“We hired Emily to be our wedding photographer and we are SO HAPPY that we did. First, she was so easy to work with and really went above and beyond in helping us determine a wedding timeline and prioritizing what was important to us in our wedding day. My wife and I were nervous how we’d feel having a camera on us all day, but Emily made us feel so relaxed and comfortable and we were able to just be ourselves. She really felt like having an additional friend cheering us on that day and was such much fun to be with. Our photos were stunning and she did such a great job capturing all of the job from that day. I can’t recommend her enough.”
— Andrew Karnaze
“This day was so special to us. We had never done any sort of photo shoot in our relationship and we were so excited. That excitement also brought a lot of nerves because we’re not totally comfortable in front of the camera. Emily made it so unbelievably easy and fun. We had just met her for the first time that day and I think I laughed the hardest I have in a long time. I am already looking forward to our wedding day pictures and family shoots in the future. She is so awesome!”
— Katt Cardinale
“Working with Emily was amazing. She was super helpful in directing us to go or move in a way that would look best while also letting us do our own thing so it looked natural and so we could freely express how in love we are. And then I got the photos back and I am SO in love with them!”
— Elizabeth Bryson
“My husband and I absolutely LOVE the wedding photos she took for us. She is extremely talented and we felt that she did such a wonderful job of capturing the raw emotions of our special day in her photos. We presented a very generic idea of wanting to take some lifestyle shots in downtown Laguna Beach and Emily made that idea come to life with such creativity and energy. Emily is positive, bubbly, fun, and so easy to work with. She directed us how to pose and after our short time of being with her we felt like she was our friend, she is that easy to like! She was really reasonably priced and responsive to messages. I would absolutely use her again. I don’t write a lot of reviews, but had to for this gem - because she is so worth the investment! Highly recommend using Emily as your wedding photographer, a well earned 5 stars! ”
— Allie Miller
“A true dream human AND photographer. Emily has a gift of capturing people and details - we were lucky enough to have her photograph our engagement announcement, our private COVID wedding and our wedding celebration. There is no one I trust more to capture the special moments in my life. She is patient, flexible, kind and talented as Hell. We will be forever grateful. ”
— Erin Brady Bocchino
“Emily is SO full of life and outgoing. I have experienced having someone taking photos for me who wasn’t extremely talkative and friendly and it was uncomfortable, but Emily makes sure that you’re having a good time and that you’re being yourself in the photos that she takes. I have never felt uncomfortable while Emily has taken my photos. If you don’t know her personally, she will immediately become your friend. She is extremely personable and lively! I have NEVER been disappointed with Emily’s work and I would recommend her wholeheartedly to anyone who is looking to have photos done! She’s phenomenal! ”
— Jessie Adams
“When planning our wedding, photography was the very highest priority on our list. We’re so grateful to have stumbled across Emily on social media and could not be more over-the-moon with our experience working with her. Our initial wedding plans ended up cancelled due to COVID-19 and she handled all the twists and turns with us so graciously and with so much empathy. We navigated those waters together and she very much made us feel like she was on our team, not just some rando photographer. Emily values you as a human being and I believe goes the extra mile to ensure you feel your absolute best in front of the camera. Our photos from Emily are our greatest treasure and we’re SO excited to book her in the future for more photos. I’d recommend Emily to anyone!! She really is the best.”
— Heather Berezyuk
“Emily is a visionary behind the lens! Being in front of her camera is enlivening. Her skillfulness and creativity work in natural unison, never failing to capture the spirit of who I am. To be photographed by Emily is to be deemed lovely- her eyes notice and celebrate the beauty uniquely carried by every human being. I leave photo shoots with Emily touched by her passion for her art & gifted with a new set of precious moments in picture form.”
— Grace Schafer
“Emily takes beautiful photographs! She is easy to be around and our experience was lovely - especially considering we were taking photos with a 2 year-old and 3 month-old. The photos turned out fantastic and we will cherish them forever. Literally.”
— Bergen Meyer
“Emily is truly a fantastic and skilled photographer. She captured our engagement photos so effortlessly and made the entire session fun and smooth for us. The session felt like we were hanging with a friend. Emily has a way of connecting with her clients that feels so organic and natural. She exceeded our expectations once we received our full gallery of photos. I will cherish our engagement photos for years to come! ”
— Cheyenne Givens
“You know how any time you try do something important it’s typically ladled with stress and fear? Photo shoots with Emily are nothing like that. She has a way of putting your mind and heart at ease and immediately ushering in fun. Until she came into our lives, our family photo sessions had only ever consisted of impatience, frustration, and blurry portraits from a stranger at Sears. But then Em came in with her talent and humor and kindness and gave us the first EXPERIENCE we could hold dear to our hearts and look back on with joy forever. Because she is incredibly gifted both relationally AND creatively, she’s able to capture the spirit of her subjects in a way that leaves you feeling known and adored. I 100% recommend Emily Illuminate to anyone who’s considering her. You’ll walk away with a stunning product wrapped with love and intentionality. ”
— Hope Lagos
“Not only is Emily an extremely talented photographer, but she is an absolute dream to work with. Luke was a little nervous to be in front of the camera and after about 30 seconds, Emily was able to get him to loosen up and forget there was a camera on us! Emily’s ability to capture authentic moments is incredible. Her style marries photojournalism and art in the most beautiful way and we couldn’t be happier. We will cherish these photos for a lifetime.”
