5 out of 5 stars and 33 reviews
5
(33)Lake Tahoe, Northern Nevada, Yosemite, Sacramento + Beyond
About this vendor
Under the Redwoods Photography is a wedding and elopement photographer based out of Lake Tahoe, Nevada. We are passionate about telling your unique love story through our lens. We aim to make you feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera so you can let your true self shine through.
The lady behind the lens is Melanie Underwood, who has over 11 years of experience in documenting wedding celebrations. Melanie believes strongly in forming a genuine bond with the couples she works with. Her aim is to build trust in each other so you feel at your most comfortable when working with her. The result is a storybook collection of emotive images that allows you to relive the joy of your day again and again.
Under the Redwoods Photography offers various wedding and elopement photography packages. Melanie loves to travel and will happily follow you across the globe to document your day. She edits her photos to give them a timeless style, ensuring that your wedding collection still looks just as beautiful many years after they were taken. She is also happy to incorporate a second photographer into your day to ensure that every beautiful angle is captured. Your final photos will be presented in a password-protected online gallery, where you can view, share, and print them.
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Destination Weddings
- Destination Wedding Packages
Photo Shoot Types
- Boudoir
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
- Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Drone
- Film Photography
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Printed Enlargements
Photo & Video Styles
- Artistic
- Documentary
- Lifestyle
- Modern
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Awards and Affiliations
2021 'Best of Weddings'
Best of Weddings
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.033 reviews
Melanie is such a gem and such a special person and SO talented. Not only does she take beautiful photos (I mean, have you seen her portfolio/website? STUNNING), but our whole expe...
rience with her was so fun that it felt like we were just hanging out with a friend with amazing photography skills as a bonus. Our guests also told us numerous times how professional and yet also down to earth Melanie is. Plus, she has a fun way of getting any of your kiddos to smile :) She also somehow has a sneaky way of getting all the great shots without being smack dab right in front of you when you're mingling with the guests/dancing, allowing you to enjoy the moment and make you not feel like you're always posing for the camera. We can't thank her enough on how much she played such an important part leading up to our special day and day of. Highly Highly recommend Melanie!!
We couldn't have had a better experience with Melanie as our wedding photographer. I interviewed several photographers before chatting with Melanie, and I knew as soon as we chatte...
d that she was the one for us. My husband hates taking pictures, but I knew that Melanie's approach in getting know us through our engagement session and lighthearted nature would out us at ease. Melanie captured absolutely stunning pictures of our big day and we couldn't be more grateful to have them too look back on to remember all of the big and small moments.
Working with her was a dream. Melanie captured personal, intimate moments as beautifully as she did the energetic fun of our full dance floor. We connected before our date a coupl...
e times and worked out our top priorities, she was sensitive and clear about timelines. When the weather changed from a clear October day to the first snow of the year she was flexible and had a distinct vision about how to make the best of our situation. We were able to stay focused on the day and with our guests as much as possible and the pictures are stunning. I have folks who were unable to attend frequently share how beautiful our wedding looked and Under the Redwoods captured those moments. It was a whirlwind day after over a year of planning, and I didn't have to worry about pictures for a moment. We got a 'sneak peek' of about 5 or 6 photos several weeks after the wedding and on schedule the rest of the pictures were released to us.
If we have another memorable event to capture, or even if we wanted to have family portraits taken, I'd love to work with Under the Redwoods again.
Melanie is an amazingly talented photographer. Shes absolutely an investment. Im so happy to have her captured our beautiful day. Shes very detail oriented, made sure to get specif...
ic photos with family members, decor, bridal parties, etc. Her professionalism is above and beyond. Most of the time I didnt notice them taking photos but loved the candid moments being captured. She also made it a priority to collect beautiful portraits throughout the night. I highly recommend Melanie at Under the Redwoods to anyone looking for high quality work.
Her Instagram is a direct reflection of the work she does.
@undertheredwoodsphotography
Oh- also, she went 4 wheeling with us into the desolate NV desert and explored abandoned houses for our engagement photos! Shes up for any adventure!
