Are you stressed and still looking for a wedding coordinator and photographer? Well look no more! You definitely need to join forces with Stephen Ludwig - Salt & Sandalwood Events and divert your energy to other things. I know this sounds like an info-mercial, but we had such a great experience with Stephen Ludwig and his team from start to finish. I think we lucked out and also I think everyone deserves a special wedding so I hope you give them a look. I contacted several companies/groups/people looking for flexible packages to fit our needs. It's hard in the early stages of planning a destination wedding knowing just how many guests you'll have! My ceremony was at Kualoa Ranch with the reception to follow in Honolulu. I was stood up by a few companies; bad sign when your potential wedding team "forgets" they had a phone call appointment with you! Stephen and his lovely wife, Litton, were incredibly accessible and responsive to every wacky question or request I had. Super easy to negotiate with and I never EVER felt like I was being swindled or lied to. Obviously their website scores major points for organization and being aesthetically pleasing. The clean, professional yet personable style matches them in real life, too! We exchanged numerous emails along the way during planning stages. Stephen and Litton helped me find a great hair/makeup stylist, arranged for the most perfect officiant (his wife was also wonderfully helpful but that's for another review), and coordinated a guitarist for the ceremony. Stephen went to look at the site a few weeks ahead of the date then sent me photos in order to know exactly where to put the chairs and flower arch. Ceremony went off without a hitch thanks to the on-site day of coordinator and the rest of the Salt & Sandalwood team making sure my flowers and chairs and guests were in their proper places. I was able to worry about just myself. I was pleasantly surprised to see they brought water for my guests, I completely spaced on that detail and given the sunshiney day it would have been a major faux pas. Now, the main reason I selected Stephen with Salt & Sandalwood was because I knew I'd be looking at these photos for a lifetime. So far I just have the mini gallery, but it's amazing. After the obligatory group photos and diplomatically dealing with certain relatives (haha) we broke off to do our own photo shoot with tons of backdrops, angles, poses -- really incorporating the beauty of Kualoa Ranch and Hawaii. Stephen made my husband and me feel at ease, expertly ordering (in a nice way) us around, "hand here, walk that way, do a twirl," snapping a bazillion photos. I was disappointed when last minute the ranch told I couldn't have horses in the nearby paddock as advertised. Stephen even asked Kualoa if we could go to the stables, but that idea was shot down. I'm still a little bitter about it, but with how great everything else went I can't complain too much. Remember how I said my ceremony and reception were different locations? Salt and Sandalwood drove us from A to B, which was so nice of them. He busied himself taking photos of guests and decor and things; obviously he does this a lot and knows what matters and how to make things look magazine worthy. He made sure to photograph the cake before we attacked it, my husband and I before we got too drunk and really did a fantastic job of capturing moments without being a nuisance. 100% would book again! My favorite vendor from the whole wedding experience. Heck, Stephen Ludwig was the backbone of my Hawaii wedding experience! You won't be disappointed. read more

Stephen Ludwig Photography - Photographers Near Me

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Highly recommend Stephen Ludwig as a photographer. We had him as our photographer for our wedding at Kualoa Ranch and he was great. Very experienced and professional, and he had plenty of experience shooting in different lighting at our venue. He did a great job capturing the event and we love how his photos turned out. He had great energy and did a great job making us feel comfortable and candid for our shots. Loved his artistic style! Thank you Stephen! read more

Our awesome wedding coordinator highly recommended Stephen for our wedding day at Waimea Valley on Oahu. She gave us a short list of her favorite photographers and reviewing all the galleries we decided Stephen's was the one we were most drawn too. His photos weren't too edited and we loved how he focused on color. Stephen was a joy to work with- he is super friendly! We put together a list of photos we wanted and locations we wanted to shoot at and he made sure we got everything we wanted. When we received our gallery we were blown away! The photos were beyond what we had expected. His galleries are also very user friendly which is an added bonus. Thank you Stephen! You truly captured what our wedding day embodied! Xoxo Allyse & Jesse read more

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When the photographer I originally hired for my daughter's wedding had to cancel due to her surprise pregnancy, she highly recommended Stephen Ludwig, who was her wedding photographer. The traditional wedding photos, along with the captured candid shots, had an artistic beauty that surpassed any wedding photos I have ever encountered. I was able to share his photos with the caterer and florist who were elated as they were able to use his photos on their websites. His generosity and kindness in sharing his work with the other vendors speak for themselves in describing his character and integrity. His prices are competitive with other photographers. He truly is amazing. read more

