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Weddings

About

Shelly Pate Photography is a wedding photography business based out of Washington, DC. Owner and lead photographer Shelly relishes the opportunity to create beautiful images of authentic moments. A passionate and relatable professional, Shelly loves working with all manner of couples on wedding days. A natural storyteller, she likes to weave personal narratives into the photos she crafts.

Services Offered

Shelly Pate Photography enjoys focusing on the real, in-between moments that show couples being their true selves. This allows Shelly to produce images that can be cherished and admired for generations to come. A blend of contemporary, natural, and photojournalistic styles influence Shelly's approach, allowing her to create diverse images. Her work can be availed as digital files, albums, canvases, prints, and more. Some of the other features provided by Shelly Pate Photography include:

  • An additional photographer
  • Multiple-location sessions
  • A one-event-per-day policy
  • Engagement coverage
  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

2nd Shooter
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Toning
Digital Files

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

2nd Shooter
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
One Event / Day
Toning
Digital Files

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Natural
Photojournalism

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Boudoir Shoot
Destination / Travel
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter
Wedding Portraits

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Matted Prints
Prints

Reviews of Shelly Pate Photography

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 photographer is highly praised for artistic, stunning engagement and wedding photos that exceeded expectations. Reviewers highlight her professionalism, calming, friendly presence, and helpful planning—she provided detailed timelines and made sessions stress-free. Many strongly recommend hiring her and call it a worthwhile investment.

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 photographer is highly praised for artistic, stunning engagement and wedding photos that exceeded expectations. Reviewers highlight her professionalism, calming, friendly presence, and helpful planning—she provided detailed timelines and made sessions stress-free. Many strongly recommend hiring her and call it a worthwhile investment.

K
Krystine Sent on 05/24/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Shelly Pate photography is worth every penny!

Shelly is amazing! We’ve been working with her for our wedding since last summer and she has been so accommodating to our needs. We did our engagement shoot with her last year and unfortunately we had to postpone our reception another 5 months because of the pandemic. Shelly was so proactive and flexible that we didn’t have any issues with rescheduling. She was present for our small ceremony this weekend and she not only took care of her scope of work but also coordinated with our videographer to make sure they captured what we wanted. Shelly goes above and beyond what you expect from a vendor. She’s professional, but easy to talk to, and she makes the environment fun and comfortable for her clients. This is on top of the beautiful pictures she produces after each session =) We’re looking forward to working with her and her husband again in a few months!
Megan
Megan Sent on 12/06/2025
5 out of 5 rating

Shelly is a gift!

I need to scream from the rooftops how much I love Shelly!!

First off, she is an absolute artist. I was drawn to her early on for her past work and any additional galleries she sent me did not disappoint. She was the photographer to whom I was comparing all other photographers we looked at or spoke with and I just knew I had to have her.

She is so easy to work with - she's friendly and kind and made both of us feel so comfortable during both our engagement photoshoot and during our wedding day. Then she just works absolute magic - every single photo deserves to be framed and I am so unbelievably happy that we had her to capture our big day and preserve that magic for us forever.

And ladies if you're thinking about also booking her for a very different type of photoshoot, I can also recommend that 100/10. Shelly is just a straight up gift and I plan to reach out to her for any and all photoshoots for us in the future.
N
Nicole Sent on 10/07/2025
5 out of 5 rating

She is the best!

Shelly is amazing! Our photos came out SOO GOOD. She’s also awesome to be around! She is soo sweet and easy going which made us feel comfortable in front of the camera (which can be difficult for us.)
We had an amazing experience during our engagement photos which we used for our save-the-dates, it was really hard to pick one because they all came out great!
For our wedding day, we had a detailed timeline for the day that was outlined and made by Shelly based off what we wanted. Everything came out perfect, thank you Shelly!!!
J
Shelby Sent on 07/26/2024
5 out of 5 rating

July 2024 Wedding

My husband and I got married in Virginia in July 2024. Shelly Pate Photography exceeded our expectations with our engagement and wedding photos. From the moment we met, her professionalism and passion for capturing special moments were evident. On the big day, Shelly and Patrick seamlessly blended into the background, capturing candid shots and intimate details that truly reflected the spirit of the occasion. Shelly’s eye for detail and creative flair resulted in breathtaking photos that tell the story of our wedding beautifully. Every image is a perfect blend of artistry and emotion, preserving our memories in a way that we will cherish forever. Beyond their exceptional skills, their warm and friendly demeanor made the entire process enjoyable and stress-free. They were incredibly accommodating and genuinely invested in making sure every moment was captured to perfection. If you’re looking for a photographer who delivers stunning, memorable images with a personal touch, look no further. My husband and I still cannot believe how stunning the photos are from our wedding - we have never felt so beautiful in our lives! Thank you Shelly and Patrick for capturing our perfect day perfectly. Shelly Pate Photography is truly outstanding! Shelby & Joe G.
E
Elise Sent on 12/29/2023
5 out of 5 rating

The very best!!

