Valorie Darling Photography

so much fun. Her approach to the whole day was abundant with enthusiasm and joy, and radiated confidence that gave us the poise we needed to take great photos. Her spirit made the day that much better. We honestly couldn’t have dreamed up someone with better qualities to capture our wedding.

grapher is with you on some of the most intimate parts of your day, and it's crucial to have a great rapport and dynamic so that you feel at ease in front of the camera. Valorie truly is one of the sweetest most kind hearted people I know, and she has a grace about her that always makes everyone feel their best. She is an insanely talented photographer. Her work speaks for itself! But as a coordinator who has worked with many, I especially appreciate her ability to take control of the photography timeline and work hard to capture all the special moments and decor of the day. She has a beautiful eye for details and styles elements creatively. When I receive a gallery from Valorie, it literally brings me to tears EVERY TIME. She focuses on what's important and tells a beautiful wedding story for our clients and documents our hard work and designs in the most romanticized way. We love you, Val!

I fall in love with her photography style, creative eye and charm but my husband and I fell in love with her! She has a way about her that makes you feel like a million bucks in front of the camera and her photos prove just that! Not only did we wake up the morning after our wedding to a sneak peek of photos but 2.5 week’s later we had ALL of them back. We’ve narrowed the 1500 down to 891 that we love, she’s just that good! Not to mention her “work wife” Vanessa who was a dream to work with as well! I wish we could get married every weekend just so we could spend more time with Val! Don’t even question it, hire her!!!

of favorite photos the day after the wedding and the whole shebang within a month. I would recommend her to anyone without reservation - she's' worth every penny!

ilar past career backgrounds, attention to detail and love to travel. Val made both my fiancé and I feel comfortable right away and was extremely supportive throughout our entire engagement. During our engagement shoot at a winery in Malibu, Val made us feel like we were hanging out, sipping a little wine and listening to JT while she snapped away. Val will do anything for the perfect light or shot, she climbed vines and hills for us. To say we love our wedding photos is a huge understatement, they are spectacular!! Val truly captured the pure love and joy we felt on our wedding day. Our families and bridal party were so comfortable with her and enjoyed having her be apart of the day. I was over the moon when she sent us a generous sneak peak directly after the wedding and received the entire album shortly after. I've received countless raves on how gorgeous the photos are from family and friends. Val is truly one of the most genuine and kind hearted woman I have ever met. Her energy is electrifying and her last name defines her perfect, "darling".

y nailed it, would be an understatement. From our engagement shoot in Los Angeles to our wedding day (along with our rehearsal dinner) in our hometown in Connecticut, Valorie went above and beyond on every measure. All of the photos came out truly amazing and confirmed our decision to fly her out to the East Coast, instead of using someone local. Valorie is so incredibly talented, laid back, and sweet. She really made the whole process of taking photos on our special day so fun and easy! Even our bridal party, family, and friends were commenting on how wonderful she was on the day of and how comfortable she made everyone feel. Working with Valorie honestly just feels like a friend of yours is taking pictures for you. Not to mention, everyone is raving about how gorgeous our photos came out! We are so happy to have met Valorie and to now call her our friend. We're already thinking of ways we can use her again. :) She really is the best and we cannot thank her enough for capturing our day so perfectly!

namics and names of your entire party so everyone feels super comfortable and like they're hanging out with their friends! They know how to get incredible shots without you feeling like you're missing out on any of the fun stuff taking place during your day! Multiple guests commented on how sweet and professional Valorie was and followed up requesting her info the next day!! Val is professional, prompt and is honestly one of the most genuinely sweet people I've ever met! Her attention to detail is unmatched, I absolutely couldn't have picked anyone better for my wedding day! The pictures I've seen are incredible and capture everything we could have ever hoped for and more, we get chills every time we see our photos!! We love Val and can't wait to find more excuses to shoot with her! Thanks for making our day that much more special and capturing everything so beautifully!!

