About this vendor
Among the Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame, us & the dog (formerly Custom Portraits by Charlene) specializes in photojournalism with a touch of traditional portraiture. I won't pose your every move, but I will guide you in creating sweet moments that transform into gorgeous images. My editing style is clean and classic, with rich and real color that will make your images look timeless.
Of course, I love when my clients want to include their pups in their wedding days (or just engagement sessions!), but this isn't a requirement and I'm thrilled to work with just humans, too! ;)
Enjoy looking back on your day's most precious moments, beautifully captured and preserved in heirloom quality albums and one-of-a-kind products.
Collections start at $4500. All collections include the complete gallery of fully retouched digital files with print release.
Details
Business Attributes
- Woman-owned Business
Photo Shoot Types
- Boudoir
- Bridal Portraits
- Day After Session
- Engagement
- Trash The Dress
Photo & Video
- Digital Files
- Online Proofing
- Photo
- Printed Enlargements
- Second Shooter Available
- Social Media Sharing
Photo & Video Styles
- Classic
- Documentary
- Lifestyle
- Modern
Wedding Activities
- Getting Engaged
- Rehearsals & Parties
- After Party
- Wedding
- After Party
Awards and Affiliations
5-Time 'Best of Weddings'
2020.2019.2018.+2 more.
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.
Hall of Fame
Earned by winning 'Best of Weddings' four or more times.
Reviews
Your trust is our goal. Our community relies on honest reviews to help
you make those big decisions with ease.
5
out of 5.078 reviews
SO ACCOMMODATING! SO HAPPY! I searched for photographers with a fine-tooth comb, obsessing over every detailed observation, because at the end of the day pictures are (mostly) all ...
you’re left with. I’m also no stranger to being in front of the camera, so I was EXTRA critical ! However, I had NO CLUE what I was doing when wedding planning as I’ve never been in a wedding nor did I read the slew of bridal blogs…Charlene was patient with me: answering every question with reassurance. She was transparent but kind ‘ even worked with me on # of hours, which most photogs wouldn’t do as I now understand! In addition, she helped with our timeline, shot list, locations, etc. before I even hired her! She payed close attention to detail & honestly, she’s a big reason we didn’t feel rushed that day!…we timed things out perfectly! She communicated effectively & efficiently throughout the entire planning process too! Day of- she was fun, upbeat & helpful! Her poses are natural and fun & she encouraged & directed us perfectly without making us feel like herded around cattle! Our portrait session was arguably the most memorable/fun parts of our day! Our bridal party loved her too…she’s down to earth & got straight to the point. Our pictures are everything I’d hoped for: natural, clear, crisp & authentic. If you’re looking for classic, genuine images AND a relaxing experience… Charlene is for you! Thank you for everything Charlene <3 We’re forever grateful!
Hiring Charlene was truly one of the best wedding decisions we made. We just got out photos back and I can’t believe how in love I am with them. I can’t even select a favorite beca...
use they’re all so beautiful. Not only is her work the best of the best, but she was SO helpful throughout the entire process and always available to answer our questions. She really went above and beyond for us in ways that I can’t thank her enough for. At one point, I asked her what she thought about a color combination I had in mind, and she made a whole pinterest board for us. My wife and I are a same sex couple and most of the things we filled out for wedding vendors asked for information about the “bride and groom.” We really appreciated that Charlene took the extra time to change her questionnaire to reflect two brides. This seems like a little thing, but it was very affirming for us and a testament to how much she cares. When I was working on the timeline for the day, I asked her how much time we should allot for certain photos and her response was “I can make any timeline work.” I was nervous about this, but she REALLY made it work. She was a total pro, kept the entire day on track and was able to capture every single thing we wanted. She is also just an incredibly kind person to be around and her presence on the wedding day was so helpful and calming. She’s truly a joy to work with and I would highly recommend her to capture your special day.
Not only are we thrilled with our photos but Charlene was such a calming presence on our wedding day. It's such a bonus that Charlene loves pups even more than we do! We were nerv...
ous to have our pup at engagement photos but the photos with her were our favorites! Charlene really takes the time to listen to you and your needs.
Charlene was an absolute delight to work with. Her communication from start to finish was amazing, she kept me on task with all the day of details and was willing to capture whatev...
er I wanted and gave plenty of suggestions. The pictures she took were amazing and I would hire her again in a heartbeat! Sorry this review took so long to submit!
