We combed through WeddingWire, TheKnot, Reddit, Instagram, and asked married friends for recommendations when we started looking for a photographer; we knew that photography quality was high on our list of wedding priorities so we looked at a LOT of portfolios, websites, Instagram accounts, bios, and so on to find photographers that matched styles we both liked and had values and a personality that aligned with us.

I made a shortlist of about 5 photographers I really loved that were roughly around the budget we set, sent the list to my partner and he ranked them in his preferred order. We sent emails out to 3 photographer who all got back to me and were super lovely; since Hellena was both of our top choice based on what we had researched, we scheduled a Zoom call with her. She was quick to respond and the initial virtual meet was easy and nice!

We absolutely LOVED her right away after the Zoom call (30 minutes, asked a ton of questions we had listed out beforehand) and went straight to booking after that call. We really loved her style and her vibe and she seemed really easy going and open/transparent about everything during our call.

We just had our engagement shoot done and as someone who doesn't really like having photos taken or doesn't believe myself to be photogenic, it was such a fun experience, even though I totally tripped during the session and completely fell forward. Hellena has been super flexible and a really awesome person all around. We've openly communicated and stayed in touch over the months since we booked her to make sure we were all comfortable and healthy and open to the locations we wanted to shoot at. We rescheduled our engagement shoot date and location and also worked with my hair and makeup artist to schedule my trial the same day, so everything worked out.

I am beyond excited to work with Hellena again for our wedding and our anniversary shoot, and hope to be able to book her again in the future for more life happenings and milestones after marriage!

Hellena is absolutely amazing— she is so talented!! She is also just so enjoyable to be around and I was amazed at how well she understood our vibe/what we wanted. She photographed my husband and my 30 person wedding and every time I look at the photos I feel all of the joy and coziness of that day. We had such a fun time taking couples shots at Mt Tam, and Hellena made us feel so comfortable; at the same time she took lovely candid shots of our ceremony and celebration. Our family and friends cannot stop talking about how well she captured our day. Highly highly highly recommend working with her!!

We worked with Hellena (and second shooter, Jamie) for our wedding in the Bay Area and it was an amazing experience! This was a bit of a destination wedding for us, but we were able to meet with her and walk around the venue together well before the wedding to plan. Leading up to the wedding, we checked in 1-2 times to review the timeline and photo list (and she gave us some excellent suggestions on both). On the wedding day, Hellena was punctual and an extremely calming and comforting presence. She made sure our needs as a couple were met (including making sure we were hydrated and well-fed) throughout the day. We received sneak peeks about a week after the wedding, and expect to get the rest in the next couple of weeks. Hellena is courteous, warm and very talented. She made our wedding extra special!