As good as it gets!
From the second we called Larisa we felt pretty confident she was the right photographer for us. I purchased my dress at Trudy's and they gave a catalog of preferred vendors. The place we got married also had a catalog of preferred vendors. And I also did my own research and looked on yelp and ask friends for referrals. I think we had a final list of 6 photographers that per their portfolio online had the style we were looking for - bright photos that really captures color.
We emailed all 6 and went back and forth and started to set up calls. The first photographer we met with wanted us to meet in person, so we did. The meeting was actually kind of creepy and went on for THREE hours. It was an SF photographer. Being as pictures are the one thing that really lasts as far as vendors from that day we were OK with spending, but didn't want to spend a ridiculous amount. The first quote we got from that photographer was over 10K for the most basic package and didn't include videography. Needless to say were shocked.
We continued to email photographers, but the one that stood out the most was Larisa. She was totally upfront with her packages, she was so nice on the phone and through email. We met with her at her home office in San Jose and I instantly felt comfortable with her.
Me and the groom have a 5 year old son and have lived together for years, so I didn't really like the idea of engagement photos, so Larisa offered family photos instead. We took them at Stanford and they came out AMAZING! I have a bit of anxiety around new people or when I'm the center of attention - like getting a picture taken, but I didn't feel that way at with Larisa. Her energy is so relaxed and calm. She kept in touch and the day of the wedding her and her team were super nice, on time, and actually pushed us to be on time (like "it's time to get everyone in their dresses, time to head to the church.."). I honestly didn't even notice them at the church. They blended in seamlessly.
We took pictures outside the hall in Burlingame by the airport/water/bay. There was some greenery that Larisa spotted and said it would look nice so we took pictures. Oh my, when we got our first teasers from the area she spotted I was like "What in the world, how did she see that?" To me it didn't look like a nice place to take pictures, but she has a really great eye for finding the right lighting and background - it's shocking.
I could go on and on, she was the perfect photographer for us! Thank you Larisa!
I'll include pictures! read more