Great communication, execution, and follow up! Would highly recommend!
Charlene was great! With everything going on in the world during the pandemic it was nice to work with someone that was so accommodating. She did an excellent job capturing our day...
especially given the circumstances and how much we had to reduce the size of it.
Charlene did such a great job capturing the moments you want to remember forever! She was incredibly detail oriented and helpful through the whole process, leading up to the weddin...
g and day of. For our engagement photos, she did such an amazing job of capturing special shots with our pups. She was always happy, helpful and caring, so it made it so nice and easy to work with her.
Charlene always has been, and always will be the best in this business! Charlene is amazing to work with and captures the most breathtaking photos I've ever seen. We get so many co...
mpliments on the photos that were taken and how she captures the most perfect moments while incorporating the sentiment of the day as well. Myself and my family have been using Charlene for all of our photographic needs for the past 10 years and she never comes up short with impressing us! She also makes wedding group pictures a breeze and can bring any vision you have to life. Thank you again, Charlene! We'll be seeing you soon for our holiday pictures! :)
Charlene was amazing! She was very involved in the whole day and made everyone feel special, most importantly the brides. She was able to direct everyone that day, including some o...
f the other vendors that were not as focused as her and I know that relieved the brides, knowing they didn’t have to worry about it. I wish I lived in Pittsburgh still because I would love for her to capture my wedding some day!
Charlene is awesome! Her previous experience with weddings enabled her to know just how much time was needed for everything, and when our morning schedule went haywire she got us r...
ight back on track. She has a great eye for catching amazing photographs. We really loved working with her and we love the work she’s done for us! <3
Seriously phenomenal! Professional yet super fun to work with and her work is amazing! Worked with her for engagement and wedding photos and would 1000% book with her again! Truly ...
couldn’t see my wedding day being the same without her 😊
My husband and I are in awe of Charlene's professional manner, efficiency and flexibility. We booked Charlene's services for 8 hours on our wedding day, to capture the following: b...
ridesmaids & groomsmen, bridal details, ceremony, families, and reception. We are beyond impressed with Charlene. In the months before our wedding, Charlene was friendly and thorough, asking us detailed questions about what photo combinations we wanted. She even shared with us a couple of options for our day-of timeline, based on her expertise as an experienced wedding photographer. Those timelines ended up being crucial to the logistics of our wedding weekend. Charlene's attention to detail gave us peace of mind leading up to our wedding day. She is also extremely focused and efficient with her actual photo-taking. She knows how to verbally direct people in a straightforward, respectful and patient way, to obtain maximally beautiful, natural shots. Charlene is a superb photographer, and we recommend her to everyone, especially for a high-stakes, important event like weddings! Thank you, Charlene.
Picking my photographer was the easiest decision of the planning process! Seeing the fabulous photos Charlene has captured over the years, I knew I would not have to worry about ge...
tting amazing memories from our special day. Charlene and her assistant Chloe were so professional, flexible, and organized! We did our first look and family/wedding party photos before the ceremony, which was the best suggestion by Charlene! We were able to attend our cocktail hour and it made us feel at ease before the ceremony by already getting the pre-ceremony jitters out of the way. It was definitely the best option for us. We were so comfortable with Charlene and trusted all of her suggestions. They were like ninjas, I didn't even notice them during the evening, but they were always there for the right moments and captured beautiful shots! :) I highly recommend Charlene and will definitely be using her in the future. The way she captures every moment is truly amazing and breathtaking. Thanks again! :)
Charlene is the best! She was the photographer for my sister's wedding and was awesome to work with. She was friendly and accommodating, but more importantly super efficient. She ...
worked well with the bridal party and my family to accommodate the occasional schedule changes and took amazing shots of everyone as well as gorgeous detail photographs.
Keeping in touch with her after the wedding via social media and email was super easy so that we could order prints as well as schedule a mini session of my own for my partner and myself.
Charlene has become my go-to for head shots, couples/family pictures, and hopefully soon to be wedding photos of my own.
Custom Portraits by Charlene did the most amazing job at my daughter’s wedding. She captured the bridge and groom looking so relaxed and in love and made the whole family comforta...
ble- not to mention the incredible pictures!
