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Zoe Larkin Photography blog

Helping Bay Area marriers navigate the new world of wedding photography and & planning 

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Considering getting married in San Francisco? Whatever kind of wedding you have planned, the Palace of Fine Arts might just be the perfect elegant, historical Bay Area wedding venue for you.  The Palace of Fine Arts is the venue I want to highlight today. Having photographed a handful of small weddings there, including a destination […]

How to get married at the Palace of Fine Arts, SF

Guide to getting married at Palace of Fine Arts San Francisco by Zoe Larkin, wedding photographer

January 18, 2021

how Zoe Larkin Photography photographs LGBTQ+ couples in the san francisco bay area

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If you’re looking for an LGBTQ+ friendly photographer in San Francisco and around the Bay Area, I would love to tell you a little about my approach to photographing LGBTQ+ weddings and engagements. I’m Zoe Larkin and I photograph weddings and engagements in Northern California with an emphasis on candid, natural moments. We favor an […]

LGBTQ+ friendly photographer San Francisco Bay Area

January 14, 2021

Want an affordable, beautiful Bay Area wedding venue that’s centrally located and still something of a hidden gem? OK – you’ve basically just described the Highlands Country Club! Nestled in the Oakland Hills and overlooking the entire bay, this is a stunning yet budget-friendly East Bay wedding venue. So, I was here in 2019 for […]

Highlands Country Club Oakland CA wedding photos

Highlands Country Club Oakland CA wedding by Zoe Larkin Photography

January 11, 2021

wedding photos from Oceano Hotel and Spa in half moon bay

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Another beautiful wedding to bring you today, this time from the beautiful Oceano Hotel, located in Half Moon Bay, California. This wedding venue is actually situated on the Pillar Point Harbor, about 5 miles north of the coastal city, Half Moon Bay.  It’s a Bay Area seaside venue, that boasts picturesque views overlooking the bay, […]

Oceano Hotel, Half Moon Bay wedding photos

December 27, 2020

Looking for creative client gift ideas this holiday season? Look no further than Greetabl! Client appreciation gifts are a simple, inexpensive way to show your clients you’re thinking of them and appreciate their business during the year. What I love about Greetabl is how customizable their gifts are, while still being affordable (generally within the […]

Client holiday gift ideas – inexpensive and super cute!

client gift ideas for holiday season 2020

December 4, 2020

Bohemian style affordable wedding dresses on Amazon in 2021

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Are you searching for an affordable boho wedding dress? My list of 20 bohemian-style wedding dresses may be right up your street! ALL of my curated selections are available on Amazon! This means you can read the reviews, check out previous customers’ photos and in most cases return the dress in case it isn’t quite […]

20 boho wedding dresses under $200 – on Amazon in 2024

November 16, 2020

Hey friends! Phew, I’ve been blogging like crazy for a minute, and I thought it would be fun (and a good idea) to create one centralized resource page with all of my favorite FREE blog posts for couples who are planning their weddings. Organization, yay! I’ve been blogging about wedding planning and wedding photography for […]

Wedding planning resources from Zoe Larkin Photography

ultimate wedding planning resources from Zoe Larkin Photography Bay Area wedding expert

November 12, 2020

Understanding the reality of why wedding photographers charge a lot of money for their services is not something most people have considered. In this article I break down the exact costs associate with being a wedding photography and why we have to charge the high prices we do for wedding photography services

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I’m going to enlighten you on a topic that gets wedding photographers’ hackles up! And that is the topic of why photographers are so expensive. First off, it’s worth pointing out that this is quite a misunderstood topic. I’m going to clear up some of those misconceptions here. When people ask why photography costs ‘so […]

Why do wedding photographers charge so much?

November 9, 2020

In this personal opinion piece, I’m going to share whether I believe tipping is necessary for wedding photographers. The to-tip-or-not-to-tip debate is generally split about 80 / 20 according to sources I’ve found around the web. The majority say that tipping your wedding photographer is not required. Remaining voices say that yes, you should tip. […]

Do you tip your wedding photographer?

Understanding whether it is appropriate or expected to tip your wedding photographer and how much to tip?

October 29, 2020

can you negotiate with your wedding photographer? That's the complex issue we're tackling in this blog post by an established Bay Area wedding phtotographer, Zoe Larkin

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Learn the ins and out of negotiating with your wedding photographer – from a wedding photographer who’s seen it all! Ask any wedding photographer what the biggest bane of their job is, and chances are, ‘clients asking for discounts’ is in the top three. The subject of negotiation is a little tricky to bring up.  […]

How to negotiate with wedding photographers more effectively

October 9, 2020

Today and yesterday I have received two suspicious, scam / spam emails. I am unsure exactly how the scam works, but my Google My Business listing is being targeted. If you are also being targeted for the scam, let me know in the comments so we can share resources!  I’m a wedding photographer who has […]

What to do when scammers keep requesting access to your Google My Business account

Has your Google My Business listing been targeted by scammers attempting to gain access by requesting ownership permissions? Here's what to do

September 22, 2020

Associate photographer in wedding photographer - what does it mean and should you book one?

