We first met Joe when he photographed our friends’ wedding in Chicago, and after seeing how incredible he was with them, we knew we had to find a way to have him capture our destination wedding at Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater, Florida. We had heard plenty of stories about couples taking a risk with destination photographers, and we wanted someone we could completely trust. Bringing Joe out using our travel rewards was one of the BEST decisions we made.

Joe spent three days with us—our rehearsal, wedding day, and an extra day for photos of just the two of us. He went above and beyond and captured the entire weekend in a way that truly allows us to relive those moments.

Before the wedding, we did an engagement session in Chicago, and it was so much fun. Joe took us around the city to places like Lincoln Park Zoo, the Chicago Theatre, and The Rookery, and made the entire experience feel effortless and actually fun. The photos felt completely like us—natural, genuine, and not like typical staged wedding photos.

Planning a destination wedding can be stressful, but Joe made everything easy. He was always super super quick to respond, answered every question we had, and his experience immediately gave us confidence that we were in the right hands.

On the wedding day, Joe was absolutely incredible. Neither of us is comfortable in front of a camera, and we had no idea how to pose, but Joe made us feel completely confident. He gave us direction when we needed it, kept everything moving, and made us feel like we belonged in a magazine. He can literally get ANYONE to smile with his one liners.

The photos are beyond amazing. They are emotional, authentic, and capture exactly how the weekend felt. Every time we look through our album, we are instantly taken back to those moments and we can't thank him enough for it.

Joe is so much more than a photographer—he becomes part of your wedding experience. He is talented, professional, calm, funny, and genuinely cares about making your day unforgettable.

If you are considering Joe, especially for a destination wedding, do not hesitate. You are not just hiring someone to take photos—you are hiring someone who gives you peace of mind.

We are so grateful we found Joe Nowak to capture our wedding at The Peninsula in June 2026. From the moment we met him, we knew we were in great hands.

Joe is a true professional who made the entire day feel effortless. He took charge when needed, kept everything on schedule, knew all the perfect photo locations, and made the whole experience feel completely natural. His calm presence, experience, and sense of humor made us feel comfortable and confident throughout the day.

Joe created an amazing timeline for us to follow, helped make every moment happen, and captured over 2,000 incredible photos. We honestly have a hard time choosing favorites because we love them all.

If you’re looking for a photographer who is talented, organized, fun to be around, and truly cares about capturing your day perfectly, we cannot recommend Joe enough!

We truly cannot say enough good things about Joe. From the moment we met him during our engagement session, we knew we had found the perfect photographer for our wedding day.

My husband and I are both pretty awkward in front of a camera and normally hate having photos taken. Somehow Joe completely changed that. Within minutes he had us laughing and feeling relaxed like we were just hanging out with an old friend. By the time the engagement session ended we were actually having fun and realized our photos were going to turn out amazing.

On the wedding day, Joe brought that same energy and positivity from the very beginning. He kept everyone smiling and laughing the entire day and somehow managed to keep everything flowing smoothly without it ever feeling forced or stressful. Several of our family members even commented on how hilarious he was and how comfortable he made everyone feel.

What amazed us most was how many genuine moments he captured that we didn’t even realize were happening. Looking through the gallery felt like reliving the day all over again. The reactions, the quiet little moments between us, the big emotional moments with family… he somehow caught everything.

Joe truly works magic with a camera. The photos feel timeless and authentic, not overly trendy or filtered in a way that will look dated in a few years. They look like us and they capture the day exactly how it felt.

He also went above and beyond by getting next-day edits to us, which was incredible. Being able to wake up the morning after our wedding and immediately relive those moments with friends and family was something we didn’t expect but absolutely loved.

There were so many little things throughout the day where Joe went the extra mile—helping keep the timeline moving, jumping in to help when things got hectic, and always making sure we were having a good time.

Choosing Joe was one of the best decisions we made for our wedding. We will absolutely be recommending him to family and friends whenever someone asks for a photographer.

Rebecca & Dan

We knew we wanted our wedding photos to feel like us, not just something trendy or cookie-cutter. After seeing other photographers, everything started to feel the same—beautiful, but missing soul. That’s when we found Joe. From the very start, he made us feel like he truly understood our story and what mattered to us. Joe wasn’t just a photographer on our wedding day—he was a guide, a calming presence, and somehow everywhere at once capturing every laugh, hug, and quiet moment we didn’t even notice. He took the time to really get to know us, and it shows in every single photo. Our photos aren’t just pictures—they’re moments we can feel. The album Joe helped us create is stunning. It doesn’t just show our day, it tells our story. Looking back at the images, we cry, we laugh, and we remember exactly what it felt like to be there. We highly recommend Joe—our bridesmaids are already scheduling their weddings to make sure he’s available!