Late review from my wedding 7 months ago, hired Stephanie for both engagement and wedding photography. Throughout everything she was amazing. She guided us through our awkwardness and was such a calming presence on our wedding day. She was incredibly organized and on top of the day. The photos we received are absolutely perfect. She captured the day without intruding while getting all the shots you know you want to have (including the wrangling of large families) and those tiny/intimate moments you didn’t even know happened. I would 100% recommend her for anyone looking for wedding, engagement or family photos.

This is a well overdue review. We booked Ahava Studios (Stephanie), for our October Wedding in San Francisco. From the beginning, Stephanie was a joy to work with. So responsive to e-mails and once the date got closer she became more of a wedding planner to me. She asked what we wanted, and offered her professional advice and opinions which was greatly appreciated. She knew the best places for pictures in SF and kept us on track the whole day. She had the best attitude all day, rocked and swayed on our boat cruise reception and we heard nothing but amazing things from our guests. They kept asking how we got so lucky with such an amazing and down to earth photographer. She captured the entire day perfectly and it makes me so happy they we chose Ahava Studios. 10 out of 10 would recommend!

Stephanie Haller is the most amazing wedding photographer in the Bay Area by far. Just take a stroll through her Ahava Studios website - the timeless, elegant, artistic, detailed, candid photos speak volumes alone. If that still isn't enough to convince you, let me tell you about my experience with Stephanie. We talked over the phone a few times while I was researching wedding photographers. Most of my friends and family live in Orange County, so I didn't have anyone to ask about recommendations for photographers. I stumbled upon her website somehow (it was fate!), and was instantly captivated. Over the phone, she walked me through all my questions (there were many), and even did a Facetime video chat to meet my (then) fiance (now husband!) before we signed the paperwork. Not long after that, we had another phone call to walk through exactly how the ceremony and reception would go, and her involvement. Her timeline actually helped me to plan my own timeline! She sent me a document to request ALL the shots that I wanted her to get at the wedding, which I really appreciate now because during the wedding, I did not have the presence of mind to think about all that! She is so empathetic, and just really gets it. The whole experience of being a bride and all the feelings you have. On the day of the wedding, Stephanie was all positive energy and professionalism. She herded people together for photos, made us all laugh genuine laughs for photos, and was a candid photo ninja. Looking over all the photos she took, I am just so touched and honored to have had her as our photographer. She captured the essence of every important moment. Looking back on these photos, I'm able to travel back in my mind and live each beautiful moment again. I cannot recommend her highly enough!

So many great things to say about Ahava Studios with Stephanie and Ryan.... First off, our wedding was in Florida and we flew them all the way from California because we loved their eye on photography. We found them originally when we were thinking about a San Francisco wedding, then decided to take a different direction with Florida which is closer to home in Texas. When speaking to Stephanie, she makes you feel comfortable and will ask all the right questions on getting to know you and your fiance to capture the type of style that you are looking for. Stephanie will take the time to listen and understand what your vision and inspirations are. Throughout the 6 months of communication, Stephanie was well organized and accommodating. During the wedding day, Stephanie kept us on schedule and had a list of moments that she managed to ensure that were captured with our loved ones. After a couple of days after our wedding, Stephanie provided us a couple of pictures from our wedding and we were speechless. The pictures were everything we imagined them to be and more!

Stephanie is AMAZING! She has tons of experience, so she is super efficient when it comes to picture time. Not to mention her GORGEOUS pictures. I had been so in love with Stephanie's pictures and was thrilled when I got engaged and was able to hire her. My husband and I had no idea what to do with ourselves and Stephanie was able to get beautiful pictures out of us.

I actually won Stephanie's services via an auction for an anti-bullying campaign. That should alert you to what type of person Stephanie is - unselfish, giving and charismatic, to name a few. She was a gem to have on our wedding day and, although we haven't received all the shots back yet, the ones we have seen have been breathtaking. She was easygoing, responsive and at the same time a fly on the wall. I hardly noticed her most of the time (believe me, that is what you want on your wedding day!). A talented gem, with a glowing personality and smile that makes you happy to be in her presence.