we connected!!! My husband and I agreed long ago that Photography would be our #1 priority and we are so, so grateful we met Valorie. Her eye for detail is AMAZING and she seriously feels like a fun, cute friend taking pictures of you on our big day! She's super friendly and so professional. Valorie's style is contemporary, yet also something our parents really liked. (Can be hard to find these days). At the last minute, I also asked Valorie if she could squeeze in a boudoir shoot. This was my first time meeting her in person and she made the experience so fun and made me look so good!!! I can't thank her enough. Everyone says to find a wedding photographer that you are comfortable with and we loved, loved, loved Valorie!!! Her personality, services, customer service, etc. is just the best. We received some sneak peak wedding photos less than 24 hrs after our wedding, which we were able to show via slideshow at a family BBQ the next day; this was a HUGE hit. Our pictures are gorgeous, Valorie got the photos we wanted & what she knew we'd also like, was so flexible and fun and we will never be able to thank her enough. I am hopeful we can book Valorie for our future Photography needs (I.e. Anniversary shoots, family shoots, etc.).

zing. She's great at capturing the natural and candid moments of excitement and emotion without making anything feel too posed. Her photos are beautiful and all my guests and bridesmaids are still raving about how amazing she was to work with.

d feel having a whole day of picture taking ;). Valorie killed it. My fiancé and I felt so comfortable with them and so did my family. Their energy and efficiency is epic. I even woke up to a preview the next morning. Pretty sure Valorie and Co. stayed up all night just to get us a slideshow. SO AMAZING. Now...the pictures... they are amazing quality. Stunning. I couldn't be happier. SO SO SO AMAZING!

orie made him feel totally at ease. She found the coolest spots and worked the lighting just right and helped us pose in natural ways. She also let us be in our own world and took really lovely lived-in candid shots. She uses light in the most whimsical way, you just KNOW your photos are going to be insanely amazing when you shoot with her. We were lucky enough to have Valorie shoot our wedding as well and she captured EVERYTHING flawlessly! And I mean every little in-between moment you wouldn't even think of; like hand holding or looking into each others' eyes when you don't know anyone's noticing! Just the sweetest, intimate moments. Additionally, her attention to detail is unmatched. Things like detecting a random hair in your eye and sweeping it away before you yourself know it or a weird crease in your dress that you can't see. I am so thankful she noticed the little things! Her second shooter, Vanessa was awesome too. Together they covered our entire venue, ceremony and dance party, every guest, and all of our wedding party/family photos spectacularly. Overall, Valorie has a gifted ability to capture you and your significant other's essence in a way that is utterly special and timeless! During and immediately following our wedding, both of our families and friends remarked on her expertise, noting just how skillful she was in capturing every moment, with as much variety as possible. They were all blown away by her and they hadn't even seen the photos yet! I should mention, she is a photographer ninja! There is nothing she won't climb to get the right angle. Thank you, Valorie! These photos are our greatest gift, truly. She has a beautiful, giving heart and it shows in her passion for photography, people and her ever thriving business. My husband and I are honored to have been in front of her lens during the biggest moment of our lives and are forever filled to the brim with gratitude because of her.

photos I've ever had taken, and I am so grateful to have them to forever cherish. Valorie is such a talented photographer and someone you will stay friends with forever!! She's truly the best!!!!

hree months find my wedding photographer, but I am so thankful that I never settled for less. Valorie has a dreamy and ethereal feel to her work that evokes warm fuzziness in your heart without crazy filters and over excessive photoshopping. She is truly a gem!

the photograph have a different sparkle than staged photographs. I first discovered her at my friend's wedding when I noticed the photographs were different from others. Valorie captures photos like no one else can. She is incomparable. Not only is Valorie great at what she does but it's her Darling touch that makes her set apart from everybody. She pays attention to the fine details. Lastly, I must mention that your photographer on your wedding day should be someone you trust and makes you feel comfortable. Valorie has the brightest spirit and feels like someone you have known forever. Check out her website, or Instagram and you will not only experience her sweet vibe but you will also be impressed with her beautiful work.

