My husband and I live in Sacramento and got married at Dream Inn on May 7th in Santa Cruz. Planning our out of town wedding was becoming very frustrating while looking for vendors. It was not possible for us to visit Santa Cruz often and we were weary of booking vendors without meeting them first. I stumbled across Neil Simmons website one day while searching for photographers on google. Right away I was impressed. I loved Neils portfolios and decided to give him a call. From the very beginning of our conversation Neil was very personable and extremely helpful. He went through all of the packages and prices with me upfront. We did not have a huge budget and Neil never pushed us to spend more than we could afford. Throughout the conversation Neil not only helped me with questions about photos but he was able to make suggestions about everything from who he recommended be our officiant to the color of our bouquets. After speaking with Neil I was confident he would be our photographer. I was also extremely relieved he had helped with so many other aspects of our wedding. On the big day Neil made sure he was capturing the moments WE wanted. He made suggestions and listened to ours. He was calm and took his time. He even ended up doing a little coordinating during the ceremony when my wedding coordinator "disappeared"." Neil stayed at our reception far longer than we expected him to, and captured all the precious memories of our big day. We got our photos quicker than we thought and they are absolutely amazing. He is such a talented photographer and and the pictures speak for themselves. Our experience with Neil Simmons Photography was outstanding and I would highly recommend him to others looking for an amazing photographer !! Crystal and Jason J Sacramento CA read more

Neil was recommended by our wedding coordinator at The Chaminade when we asked for a referral for a "low key, good and reasonable photographer". We met Neil a couple months before our wedding for engagement photos at It's Beach, The Lighthouse and the field directly across the street. From the moment Neil walked up and introduced himself we knew he was perfect for us. He had his work cut out for him as he had to photograph a deaf elderly dog, an energetic 10 year old boy and a camera shy bride. Our engagement photos came out beautifully, so we had no concerns in his ability to capture photos at our wedding. We were married at The Chaminade on Sept. 2, 2011. Neil came to the bridal suite and took some photos of the bridal party getting ready. He also took pre-ceremony photos, a "first look" meeting with myself and my groom. He was with us the the entire night. We were looking for a photographer who was low key, easy going, professional and playful and Neil was all of this and more. We did not want the emphasis of our special day to be posing for pictures, but he still managed to capture all important moments for us and our families and guests w/out us hardly noticing his presence, this was exactly what we wanted. Our wedding photos came out beautifully also, we honestly feel that he understood what we were wanting of our special day and it shows in all our photos. All of our friends and family and raving about how beautiful the photos are. Every time I look at our photos I feel exactly how I felt on our wedding day, I'm so pleased we chose Neil as our photographer as we will enjoy our wedding photos with our friends and family for years to come. Lori, bride of the groom read more

My husband and I hired Neil for our wedding pictures for our wedding last year. Our entire experience with Neil was wonderful! We had no complaints about the entire experience from the engagement session to the wedding album and prints.... Neil's prices were so reasonable that we were able to get way more for our money than with any other photographer in the area. Our package included an engagement session, which was wonderful because it gave my husband and I some practice in front of the camera before the big day. Neil was very professional throughout the entire time we worked together. His expertise gave me great ease throughout our wedding and everything photo related before and after. I never once worried about anything photo related (which for any bride to be is a huge weight lifted). Our package included a second photographer and he was wonderful also. They both were able to get great in the moment pictures and a lot of times we didn't even notice the cameras. There were so many outstanding pictures that it really was hard to pick out our favorites. Neil had all our pictures and wedding album to us in no time at all. He always stayed true to the time frames he promised. Everyone that sees our wedding pictures are extremely impressed. I would definitely recommend Neil for anyone's photography needs and not just for weddings. Now that my husband and I are expecting our first baby this year I am for sure going to hire Neil again for a family photo session in the future. read more

My fiance' and I knew we were throwing ourselves a curve ball when we decided to have an out of town wedding in the city where we fell in love, Santa Cruz, CA. For the photographer, I did some internet research, and emailed those photographers whose websites portrayed the type of pictures, the artistic view that seemed to match my own. I sent an identical email to six photographers and Neil was the only one to actually comment about the wedding plans I shared. Everyone else was more concerned with deposit and how serious I was. We were in constant contact, he provided me with all I needed to know and more. He never pressured me one way or another, just gave me as many options as he could to make what I wanted fit our budget. Once we met Neil the morning of the wedding, I knew I had choosen the right person for the job. He was so casual, yet professional, and I felt very comfortable. We enjoyed his company the whole day through, and he captured all those little moments that made the day so special. I was blown away with the quality of the shots he took, the time and care he took editing them really shined through. All aspects of a wedding feel over-priced, but I don't regret one penny I spent with Neil Simmons. read more

