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Weddings

About

Our Story:
Our story began in New York where we met and studied photography as well as sociology. We photographed our first wedding together as photography students. Since then, our parallel interests have led us to photograph across the globe – telling people’s stories and documenting life. For us, photography and people are our passions and we want you to know that we are truly dedicated to our work. Narrative Images Photography is an award winning San Diego based photography studio led by professional photographers Richard Unis and Bernadette Johnston. We specialize in fine art photojournalism, documentary wedding photography, portraiture and event photography. As a San Diego based company, we are available for national and international travel.


We have been photographing weddings in San Diego, CA, across the US, and internationally for the past 10 years.
We were voted 1 of the top three photographers in San Diego (10 News A-List)

Rick Bernadette:
For more information about us, some of our recent exhibitions and to see more of our work check out our Blog or our Website. Also, take a moment to check out some kind words we have received from clients.

We also have photo booth rentals!

  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

2nd Shooter
Add'l Hours
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
One Event / Day
Digital Files
Proofs

Which of the following are included in the price of your most popular wedding package?

2nd Shooter
Add'l Hours
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
One Event / Day
Digital Files
Proofs

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Natural
Photojournalism

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Destination / Travel
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter
Wedding Portraits

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Flush Mount
Negatives
Prints
Proofs
Thank You Cards

Reviews of Narrative Images

S
Stephanie Sent on 06/21/2022
5 out of 5 rating

The best photographers!

My husband & I hired Bernadette & Rick for our big day and they were nothing less than OUTSTANDING. They were so nice and helped us think about and put together a list of our photography wants and needs ahead of time. They made us feel so comfortable the day of and captured so many wonderful posed and candid shots.
John
John Sent on 12/07/2019
5 out of 5 rating

John and Kim's Wedding - 11/8/2019

Bernadette and Rick were amazing! They are so easy to work with and really make the whole process very comfortable. They did engagement and wedding pictures for us and the pictures turned out amazing! I would definitely recommend Bernadette and Rick at Narrative Images to anyone looking for a wedding photographer.
B
Brandon Sent on 08/04/2018
5 out of 5 rating
Simply put, Rick and Bernadette of Narrative Images Photography create outstanding photos and are an absolute pleasure to work with. We hired them to do our engagement shoot, wedding day photos, photo booth/studio on our wedding day, and create albums for us too. The images they created are exceptional, we couldn’t be happier! Also, our friends and family loved the photos too! I appreciate how they don’t just create posed photos, they have a documentary style where the capture the subtle and big candid moments. They have a fantastic eye for composition and great timing. At the risk of sounding pretentious, I’m a hobbyist photographer myself with a B.A. in Art, and I love their work. Not only are their images great, they are very personable, and responsive in our email communication, which made wedding planning all the more easier. They were very easy to work with, from our first meeting, to personally giving us our wedding day photo albums. We definitely plan on working with them in the future for our family photos!
A
Asya Sent on 05/22/2018
5 out of 5 rating
WOW! Literally our reaction to every picture! You two are phenomenal. You captured every precious moment on our special days. Even though the henna night was a different culture than you two are used to, you guys pulled it off so well! You guys listened to all the details I shared beforehand and didn’t miss to capture any of the important moments. It was so cold and windy, but you two didn’t complain once. You kept pushing through and continually giving us tips and tricks on how to look natural and beautiful. Luis and I and the entire bridal party all enjoyed having you two be present at our wedding and henna night. We both appreciate you two so much. We are so lucky to find the greatest and sweetest photographers. It was 2 days of hectic schedule but you guys were on top of it. We will forever be grateful to you and Rick. I can't wait to have future events to celebrate, you and Rick will be the first party vendor we will make sure to book first.
D
Diane Sent on 03/27/2018
5 out of 5 rating
This review is long overdue and is for my wedding on October 14th, 2017.

I have known Bernadette, and Rick by extension, for a while before I hired them to be my wedding photographers. I could not have gone with them since I was planning to invite them as guests. But their exceptional talent has led me to hiring them instead.

Wedding planning is stressful so I was glad that Bernadette was on point with working with me on planning the shoot locations and timeline since our wedding schedule is very tight. They also respected our wishes of having more natural photos versus the super posed pictures that I have seen with other photographers.

My husband and I are pleased with the photos from our wedding. We even had a sneak peak a week after our wedding, which I did not expect because it takes most photographers a month or more to come up with the photos. We also had a photo slideshow from them that we were able to share with friends on social media. The online photo gallery was also easy to share with close friends and family. Still have to work with them on the photo album though.