She is the best ❤

ool little wedding keepsakes for us as the day progressed. We'll definitely recommend her when someone asks who they should hire for their wedding!

in every way.

nd can honestly say she is one of the best in the biz! Neither my husband nor I are the most photogenic. We are camera shy, but we (of course) wanted amazing engagement and wedding photos. Enter Val (who had been referred to me by nearly a dozen people). We went into our wedding very confident because of how incredible our engagement photos were. She has a way of making you feel comfortable and capturing natural and beautiful shots. Val is uber professional and a lot of fun. We had our engagement photos in 3 days (she surprised us by getting them to us 2 weeks early!). The morning after our wedding we woke up to 50 photos as a "sneak peek!" They're ALL amazing. Try to find another photographer who does that! The BEST surprise the morning after our wedding. If you're reading this, look no further. You will not find a better photography than Valorie.

c! She and her second shooter were timely, prepared, upbeat, flexible, creative, extremely hardworking and just generally lovely. Valorie took charge in a way that allowed portraits to be efficient and fun. Our family, bridal party and guests also adored her. The images she delivered are stunning. Valorie got every one of the shots we requested and so many more that I never would have thought of (many of which are my favorites from the wedding weekend). The pictures were delivered in a beautiful electronic format that is easy to share with others and displays beautifully on our computers, ipads and phones. We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful photographer. Thank you, Valorie!!

h made us and all of our guests so comfortable. She captured all of the details and all of our important moments, she was the perfect piece to our PERFECT day. I could not recommend Valorie enough, our wedding photos were amazing and I cannot stop looking at them! I look forward to having her capture our family milestones in the future!

"Darling." She was a pleasure to work with our engagement shoot and on our wedding day. She made us feel comfortable which allowed our true personality to come through in our photos. Her dedication and determination shows in her work, she'll stand on a cliff or at the edge of a fountain just to capture that money shot. She'll spend time shooting all of the little details, down to the beautiful little bubbles in a glass of champagne! Val is also a collaborative photographer who welcomed our ideas for locations and poses even if they were elaborate or ridiculous. It's nice to work with a photographer who allowed us to be creative but also offered suggestions and guidance when we needed it. Our friends and family adored her and can't stop raving about all of the photos that she took over the course of this memorable time in our lives. I also hired Valorie for a boudoir shoot to gift to my husband as a wedding gift. These types of shoots can be uncomfortable and make you feel vulnerable, but Val listened to my insecurities and posed me in all the right ways to make me feel sexy and confident. Needless to say, my husband loved the images, not to mention that Val was behind the lens :) If you want someone behind the lens that truly cares and you want amazing images that evoke many emotions and that highlight intricate details, Val is your girl!

at ease in front of the camera...which is impressive, as my husband and I are not usually comfortable with photos. She also kept us right on schedule, which our wedding coordinator loved. I love her use of natural lighting, and her indoor photos are great as well. My wedding was in the evening in January, so the sun set around 5:30pm. Not a problem at all for Valorie. It rained in the morning, creating an unbelievable sky for our first look photos. The night shots came out great as well. None of the harsh flash photos here. Valorie is someone my husband Jeff and I will continue to use for family photos, etc in the future. It's been great to watch her career blossom as well, as a few of my favorite celebrities and companies have begun to use Valorie as well (ex: Lauren Conrad, The Little Market, The Stylist LA, etc). All because of her great work and fabulous personality.

u how happy I am that we chose Val to capture our special day. There are so many talented photographers in the Bay Area and Wine Country (where we got married), but after seeing Val's work (and working with her personally on a project), I knew that having her come up from LA was the right choice. Not only does Val know how to "get the shot," but she also knows how to direct everyone in order make them feel comfortable and she gets amazing photos as a result. My husband is pretty camera shy, but Val had him at ease and showing his "real" smile and not his fake camera one :) Her "eye" is outstanding and her sweet and fun demeanor makes her easy to have around. She isn't "in your face" the whole time, but she somehow gets shots that look like she was right there. I would recommend Val to anyone who is looking for an amazing photographer.

