Marie Monforte Photography

My partner and I had very little opinions about our wedding other than we wanted our photos to be good. Everyone's preferences about style are different, but we found ourselves nit-picking some of the first vendors we looked at because the people didn't look like themselves. Thankfully, we found Marie; when we looked at her website, we knew she was who we had been waiting for, from her sample galleries to her "about me" section of her page. Before we booked her, we had a chat for over an hour about our wedding but also just about ourselves. She is a gem. For our engagement shoot, she took two awkward people who had never been photographed, made us feel comfortable, and produced STUNNING photos. Before our wedding, she made sure our shot list was inclusive of everything we wanted to capture. On our wedding day, she arrived early and made the whole day feel easy, fun, and not forced. Her second shooter, Christina, was just as lovely as Marie. We even had Marie drive her first golf cart (and not crash)! We put our trust in her about what the best places to shoot were and what the posts should be and WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED. She also worked great with our videographer and even asked us day-of if there were any last-minute shots to capture before she left. Her work speaks for itself but booking Marie means you will get a genuine and kind person on the other side of the camera.

Marie did an engagement shoot for my fiance and me and we could not be happier for how the pictures turned out! We were on the beach for almost two hours and got to take pictures in a few different places for some variety. She was very helpful in making the pictures seem fun and playful and less staged. She was super flexible and easy to work with and would definitely use her for our wedding if it was in California! I would recommend her to anyone for any photography needs you may have!

Marie was beyond amazing on our day! After our initial photography company filed for bankruptcy, we had to find a replacement. We couldn't be happier with Marie! Losing that first photographer was a blessing in disguise. We are both so grateful to you for your wonderful photography, your kindness and your patience. Everyone at the wedding was saying how great she was, and she kept us on schedule while managing to take amazing photos even though it rained a little on our day! Thank you so much!!

I am sincerely blown away by Marie and her innate ability to capture what is the most important day of many peoples lives. Marie met us on site for our wedding and she hit the ground running. She was able to not only take pictures that represent our personality and love, but take all the right shots so that my husband and I can look back for a lifetime, and remember every second. She was so eager to take all the classic shots, excited to capture the beauty of our venue, and to take photos of moments that we would have never even thought about. She is so kind and easy to work with and incredibly flexible (we had her pulled in every direction). Marie, we cannot thank you enough for capturing every moment of our wedding. Your pictures are so incredible and an absolute sentiment of your professionalism and commitment to your art. We are so grateful that we had you!

Bottom line up front : Hire Marie! You won't regret it! You will get unbelievingly beautiful wedding pictures!

When my now current wife and I first met Marie, we only an inkling of what to expect from a wedding photographer. Marie was very prompt in responding to us and we had a sit down meeting over coffee. What little nervousness we had instantly disappeared when we met Marie. She is extremely personable and friendly. It was like sitting down with a childhood friend. That's the kind of relationship you want with your vendors, so you know they'll take care of you on your wedding day.

Of course, Marie is not just only friendly. She has the technical skills of a seasoned photographer to back it up. She brought samples of her work to showcase the kind of pictures you should expect. We knew right away from her natural and organic shooting style that she was the photographer for us.

Our first work session with her was the engagement photoshoot. Marie scouts out the scene ahead of time to ensure you get the best spots for picture taking, so rest assured that you have to do as minimal work as possible other than dressing up to look good :). I was pretty nervous going into it since I have no idea how to pose for a cool shot. Marie's got ton of experience with grooms, so she knew exactly how to make me comfortable. She worked her magic of people skills, photography angles, and golden hour lighting to create a wonderful set of engagement shoots for us. The pictures were stunning but also very candid all the while my wife and I had so much. You'll have fun at the engagement shoot, trust me!

She is very organized and works with your videographer & DJ to ensure your wedding day goes perfectly. Just as with the engagement shoot, Marie makes sure to know your wedding venue inside out. So again, minimal work on your part. Just dress up, look good, get married, and let her work her magic. She'll get you the best shots possible and shots you'll be surprised at. Marie brings a ton of energy with her on your wedding day as she's jumping in and out to ensure she gets all the shots possible to create a story of your wedding day. Thanks for putting yourself in bushes, crouching, and leaning in awkward positions for the best angled shots, Marie!