Melanie is wonderful from the very beginning until the very end when we had our photos in hand. She was kind, responsive, made the process fun, and provided all kinds of creative i...
deas and guidance to us during the process. Also, so dependable and gracious! We got married in a literal snow storm and she braved a treacherous drive to Lake Tahoe to take our wedding pictures- there was no worry she wouldn't be able to make it, we weren't rushed and she had some awesome ideas about using the storm to our advantage to make our pictures come out epic! She actually helped us keep our cool and stay at ease while it snowed inches and inches outside and we started to worry about everything going to plan. Her work is amazing, gorgeous and she is everything you want in a wedding photographer!
We would HIGHLY recommend hiring Melanie! She is incredibly creative, professional, and so fun to be around. At our wedding, we snuck away from our reception to take sunset photos ...
scaling up a mountain as well as a massive ski lift structure! Although it felt crazy at the time, we really trusted her vision and the photos did not disappoint! Those remain our favorite photos and memories from the big day. We look forward to having Melanie photograph future big events and moments in our lives!
Stop your search now because you've found the best photographer ever!!!
Melanie was the best decision we made for our destination wedding in Lake Tahoe!
She is not only a wonderf...
ul photographer:
- she spent time finding the best locations for our engagement shoot as well as for wedding day
- she was super attentive and focused - so much so that she fell into 3 feet of snow while trying to capture a shot
- she is extremely talented - we have so many great photos to remember our engagement and wedding by
She is also just a pleasure to work with:
- she really got to know us even before our wedding day
- she is kind, caring, and HILARIOUS
- we never felt she was in our way or intrusive
- we were eager to see our photos and never had to wait too long
I also think that the price of her services were very reasonable - especially for the quality of her work. I wish she lived in Houston so we could use her for all future photography needs!
My husband and I found Melanie to be the perfect fit as a wedding photographer. Her personality is incredibly kind, thoughtful, funny, and calming, everything you need leading up ...
to your wedding day and on the day itself. Melanie was able to immediately put us at ease while photographing and gave us great direction so we didn’t look as awkward as we might have felt! Our pictures prove that, who are those people?! We were so relieved to have Melanie there on our actual wedding day because with all the hustle and bustle she was more than just a photographer, she was a calming and friendly presence. We are so happy with our pictures and it’s wonderful to be able to relive the day over and over. We also highly recommend her packages....being able to do engagement pictures was a great way to get to know her and get comfortable in front of the camera before the big day. And having a wedding album done with little effort on our end was such a relief! We can’t wait to use her in the future for other life adventures. All in all, we can’t recommend Melanie and Under the Redwoods photography enough. We are so grateful to have had Melanie as our photographer and we’re even more grateful to now call her a friend.
Melanie is absolutely incredible! Working with her from the engagement photo session to the wedding was fun and comfortable. We are in LOVE with our photos. Our special day was per...
fectly captured. I can not recommend Under The Redwoods enough!
We used Under the Redwoods for our wedding and could not have been happier. She was perfectly on time and worked so well with our setting and what we had envisioned and much more. ...
The photos I have from our wedding are stunning and capture such an amazing day in such a beautiful, emotional way. Everything was a stated in our contract. No upcharges, sneaky fees or add ons. We have used Under the Redwoods for pregnancy, baby, and family photos since then so I would say we love Melanie and her amazing work.
Melanie is a real pro. She knows how to make you look natural under the eye of the camera. We trusted Melanie with our engagement and wedding photos and they turned out better than...
we could have imagined!
Oh my goodness, I do not think it is possible to put into words how amazing working with Melanie was! From the very first time we talked, Melanie was so kind and responsive. She ma...
de my husband and I feel so comfortable with her and she really took the time to get to know us and our style! She was always easy to get a hold of and very punctual for everything. We are in LOVE with our engagement and wedding pictures! We are not the most photogenic couple around but she knew what to say to make us relax and knew exactly how to help us pose. The turn around time was quick and all the pictures captured the best feelings from our special night, we could not have had a better photography team!
