Los Angeles · Orange County · San Diego · Santa Barbara

LGBTQ+ wedding
photography

Two grooms, two brides, and every version of a wedding day that does not fit the template. Photographed across Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and Santa Barbara — the same care, the same coverage, and no assumptions about whose day this is.

Check your dateSee collections
As featured in
GQ Vogue Brides The Knot Style Me Pretty Here Comes the Guide zola Green Wedding Shoes
The short version

We do not photograph same-sex weddings differently. We plan them differently, because the assumptions built into a standard wedding timeline — one aisle, one dress, one father, one handover — simply do not apply, and planning around them is most of the job.

Jon and Max, getting each other ready
Jon and Max, getting each other ready

What we do differently

Six things that are standard on every same-sex wedding we photograph. Open any one for the detail.

01

Two suites, covered at the same time

When both of you are getting ready, one photographer has to choose a room. We do not. A second photographer is standard on same-sex weddings at no extra cost, so the morning is two parallel stories instead of one and a gap.

02

A timeline built from your answers

We start from what you actually want to happen. No aisle, two aisles, no bouquet toss, two first looks, both of you walking in together, or nobody walking anybody anywhere. We plan the light and the coverage around your day as designed.

03

Names and pronouns, settled in writing

How you are introduced, what the officiant says, what goes on the album spine. We confirm it in writing before the day and pass it to the coordinator and the DJ, so nobody has to correct anyone in front of a room.

04

Family, handled before the day

Tell us in advance who should not be in a frame together, who is not coming, and who is coming but should not be near the toasts. Handled early it is invisible. Handled on the day it becomes a scene in your photographs.

05

Venues and vendors we can vouch for

We have shot across most of Southern California and we know which rooms and which teams are genuinely easy about this, and which are merely not hostile. Ask us and we will tell you plainly, including where we have seen couples treated badly.

06

Film and video on the same terms

Real 35mm and 120 film coverage, and cinematic video, are available on your wedding on exactly the same terms and at exactly the same price as any other. There is no separate list and no separate conversation.

The days we have actually photographed

Different couples need different things from the coverage. Open any one for what we have learned from the weddings themselves.

  • Two grooms

    Two suits on one hanger, two sets of parents, and a portrait list that nobody has a template for. We have shot enough of these to know that the best hour is usually the one right after the ceremony, before either family finds you.

  • Two brides

    Often both getting ready in the same suite, which is a gift photographically and a scheduling problem for a single shooter. Two dresses need twice the room and twice the time; we build that into the timeline rather than discovering it at noon.

  • Nonbinary and trans couples

    We ask what you want to be called and what you do not, and we ask once, in writing, ahead of time. If there are photographs you do not want made, tell us and they will not exist.

  • Couples who waited

    Some of our couples have been together twenty years and are marrying now because they finally can. That day has a different weight, and the guest list is full of people who were there for all of it. We photograph the room as much as the couple.

  • Couples with children already

    If your family arrived before the wedding did, the family portraits are the point rather than an afterthought. We schedule them early, while everyone is still fresh.

Featured wedding

Jon & Max

Green Gables Estate · San Diego

Two grooms in teal and green, an estate in Rancho Santa Fe, and an aisle lined on both sides with people standing up. They walked in from opposite ends and met in the middle, which is a small decision that changes where two photographers need to be standing.

We shot the morning in two rooms at once, the ceremony from both ends of the aisle, and the reception until the string lights came on over the swing.

See the full gallery
Two suits, one hanger, under the word marriage
Two suits, one hanger, under the word marriage
The kiss, at the end of an aisle lined with everyone they know
The kiss, at the end of an aisle lined with everyone they know
On the swing, once the lights came on
On the swing, once the lights came on
Featured wedding

Jonathan & Jeffrey

Calamigos Ranch · Malibu

A full day in the canyon: getting ready in the ranch house, a first look on the lawn, black tie through dinner, and the vintage Ferris wheel and carousel running after dark.

Their dogs were in the family portraits in bow ties, which we scheduled early on purpose. Shot on digital and black and white film side by side all day.

See the full gallery
The Ferris wheel at Calamigos, after dinner
The Ferris wheel at Calamigos, after dinner
Their dog, in a bow tie, for the family portraits
Their dog, in a bow tie, for the family portraits
Black and white film, shot alongside digital all day
Black and white film, shot alongside digital all day
Featured wedding

James & Beau

United Methodist Church & Castaway · Hollywood

A full church ceremony, in a church that wanted them there, followed by a reception on the hill above Hollywood with the whole basin behind the dance floor.