Words can't describe how happy and satisfied with Marie we are. Our pictures turned out beautifully. Marie captured such gorgeous shots of the wedding party, our families, the ceremony, the reception, our friends, and most importantly ourselves. You'll get a whole spectrum of photos you didn't expect as you sit down and just admire the beauty of it all. Marie did an incredible job capturing our relationship and our wedding day, so thank you Marie!

If you're looking for an amazing photographer and unforgettable wedding pictures that you will love over and over again, hire Marie. You won't regret it!

Marie was a cut above the rest on EVERY LEVEL. Only hours after reaching out to her, she called me on the phone from Legoland with her kids, to let me know that she wouldn’t be at her computer until later, but would be more than happy to talk on the phone. The first time we met she was warm, timely and extremely prepared. It was clear that she was an experienced professional, and yet she was also warm, receptive and easy to talk to. She answered all my questions and never once made me feel pressured to chose her, in fact, she went out of her way to express how important it to use discernment before making a final photography decision. She clued me in to what I should be looking for in a photographer. She helped me realize that there is ALOT MORE than just producing a "great shot." She was the first photographer that made me understand the amount of TECHNICAL skill and experience is needed to be assured of a satisfying outcome. She helped me understand the nature of what I would be paying for and how to assess the value of a package. I left our meeting really feeling empowered about how to make a choice about something as important as wedding photography. While I had an instinctual feeling that she was THE ONE, I had financial limitations. When I reached out about my budget, she was willing to spend time to draft out ways to get the most bang for my buck and even though I hadn't committed to or booked her yet, she put in extra time, thought and effort to helping me out. Long story short...I booked her and let me say that she is WORTH every penny and much, much more.
On the day of our wedding, unpredicted by the weather channel, a serious rain storm came through and caused us to make massive changes at the last minute. Marie showed up to a tornado of disarray as we tried to transform an elaborate outdoor wedding into an intimate indoor engagement. She took initiative and started making decisions. Now, as a control freak, I would usually worry about someone else making decisions on my behalf, but Marie showed up so prepared, that she was one of the few people that made me feel like everything was going to turn out perfectly. She had studied my shot list and figured out who was who. She talked with other vendors and showed up to the challenge of the crappy lighting and puddles of mud with grace and confidence. She knew when to let things go and when to push for things. She seemed to “sense” what I needed and what mattered and then made it happen. Her agenda was my agenda and I felt 100% supported by her and her second shooter Christina. While the wedding actually turned out better than we could have ever hoped for, I found myself feeling nervous about whether or not we would get any “good shots.” WELL, I just received my preview of about 15 photos from Marie and immediately exploded with joy. No one will ever know the challenges we faced because Marie and Christina managed to capture INSANE, GORGEOUS, STUNNING, photos of us and the magic of our day. Our ceremony was really backlit, yet she somehow managed to capture every detail of our faces, all the richness of our colors, and all the emotions we felt. Each frame is a perfectly symmetrical, balanced, and a piece of art. She captured moments that were only a split seconds long. She took command when we needed direction, and she made herself invisible when things were flowing well. I cannot speak more highly of her, Marie is a true photography professional and a wonderful human.

Marie is an absolutely AMAZING photographer and person to have by your side on your wedding day! She was so helpful and sweet to work with, from consultation to reception and beyond. She worked efficiently to make sure we were able to get all of the shots we wanted and was so fun to have around throughout the day. She uses a wedding shared document, which makes it so easy to add the details for the wedding and create shot lists. Would highly, highly recommend!! Thank you, Marie!

Marie Monforte is an incredible photographer, and even better person. We are so happy to have gotten her to capture every perfect moment from our wedding -- she went the extra mile from the first day and was fantastic to work with. Our wedding involved 2 different cultural ceremonies across 2 days, and Marie worked tirelessly to make sure we were prepared, organized, and most importantly, relaxed while enjoying the best weekend of our lives. Her style of photography is truly a sight to behold; we are absolutely over the moon with these lifelong memories that Marie made possible. Not only is her photography incredible, but Marie is one vendor that multiple family members and friends kept complimenting after our wedding weekend for how lovely, professional, and fun she was to interact with. If you can get Marie to be the photographer for your family, your wedding, or whatever, do it!

