Recommended by 100%
8 User photos
Bradley Hall · Getting married on 03/04/2021
Calm Style, Beautiful Photos
Vivian was the perfect choice for our wedding - her style and calm energy set the perfect tone on our wedding day. We were so happy with how we got to spend the time before the ceremony with her, going around to some lovely spots taking pictures. She really helped up make the day feel happy and joyful, and she delivered the photos extremely fast! She really understood what we were going for, knew when to assert herself and when to back off, and was just wonderful. Would highly recommend to anyone!
Sent on 05/20/2019
Iva P. · Married on 08/31/2019
Gorgeous composition & color, and a wonderful person!
Vivian is really a delight: calm, funny, radiating warmth and expertise. She really captured our day in a sincere, gorgeous way. My friends and family keep telling us they have never seen such beautiful wedding photos.
Sent on 09/30/2019
If there are any poses that are very important to you, I would just recommend being clear about that as she has a photo-journalistic style. You will look like yourselves (but better) on the best day of your life, and if you want any particular posed shot in addition to this, speak up! She is flexible and supportive.
Eugenia Dellapenna · Married on 06/30/2018
Amazing wedding and engagement photos!
We loved working with Vivian! She was friendly and responsive, and made us feel at ease throughout the whole process. Best of all, the turnaround time for delivering our photos was amazing. She gave us teaser photos days after the wedding, and delivered the final high-quality photos after only a couple of weeks. The photos all look amazing with great backdrops and lighting, and she was creative with how she directed us throughout the shoot.
Sent on 11/06/2018
Stephanie · Married on 09/30/2017
Viv is amazing! I fell in love with her classic, journalistic photography style from her website and then as I began to get to know her, I was elated to hire her for my wedding. It can be a little nerve-wracking hiring a vendor with whom you have never worked or even met in person, but Viv made me feel comfortable and I found her process very smooth. She is a true pro from planning to execution, and has mastered the delicate balance of being forthcoming enough onsite to take control and keep things moving along, yet also fade into the background so as not to disrupt any special moments. She is also extremely adaptable, easy-going and personable. Her work speaks for itself and I am thrilled with the nearly 500 wedding photos I received, all perfectly cataloged by sequence of events on a USB thumb drive and mailed to me within just a couple of weeks. I highly recommend Vivian Chen to all future brides. Thanks for everything, Viv!
Sent on 11/05/2017
Devon · Married on 09/09/2017
We absolutely loved working with Viv! We chose our venue because of its natural beauty, and we wanted to work with a photographer who could capture it. When Viv was recommended to us, we knew immediately that she would do a fantastic job--her portfolio is superb. Her photos have this ethereal light, whether it's peeking through trees or filtered through the fog. Our wedding photos are truly stunning! Viv captured the beautiful and natural backdrop of our venue while also producing absolutely gorgeous photos of the wedding party and guests. Viv is a masterful photographer, and she is a absolute pleasure to work with! We couldn't have been happier!
Sent on 11/04/2017
R · Married on 06/10/2017
We are so, so happy that we had Vivian photograph our wedding in June 2017! The whole process, from meeting with her the first time, to emailing about wedding details, to the day-of photos, to delivery of the photos after the wedding, was easy and worry-free. She was responsive to our emails and questions, and the delivery of the photos afterward was prompt. It was great to work with such a professional, easy-going photographer. She was also helpful the day of the wedding in wrangling people and keeping everything moving along smoothly, especially since we didn't have a wedding coordinator. Most importantly, all of the photos were amazing! She captured the joy of the day perfectly. We truly cannot recommend Vivian enough!
Sent on 10/21/2017
Diane · Married on 04/07/2017
We used Vivian for our engagement and wedding photos. Vivian is amazing. We LOVE our pictures!! What amazing shots! Our whole family was very impressed with her- direct but friendly, unobtrusive but assertive, no-nonsense but approachable. She wrangled the whole family effortlessly and really knew what she was doing.
Sent on 05/11/2017
User5441811 · 2+ years ago
When we look through our wedding pictures, we know that Vivian was one of the very best choices we made in the whole wedding planning process. She was absolutely wonderful to work with, completely professional and responsive, and just went above and beyond in so many ways with her service and product. We found Vivian via a featured wedding in Refinery 29, loved her "About Me" video, enjoyed meeting her at her studio, and most of all were blown away by her past work at SF City Hall. She is so talented, giving with wedding tips, thoughtful, considerate to family, and really helped our day go smoothly. We'll treasure our photos forever and are so thankful we got to work with Vivian!
Sent on 09/16/2015
Jenny · Married on 04/18/2015
Vivian photographed our very small (12 people total) wedding, full of people who are not very comfortable in front of a camera - my husband included. No problem for Vivian! All of the photos she took feel genuine and natural. As my mom put it, "you have so many great photos to choose from, I don't know how you'll decide which ones to get printed."
Sent on 04/23/2015
It was really important to me to have a lot of candid photos taken, and Vivian delivered. She was so unobtrusive that, when looking through our photos, I don't even remember seeing her standing where she must have been standing to get her shots. And even though she had just met us, she got so many photos that perfectly capture the essence of us and our families.
Not only that, but Vivian was always prompt to respond when I contacted her, always professional, showed up early even though our location wasn't the easiest to find, and got our pictures back to us very quickly. Just about everyone at the wedding told me how much they enjoyed working with Vivian and they've all told me how much they love the photos!
Bottom line: Vivian was everything I wanted and needed in a photographer and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.
