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Weddings

About

Initial Impressions is a professional, client-centric wedding photography service in Peoria, Illinois. Owner Samantha has spent more than a decade looking through the lens, priding herself on a varied portfolio that puts couples at center frame. A skilled and versatile photographer, Samantha’s style adapts to reflect the personalities of the couples she shoots, from vivid and joyous to soft and intimate compositions. She draws on her vast experience to create fun atmospheres for her shoots, and always goes the extra mile for those exchanging vows.

Services Offered

Initial Impressions puts couples’ needs first and understands that each wedding is unique. That is why Samantha works with couples to create bespoke packages, in conjunction with her standard wedding bundles. She proposes a free consultation and provides a wide range of services such as a second shooter and engagement session.

  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

2nd Shooter
High-Res Images

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

2nd Shooter
Add'l Hours
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
Canvas
Digital Files

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Natural
Traditional
Vintage

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Boudoir Shoot
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
Second Shooter
Wedding Portraits

What photography items do you offer?

Canvas
Digital Files
Matted Prints
Prints
Proofs

Reviews of Initial Impressions

This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

Review summary

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The photography team provided exceptional, professional service with clear, frequent communication, helpful timeline planning, and flexibility on the day. They were unobtrusive yet captured many meaningful moments and delivered a large, beautiful gallery quickly. Pricing and packages were reasonable and the team comes highly recommended.

Review summary

Powered by AI
This AI-generated summary gives you a snapshot of the overall ratings and feedback from the reviews this vendor has received.

The photography team provided exceptional, professional service with clear, frequent communication, helpful timeline planning, and flexibility on the day. They were unobtrusive yet captured many meaningful moments and delivered a large, beautiful gallery quickly. Pricing and packages were reasonable and the team comes highly recommended.

Lottie
Lottie Sent on 06/01/2024
5 out of 5 rating

Talented, Friendly, and Responsive Communicator

Samantha and her second shooter, Katie, were fantastic to work with. We were a bit hesitant working with someone we didn't know from personal connections, but the positive reviews convinced us it was worth a shot. We are very thankful we hired Initial Impressions! From the beginning, Samantha communicated clearly and frequently. She was super patient with us, a bride and groom who weren't exactly sure what they wanted and were often slow at getting back to her, and helped us draft a schedule for the photographers for the Big Day. She was really good about letting us make decisions and augmenting them with her expert advice.
On the day of, she and Katie were supportive and kind while being unobtrusive. I was surprised when we got our photos back to see moments that I had no idea they had captured! Extremely professional and excellent at capturing special moments.
Speaking of getting photos back, Initial Impressions sent us the whole gallery only 3 weeks after the event with over 800 photos. We absolutely love them!
From her consistent communication, ability to guide indecisive people, pleasant attitude, and superb professionalism, we would 100% work with Initial Impressions again.
B
Brandy Sent on 12/04/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Absolutely amazing

Samantha did absolutely amazing with our photos! I am obsessed with how they turned out. Her dedication and creativity was more than we could have asked for. She was very responsive if you had a question and if we ever needed an idea or some feedback she knew exactly how we could make something work. I will definitely be using her in the future for any picture needs! Thank you so much for helping make our day absolutely amazing!
K
Katie Sent on 11/01/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Wonderful Team

We loved working with Samantha! Samantha was quick to respond, helpful with getting the timeline of the day set and flexible the day of our wedding. We loved have Katie has a second photographer. Our pictures turned out beautiful and will be something we treasure forever! We couldn’t have asked for a better team!
E
Erin Sent on 10/12/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Everything went smoothly, she was great with communication, and pictures turned out beautiful

Initial impressions was perfect for our engagement pictures and wedding pictures. They made the picture process easy and comfortable. Each and every picture turned out beautiful and made me want every single one hanging up in our home. It was so nice to feel like we were re-living the day and would recommend them to anyone! The turnaround time was also quicker than expected even during this time of year. We love Sam!
A
Allison Sent on 08/13/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Fabulous! Always quick to respond to any questions!

Great! She was always very responsive!!
R
Rachel Sent on 07/24/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing Photos and Wonderful Service

Samantha was incredible. She was very communicative before the wedding, and her packages and pricing are reasonable and easy to understand. She took her cues from us and was comfortable following our lead or directing us, based on our comfort level and what we asked of her. We had some specific ideas for engagement and wedding photos, but asked her to take the lead past that, and she did not disappoint! The photos are absolutely incredible, and we couldn't be happier. Based on how wonderful Samantha was to work with and the quality and number of photos we received, we will definitely consider Initial Impressions for anniversary and/or family photos in the future!
J
Jill Sent on 04/07/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Such a wonderful photographer!

Samantha was so kind and worked well with us! Our wedding day was cooooold but she made it work! She was flexible, helpful, insightful and wonderful! They even helped put boutoneers on the groomsmen who didnt know what they were doing lol
Definitely recommend!
K
Katelyn Sent on 10/16/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Great quality! It was great working with Samantha!

Samantha was extremely professional and made sure to capture all of the amazing moments of my wedding day. Her colors are vibrant, which is what drew me to her in the first place. My wildflowers really popped against the white and grey dresses. I highly recommend Initial Impressions by Samantha. She is high quality with a reasonable price!
J
Jamie Sent on 10/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Spectacular!!

Sammantha was amazing. She truly is a professional and gifted at what she does. The photos were amazing and her attitude was great. I would highly recommend her!!
Genevieve
Genevieve Sent on 08/29/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Exceptional!

Initial Impressions was phenomenal! They were incredibly flexible with minor changes throughout the day and were kind to every guest that interacted with them. Not to mention, the photos were both amazing and timely!
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Awards

25
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner

Map

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Initial Impressions frequently asked questions

Initial Impressions includes the following photography services in the starting price:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • High-Res Images
Initial Impressions includes the following photography services in their most popular wedding package:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • Add'l Hours
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • Multi. Locations
  • Canvas
  • Digital Files
Initial Impressions offers the following photography styles:
  • Contemporary
  • Natural
  • Traditional
  • Vintage
Initial Impressions offers the following photography services for weddings:
  • Additional Hours
  • Boudoir Shoot
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • Second Shooter
  • Wedding Portraits
Initial Impressions offers the following photography materials for weddings:
  • Canvas
  • Digital Files
  • Matted Prints
  • Prints
  • Proofs
Initial Impressions is recommended by 97% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.8 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 4.8 in quality of service, 4.8 in average response time, 4.8 in flexibility, 4.8 in professionalism and 4.8 in value.
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