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Shelly Pate Photography Reviews

Shelly Pate Photography

Shelly Pate Photography

Washington, DC
5.0 out of 5 rating, 66 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
66 Reviews
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95% Recommended by couples

Awards

66
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
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    Maria Sent on 08/14/2018
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    Look no further...Shelly and Patrick are not only exceptional photographers through their expertise and professionality, but they are incredible human beings. Other than your spouse, you spend the most time with your photographer on your wedding day- Shelly was so joyful, flexible, and made us feel so special on our day. Shelly went above and beyond throughout the whole process, we had a pre-wedding phone call where she literally took the ideas in my head made them into an organized event timeline and scouted my venue so that she could capture all that it had to offer. Shelly made the most of our time and was able to get the attention of our bridal party, families, and little ones so that we could spend the most time celebrating and not posing for photos. I am so excited by our sneak peek photos and can’t wait to see the rest. She has an absolute incredible eye and is so fun. There are a lot of great photographers out there, but truly feel that Shelly is the best.

    Shelly Pate Photography's reply:

    Thank you so much for taking the time to review us Maria!! We LOVED being a part of you and Patrick's special day and getting to know you two! We still cannot get over how incredible everything was and are just gushing over the photos = )
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    Elise Sent on 12/29/2023
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    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)!
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    Shelby S. Sent on 05/10/2023
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    Shelly was wonderful!

    She was timely, professional, and the photos were beautiful.
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    Victoria B. Sent on 04/11/2023
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    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!
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    Rachel G. Sent on 12/02/2022
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    Shelly was the absolute best!

    Shelly was an absolute dream to work with and I am so happy with our choice to have her as our wedding photographer. From our first session for our engagement photos, Shelly really put us both at ease in front of the camera and I normally hate taking photos. In terms of our wedding day, Shelly was imperative in helping us with our wedding timeline. She worked with both our planner and our videographer to ensure that all of our logistics worked out seamlessly on the day of the wedding. And as for the photos, they are absolutely gorgeous. We were also so incredibly grateful that she was able to get us our sneak peak gallery within the first two weeks after our wedding. I would definitely recommend Shelly to any couple!
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    Desiree H. Sent on 11/18/2022
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    Shelly creates stunning photographs and makes the process a breeze for clients!

    My husband and I had a fantastic experience working with Shelly for our engagement photos and wedding. We cannot say enough great things about collaborating with her but since we're here ;):
    She is very communicative and responsive. She answered all of our questions thoughtfully and with care - everything from making family lists for the wedding to recommendations for shoes. She and Patrick were fun to be with during the big day and put both us and our bridal group at ease. We ADORE the photos we've recieved so far! Not only is her work stunning and bespoke, but she made the entire process stress free, engaging and FUN! (especially for two people who aren't used to having our photos taken)

    11/10 must hire!!
    Thanks Shelly and Patrick!!
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    Kira D. Sent on 10/16/2022
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    Shelly's incredible - highly recommend

    Shelly is truly the best and you can’t go wrong choosing to work with her! My husband and I had an intimate, self-officiated ceremony in the woods (Shelly and our dog were our only witnesses) followed by a family picnic, We knew we’d need a photographer that we could feel comfortable with in such a small group and Shelly was the perfect fit. From climbing on rocks in the creek and running through meadows, Shelly helped us relax and have a ton of fun during what we feared could be an awkward experience. She is flexible, easy going, and just a genuinely kind person. We were blown away when we received our sneak peeks - she truly captured our joy and went way beyond our expectations! Highly recommend her.
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    Stephanie S. Sent on 10/31/2022
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    Best photographer!

    Shelly was the best decision we made when it comes to our wedding. She exceeded all of our expectations. She was amazing to work with and is very professional and timely. She definitely goes above and beyond what you would expect for a photographer. She is so organized and gives you a guide with a bunch of advice that I would have never thought of that helped my wedding run so smoothly. She captured our big day perfectly. She is so incredible talented and it shows in her pictures. She knows exactly what angle to take and is a master with lighting. She made everyone feel so comfortable in front of the camera. She was also able to capture all the emotions of our big day perfectly. She shot our engagement photos as well, which turned out amazing. We received so many compliments on her photos. Her work really speaks for itself. Shelly was so much fun to work with and I am so glad I trusted her to capture my wedding day. We can’t recommend Shelly enough!
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    Amanda C. Sent on 01/10/2023
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    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!
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    Emily M. Sent on 11/07/2022
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    Hire Shelly!