No processional handover, no father-of-the-bride moment to work around: they walked in together and walked out together, and the coverage was planned that way from the first call.

See the full gallery
A full church ceremony, in a church that wanted them there
A full church ceremony, in a church that wanted them there
Walking out together, with nobody giving anybody away
Walking out together, with nobody giving anybody away
Castaway, Hollywood, with the city underneath
Castaway, Hollywood, with the city underneath
Gallery

The end of the aisle, The London West Hollywood

Two brides, a rooftop above the boulevard, and no rehearsed handover at the top of the aisle. Both of them got ready in the same suite, which is a gift photographically and a scheduling problem for a single shooter — so we plan for it.

The end of the aisle
The end of the aisle
Getting ready in the same suite, together
Getting ready in the same suite, together
The stair down to the terrace
The stair down to the terrace
Walking out together, with nobody given away
Walking out together, with nobody given away
Sunset on the rooftop, above the boulevard
Sunset on the rooftop, above the boulevard

The full gallery

Every frame below is from one of the weddings above. Open it if you want the whole thing; leave it closed if you do not.

Two grooms exchanging vows beneath a floral arch in a garden ceremony
Black and white photo of two grooms holding their dogs after the ceremony
First dance beneath the chandeliers, Calamigos Ranch
First dance beneath the chandeliers, Calamigos Ranch
One groom dipping the other on the dance floor as guests cheer
Under a coastal tree on the Orange County shoreline
Under a coastal tree on the Orange County shoreline
Black and white photo of two grooms in white tie laughing on a sofa beneath a gallery wall
Two grooms embracing at dusk with string lights glowing behind them
Two grooms forehead to forehead beneath a canopy of string lights
Two grooms kissing through the open window of a red barn
Two grooms adjusting their bow ties side by side in a bright dressing room
Grahm and Postlethwaite under the string lights at Calamigos Ranch, Malibu
Grahm and Postlethwaite under the string lights at Calamigos Ranch, Malibu
Two grooms touching foreheads under a chandelier at their reception
Two grooms walking hand in hand along a dirt path beneath oak trees
Two grooms fixing their bow ties in front of a round mirror
Running past the Ferris wheel at Calamigos Ranch, Malibu
Running past the Ferris wheel at Calamigos Ranch, Malibu
Floral suit lining embroidered with Once Upon A Time, Max and Jon
Two grooms kissing in front of the Ferris wheel at Calamigos Ranch
Black and white photo of two grooms in tailcoats toasting by a hotel window with the city below
Two grooms seated on white chairs in front of a vintage Airstream trailer
Black and white photo of a groom in a tuxedo lit by a shaft of window light
Before the ceremony, photographed on black and white film
Before the ceremony, photographed on black and white film
Black and white photo of a groom reading his vows into a microphone as his partner smiles
Two grooms resting their foreheads together during their first look
Two grooms in white tie forehead to forehead beneath an arched entrance at night
The dance floor, late in the night
The dance floor, late in the night
Groom in a blue suit wiping away a tear during the vows
Black and white photo of two grooms laughing beside a vintage Airstream trailer
Reception tables set with white florals beside tall windows looking over the hills at sunset
Groom in a blue suit leaning against a rusted vintage pickup truck
Groom leaning against a red barn wall while his husband leans out of the window above
Black and white photo of two grooms in white tie posing beside classical statues on a stone wall
Two grooms embracing beside a fountain after their first look
Two grooms in tuxedos walking down the porch steps hand in hand
Black and white close-up of two grooms in white tie standing close together
Groom in a blue three-piece suit with a mustard tie and white boutonniere
Black and white profile of a groom seen through a window while getting ready
Close-up of a groom in a green suit with a mustard tie and thistle boutonniere
Black and white photo of two grooms holding their dogs after the ceremony
With their dogs before the ceremony, Calamigos Ranch
Two grooms seated on white chairs in front of a vintage Airstream trailer
Toasting at the trailer bar, Calamigos Ranch
Planning your day

How these wedding days are usually built

The weddings we photograph here span everything from fourteen guests at a family home to well over a hundred at a downtown venue. What they most often have in common is a day built around the couple rather than around a template, and about 30% plan their portraits around golden hour or sunset.

Six hours, one venue, no wedding party

Around 70 to 120 guests. Ceremony and reception at the same venue.
  • 3:30 PMCoverage begins. Details and both partners getting ready.
  • 4:15 PMA private first look, then couple portraits while the light is soft.
  • 5:00 PMGuests arrive. Ceremony details and the empty space photographed.
  • 5:30 PMCeremony. Without a processional this can be short and simple.
  • 6:00 PMCocktail hour, with family and friend groups taken here.
  • 7:00 PMReception. Entrance, dinner, toasts, first dance.
  • 9:30 PMCoverage concludes.

