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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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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?

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

November 9, 2020

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

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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?

October 29, 2020

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

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

October 9, 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

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

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

September 10, 2020

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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

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

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

August 10, 2020

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

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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

July 31, 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

Complete guide to Mission District's best places for wedding or engagement photography | Zoe Larkin Photography

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Welcome friends! Today I’m sharing the best places in the Mission District of San Francisco for your engagement photos! As far as engagement photography goes, I have a few fave Mission District spots. As a wedding photographer, I’ve found myself shooting here on many occasions. Great because it’s also my home, ha! For a more casual […]

Top 10 Mission District locations for engagement photos

June 12, 2020

Hey all you wonderful clients and prospective clients of Zoe Larkin Photography! As you all are all too aware, this is an unprecedented time in the world. There is much confusion and heartbreak – and having your wedding plans disrupted is a big deal. I don’t take any of this lightly. As a responsible and […]

COVID weddings – How Zoe Larkin Photography deals with unprecedented times

How to deal with wedding photography reschedules during covid-19

June 1, 2020

What you should know before hiring a cheap wedding photographer | Zoe Larkin Photography

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Weddings are expensive and everyone wants to save money wherever possible. I’ve seen a lot of wedding photographer opinion pieces in which they argue that you should definitely spend a lot of money on your wedding photographer if you want even halfway decent pictures.  But let’s take a moment to pause and look at both […]

Should you hire a cheap wedding photographer? Let’s look at both sides

April 29, 2020

We all know what weddings are expensive. Add the word ‘wedding’ into any service or product and the price suddenly shoots up. You’ve probably seen the undercover research, as this Huffpost article dives into. A reporter gets a quote for an anniversary party or family gathering. They call back and make the same inquiry except […]

Why are weddings so expensive? [The WEDDING TAX explained]

If you're planning a wedding you've probably wondered why wedding vendors charge so much for their products and services. Why do wedding-related items have such a huge markup? Are unwitting brides and grooms being taken advantage of by unscrupulous wedding vendors? We take a deep dive into wedding economics. This article lists 13 reasons why weddings can, and should cost more than non-wedding events. The answers may surprise you. #weddingeconomics #weddingplanning | Zoe Larkin Photography

March 6, 2020

40 amazing day of tips for a stress-free wedding day

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If you’ve landed here, it’s because you are wise enough to know that a little preparation can go a long, long way to ensuring your wedding day stays stress-free. Once the wedding day approaches, it’s time to start turning your attention to the little things you can do that will make a big difference. This […]

40 tips for a stress-free wedding day

February 28, 2020

These days, documentary-style wedding photography is very common. The genre is also known as candid wedding photography, photojournalism, reportage, and a whole host of terms. It’s something I lean into heavily in my work. I’m known as being a photojournalistic wedding photographer in the Bay Area and have written a full guide on exactly what […]

Candid wedding photography – 7 tips for wedding couples

What brides need to know about candid wedding photography

February 10, 2020

36 questions to ask your wedding photographer | By Zoe Larkin Photography, San Francisco wedding photographer

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I’ve created this list of 36 questions to ask your wedding photographer. Hopefully, this will help wedding couples to figure out some ideas as to what they might want to know more about. (You won’t be able to ask them all!) Whether it’s about style, presence on the day, deliverables or pricing, wedding photographers are used […]

Questions you REALLY need to ask your wedding photographer

January 31, 2020

If you want to learn about saving money on your wedding you’re in the right place. But also, I want to be very real with you in this article. It may be an unpopular opinion but I honestly think that the wedding industry has peddled a lot of garbage about what they really ‘need’ for […]

40 creative ways to save money on your wedding

how to save money on your wedding - creative wedding budget hacks

January 22, 2020

wedding couple sharing a joke against Inner Richmond District mural behind them

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Are you wondering what actual steps you can take to look GOOD in your wedding photos? I mean natural, looking like you really feel – happy and in love and enjoying the best day of your life. Good as in not cheesy, not awkward, just totally happy, relaxed and IN LOVE. Well, friends, there is a […]

How to look good in your wedding photos

December 23, 2019

In this post I’m sharing the 36 best engagement photography locations in San Francisco. The places on this list are San Francisco spots that are amazing for wedding or engagement photos. What makes spots for couples photos any different from general cool photo spots? Well, for one thing, they each have a wide variety of […]

36 best engagement photography locations in San Francisco

9 best San Francisco location ideas for engagement photos - The complete guide to San Francisco engagement locations by Zoe Larkin Photography

December 19, 2019

wedding ceremony picture at Sequoyah Country Clubwedding with bride laughing | How to choose the wedding photographer that's right for you

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We know how hard it is when it comes to choosing your wedding photographer! Where do you even begin? There are so many out there, and it’s difficult to figure out what really differentiates them. It can be a tough decision, especially when you consider the role the wedding photographer will take on your day. […]

10 tips for choosing your wedding photographer

December 13, 2019

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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