My husband and I were recently married in Santa Cruz in July 2010. I was born and raised in Santa Cruz, so it was a clear choice for the location of my wedding. The challenge was that I'm a current Southern California resident....so I was planning my wedding as a destination wedding of sorts. My SC friends were full of recommendations when it came to wedding planning. Neil was a recommendation from a friend of mine who also used him for her wedding a few years earlier. After seeing his work, it was the obvious choice for us. To get straight to the point....we could not have been happier. Neil and crew were amazing. Super laid back and easy going....which helped my husband and I to really be able to enjoy our day. Took beautiful pictures, extremely professional and easy to work with. I would give him my highest recommendation. We have received nothing but amazing compliments about our wedding pictures. My sister who was married a year earlier in SC even wants to use to Neil to make a wedding album for her and the prints she has from her wedding. Neil Simmons Photography was a pleasure to work with...and clearly the best choice to our wedding!! read more

Neil Simmons is an incredible photographer and an awesome guy. My wife and I are so happy that we chose Neil as our wedding photographer. Neil is the definition of a professional; extremely talented and knowledgeable, excellent communication skills, upfront and clear about what you will receive and the price you will pay, and has a true passion for his work. On top of that, he is a really nice guy who makes you feel comfortable and does his best to exceed your expectations. I give 6 stars out of 5 to Neil (and his assistant Meghan). If you are considering another photographer because you want to try to save a few bucks, I highly recommend that you reconsider. Take a step into his art gallery at the end of 41st avenue and that will be enough to convince you. This guy is a master of his craft and has the portfolio and experience to show it. Thank you Neil and Meghan for all your hard work! We couldn't imagine our wedding photos turning out any better. P.S. Neil's landscape and night photography is incredible. Even if you don't want to buy anything, I recommend that you walk into his gallery and look at his awesome metallic prints. read more

Neil is amazing. My husband and I looked at a number of other photographers and not only were Neil's prices the best, but he was incredibly helpful and easy to work with (and my husband appreciated the fact that he was a fellow surfer!). We did engagement and wedding photos with Neil. The engagement session was quick and easy and we had so many beautiful shots to choose from. Our wedding photos were posted online the day we returned from our honeymoon and we spent three-hours looking through the slideshow of photos. Every picture was beautiful, and the combination of traditional posed shots with candid/artistic shots really captured the spirit of our wedding and of the guests who attended. We also got an album as part of our package (which I highly recommend) and I still pull it out on a regular basis to relive the wedding. Neil Simmons Photography was more than worth the price. I'd recommend him as a photographer to anyone who asked (Oh, and he does work outside of Santa Cruz; we were married in Campbell). read more

Thanks to Neil Simmons Photography our treasured wedding moments were captured perfectly, just as we wanted them! After meeting with other photographers for our September beach wedding we were thrilled to find such a personable, professional, and easy going photographer as Neil! Right away we liked his presentation. His approach is open and very dependable. We wanted abstract AND clasic shots which he delivered with ease. His packages are well structured and generous. His knowledge and suggestions were very helpful, always being two steps ahead. He was fully prepared for the layout of any venue we selected, including sunset times for engagement photos and after wedding beach shots. He was aware of the correct combinations of our blended family even head of my instructions! I wouldn't trust all of these fine details and treasured wedding moments in the hands of any other photographers'. We were completely satified with Neil's excellent work and you will be too! read more

My husband and I loved our experience with Neil. We hired Neil to do our wedding and could not be happier with not only the amazing pictures but the entire process of working with Neil....for 3 main reasons. 1. Our wedding album and all of our pictures were absolutely beautiful. Neil did an amazing job of truly capturing the mood of our wedding. All of the traditional posed pictures were great, but it was the candid pictures that really seized all those special moments for us forever. 2. Neil is professional yet has a very comfortable style. From the moment we sat down with him I knew I would appreciate his calm demeanor, and I did. Amongst all the chaos a wedding day can bring Neil's style was much appreciated that day. 3. Price... we met with a lot of photographers and no one beat Neil's prices. His work speaks for itself and the reasonable prices are just icing on the cake when it comes to working with Neil. read more

I met Neil in 2007 when I was searching for my dream photographer for our dream wedding. And boy am I glad I found him when I did! We were one of the many crazies that got married on 07.07.07. A lucky day, I had no idea how lucky I was to have a photographer like Neil. We did our homework, searched far and wide. Couldn't have been an easier choice. He's easy going, hard working, tailors his work to the client, and more timely that I would have ever expected. And his prices cannot be beat! He's definitely got the best prices around. He did our engagement and wedding photos and I cherish every one of them. Before we were back from our honeymoon, I received an email from Neil telling us that he was ready with our album layout. We couldn't believe it! Since then I've been recommending him to everyone I know. He's a great guy and a stellar photographer. I highly recommend him. read more