Working with Stephanie was great…from beginning to end! Our experience was a little unique because when I booked her we were both in Seattle, then we both ended up moving a few times after that. She was so flexible with scheduling everything...especially the engagement shoot...and even ended up meeting us in New York to finally do it. Then, leading up to the wedding she was very helpful with all sorts of questions and really easy to get a hold of. I was able to e-mail and text and always got responses quickly.

Most importantly, though, on the day of the wedding she was perfect! I got so many compliments from friends and family about how amazed they were with the fact that she was there the whole day taking photos and yet was never in the way or even noticed (in the best possible way). She got to locations early to scout them out and then was totally prepared for everything. It was so nice to not have to think or worry about anything.

Also, I just really enjoyed Stephanie as a person! She is so fun and you can tell she really enjoys what she does. She was also great at getting people out of their shells and feeling comfortable having their picture taken.

Finally, the pictures turned out amazing! From her blog posts, to the guest book and albums she designed, everything was over the top beautiful! I researched photographers a lot, as it was the most important thing for me, and I am really happy with how it all went!

Stephanie was awesome to work with. She did our engagement AND wedding photos, and was very quick to release teaser shots of the photographs after each shoot. What I love most about her style is that she really knows how to work with lighting, and all the pictures that she shoots exude a natural and fresh air about them. During our wedding day, she was sooo helpful, and we actually enjoyed taking the mandatory wedding shots we needed to take with her, instead of seeing it as a "chore" to do. She lets you be yourself, which is really important because it makes your pictures really showcase who you are.

I had been following Stephanie's photography for months, blog after blog, each wedding captured leaving me in awe.

When I finally set my own wedding date, SHP was the clear choice, and I wasn't let down.

Stephanie is an amazing photographer. She captured things that I didn't even know were happening! The day goes by so quickly that it's hard to remember the little details - but SHP doesn't forget to remember them for us. A bouquet delicately grasped between the hands of a bridesmaid, a kiss snuck during the first dance, a joyful tear on the cheek of a proud parent... everything.

My wedding day was immortalized - captured beautifully, perfectly. Every time I look through my album or see other weddings that she captured so masterfully, I wish I could do it all over again. I'd recommend SHP to anyone looking for a photographer.

Picking a wedding photographer is no small task, and it can be even tougher if you aren't willing to pay some of the astronomical prices that people are charging. Bottom line: I wanted a talented photographer who would take interesting, personal and beautiful photos and who would have fun in the process.

Thank goodness my wedding coordinator recommended Stephanie, because it was the BEST recommendation we could've gotten. After looking at her portfolio and speaking with her on the phone, I knew we were a great fit. My husband-to-be and I were pretty camera shy and not comfortable in front of the lens, and this was no issue at all for her. We wanted a lot of photojournalism style shots, but still some family portraits as we had many generations attending our wedding. That was no issue either! Plus, her package was a fantastic value, especially since our wedding day started early and we needed a lot of photographer hours.

That was just the beginning. When I met with Stephanie I knew that she was a real person who LOVED photography, and who was genuinely excited about our wedding day. She had great ideas for pictures at our church, promised to take some test shots so I'd be comfortable with my hair and makeup in photographs, and was so enthusiastic about the fun details Robert and I had incorporated into our celebration.

On our wedding day, she and her second shooter Kip Beelman were phenomenal. From the beginning they were first and foremost professional and attentive, but so friendly and accommodating. They set up lots of creative shots, and when we had time after the ceremony to take photos at a few fun locations before the reception started, we had an absolute blast. They brought out our liveliness and we really had fun in front of the camera. The stop at the doughnut shop- just sitting enjoying a treat with my husband, Stephanie and Kip- was one of the most fun parts of our day.

I am so excited to see how all the photos turn out, and I will update this review when I have more raves to share about the photographs themselves. But I could not imagine working with a more professional, friendly and fun photographer than Stephanie.