In sum, I would highly recommend Bernadette and Rick to anybody who is getting married or anybody who would need photography services. Their gift of capturing joyful moments without any effort is unmatched.
P
Paige Sent on 12/10/2017
5 out of 5 rating
We could not be happier with the amazing work of the Narrative Images team, Rick and Bernadette. We were introduced by a mutual photographer friend for our wedding, and the rest is history – we consider them our family friends – that are also amazing photographers! We love their natural style, capturing the truth and emotion during special life events or everyday real life. They listen to our ideas and goals of a shoot and use their natural talent to capture it. If you are awkward (like us) and don’t know what to do – they give you some gentle guidance to ensure you get your desired results. They are wonderful people, amazing artists, hardworking photographers that have given us some of the most amazing images of our most precious milestones. We have used them for our wedding, maternity, newborn and family photos and hope to continue a lasting friendship and working relationship!
P
Paige Sent on 11/16/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Bernadette & Rick are just two amazing people and their easygoing, genuine nature is reflected in how they shoot the day and interact with their couples.
They are attentive in the planning process as well as on the wedding day, flexible and just so fluid with their approach. They have a calm-ness about them, which as a Coordinator, is a great positive, since they are with the couple majority of the day. For my last wedding with them, we had a unique location for shooting and it required some stair climbing and succinct timing and they nailed it! Their handling of the post-production & album afterwards are timely and just as attentive all the way through!
True professionals and ones I happily refer!
M
M Sent on 08/03/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Working with Narrative Images was truly one of the best decisions we made for our wedding! Bernadette and Rick were friendly, professional, and very thoughtful from day 1. They captured the essence of our 'style' and wedding and they went above and beyond throughout the whole process. During the actual wedding, we had so much fun working with them and they were also so stealthy, making sure they were out of the way but capturing sweet moments throughout the event. I truly recommend them and if you choose them, you will feel (like we do) so lucky to have worked with such talented documentary photographers.
Vanessa
Vanessa Sent on 06/25/2017
5 out of 5 rating
I was planning a vineyard wedding in Temecula, CA from Milwaukee, WI. I knew I wanted pictures in the super cute Old Town Temecula and that we would do our first look there prior to heading to our venue, Mount Palomar for pictures before the wedding. I had no idea where to begin to find a photographer. I knew I wanted 2 photographers and that it was important to get some really good reviews. In my search, there were so many mixed reviews on photographers. Then one day at work when I was talking to one of my internal clients I mentioned how difficult it was to find a photographer. His daughter lived in San Diego and he immediately got in touch with her to find out who she used for their wedding and then new born photos. A personal recommendation meant more than anything to us! I reached out to Narrative Images (Bernadette & Rick) and they got back to me right away. They understood we couldn't make it out to CA, so they agreed to do a Skype/Face Time session with us. We hit it off with them right away! They understood us as a couple and what we liked and we enjoyed their style! A huge plus is that they are with us the entire day, from the time we get ready until after the grand exit! They were great to work with figuring everything out before the wedding. Fast forward to the wedding day; everything was great! They found all sorts of cute little places in Old Town Temecula for pictures. They understood that we didn't want a bunch of posed pictures and that we were more the fun and natural style. Fast forward to about 2 weeks after the wedding and they had our sneak peeks available and within a month after the wedding all of our pictures are available. They are AMAZING!!! Absolutely captured the essence of us as a couple and really captured all the love throughout the day. I can't thank Rick and Bernadette enough! You two were absolutely amazing! I would definitely recommend them even to those who may not be having a CA wedding. They were seriously fantastic!!!
U
User2446790 Sent on 03/16/2016
5 out of 5 rating
Bernadette and Rick had worked with 3 of my friends (one of which I recommended Narrative Images to them) before working with us. When it was time for us to choose a photographer for our wedding, we were very confident and comfortable with Narrative Images. They formally studied photography, so the quality of their pictures is evident in how they capture candid moments, movement, and lighting. Their natural pictures and ability to play with lighting truly stood out from the rest. Having formal or “natural” pictures is hardly natural for us, but they made us feel very comfortable and guided us throughout the process, especially during the engagement session. As a married couple, they work together very well and tag teamed to capture moments from various angles or different scenes at the same time so the final product was a great summary of our wedding day in terms of the details, events, and emotions from us (the bride and groom), family, and guests. They are very professional, accommodating to our schedule, and created a package that worked with our needs and budget. We made requests to have some or all the pictures in time for certain family events or sales for printing – they were timely and very understanding. They truly went above and beyond when they dropped off the USB drive of pictures at our doorstep so I could have it in time before the holidays. We are 110% satisfied with their work, would highly recommend them, and would be choose them again to document future moments in our lives.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

23
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2011 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

2 Endorsements
Bella Puzzles Bella Puzzles Banquet Halls

Lovely people. I really enjoyed working with them. The professionalism of their photos and website really stand out.

Becks Entertainment and DJ Service Becks Entertainment and DJ Service Wedding DJs

These photographer ARE the BEST in the business. I remember when they first started as a diamond in the rough. The old saying of "the cream rises to the top" stands very true to Narrative Images. They ARE the cream of the crop.

Map

Addresses map

Narrative Images frequently asked questions

Narrative Images includes the following photography services in the starting price:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • Add'l Hours
  • High-Res Images
  • Multi. Locations
  • One Event / Day
  • Digital Files
  • Proofs
Narrative Images includes the following photography services in their most popular wedding package:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • Add'l Hours
  • High-Res Images
  • Multi. Locations
  • One Event / Day
  • Digital Files
  • Proofs
Narrative Images offers the following photography styles:
  • Contemporary
  • Natural
  • Photojournalism
Narrative Images offers the following photography services for weddings:
  • Additional Hours
  • Destination / Travel
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • One Event / Day
  • Second Shooter
  • Wedding Portraits
Narrative Images offers the following photography materials for weddings:
  • Albums
  • Canvas
  • Digital Files
  • Flush Mount
  • Negatives
  • Prints
  • Proofs
  • Thank You Cards
Narrative Images is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.

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