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Are you looking through all the photographers on Yelp, The Knot, and Wedding Wire trying to find the best photographer in Hawaii with decent pricing because you're getting married in Hawaii and you aren't from there and you are literally going to have to put your trust in some stranger and just hope to God it works out? Well so was I... and let me tell you... THE SEARCH IS OVER. Listen, I'm not just some random girl exaggerating some average photographer because he gave me one cute wedding pic. I've worked with many photographers in my lifetime and I know a good one from an average one. This guy is friggin' good. Honestly... if anything, he should charge more. Stephen literally gave us the best experience I've ever had with a photographer. My husband and I got married on Oahu. In the beginning, we didn't know where to even have our tiny little ceremony of only 5 guests. Stephen suggested a small, secluded beach where there would be minimal bystanders. We spoke with him on the phone and he sounded completely professional and knowledgable so we decided to just put our faith in him. Not only did he come through, he surpassed ALL our expectations. He did a photo shoot with us up at the Jurassic Park mountain before the ceremony, shot the ceremony, and took family shots afterward as well. He was professional, creative, and diligent. To top it all off, we paid an extra small fee to add on a trash-the-dress style photo shoot for the day after the wedding. Not only was Stephen willing to move the date when we realized the day after your wedding is more exhausting than you think it will be, but he also went in advance to scope out the best spots for our location. He took us to three different locations for that shoot, the last of which was a beautiful beach with a drop-dead gorgeous background. We thought he was going to just take photos of us running into the ocean of something. WRONG. Stephen literally went INTO the water with us. I'm talking FULLY submerged and took photo of us in the ocean. He even put a waterproof lens over his camera and took undercover shots. THAT'S how dedicated he was to making sure we got some unique shots of us in our wedding gear. I just cannot believe how respectful, professional, creative, skilled, and PATIENT this man is. It. is. unreal. He's simply the best. Stephen, if you're reading this, THANK YOU for the best experience and for really dedicating yourself to each and every shot. I can't wait to book you for an anniversary shoot the next time we go back. Sincerely, Tim & Natalia read more

Stephen Ludwig Photography - Stephen really nailed it. - Photographers Near Me

My wife and I got married on Hanalei Bay in Kauai and we couldn't be happier with Stephen. For very small extra fee he fly to this island and met us on the beach for 10AM ceremony. His insight and vision into the camera, the angels, the scenery, mountains, ocean, and overall natural beauty the setting offered were remarkable. We couldn't be happier. We have color, highlights, black/white, and the process to obtain these photos to laptop, phone was easy. Total pro and super nice and friendly. It felt like our best friend was there to share in the happiness. read more

Stephen Ludwig Photography - Photographers Near Me

Stephen has been our go-to family photographer for well over 5 years. He first shot our wedding, and was absolutely amazing at what he did. The images were fantastic, he and his wife were not even noticeable throughout the evening, and we are forever grateful for his talent, care, and professionalism. We followed up our wedding with pre-baby pics, post baby pics, and have hired Stephen for a family shoot each of our sons subsequent three birthdays. Each time we continue to be impressed with his artistic vision, his sense of style and composition, and his wonderful customer service. I even hired him to shoot candids at a corporate even this year and those turned out great! No matter the event you want to capture Stephen can do it, and will blow you away. I'll always come back to hire Stephen---nobody else comes close! read more

Stephen still has that great eye! He took pictures of our family and even though it was a little cloudy, drizzly, slightly windy, and little kids were involved, he got some great shots! We had fun hanging out and catching up with Stephen and his work is amazing. I can't recommend him enough. Can't wait for the next time! read more

Stephen Ludwig is the most amazing photographer! We reviewed the work of so many other wedding photographers and we are so happy that we went with Stephen! I wanted specific shots during the wedding such as a group shot of everyone (150+ people) and he was able to direct everyone to get the perfect picture. He captured so many special moments that night! He responded quickly to our questions and was so easy to work with. I highly recommend him! read more

Stephen did a phenomenal job with both our wedding photos and our rehearsal dinner photos. I really wanted gorgeous sunset beach wedding photos and they are absolutely stunning!! I couldn't be happier. He has great energy, was easy to work with, and made us feel super comfortable. I am so happy that we choose him. Thank you so much Stephen! read more

Stephen is super talented and one of the nicest people we've had the pleasure of meeting, we felt so lucky to have Stephen shoot our wedding in Maui. First and foremost, his work is incredible and speaks for itself. He is also so nice, respectful of being part of our special day, has a great positive and calming energy, and somehow managed to stay in the background while blending in and shooting our guests. We felt like he was a friend sharing in the day with us. Thank you, Stephen! read more