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A lot of wedding photography businesses use so-called ‘associate photographers’ as an available option for their clients. An associate photographer is also known as a ‘partner’, ‘ambassador’, ‘lead’, or ‘mutant clone’. OK, I made up that last one, but the idea is spot on. Having associates enables the business to shoot multiple weddings at the […]

What is an associate photographer in wedding photography?

September 21, 2020

If you’re looking for cute supplies for your home office, you’ve come to the right place. Maybe you’ve found yourself working from home, or are finally getting around to creating that office you’ve always dreamed of. Either way, cute desk accessories can make a huge difference, even inspiring you with your endeavors. As a wedding […]

60 cute supplies & accessories for your home office (on AMAZON!)

60 cute ideas for your home office. Home office desk accessories to brighten your workspace beastlocal.com

September 17, 2020

Tips for being the most awesome wedding client ever - 17 things wedding photographers wish they could tell you but can't!

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I’ve got to tell you, I’ve got to scream it from the rooftops. I have THE BEST CLIENTS of any wedding photographer ever.  More than once, I’ve been asked by brides and grooms: It’s super humbling to receive questions like this! It makes me certain that my clients have my back, as much as I […]

17 ways to be an absolutely AWESOME wedding photography client

September 10, 2020

This is a crazy time we’re living through, not least for couples trying to plan a lockdown wedding! I’m here today to bring you some inspiration for your Bay Area COVID wedding. Not getting married in the Bay Area? You’ll still get some awesome ideas here! I’ll leave all the health advice to the experts, I’m […]

Bay Area COVID wedding ideas – 5 real weddings

August 27, 2020

everything you need to know about how to plan a timeline for a small wedding in 2020 - with examples!

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In this detailed article, I’ll guide you through how to plan your wedding day timeline yourself, with realistic estimates for every part of the day. When you want your wedding to be simple and intimate, it can be tough to plan out a wedding day timeline that really makes sense, and isn’t going to lag […]

How to create your intimate wedding timeline

August 10, 2020

Planning a quarantine wedding? Don’t know where to begin with all the things you need to make the big day go smoothly? Well, the good news is you can purchase a TON of your décor, attire, food and drink service items from Amazon! That’s what makes this curated inspiration list so special. I’m a wedding […]

50 affordable Amazon finds for DIY downsized weddings

Ideas for weddings purchases for your Downsized pandemic wedding! These items for décor, clothing, tech and food/drink accessories are available on Amazon! Budget-friendly wedding, shop now from our curated collection of 50 affordable Amazon wedding items! | Zoe Larkin Photography

July 31, 2020

Baker Beach engagement photography by Zoe Larkin Photography

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How pretty are these two on their engagement session at Baker Beach! This expansive, stunning Bay Area engagement location has a LOT to offer and is located on the north-western edge of San Francisco on the edge of the Presidio. Baker Beach has a gorgeous view of the Golden Gate Bridge, a vast beach with […]

Baker Beach engagement photos San Francisco

July 27, 2020

Planning a small intimate wedding? Perhaps you’re wondering if you even need a wedding planner – after all, isn’t a professional wedding planner a bit of a luxury? And isn’t the whole point of having a small wedding to save money? Well, yes and no. And it depends. Of course, a small wedding doesn’t have […]

11 reasons why even a small wedding needs a wedding planner

whether to hire a wedding planner when having small wedding

July 8, 2020

greetabl review by a small business owner - using greetabl for your business client gifting

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Wondering what you can send to a friend (or client) in the mail? I’ve been a raving fan of Greetabl, the gifting service for a couple of years now. And I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer. As a wedding photographer, I use Greetabl for client gifting, and I love it!  If you’re looking […]

Greetabl Review & how to use for client gifting (20% off promo code)

June 27, 2020

I lead a team of Bay Area wedding photographers 👋🏾 I personally help you plan your wedding timeline so you can relax and savor your wedding day.

We blend an unobtrusive approach to capturing images with a directive way of capturing the posed shots of you and your guests.

With over 400 weddings personally photographed by Zoe, hundreds of reviews on Yelp and Google, and over

San Francisco wedding photographers

MOMENT CATCHERS, LIGHT CHASERS, photojournalists

As a seasoned professional and true artist, I transform wedding moments into timeless memories, captured photojournalistically. 

In short, our images make memories last forever.

Looking for a wedding photographer that will honor your unique, beautiful story?

350,000 words of inspiration and and advice on the blog, we're the leading wedding photographers in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Since 2017, I've poured my heart into Bay Area weddings, specializing in San Francisco City Hall ceremonies and shooting all love. Our goal is to create personal images with an intimate feel - images that evoke emotion and transport you back to the moment. 

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