After my first meeting with Charlene, I knew that there was nobody else that I wanted but her to photograph our wedding. She was extremely helpful throughout the whole process. Her...
level of detail blew me away (at the first meeting she had a schedule of when the sunset would be on our big day)! Not a single beat was missed from start to finish! I trust her fully with everything and can’t wait to use her in the future to photograph our growing family!
Let me tell you how absolutely wonderful Charlene is. 1. She has been photographing my entire family for over ten years at this point so she’s dealt with all the personality types...
and different times including graduation party pictures, senior pictures, and engagement picture!! 2. Her professionalism on the wedding day was phenomenal! She got through a very large checklist of photos I asked for and made sure they turned out great. She even went out of her way to help me find a slightly inebriated groom so that we could do one last night picture before she left. I would recommend her to anyone who doesn’t wanna have to worry about the photos and wants to have gorgeous professional pictures you can remember forever!
Charlene is simply fantastic!!! She helped us with our engagement photos and our wedding. For the engagement photos she worked with us and did a shoot at our local park and along t...
he downtown water front. She worked with us and our two puppies to get truly amazing engagement photos.
For the wedding she was MARVELOUS. She was prompt, prepared, organized, and comforting. She really made the day easy, stress free, and fun. My wife and I are not people who get our photos taken often and Charlene made if feel easy and the photos turned out AMAZING! She was the greatest.
One word to summarize.. FANTASTIC! Charlene was absolutely incredible to work with-- from our engagement pictures all the way up to our big day. She was very responsive and profes...
sional and was a big help in planning our day of timeline. For the most part, my husband and I are awkward-- especially when it comes to pictures, but we feel as if Charlene (and her lovely assistant) were able to capture the true us-- a lot of laughing and having fun, which was exactly what we wanted. She was able to deal with our large and LOUD Italian families, as well as our sometimes unruly, inebriated (but still fun) bridal party! :-) She stayed in control and most importantly kept us ON TIME and ahead of schedule. I could not have asked for a better photographer to capture our big moments in life so far, and truly look forward to using her in the future!!!
We wanted a photographer who would capture the joy and intimacy of our relationship and our wedding. Equally important, we needed someone who was personable and fun enough that we ...
could actually smile for her for 8 hours! Charlene knocked it out of the park on all counts. She is a perfectionist behind the camera, but makes the actual shooting so fun--we were laughing at her silly humor. Even when we were running barefoot across a field of acorns, somehow she made us look happy instead of in pain! She knows exactly how to pose you in a way that looks natural and loving. Having so much experience is a huge bonus because she can help you navigate difficult shooting environments, family situations, you name it. Our wedding was small and informal with no MC or wedding planner, and she actually helped remind us of the time and keep everything on schedule. Charlene is obsessive about quality and she would never let herself produce sup-par photos...or even keep you waiting for a reply to your email! Oh, and she's gay-friendly too! We'll be looking at and loving her photos for years to come, and we could not recommend her more highly.
Charlene was amazing to work with! She was very helpful and responsive in planning for our wedding and I loved all of the photos!
Charlene was absolutely wonderful to work with. She was extremely helpful leading up to our wedding day and so organized (which I am not)...so this was huge! On the day of the wedd...
ing, with all of our wedding jitters that my husband and I both had, she was able to put our minds at ease. There was a chance of rain on our wedding day and Charlene continued to track the weather and prepare us for where we could take pictures instead if it did not work out. Not only were her photographs stunning and creative, but she was such a kind, light hearted person to have around on this very special day. She was much more than just a photographer!! I would highly recommend her :)
Honestly she was a joy to work with. She was there from beginning to end and got every shot we needed. I will continue to work with her because of how she was for our wedding.
My daughter got married recently and she wanted Charlene to do be the photographer for this very special occasion. Lisa has worked with Charlene in the past and she has taken some ...
spectacular shots. Being an amateur photography with some very expensive equipment I tend to be a little more critical than the average person. But after seeing the results of Charlene’s work I knew we were in good hands. Once again, she did not disappoint. I was delighted with the variety of shots and the professionalism that she displayed during the wedding and reception. Charlene asked us if we had any special request, and all I asked is that she get the family shots on both sides. But the one photo that she capture is the one that I will always remember. That moment in time that the Bride & Groom simultaneously tossed 2 large spears into the air at a large target. That shot was very fitting and seemed to indicate that these 2 are meant for each other. Thanks for capturing that moment, and all of the other more traditional wedding shots.