Stephen and his wife are AMAZING! We hired him first for our engagement photo just to try it out. We really enjoyed the couple hours with him out at Kapiolani Park. He's just so refreshing and just had fun with it. Didn't make it awkward or anything. After receiving our photos I knew I needed him to do our wedding! I LOVED our photos! We hired him as soon as we could put a deposit down. The day of our wedding he was on time and not once did he get in the way, especially with all the girls around haha. He is just amazing and fun! Even when we were going over time he offered to stay and take some group photos. Our wedding photos came out better than I could ever imagine. Thank you Stephen for capturing some amazing photos! read more

We are so glad that we booked Stephen for our wedding photography. When we stumbled across his photos and website, we immediately loved his style, and how vibrant lively his photos are - the photos seem to jump off the screen! We love that his work really captures the beauty, joy, and simplicity, and character of Hawaii. Communication with Stephen was, and continues to be a smooth and seamless process. He is super punctual in replying to emails, phone calls, and even text messages. When he's in a slam or is busy, he takes the time to tell you just that...so that you're not left wondering why the lag in response time. Leading up to the wedding day, Stephen was instrumental in helping to come up with ideas for shooting locations and finalizing a timeline for our wedding day that would make things run smoothly. We felt at ease with Stephen right of the bat and felt he was a great fit for our personalities. Stephen has a laid back demeanor, and was cool, calm, and collected the entire day of the wedding. It was important to us that we hired a photographer that we were 100% comfortable being around...I mean, this person basically follows you around for 10 hours and takes pictures of you - you'd better like them! When shooting, Stephen was present enough to give his input on shots while still allowing us to do our thing, as he captured our day through his lens. The morning of our wedding, Stephen arrived earlier than his contracted time just so that he could get some shots of the groom who was getting ready in a different hotel. It was such a kind gesture, and one we greatly appreciated! Stephen was so great working with and sticking to the timeline we created, and made sure to get us down to the beach for the sunset photos that were so important to the groom. Stephen is not afraid to "work" for a shot or to get dirty - he literally rolled around in the wet sand and stood out in the rain with us to get some of our shots. Throughout the night, Stephen asked us if there was anything else we wanted captured, or any special shots we wanted before he left so that we wouldn't miss out on any photo ops. We have not received our photos yet, as our wedding was only a couple of weeks ago, but we are so excited to see them and to relive our day. MAHALO STEPHEN! read more

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[Posting on behalf of my groom - we both loved Stephen] Incredibly talented and wonderful to work with. While my wife is quite photogenic, I know that I'm rather camera shy. I don't think that's uncommon for many grooms, but Stephen is so gifted at getting people into their comfort zone. As we were deciding on a photographer, my wife and I wanted someone who was gifted at creating beautiful portraits with vivid colors but also captured our fun, free-spirited personality. The vibrant colors in his pictures really popped in so many of his shots. From a logistical point of view, Stephen spent an entire afternoon and part of an evening doing an engagement photo shoot in multiple locations. On the day of the wedding, Stephen and his crew worked seamlessly with other vendors and were very professional. All in all, I would recommend Stephen to anyone looking for a photographer who can make the bride and groom shine on the day of their wedding. read more

Stephen really did an amazing job! He went above and beyond including staying late to get the perfect shots. He was super friendly and professional. I loved all of the pictures he took at the white orchid beach house in Makena! I would highly recommend him if you're looking for a talented, reasonably priced, wedding photographer for your special day!!! read more

I was planning my Maui wedding from Toronto so I had to rely heavily on website portfolios. My fiancé and I knew right away that Stephen's photography was what we wanted for our wedding day. His photos are vibrant and fun and accurately captured every aspect of our special day. He was also very responsive to emails during our entire planning process. And day of our wedding since that was the first time we were meeting him in person - our whole bridal party was comfortable with him and his partner around. Enjoy your wedding planning with Stephen and his team - they won't disappoint! read more

Stephen was the photographer at our friend's wedding in Kauai. We thought the pictures were really good. When it was time to plan our wedding, I told my wedding planner what I was looking for (modern, a bit edgy with pops of colors) and the first photographer she mentioned was Stephen Ludwig! He was great from beginning to end, very friendly, professional and helpful. Highly recommend him for your photography needs. read more

Stephen was an awesome photographer to work with on our wedding day!!! He was easy going and made being in front of the camera comfortable. I was even more impressed when I received our pictures. They were all beautiful!! It was obvious he spent a lot of time editing. Incredible! I highly recommend Stephen Ludwig to capture your special day :) read more