to "work it" for a camera before!) to capturing every laugh, tear, funky dance move, and emotional moment on our big day, she and her team were on it. When we had to reschedule our engagement shoot due to rain (these things happen) and again for a wedding-planning catastrophe (these things happen) she didn't give a moment's hesitation. When we handed her a list of every shot we wanted, she got them all and more. When I missed the mother-son dance, she had captured every precious smile. When my sister and bridesmaid lunged at the bouquet, we have a play-by-play to laugh over time and time again. Our photos were delivered on a flash drive time in a beautiful box, accompanied by a few special keepsakes from our day. She is thoughtful, thorough, professional, and just a lovely person. Can't rave enough!

ver!

s for itself, but her kind, positive demeanor made us feel instantly comfortable and like she knew exactly what we wanted. We felt like we would be in great hands and we were absolutely right. She shot our Engagement photos as well as our Wedding (and my mother-in-law also hired her to shoot the Rehearsal Dinner / Cocktails), and every encounter we had with her made us feel all the more confident in our decision. Val works quickly and discreetly - and she always captures the best, most gorgeous shots (a plus for antsy or photo-averse grooms / wedding parties!). She takes great care in setting up each shot and ensuring her subjects are comfortable. We were a bit stiff at first on our Engagement Shoot but she helped us feel at ease and we were so happy with the pictures. On our Wedding Day, she managed to corral our large families and bridal parties, and really seemed to capture the essence of the day in her shots. In addition to getting the venue / setting's natural beauty, she got shots of so many great details and fun moments happening with our guests & families. In addition to being a fantastic photographer and being completely lovely and personable, Val is also a consummate professional. She managed to blend in at our wedding, making other guests feel at ease and comfortable, all while capturing beautiful and genuine, fun shots of everyone. She could not have been easier or more pleasant to work with. We really did not know what to expect in hiring a photog, but Valorie surpassed all of our expectations and we are over the moon for our photos. Our families and friends completely loved her too, and I would suggest her to anyone looking for a photographer in a heartbeat. To top it off, her prices are extremely fair, and after both the Engagement shoot and Wedding, Valorie sent us substantial preview files within days which was so unexpectedly nice. I hope we get the opportunity to work with her again!

around, actually enjoying pictures. I don’t know how she manages to have such a positive presence while staying in the background to capture every possible special moment. Although several of our guests wanted her to enjoy the party and dance with them, she gently refused and stayed behind the camera the entire two days (rehearsal party and wedding). She is extremely talented, sweet, easy to work with, really organized, excellent value and very PROFESSIONAL. We left the wedding missing her and within days she sent us a preview of our outstanding pictures. Her work proved that she is a FABULOUS ARTIST capturing all the shots we requested and candid ones that left huge smiles on our faces. I really hope to have a reason to use her again in the near future. I HIGHLY recommend hiring Valorie!

y event, ready to draw out anyone's personality and capture it beautifully. Perfect frames, inspiring take on life...it's a gorgeous mix of everything one would hope to find in a Photographer. It is a pleasure to find someone so in love with their craft....and with Valorie, it shows!

r. Valerie took the time to get to know us as a couple and portrayed that well through the camera. I love how she can capture real moments of love and playfulness, along with pictorial shots. Valorie was also always prepared with either props we could use in our engagement photos to water bottles and snacks on hand for my groom and I on our wedding day. I felt like she double as a wedding planner at times and I love it! I would highly recommend Valorie Darling to anyone trying to find an amazing photographer for their special day!

g previously worked together, she knew I would be getting the real deal. And I DEFINITELY did! Valorie sweated it out with me in the hot sun,came prepared with an extensive emergency kit that I dabbled in, and even damaged her car going off of a ledge because she was so excited to get the perfect shot. And it didn't even phase her because she was so immersed in us being comfortable and enjoying the experience. She puts her clients needs first, is incredibly kind hearted, and shoots breath-taking photos. Total package and will definitely use again!