Melanie is the most amazing photographer around! Not only does she take the BEST photos, but she also is such a kind and genuine person. I told her before hand how my husband reall...
y doesn’t like taking photos and she went above and beyond to make him feel comfortable and have a good time during our sessions with her. She also has kept in touch with us after our wedding. If we lived in Reno/ Tahoe we would have Melanie take all our photos!! We will definitely be planning a trip back now that we are a family of four so Melanie can work her magic again.
Melanie is an absolute gem! Her professionalism, creativity and ability to make everyone in the wedding party feel comfortable led to photos that were beyond my wildest expectation...
. Her compassion and love for the work she does truly shines through. I would highly recommend her for anyone getting married, special events or even just family photos, she is truly the kindest and works within most budgets.
My husband and I met with quite a few wedding photographers before finding THE ONE. Instantly, we fell in love with Melanie’s personality, professional, and attention to detail. Sh...
e always put us at ease and made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera, which was no easy task. We have photographs that are stunning and that we will cherish forever, all thanks to Melanie with Under the Redwoods Photography. You will NOT regret choosing her to document your special day, guaranteed!
Melanie was absolutely amazing to work with! She made our experience flawless. Our engagement pictures and wedding pictures we’re so much fun because she made my husband and I feel...
so natural. I would use her again in a heart beat! She captured every little and big moment I could ever think of. Thank you for your amazing work and never endings memories!
My husband and I had an intimate wedding in Virginia City and we chose Melanie to capture our moment. She went above and beyond what we asked for and, while we didn’t hire her for...
the entire day, we received so many amazing pictures that captured every aspect of our day. She arrived on time (I think even early) and went straight to work. She was fun and had a really cool vibe that certainly added to the day. We wanted to get pictures in some of the saloons in the area and she even drove us around when we realized nobody left us a car. The pictures are so unique and real with such great quality, they are truly art. We can’t say enough good things about Melanie and the pictures we received from her.
Melanie was wonderful! We could not have asked for a better photographer to capture our special day. She made our engagement photo session and wedding session super easy and enjoya...
ble, despite our nerves. She ensured our photography package included all of the important aspects we were hoping for, and exceeded our expectations! We would recommend her to anyone looking for a photographer to capture their special moments!
From the first moment we stubbled upon Under the Redwoods Photography we fell in love and then talking to Melanie we knew we had our photographer. My husband and I instantly felt l...
ike friends with her and that she understood what we wanted from our photos. Mel has a way not only behind the camera but also in the natural way she edits, which was really important to us. We love everything about both our engagement and wedding photos. We cannot wait to look at them years from now and remember our day. We hope to have Melanie photograph more big events in our lives!
We cannot say enough good things about Melanie! She is an incredibly talented photographer who gave us the most beautiful and creative photos of our wedding day - but what I apprec...
iated most was her sweet, positive and calm demeanor throughout the entire experience. We are so grateful that she was part of our special day!
As a bride who had a specific vision for her big day and knew exactly what she wanted, Melanie did a great job! She took amazing photos and helped me with non-photography questions...
, as well. She made my husband and me smile, laugh, and feel so comfortable while taking photos.
I was blown away by Melanie’s artistic vision and professionalism. I entered into a contest to have her shoot my wedding for free, but absolutely would have asked her to be my phot...
ographer even if I hadn’t.
What I appreciated most about the experience was that the photos we ended up with weren’t the typical wedding photos that feel contrived. Instead, she used all of the tools up her artistic sleeve to create stunning, unique portraits and candid pictures that I’ll always cherish. I would recommend her to anyone who wants photos to beautifully capture their big day!
Melanie was so great to work with for our engagement, wedding day, and day after photo shoot! My husband is not a fan of being in front on the camera and she made us both feel rela...
xed and natural. I have an entire gallery wall hanging in my hall thanks to the all the amazingly beautiful photos and moments captured. Great photographer!
Melanie was nothing but professional and personable. I will admit I was the bride who didn’t want to miss out on the party and Melanie was able to get all of the photos I wanted in...
such a short period of time. The photos and editing was beautiful. She has a unique eye and was able to use my venue as a backdrop for stunning images! Also receiving the photos in such a cute presentation was the cherry on top!