Stephen was the photographer at my sister's wedding in Maui last year. Normally, a 500 person wedding would be a photographer's nightmare but it didn't seem to phase him. If you're looking for some detailed shots of your wedding you'll want Stephen to capture them TRUST ME! His editing skills are on point and the colors really pop. I definitely recommend him if you want someone laid back, easy going, and professional. read more

Stephen exceeded our expectations! He truly went above and beyond on our big day and captured everything. He made sure our friends and family were in the right place at the right time, so no one was left out. His picture quality was unbelievable too. Super crisp and bright. He thought about the little things along the way that we would have missed. His photos captured the beautiful setting, the decorations, the funny moments, and so much more! Most of all we came out looking like the best versions of ourselves in the photos because of his attention to detail and posing pointers. We found his process and pricing to be super straightforward too. Book Stephen if you want better than you imagined Wedding photos!! Thank you Stephen for capturing our big day!! -Ryan read more

This review is long-overdue! When you do a destination wedding, you are continuously left with doubts and worries. And when the backdrop of your wedding is something as beautiful as the Pacific Ocean, finding a good photographer might be the most important thing on the list. Our coordinator recommended Stephen and after looking at some of his work online, it was a pretty easy decision. We didn't meet Stephen until our wedding day, but right from the start, he was the epitome of aloha spirit - attentive, friendly, caring, and generous. He is also a true artist and is always looking for perfection in every shot. Stephen has all of the qualities you want in a wedding or portrait photographer, especially for someplace as beautiful as Hawaii. If you have an opportunity to work with him, don't let that opportunity slip away! read more

Stephen Ludwig is a fantastic photographer! We had him do both our engagement shoot and the wedding. Wanna know why we think he is so great? Sure it might be his super laid- back, easy to work with style or the fact that he made being photographed actually seem fun (I hate taking pictures), but no...most importantly, he delivers a fine product. Superb quality photography that captured the magic of the moment. Wife and I were thrilled with the pictures and are so glad to have found him. If you want some awesome photography done for your special moment, book it early cuz this guy is good and you don't wanna miss out! read more

After reading the other reviews I am not sure how much more I can add to help explain just how amazing Stephen is! We looked at many photographers but found that after looking at 3-4 sample weddings that all of the pictures started to look the same. We were looking for something different, something artistic, filled with color and life and energy and that is just what Stephen gave us! He was so open to our ideas and really took them on board, we even brought along our surfboards for a few shots! Looking at Stephen's sample weddings I could tell right away that no two weddings were the same each was unique to the couple and this was so important to us. We were overseas at the time we were planning our wedding and even over Skype Stephen made us feel really comfortable and it was so easy to talk to him and share our ideas. On the day of our wedding it was such a pleasure to work with him, he was punctual, easy going and kind and genuinely seemed excited for us and that we weren't just another wedding. He captured everything we were hoping for and so much more! Our photos turned out fabulous and the fine art images even more amazing. We received them as agreed upon and on time and Stephen was always very responsive with our questions. Three years later after our wedding we still love our photos and couldn't be happier with the experience! I am always recommending him and I know that we will continue to call Stephen for all our family picture needs! Cant wait to do a family shoot!! read more

We hired Stephen for our wedding & engagement photos at the recommendation of our wedding planner and we are so glad. Our wedding hasn't happened yet (I'll update later) but we've done our engagement photos so far & have been very impressed. When we were planning our shoot I had only asked to do pics at one location but Stephen encouraged we do another in a city location (since we were planning on an outdoorsy one) so we could have variety. He could've had a shorter shoot with one but didn't cut corners & we're happy to have the two different settings. Also on the day of our shoot my mom was supposed to drop off our dogs at the last location but couldn't find us and we missed the sunset & it got too dark. We were SO disappointed as we had bought signs for them to wear for our save the dates but Stephen was super understanding & offered to meet us for a quick shoot with them another day. He was patient with our dogs the day we did it & even took a few quick pics of them. Highly recommend him for both his customer service & the awesome pics he takes! read more

My husband and I got married at a lavender farm on Maui and we had the best experience with Stephen Ludwig Photography! Stephen is extremely professional, talented, and easy to work with. I am sometimes a little uncomfortable in front of a camera but Stephen really put me at ease and everything went smoothly. My husband and I were thrilled with the finished photos. We are so happy that we have such awesome photos to help us remember our special day. Memories to last a lifetime! Thank you Stephen!!! read more