremely warm and wonderful people to work with. Not only are they experienced, knowledgeable, and incredible artists, but they are also flexible and extremely accommodating. They will make anything happen and will do it with professionalism and a smile. They will *literally* travel anywhere for your shoot. Throughout our engagement year, they were detail oriented and communicative, helping us organize our wedding day timeline and making helpful, experience-based suggestions. They struck the perfect balance of being "on top of it" without being overbearing. They sent us sweet gifts and encouragement throughout the year and quickly became our friends. While shooting, they make you feel so comfortable and at ease. They totally over-delivered in every expectation that I had, and photography was one of my top priorities for our wedding. We were given so many more photos than promised, we were sent preview proofs within TWO DAYS of our wedding, and we could NOT be happier with the photos. Don't think twice about hiring these wonderful people; you will not be disappointed!

It has taken me a while since my wedding day to write a review for The Ganeys because putting into words just how incredible they are seemed like a daunting task. I truly mean this when I say they were the absolute best decision of our entire wedding day! Emily + Thomas are the absolute dream team of wedding photographers and far exceeded all of the expectations we had. The Ganeys are so amazing to work with - they're hilarious, have an incredible eye, are always responsive and have the best work ethic of any vendor I have ever worked with. Seriously they are some hard workers! They consistently checked in, were doing things outside their scope of work and went above and beyond in every single aspect of the entire process. My husband does not like taking photos and therefore did not want to spend a lot of money on the photographer for our wedding - that changed immediately after our first meeting with Emily and Thomas. Once we booked them, he said it was the best money we ever spent! They even made the engagement and wedding photos fun and comfortable for him! :) The Ganeys are not the cheapest, but after the entire process my husband and I both think they don't charge enough. The amount of time that Thomas and Emily put into our big day prior to, on and after the big day makes them an incredible value. Emily almost became a mini wedding planner providing vendor recs, timelines, wedding day weather forecasts and even reaching out to my other vendors to get them in line! haha. Seriously, what photographer does that?! The pictures attached speak for themselves, but I cannot tell you how many compliments we received about them from our friends, family and strangers - and not only compliments for the photos, but about amazing they were to be around on the big day. No amount of credit or praise is enough to show truly remarkable The Ganeys are. They literally became a part of our family that day and it meant everything to me!

I don't think any review can give Emily & Thomas the amount of credit and praise they deserve! The Ganeys are absolutely wonderful and we are so glad that we chose them as our photographers. They really are incredible people. They are extremely thoughtful, kind, and went above and beyond all of our expectations. Seriously, they just want to be your friend! Flying to Colorado for our engagement session, planning the timeline, carrying your wedding dress, and even letting you vent a little - they did it all! We were nervous about taking pictures, but they always made us feel comfortable. Their photography package is really hard to beat! They shoot film - which is absolutely gorgeous. Their photos are beautiful and we have so many from both our engagement session and wedding. They spent all day with us and provided us with a sneak peak fairly quickly. There are no surprises with The Ganeys - great photographers & friends :)

There are truly just not enough words for how grateful we are for Emily and Thomas. I could go on and on about how wonderful this team is. Our journey to finding the perfect wedding photographer was LONG and tough but the minute I read the response email from Emily and spoke to her on the phone, I knew that we found our perfect photographers. The insane dedication and work that they put in to make sure that every detail of our engagement photos, wedding photos, and overall experience was perfect was truly exceptional. Right down to making a long drive to Bella Collina just to scope out the area and find the perfect spots for photos (in the rain). Emily and Thomas make you feel like they are your besties the moment you meet them. They are so fun to be around and make you feel so comfortable in every photo. One of our favorite parts about our engagement shoot (and wedding photos) was that Thomas was always playing music while photographing. There are no awkward moments when taking photos with them. We got our entire wedding album edited while we were on our honeymoon and it was the greatest surprise. We will cherish our wedding photos for the rest of our lives and be friends with Emily and Thomas for years to come!