Shelly is amazing!!! I truly cannot say enough good things about her and Patrick, and about the entire experience of working with them. Through the initial conversations, engagement photos, the wedding planning process, and then the chaos of wedding weekend, she was so helpful, so kind, and such a calming presence every step of the way. And THE PHOTOS!! Both the engagement photos (which we were on the fence about initially, but are so, so happy we have) and the wedding photos exceeded every expectation we possibly had. They are absolutely stunning and truly captured the day. INVEST IN PHOTOS (and hire Shelly)!
Z
Zizhan Sent on 08/13/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Cannot recommend Shelly enough!

Hiring Shelly for our engagement photos and wedding day photos was the best decision we made. She was incredible to work with and made every photo session a blast! Her calming presence is so incredibly valuable in what can be a very high-stress environment, and she goes out of her way to make you feel special and make your day go as smoothly as possible. 10000% recommend!
Shelby
Shelby Sent on 05/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Shelly was wonderful!

She was timely, professional, and the photos were beautiful.
V
Victoria Sent on 04/11/2023
5 out of 5 rating

A Special Gem of a Wedding Photographer

Shelly was the absolute best to work with! We are so happy we choose Shelly to be our wedding photographer. Our initial meeting with Shelly was so great and she really took the time to get to know us as a couple. We did our engagement photos with her about a year before our wedding and she made us feel so comfortable that we knew right away we made the best choice. Our engagement photos and wedding photos came out better than we could have hoped for. She really captured us in the best way and gave us so many beautiful shots to remember our day. She has an amazing eye and is able to effortlessly mix timeless shots and classic wedding portraits (that don't feel stuffy) while adding something different to make it special. She has such a beautiful level of artistry that you don't see in every wedding photographer. She was so helpful and responsive during our process, not to mention she's such a great person to be around and made me feel so great on my wedding day. Definitely go with Shelly!
A
Amanda Sent on 01/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Highly recommend!

Shelly was an absolute godsend! She and her team were positive and easy to work with throughout the entire experience. Her photos turned out incredible. Shelly saved the day and was even able to photoshop a bridesmaid dress to the correct color (for a bridesmaid who mistakenly ordered the wrong color)! Can’t recommend her enough!
Jenna
Jenna Sent on 12/12/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Stop Looking and Book Shelly Pate!

I cannot attempt to capture how amazing & talented Shelly is through a short review. She is truly a master of her craft and I'm thankful that we were able to experience her mastery on our wedding day.

I felt very natural working with her. Even though my husband and I felt a bit uncomfortable being in front of the camera, Shelly made it a point to make us feel like naturals. She was able to capture a complete spectrum of images from candids, to raw moments, & formal poses.

Her energy & creativity truly are unmatched and my wedding photographs are something I will cherish forever and I am eternally grateful for Shelly & her true professionalism.
We're all about trust. Our community relies on honest reviews to help you make those big decisions with ease.

Awards

69
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2022 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2018 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner

Map

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Shelly Pate Photography frequently asked questions

Shelly Pate Photography includes the following photography services in the starting price:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • One Event / Day
  • Toning
  • Digital Files
Shelly Pate Photography includes the following photography services in their most popular wedding package:
  • 2nd Shooter
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • Multi. Locations
  • One Event / Day
  • Toning
  • Digital Files
Shelly Pate Photography offers the following photography styles:
  • Contemporary
  • Natural
  • Photojournalism
Shelly Pate Photography offers the following photography services for weddings:
  • Additional Hours
  • Boudoir Shoot
  • Destination / Travel
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • One Event / Day
  • Second Shooter
  • Wedding Portraits
Shelly Pate Photography offers the following photography materials for weddings:
  • Albums
  • Canvas
  • Digital Files
  • Matted Prints
  • Prints
Shelly Pate Photography is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.
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