Valorie through Instagram... and I am so thankful I did! Her photos stood out far above all others. Not knowing what exactly we were going to do for our wedding, the one thing I did know about it was that Valorie was my top choice for a photographer no question. When we decided to elope (after lots of planning around a potentially huge wedding), I reached out to Valorie first thing and feel beyond lucky that she was able to accommodate us. The photos were top priority since we did not invite many people and wanted a way to share the day with all of our friends and Valorie gave us the best photos I could ever imagine! Please keep in mind I do not normally even like photos of myself! She researched and scouted before flying out to work with us in San Francisco, and made sure to hit all my requests/ ideas. She brought amazing energy to the day with her great go with the flow personality and amazing eye for truly capturing the moments. I can not tell you how many sincere compliments we have received about our wedding photos, even from people who don't usually give compliments ha! Literally within an hour of sharing a mini album on Facebook I was contacted by a Bridal Magazine who published some of our photos with in the week! That's how amazing her work is. Valorie is a wonderful person to have at your big day and also very professional. Her turnaround time exceeded my expectations too, as did everything else she did quite honestly. I can not recommend Valorie enough!

ore than I anticipated. She also had a fast turn around time. I've worked with her on Engagement Shoots and other shoots and she always makes you feel comfortable and it is fun!

eing documented. Everyone in our wedding party kept mentioning how great she was! The photos were quick and fun so we could just focus on enjoying our big day. Then we were so surprised to receive 65 photos as a sneak peak only a couple days after the wedding, which were BEAUTIFUL! We received so many compliments about how incredible the photos were and what an amazing eye Val has. We love every photo and can't wait to see the rest! I would recommend her to any bride!

fresh.

with the wedding. She was able to be a huge part of the wedding, and I had guests raving about how amazing the photographer was, even months after the wedding. I would highly recommend Valorie Darling Photography for any event that you may have.

expensive but does far better work.

k at them, they are the kind of pictures I could see hanging in my children and grandchildren's living room one day. You could say they tell our story well. The turnaround was also ridiculous. I have heard horror stories of brides having to wait so long and even having to buy the rights of their own pictures. I didn't even ask her about these things but Valorie gave us a sneak peak right away and I had the rest of the pictures within a week. I was blown away! Lastly, her energy was light and calm. It's a nervous day for any Bride so I really appreciated her presence! Being a stressball myself, my anxiety was gone within a few minutes. I would whole-heartedly recommend Valorie to everyone. She is amazing with kids too! Huge bonus for kiddos in the wedding party. I researched plenty and overall, she's exactly the type of photographer you want to trust with capturing the most important day of your life...no pressure right? ;)

eative with all my guests and wedding party photos as well. I can honestly say she probably took hundreds and hundreds of photos. She is super sweet and a true professional. I could not have stressed the fact more that I wanted many candid shots in my wedding. And Valorie did that with ease. She was really good at not being one of those bothersome photo hogs at a wedding. She was very respectful and very professional when it came to taking photos. I could not have envisioned a more perfect photographer to capture one of the most important days of my life. She took every picture with thought and detail and always made sure she could make everything look beautiful! It came to a point that I was just snickering because there were a few moments that I caught Valorie standing on a table, hiding behind a curtain and in the most odd positions, because she was SOOO COMMITTED to taking the shot in its most perfect form. This photographer is a must hire, and all brides, trust me you will not regret hiring this wonderful warm spirited individual. She will capture life's wonderful moments on your special day.

d to have her! I left our meeting feeling inspired and giddy. You can't help but want to be friends with her. She's charismatic, sweet, thoughtful and has a fun but calming energy about her. She helped us through every stage leading up until the big day... Coming up with the perfect engagement session concept that represented us as a couple, helped us style it and everything so it looked perfect. She even shot way longer than we discussed because in the end she just wants to make you happy and get magical imagery. Our wedding day was chaotic to say the least, but Valorie was always one step ahead of everyone with a plan and kept our day on track and always reminded us to stop and take it all in. My family and all the guests were raving about her too. I kept hearing, "Your photographer is adorable!" "I love your photographer." haha. In the end our photos were perfect. They're absolutely timeless and more like works of art! I'm forever grateful to Val for not only making me and my husband look so good, but for the love and creativity she brought to my wedding day. She was the perfect photographer for us and I adore her to the moon and back!