Jim Pierce, Father of the Bride.
Charlene is awesome!! She kept our large wedding party in order and on time for photos while keeping it fun. She studied the questionnaire she had us fill out, knew each shot we wa...
nted, and photos went seemlessly. She captured all of our special moments and had our gallery back to us quickly. We’re in love with every photo!
Charlene was very open to trying unique locations for our engagement photos. She did a beautiful job on our wedding as well. I've continued to work with Charlene for our family p...
hotos and for my business. She's responsive, creative and professional. I would highly recommend her!
Charlene is very šweet and patient. She was so efficient that as MOB I didn't know she was taking pictures while we were getting the bride ready in the morning. As far as group ...
pictures, she made that seem effortlessly. I believe she is very organized because she knows what to expect and what pictures she is taking because she takes the time to understand the couple. The wedding pictures are amazing and very difficult to decide because they were ALL fabulous.
Charlene was incredible! She and her adorable assistant were professional, genuinely friendly, and incredibly efficient throughout the entire process. Not only were we overly excit...
ed to have the quality photos, but she helped ease the stress by giving us details and answering all our questions well in advance.
Charlene is the absolute BEST. After following along as she built her business and taking some family photos with her, there was absolutely no question that she would photograph ou...
r engagement session and our wedding...and we have ZERO REGRETS about that decision.
Our photos are STUNNING and I cry every time I look at them. Charlene takes the time to make every job she has a personal experience and really takes the extra steps to connect with the bride and the groom. Her attention to detail with plans and timelines ensure that you get every photo you want, and then some!
Not only are her photos fantastic, but her customer service is also phenomenal. She makes herself readily available to all of her brides (Seriously...always a call or text that never went unanswered!) and offers the best photo advice that I have ever heard. When I had to reschedule our engagement session less than a week before because of an injury from coaching soccer, she made sure that we had plenty of options that worked for us and for our venue, even if it meant rearranging her own schedule.
I have watched brides wait months upon months to receive their wedding photos and knew that I did not want that to be me. We had our photos back within a few weeks. She works tirelessly to edit your photos and get them back to you so you can enjoy them as soon as possible..and shares sneak peeks along the way!
I cannot recommend her enough. You won't be disappointed in any area of her business. We are coming up on our one-year anniversary and I am still in awe of our photos and how beautifully she captured not only our day, but us as a couple and our families. Our pictures will forever be one of our most cherished memories.
Charlene truly made our wedding day so amazing! I wasn't sure how she would capture every moment that I hoped for...but she did!!! She was incredibly easy to work with and made s...
ure to have a specific schedule timed out to ensure we captured everything we wanted! I will definitely have Charlene as my photographer for future events!
Charlene is meant for this job! She is the photographer you want to help your day run smoothly and get the shots you want! She works so well with a large group and gives direction ...
exactly as needed. She goes above and beyond to make sure you have a great experience. Her attention to detail and organization skills are apparent from the very first interaction. Charlene delivers beautiful images that capture the emotion of the day! We were so lucky to have Charlene (& her assistant Chloe) as our photographers!
Charlene was such a great photographer. She did everything we asked and was very thorough on what we wanted throughout our wedding day. She truly captured all of the greatest momen...
ts and did such a great job with all of the small details of our wedding day.
Charlene is the absolute best. She took my engagement and wedding photographs. She is very professional, timely, friendly and genuine. She made me feel very comfortable during the ...
engagement session and was a constant calm during my wedding day. Her work is stunning. I highly recommend her. I will be a lifelong customer.
We really enjoyed Charlene. She was super sweet and made sure special moments of the wedding were captured. She is polite and patient. The pictures are beautiful and captured the b...
ride and groom's personalities perfectly.
Charlene is the photographer other photogrpahers use for their photos!
As a photographer myself, i was VERY particular when deciding who i wanted to capture my wedding day. As a de...
stination bride, I found the photographers within our wedding location to be over priced and under experienced. I turned to Charlene for guidance and together we came up with the perfect solution! She traveled to southern Florida to photograph our big day and stayed an extra day to capture our "trash the dress" dream photos!
I had the best time working with Charlene! She was fun, professional, and gave me such confidence while we were shooting. My family and friends all loved her, as well! What's better than all of that?! My photos were all ready for viewing within 2 weeks!!