It's been 2 years since we've been married and 2.5 years since we had our engagement pictures taken, so I've had a lot of time to think about this. We got married in Yosemite and hired a very reputable, experienced photographer and he did a good job and got some great scenic shots. But, if we had to do it over again - I think we would hire Neil again (maybe in the future for a vowel renewal?) even if we had to pay travel fees. The whole atmosphere of the shoots were different and the outcomes were also very different. Of course we were happy on our wedding day and our pictures reflect that - but they are posed and seem somewhat cold. We had SO MUCH FUN with Neil shooting our engagement photos that I'm sure our wedding photos would have come out much better, truly reflecting our personalities and love for one another - like our engagement photos that we were so happy with. read more

We had met with a few photographers for my step daughter's wedding and they didn't impress us one bit;plus their prices were way above what we could afford;but when the gals at Boulder Creek Flowers told us that they recommended Neil Simmons Photography, we set up a meeting with Neil and his assistant Vince. Instantly, I felt that Neil Simmons was going be "it." He was a true professional in every sense of the word. He had showed us samples of his work and I knew that he was the one. His prices were so reasonable and the locations were unlimited. Unfortunately,Neil himself was not available the day of my step daughter's wedding but Vince,and the other assistant did a phenomenal job. We really had a wonderful experience with Neil Simmons Photography and would definately use him again. Carolyn B. Santa Cruz read more

This summer my two daughters and I were visiting Santa Cruz for a month staying with family. We live in Switzerland, but I grew up in Capitola. Every few years I try to organize a photo shoot of my daughters; time flies! My sister suggested Neil. Neil's photos are simply put: Quality We wanted to capture the Pacific Ocean as well as genuine smiles. Neil was able to deliver such pictures. Quality natural smiles, quality product; and great ideas for a relaxed experience. We now have to decide which photos will become large canvas's for the living room. So many great options! If I were getting married or were wanted to take family reunion pics or for whatever reason, I would definitely be asking for Neil again. We had a great time and the location he picked for us was amazing! read more

We hired Neil for our wedding - we could not have asked for a better photographer! We had paid for the package with two photographers (one for the more traditional shots, and one for candids). All of the photos came out beautiful! They both did such a wonderful job at the wedding. We have had multiple guests say they thought Neil and his partner were great, and very non- intrusive. He's definitely NOT one of those photographers that everyone is annoyed by during the ceremony. Not only does he do a wonderful job, but he is extremely affordable, as well - especially compared to the other photographers in this area. Thanks again to Neil for everything. After all, when all is said and done, all that's left are the photos - and they are wonderful! read more

Both my husband and I were extremely satisfied with choosing Neil Simmons Photography for our wedding. The entire process was straight forward, Neil was very accommodating and responsive to our wishes and there was no pressure involved, which is a welcome relief during the wedding-planning process. The photographer that was available for our day, Vincent, was very un-obtrusive, professional and got a lot of candids of our guests that we were very pleased he had covered. We were totally thrilled when our prints and album came in--they were gorgeous and high-quality. Our friends went with Neil for their wedding and were also thrilled with his work. Support local Santa Cruz businesses and go with Neil--he's the best!! read more

My Wife and I had Neil Photograph our daughters wedding. The pictures were amazing. Neil was very fairly priced and Neil's attention to detail and capturing all of the little things was appreciated. He was a Joy you have around the Wedding he was pleasant and professional. Looking thorough the literally hundreds of great pictures which were posted very timely on the web I can't tell you how many time I said "Oh look he got that". I am very pleased with the Quality of the Pictures which were given to us on a very nicely produced and printed CD. Anyone looking for a Great Photographer to capture you event Neil's your man Thank You Neil Simmons Photography read more

Neil was great at our casual beach wedding! He made all the guests feel at ease, took photos of all the guests, family portraits, and even loaned us surfboards for our "arch". Both the candids and portraits alike were gorgeous, and his knowledge of the area was superb. We had an appointment for the portraits the next day as well, and he was able to show us the best spots, as we were from out of the area. I would highly recommend Neil to any friend, family member, or stranger. His versatile style is a perfect match for any event! read more

This Photographer is AMAZING!! His prices are more then reasonable and his work is breathtaking!! Neil, not only took amazing pictures but he offered continual support throughout the entire wedding planning process. He truly cares about his clients and makes sure you are more then satisfied!! I would hire him again in a minute!!!! If you're looking for a honest, professional and amazing photographer then Neil Simmons Photography is were you want to be! read more

I have worked several weddings with Neil, doing hair and makeup for the wedding party that he does the photography for. He is a pleasure to work with and he is very professional. His attention to detail is remarkable. He puts the bride and wedding party at ease with his calm relaxed attitude. If you can book Neil for a wedding (which is very hard these days) you are getting one of the best photographers Santa Cruz has to offer. read more