Emily and her husband Thomas are the perfect duo. They made our day so relaxed and incredibly fun! I never thought I could be relaxed on my wedding day but hanging out with them was so calming! Beyond their fantastic presence, their work is unreal. They captured us, our beloved puppy, our bridal party and friends and family in such gorgeous light and stance. Their work is primarily on film, which requires incredible talent! The film photos have such soft tones, bringing heart into the pictures. I can't recommend them more. You'll want to be best friends with them after the engagement session and after the wedding, you'll miss having them around!

I seriously could list a million reasons why Emily Katharine Photography is so amazing, but there is limited space here...so i'll just say this: quality wedding photographs were a high priority for us, so Ive already done the research for you (and Im talking A LOT of research) , and you won't find a better value or friend to work with than Emily Katharine (trust me, you will consider her a friend by the end of your wedding planning process!) Emily and Thomas were incredibly adaptable and rolled with last minute changes to plans without any fuss or drama, and even helped out with tasks they noticed needed done the morning of the wedding (as an example, i'm pretty sure making the bed and helping me get into my shoes wasn't in her contract, but she did it without hesitation! ) Emily also helped me out tremendously with creating a wedding day time line to make sure that the day flowed efficiently for us. As a result, we were able to get all of the photos that were so important to us. To top it all off, Emily and Thomas created jaw-droppingly stunning photos. Seriously folks, I'm even jealous of me when I look at the photos of our day!

I am the type of person that does a lot of research before I commit to a vendor. I personally know a lot of photographers and my husband had been a wedding photographer for a while too. Emily Katharine Photography hit aces with every requirement we wanted. When we were researching, Emily’s photos had a look to them that no other photographer got quite so perfectly. They captured a feeling, a quiet, a palpable sense of peace in their pictures that eventually boils down to raw talent. No other photographers gave us the visceral and immediate feelings that Emily Katharine Photography’s photos did. Pre wedding process-- We booked Emily a year in advance. We had a very specific date in mind that didn't have flexibility on changing. Before the big day, Emily would text me regularly to get me hyped up, and to also keep a pulse on how I was feeling throughout the whole planning process. Wedding prep is really hard, and it's easy for a bride to get completely overwhelmed by the details. Emily honestly cared about me throughout, highlighting the importance of timelines and itineraries, and served as an awesome sounding board for ideas. She also helped keep me grounded through the process, making sure my ideas were reasonable on everyone involved. Wedding day shoot-- Emily was my shadow. While I was in the whirlwind of getting ready and getting pushed from place to place to stay on schedule, Emily documented the whole process for me. She has this down to a science. She watches and waits with incredible patience and captures every moment. From hair to makeup to dresses to standing around and generically “getting ready”, she is next to you, supporting you, gushing about you, loving you as much as she genuinely and professionally can-- while taking pictures of it all. Thomas, on the other hand, is one of the guys (he gets it easy!) and watches and documents as they suit up. Both of them are incredibly good about rolling with the punches while keeping both parties on schedule without being pushy. They’re sensible and they prioritize; they know which shots are necessary for Thank You cards, while also recognizing which moments will matter most to the bride and groom. Emily knows when to give excellent direction, while Thomas manages to catch the candid moments in between posed pictures. Together, they get every nuanced and tender second, while also capturing all of the giggle fits. On the final product-- I’ve concluded that Emily rarely eats or sleeps. Emily Katharine Photography is actually run by elves or something. The turnaround for the complete edited photographs is so quick. They wade through thousands of wedding photos, looking for the best, the funniest, the quietest, the most joyful, the most memorable, etc. and perfect each one. It's obvious how much time, heart, and love they pour into this craft. My friends and family now shamelessly follow her on Instagram, Facebook, and her blog to hopefully catch another preview photo or article about not just us, but her other adventures. It’s impossible not to love everything about Emily Katharine Photography!