I would absolutely recommend Charlene to anyone looking for a photographer, no matter what the need!
Charlene was wonderful. She was very friendly and kind working with our family. The pictures look beautiful and mean so much to us.
Charlene was fantastic. She is very sweet and made us feel extremely comfortable. It was great to share our special day with Charlene and even better to see our amazing gallery. Be...
yond her caring personality concerning us and documenting our wedding ceremony, we also loved that Charlene loves dogs, just like we do! I highly recommend this lovely lady.
Charlene will walk through ALL of the details to make sure that she captures the moments that will make your day special to you. She is detailed, but will still help you have fun. ...
You can tell she loves what she does, and our family can’t stop taking about the beautiful images she captured at our wedding. We had an atypical ceremony and reception - but Charlene got all of the shots we had hoped for and more (including a surprise bridal budoir album as a gift / “sneak peek” for my husband the morning of our wedding).
Absolutely amazing!! Met her at a destination wedding and was amazed with her work. From pre wedding, ceremony, and reception she captured it all and was so professional.
We worked with Charlene for engagement photos and our wedding day. She gives very clear instructions, guidance, and knows what poses will be and won't be flattering. After being in...
several wedding parties, I truly appreciate how good Charlene is at what she does! She is organized, prompt and communicates well. She is very sweet and puts you at ease. Our photos came out stunning! I would highly recommend her.
Charlene is a consumate professional starting with her pre-event organizational skills. She's also personable, friendly and fun to be around. I would highly recommend her!!
Charlene could not have done a better job photographing our wedding. Our friends and family are still raving about our photos and how amazing they are... and we couldn't be happier...
! The images she captured were amazing and magical.
Charlene is extremely professional and incredibly talented... but beyond that she makes you feel so comfortable and at ease! We couldn't have asked for a better experience or photographer! I would recommend her to anyone getting married. She is prepared for anything and everything and really made our day perfect. You spend half your day with your photographer and Charlene was amazing, supportive, and gave great direction! I would 100% hire her all over again!
Charlene helped keep my daughter organized every step of the way and was always available for her. This was very helpful since as her mother I was states away. She captured beautif...
ul photos and memories of the day and is pleasure to work with. She has been there family photographer before and it was no surprise they chose her to capture their wedding day! Highly recommend.
Charlene captured our day perfectly! She is a complete professional in all aspects and really knows how to highlight every special moment. This is our second time using her service...
s and there is no doubt we will be using her again in the future.
Charlene was an amazing photographer and I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for any photography! She was able to get my husband to smile in photographs and he HATES ge...
tting his photo taken. I will cherish the photos she took from our engagement session and our wedding forever! Beyond just taking great pictures, Charlene is a wonderful woman to work with. She makes the entire group relaxed and really helps to get great candid and posed photographs. Plus her dog is super adorable.
I first met Charlene to book her for a pet photo session and we hit it off from there. I loved my family photos with our dogs and once I got engaged I knew she would be our wedding...
photographer. I'm incredibly picky and she was so very accommodating to all of my requests. Love all of my photos!
Charlene was absolutely wonderful - she was so professional! She captured our big day beautifully! We felt an instant connection as soon as my husband and I met her. She helped ou...
r day run so smoothly - all of our guests talked about how they didn't even notice her snapping pictures throughout the night. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for a photographer for your big day!! You won't be disappointed!! :)
Absolutely amazing!!! Charlene was able to capture our overwhelming joy in every photo! Every shot was so incredibly perfect! She is is also an absolute joy to work with! Organized...
, professional, and experienced, she exceeded every expectation. I would definitely recommend her to other brides. I am forever grateful to her for documenting the best day of our lives!!! <3
Charlene, most definitely, went the extra mile for us. She was very impressive in the initial interview with all the materials and examples of her photography. We had a great ini...
tial feeling about her and decided that she was going to be our photographer. During the wedding, she was professional and had a fantastic eye for getting the shots that captured all of the emotions and love. I would not hesitate to recommend her to my closest friends and family members.
Charlene was very professional and efficient! I had a large wedding party and she managed to keep everyone in line and get all of our requested shots and more. Her work speaks for ...
itself...STUNNING! I wanted glam and she gave me just that.
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us & the dog's photos