Five to six hours, intimate

Around 14 to 45 guests. A family home or a small venue.
  • 2:30 PMCoverage begins. Both sides preparing, often in the same building.
  • 3:30 PMFirst look and portraits at a chosen spot nearby.
  • 4:30 PMGuests arrive, final touches, ceremony details.
  • 4:45 PMCeremony, often twenty to thirty minutes.
  • 5:15 PMFamily and group photographs, everyone together.
  • 5:45 PMGolden hour portraits of the two of you, close to the venue.
  • 6:15 PMDinner, toasts and the evening, covered documentary style.
  • 8:30 PMCoverage concludes.

Eight hours with two photographers

Both partners preparing in different places, a full evening after.
  • 1:30 PMCoverage begins in two locations at once, one photographer with each.
  • 3:00 PMThe teams converge for a first look and portraits.
  • 3:45 PMWedding party and family, in whatever groupings suit you.
  • 4:15 PMHideaway, guest arrivals, ceremony details.
  • 4:45 PMCeremony.
  • 5:15 PMCocktail hour. One photographer on family and couple portraits, the other on candids and room details.
  • 6:15 PMReception. Entrances, first dances, dinner and toasts.
  • 9:30 PMCoverage concludes.
Good to know

What shapes these timelines

The practical differences that come up most often, and what each one means for the schedule.

Two getting-ready locationsWhen both partners are preparing at the same time in different places, the two photographers split up, one in each room. Aim for both of you to be ready at about the same time, so the first look is not waiting on one side. It is the most common timeline question here.
No wedding partyA good share of the weddings we photograph have no formal wedding party and no processional. That removes a whole block from the afternoon, which usually means more portrait time or a shorter day.
Who walks, and with whomEntrances vary a lot: together, separately, from opposite ends of the aisle, with parents, with chosen family, or not at all. Telling us the plan in advance means the camera is in the right place for it.
Family groupingsFamily photographs work best from a list you write rather than a standard template, especially where families are blended or include chosen family. Put the most important groupings first so they happen while everyone is still there.
First looksAbout 40% of the weddings we photograph here include a first look. It is often the calmest and most private part of the day, and it moves your portraits into better light whether you get ready together or apart.
Hours and guest countsAbout 40% of these couples book five to six hours, and another 40% book seven to eight. Most guest lists fall between about 60 and 130. Under about fifty guests, five to six hours covers the whole day comfortably.
Home and small venuesFamily homes, gardens and small restaurants come up often. Those need an earlier arrival for details and a scouted portrait spot nearby, since the venue may not have one.
Nearby

Where these weddings happen

Venues and settings that recur across the weddings we photograph.

  • The Oviatt Penthouse
  • The London West Hollywood
  • Caesars Palace garden sites
  • Kyoto Garden
  • Botanica
  • Marbella Country Club
  • Diamond Bar Center
  • Skirball Cultural Center
  • Family homes and gardens
  • Desert venues near Joshua Tree

Questions couples ask us

Do you photograph same-sex weddings?

Yes, and we have for years. You should not have to ask a photographer whether they are comfortable with your wedding, which is most of the reason this page exists.

Will you assume traditional roles in the timeline?

No. We ask how you want the day structured and build the plan from your answers. If there is no aisle, no bouquet toss and no first dance, that is simply your timeline, and we photograph it as designed.

Can you help with difficult family situations?

Often, yes. Tell us in advance who should not appear together and we will manage the formal portraits around it. Handled early it is invisible; handled on the day it is a scene.

Do we get two photographers?

Yes. A second photographer is standard on same-sex weddings at no extra cost, so both of you getting ready is covered at the same time rather than one after the other.

Do you offer film and video too?

Yes. Real 35mm and 120 film coverage and cinematic video are available on any wedding — the same options, the same pricing, and no difference in how they are offered.

Do we get a photographer who has actually done this before?

Yes. Every photographer on our team has shot same-sex weddings, and you are welcome to ask who is assigned to your date and see their work before you book.

More of the studio

Los Angeles wedding photographyThe full picture of how we shoot a wedding day Elopements and small ceremoniesTwo of you, a witness, and somewhere that matters 35mm film coverageLeica and Hasselblad, alongside digital Collections and pricingWhat coverage costs, with no packages hidden behind a form

Tell us about your wedding

Send us the date and the venue and we will tell you what is available. No pressure, and no assumptions.

Check your dateSchedule a call