successful at what she does. From the start, Valorie makes you feel so comfortable. She is just as excited about your big day as you are. My husband is incredibly camera shy and the thought of having to take pictures for more than five minutes scared the heck out of him. We agreed that we would shoot for a shorter amount of time than "normal" after the ceremony and Valorie effortlessly shot the most beautiful, touching photos I have ever seen. She was able to capture the pure, raw emotion that was present moments after we professed our love to each other. It was as if my husband and I were floating in our own little love world and Valorie was quietly snapping away at a distance capturing the beautiful moment that we will only have once. I look back at the photos she took and am immediately brought back to that perfect moment. She truly captured everything I was feeling and I know that because of Valorie's photos I will be able to relive that feeling over and over again for the rest of my life. Val is so special. She is the best photographer in the world because she TRULY CARES. She is so passionate about each and every photo she takes and makes you feel so natural and comfortable. I guarantee you'll become friends with her immediately. (There's nothing worse than having that "cheesy photographer" who is a complete stranger barking orders at you. Trust me, I've experienced many of those at my friends' weddings and there's nothing less personal.) Val is the most caring, fun, and talented photographer I've ever worked with. The creativity that that girl has blows my mind. She is always coming up with interesting, one of a kind set ups to fit your style. Most of all, Valorie believes in LOVE like non other that I've ever met. I truly believe that is why she is so good at capturing it.

had to play many roles. Lucky for me I didn't just get a photographer I got a Martha Stewart. She made sure I was hydrated, my lips had lipstick, and she even fixed my train when the button broke off! She was the best decision I ever made...but don't tell my husband that!

grapher, Valorie is the cant miss choice.

h is a lot more than I can say for a lot of our other vendors. Valorie and I hit it off from the start. It was like working with a friend. She had a great way of keeping us calm and in the moment during the most hectic of days and her pictures truly speak for themselves. My husband and I got our pictures back within a month - which was a lot sooner than we expected - and wow, we were blown away. Not only were our pictures AMAZING, but Valorie went above and beyond in creating a slideshow of our day and included a meaningful surprise packaged with the pictures. The care and thought Valorie puts into her work and her clients is above no other. We can't wait to have Valorie shoot our baby pictures. Thank you, Valorie! You truly are the best.

important moment and we absolutely would recommend her to anyone!!

n your big day. She is the FULL package. She not only loves what she does, she is meticulous and genuinely loves bringing out what is special in you. I've found in the past that some photographers try to coax their vision out of their subject...Val does the opposite, she sees who you are instinctively and captures that thing perfectly. She's also a total type A in the editing room. Which is a great thing. ;) Every image we received had been given the attention of a masterpiece. Highly highly recommended! xoxo

ridiculous, but the honeymoon was distracting me). My wife-to-be was a reader of the "skinny fat girl" blog, to which, Valorie Darling is an author. She had seen her work, and even though I thought we had zero chance of booking her only 2 months in advance, Valorie made us feel like we were her only clients. It wasn't just that she could take amazing photos (one look at her web-site provides all the assurance you need), it was that she paid attention to every detail. The little things that we weren't thinking about, she remembered. When our wedding day came, we were hoping to get through it unscathed and honestly it couldn't have gone better. There are people and businesses that step up and exceed your expectations. It's rare, but it still happens. Valorie made our wedding better. She was honestly perfect! Thanks so much for everything!

encouraging photographer with the kindest soul. Val made everyone feel like a movie star. Not only is she extremely experienced in her skill but also the warmest person--and this is huge. Your wedding day is about you & your groom and Valorie bent over backwards to make sure she captured everything on our list, as well as creative ideas she brought to the table. I had FOURTEEN bridesmaids, so yes, 30 people in the whole wedding party. Valorie was organized and fun and literally captured it all. My photos are beyond beautiful. I cry every time I scroll through them. It was the perfect day & was beautifully captured through the lens of Val. I have my wedding day saved forever and also a new life long friend! Thanks Valorie for your passion for not only photography but your passion for satisfying each client that you work with!