We had the BEST experience with Melanie!!! She truly made our day feel comfortable and the pictures we have will last us a lifetime of memories, so we can relive that day over and...
over. Melanie has a kind heart and an amazing eye for those special pictures.
Our experience was nothing short of amazing!
In the craziness of one of the biggest days of our lives, Melanies calm presence and clear knowledge took away any stress or worry we ...
had of having our day captured just right. And as a couple that doesn't particularly love having our photos taken, Melanie has a magical way of guiding you gracefully through without a single bit of that "awkward picture posing" feel. She makes it flow and at the same time you hardly feel like she's there. Can we say magical again?
We loved our photos so much that I still cry each time I see them, remembering moments that I love to revisit. She couldn't have captured our day more perfectly.
Thank you for the best, most beautiful photos imaginable!
We couldn't have found a better photography team to capture our special day! Melanie and Aaron went above and beyond at our wedding. They made us feel so comfortable in front of th...
e camera and kept us laughing the whole time! Many of our guests commmented on the professionalism and talent. We know are pictures are going to turn out perfect thanks to Underwood Photography!
From the moment I met Melanie and Aaron I knew I just had to have them do my engagement photos and my wedding! They are the most kind hearted, amazing people you will ever meet and...
it's a plus that their photos are just as great as they are! My husband and I are definitely camera shy and they made us feel so comfortable and made everything so so easy! I will be forever grateful to them for capturing our special day, and I'll have these beautiful photos to stare at the rest of my life! Thank you Melanie and Aaron ! we love you guys!
I could not recommend Melanie and Aaron more. They were beyond a dream to work with. They're fun, relaxed, and total pros. I'm not a fan of having my photo taken and they made it a...
breeze. Both the engagement and wedding photos were more than we could've hoped for. On the wedding day, there are so many emotions and having then there honestly just calmed us both down. Their work is top notch and they're incredibly awesome people — you cannot go wrong if you work with them!
You can't top them. They are the best. Hands down. Melanie and Aaron are the perfect team. They made us feel comfortable and beautiful. They became more than "our photographers" bu...
t also our friends. I have had so many people tell me that our weddings photos are the best they have ever seen. We cannot sing the praise of Melanie and Aaron enough. We are their biggest fans :)
The second I spoke to Melanie I knew I wanted to book her as my wedding photographer! From the very start she was so accommodating to anything we needed! Not only are her photograp...
hy skills amazing and so unique, but she is one of the nicest people I have ever met. My husband and I eloped so he and I were going to drive to the ceremony together, but Melanie insisted that she come pick me up (even though it was very out of the way for her) so that my husband and I could be in separate cars and have a real "first look" before our ceremony. Then she drove us all over lake Tahoe to make sure we found the spots with the prettiest backgrounds for our photos. She even packed me extra gloves and a beautiful coat because it was so cold! Even though the cold didn't phase her. She handled the 9 degree weather like a champ! Melanie had everything together to make sure our day went so smoothly. I seriously felt as if she was a full service wedding planner, in addition to a photographer. Her work is truly amazing and I could not be happier with our wedding photos! They look magazine worthy <3 Thank you Melanie SO SO much! You are one of a kind! xoxo
I cannot even begin to explain how much we loved working with Aaron & Melanie on our wedding day! They were were so much fun to be around all day! We realized that every time throu...
ghout the day that we thought, we should probably get a picture of this, we would look up and they were already there. And now looking at the pictures we get to relive all the moments of our wedding day, and even those that we missed. Their ideas for poses, locations and the crazy props were just awesome! Their photography captured our personalities as well as some great romantic shots that we didn’t even know we could have! Thank you both so much!
These two are so exceptional at what they do! They are beyond helpful in making your wedding day perfect and the best experience! They never forget the pictures you wanted and the ...
ideas you had before the wedding! They find the connection between you and your spouse and display that love into beautiful pictures! My pictures are stunning and I don't feel like they are real! These two are such great people and they honestly make you re- live your wedding day when you get to see the thousands of photos they give you! Hire them and you won't be disappointed!!!
Contact
Lake Tahoe, Northern Nevada, Yosemite, Sacramento + Beyond
Under the Redwoods Photography