Lauren · Married on 10/12/2014
Knowing that we'd have these photos for the rest of our lives, we took the decision on the photographer very seriously and could not have been happier. Viv is talented, professional, and prompt in answering all inquiries. The photos are perfect - I still don't how she captured so many moments from our wedding. Would recommend her to anyone - and someday when we have kids, hopefully we'll be able to use her services again!
Sent on 01/19/2015
Tim · Married on 08/30/2014
Viv was absolutely, absolutely amazing to work with. She did both our engagement shoot and the wedding itself, and both times was just a dream. She's an awesome person, takes fantastic photos, is quick to respond to any questions or suggestions, and had the first preview of wedding photos in just a couple of days. She is also remarkably well priced for the Bay Area, and every picture of hers we've seen is just stunning. We're huge fans of Viv and her work.
Sent on 09/08/2014
Samantha · Married on 06/07/2014
We chose Vivian as our photographer for our destination wedding in Napa. I looked through at least 30 different photographers in the Bay Area/Napa Valley, and she was on our short list of photographers who's style is clean, natural, and really-well composed shots (both portraits & candids). I found her pricing to be very reasonable given everything that she includes and her skill.
Sent on 07/28/2014
We decided to go out a few months before to do the included (bonus!) engagement session with her. Even with a rainstorm, Viv captured beautiful shots of us at the redwoods! She was so patient and easy to talk to that it really made it relaxing (even though we were drenched by the end). We have never taken professional photos together, so it was definitely worth the trip out to have a practice run... even better that we have great pictures from the shoot!
Viv was very responsive before the wedding. I found that a lot of wedding vendors were less responsive until the date neared closer, but Viv was the exception. She worked with the day-of-coordinator before the big day and on the big day. This was HUGE. Having a photographer that can work with other vendors (esp. the coordinator) allows for the bride+groom/guests to just enjoy everything. No matter what you think, last minute things will happen (like a bridesmaid dress malfunction 30 minutes before leaving); having Viv with us to move things around on the schedule (and then get the coordinator up to speed) was beyond helpful.
Even with wedding season, Viv turned around the pictures faster than she anticipated (which was less than other photog's estimates). I loved that she has digital files hosted and available to download and will mail you a jumpdrive of your images. While almost anyone can add filters to a shot, she took clean pictures and didn't heavily post-process. If you want pictures that capture the spirit and memory of the day, Viv will do just that!
Ashley · Married on 03/16/2014
Vivian shot our wedding at Calistoga Ranch on March 16, 2014! She was outstanding from our first email to the editing of our hundreds of wedding photos. Vivian was prepared, professional and a patient gem! She provided bobby pins in a hair crisis, managed family members during photos and even kept us on time. Our family and friends loved her spirt and spunk. Not to mention, she's a superb photographer. The lighting of every photo was spectacular. We couldn't be more pleased with our decision to hire Vivian. Trust me, she'll be the best vendor you hire! We highly recommend Vivian!
Sent on 06/30/2014
Kat · Married on 02/14/2014
For your wedding? Just go with Vivian already...! ;)
Sent on 09/21/2014
Vivian captured the best moments (and hundreds of other great ones) at our wedding on a cliff overlooking the beach and our indoor restaurant reception last winter on Valentine's Day (!), 2014. It was so wonderful of her and her second photographer to climb that hill, join us on a holiday, and even work with us on our limited budget. Vivian was super responsive and clear. She's detail-oriented and organized, while being warm and personable, making her so easy to work with. Her enthusiasm about shooting our small, intimate wedding made us excited and feel special. She even provided easy and effective tips during the wedding planning process so things could run smoothly the day of, helping us manage our worries about the weather and possibly staining my dress! Viv was great at helping this couple feel relaxed well before and during our wedding day.
We went with Vivian in the first place because her work is so spectacular. Our pics turned out beautiful--clear, vibrant, and natural. She made us feel comfortable, while getting great shots. During our ceremony, she was never intrusive, yet totally there and present. She scouted the best spots to take picturesque photos. She worked with us to get all the special portraits we wanted with our family and 3 dogs! Things worked out so well, we were ahead of schedule on our timeline. During our indoor reception, Viv was pretty much part of the fam. This is reflected in the kind of candids she got that evening.
When we look at our photos, we are transported back to that beautiful winter day. We thank Viv so much and highly recommend her photography and services.
Megan · Married on 10/13/2013
I cannot recommend Vivian highly enough. Period.
Sent on 11/05/2013
Working with her was an absolute pleasure from our initial introductions through the wedding day itself. She was a complete professional throughout the the whole process. She made a concerted effort to understand what I wanted from my wedding photos and to make sure that we were on the same page. I haven't seen all of the final pictures, yet - the wedding was just 3 weeks ago, but she posted a "sneak preview" on her Facebook page a few short days after the wedding - and they are all beautiful!
Viv was great throughout the wedding day. She was on top of her game the whole day, while still managing to be laid back and completely unobtrusive. My guests all loved her! She is also recently married herself, so she understands the stresses of a wedding and does her best to alleviate them. Having her around was like having another girlfriend there with me! She even helped me with final touch makeup suggestions - so everything would look great on camera - and made a last minute adjustment or two to my hair (at my request of course)!!
On top of all of this, Viv is one of the most competitively priced wedding photographers I came across in the SF/Napa Valley area. An online gallery and flash drive with all of the edited photos are part of her basic wedding package. We don't live in the Bay area, so we didn't have an engagement session, but a one hour engagement session is included in the package too!
I would hire Vivian again in a heartbeat, and you should too!
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