Marie is SUCH a talented photographer! She captured our wedding day so beautifully and in a way that really told the story of the day. She and her second shooter were really attentive throughout the entire day and captured all the big and little moments alike. She's also so easy to work with. She made us feel so comfortable and we had a blast doing photos with her! We highly recommend her!

I dont know how else to say it but Marie is the best! She responded very quickly and was very easy to talk to. When it was time for the engagement photos she knew the place we went very well and the pictures turned out amazing. On our wedding day she was very attentive to our needs and the photos she took turned out gorgeous. The turn time was quick which surprised us. I would highly recommend Marie for any type of photography that you need

Where do I even begin... When my husband Jordan and I first met Marie over sushi we immediately connected. So personable and professional, she felt like one of those instant friends that only come around once in a blue moon. At our engagement session, Marie made us feel so comfortable and relaxed. We were having so much fun before we knew it an hour had flown by! Once the engagement photos were available (within 2 weeks, so quick!) I was blown away. The ambiance, the "feels" and our relationship and love were purely captured in her photos. With the stress of wedding planning, her photos bring you back to why you fell in love with that person in the first place. Now moving on to the wedding day. Throughout the entire wedding, Marie's finger was non-stop taking photos. And our photos turned out GORGEOUS. I remember the day exactly how the photos came out - whimsical, airy, bohemian and full of love. Who Jordan and I are as a couple truly came through in our photos and we will cherish them forever. Marie is a true talent who is a master of her craft. I would recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone looking for ANY type of photo session. You will not be disappointed!

Marie was STELLAR. From the initial email to the phone call to a video chat where she "met" my now husband and I (long-distance engagement and wedding planning woes solved by technology), I knew right away that I not only wanted Marie as our wedding photographer, but as a friend. We had taken engagement photos on the actual day of our engagement with a family friend, but Marie recommended we still meet for a photoshoot so we could get comfortable with her and one another. I'm so glad we did it, because it helped us relax and get to know Marie as a person and a professional. She later drove out to our wedding site to scope out the lighting, locations where we wanted our photos, and even help plan out our day-of timetable.

Marie and her second shooter Courtney were fabulous on the day of. We did a first look photoshoot and some couple shots, and because we'd already planned out where we wanted our photos, it was efficient and still gave my husband and I time to bask very naturally in our excitement and each other's presence. There were a lot of babies/children at the wedding, and Marie was great at getting them to smile and catching some adorable unposed moments. All that to say, Marie is really good at getting the stylistic elements of photography and the candid action shots.

Because we did not have a videographer, my husband and I knew we wanted a beautiful photo album to remember the event by. We got the highest-end album with additional spreads, and the print credit covered a chunk of the cost. We loved the first draft but wanted some additional photos, and Marie understood our vision when we came back with some input. Our album is gorgeous, our keepsake box with additional photos is lovely, and we also got a few extra black-and-white prints in addition to the one we purchased to go in our special frame. Marie was so generous with her time and giving of her spirit. You must hire her! You'd have a friend for life! (P.S. Marie, let's get dinner!)

Marie is such an incredible wedding photographer. She captured our wedding in such an authentic way. The photos caught not just the stunning background and “scheduled events” of the wedding, but they also told the story -- the emotions and tiny moments that really created the entire day.

As soon as we met Marie, we knew we wanted her as our wedding photographer. She was so easy to talk with, incredibly organized, and knows weddings like the back of her hand – she even used to be a wedding coordinator and that knowledge came in handy! She knows how to put people at ease and feel natural when she’s taking their picture (which is not always easy for those who don't feel comfortable in front of a camera) and made the engagement shoot and pre-wedding pictures not only easy, but fun. Her relaxed nature doesn't impinge on her ability to hustle and get the job done in the most perfect way. We look forward to working with Marie for all kinds of things in the future and cannot recommend her enough.

Marie did an amazing job! I had to hire her last minute, cause my other photographer back out 2 days before my wedding. Didnt have time to meet with her or anything. But when I meet her from the beginning I knew that she would be a amazing photographer, which she was! Couldn't have asked for a better photographer. Thank you so much for all of your help! ???? AND LOVE MY PICTURES ??