    I could not recommend Shelly more highly. She was great with every single part of the process. She sent us this incredibly detailed document that answered all of my questions, which made me feel so reassured before the wedding and engagement shoot about the process and her professionalism. I told her about the vibe that I wanted--bright! colorful!--and she totally delivered, while also adding a sort of dreamy, nostalgic quality that I love. She also brings a very chill, comfortable vibe to shoots that really helps if you're nervous! Her husband was our second photographer and he is also delightful. Can't say enough good things.
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    Samantha F. Sent on 07/16/2022
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    Highly recommend

    We had a wonderful experience working with Shelly. She is an incredibly talented artist and we absolutely treasure the photos we've gotten from her so far. Her calm demeanor, positive personality, and quick thinking were such helpful additions to our wedding day. Shelly genuinely got to know my husband and I and because of this she was able to cater to our preferences and needs. She was extremely responsive and easy to reach throughout the whole planning process. Her packages are very reasonable (and really good value for the level of quality and service she provides). We just had so much fun taking pictures with her! She was also very kind to and good with my 5 year old daughter, who was obviously a very important part of the day. Would work with Shelly again in a heartbeat!
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    Zizhan L. Sent on 08/13/2023
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    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!
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    Shannon W. Sent on 12/23/2021
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    Highly recommend!!

    Shelly was by far the best vendor we worked with throughout our wedding planning. We had a 2020 COVID wedding that we rescheduled a few times and Shelly was always so understanding and flexible. We had her take our engagement photos as well as our wedding photos and we love how they came out! Her eye and style is great! We highly recommend her!!
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    Michaela I. Sent on 12/22/2021
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    So in love

    I knew from the moment I saw Shelly’s photos, that her style was exactly what I wanted, and she definitely delivered! I am in awe of our sneak peek pictures from our wedding day and I know the full gallery will not disappoint. Not only did she capture perfectly the feeling of the day but she was a delight and comfort to work with. Which was important to us, since we’re a little camera shy! So thankful we’ll always have these beautiful photos to relive the day again and again!
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    Jennyo Sent on 08/17/2021
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    Pictures turned out beautiful!

    Shelly and her husband, Patrick, were so wonderful to work with. They are both very easy going which was really nice on such a hectic day! I told her what I wanted and she gave me exactly what I was looking for!
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    Casey Sent on 06/13/2021
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    Amazing elopement experience

    Shelly was the only other person in attendance for our self-officiated elopement in DC and it was truly perfect. We were nervous it might be a bit awkward just the three of us, but it wasn't *at all*. We felt so comfortable with Shelly immediately and had so much fun! She helped us structure the evening and ensured we took advantage of all the best possible photo opportunities. We could not be happier with how the photos turned out. The "sneak peek" we received a few days later included SO many photos, which allowed us to send announcements and share pictures with our families right away - an awesome and unexpected perk. Our full album was finished just a few weeks later. We can't recommend Shelly enough and are already trying to come up with reasons to hire her for more photos soon!!
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    Lauren Sent on 10/17/2019
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    Frolicking in Old Town

    We had a great experience with Shelly last week for our engagement photos, and the sneak peeks are fantastic. Definitely looking forward to seeing everything! Shelly has a great eye, wonderfully fun personality, and is extremely responsive (despite my last min requests and pleas for outfit advice). She put both of us at ease, and even my fiance (who hates posing for pics) had a great time. Highly recommend!
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    Molly R. Sent on 12/01/2021
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    Cool, calm, & classy

    Shelly was an absolutely DELIGHT to work with. We postponed our wedding twice.... 16 months between original date and final date on 11/20/2021 and she stuck with us through it all. She added such amazing personal touches to her work along the way, and was extremely easy to work with. Her style is artsy and beautiful and she takes time to really get to know her clients. Dave and I felt very at ease with her immediately and are absolutely OBSESSED with our engagment photos. Cannot wait to see how the wedding day pictures turn out.... I'm extremely confident they'll be exactly what we want. Shelly worked very effortlessly into our wedding day and with the videography team from another company alongside her. Her partner, Patrick, was equally as great to work with and I highly highly recommend them to anyone! She typically shoots for elopements and smaller weddings, but does a few larger weddings per year and we were lucky enough to snap her up before anyone else did for our 183 person guest list!!!
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    Renata A. Sent on 02/07/2020
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    Shelly is wonderful!

    Shelly came recommended to me by a friend, and I'm so grateful! Shelly's an extremely talented photographer, and we are so thrilled with how the photos turned out. But even beyond that, she was a huge part of how the day came together for us! Shelly recommended other fantastic vendors, and was instrumental in helping us map out a timeline that worked well. She was a calming, fun, and professional presence throughout! Even though she literally had to photograph outside in rain, sleet, and snow, Shelly kept us on track and the creativity flowing - and now we have some really lovely images to help us remember a really lovely day.
  • Megan
    Megan Sent on 11/09/2019
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    Spectacular photographer!

    Shelly was amazing! She did our engagement photos and our wedding photos! She is so personable and extremely
    Talented. She was also very flexible. On wedding day she went to the hotel, then to the national gallery of art for first look and bride/groom photos, and bridal party photos, then to Jefferson memorial for the ceremony, and then to top of the town for our reception. She took so many amazing photos, and got specific shots that I asked for! I only have a few sneak peeks now since I only got married a few weeks ago. See for yourself how incredible she is!
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    Kathryn S. Sent on 12/04/2019
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    We loved working with Shelly!

    My husband and I used Shelly as our wedding photographer for a non-traditional elopement - we got married in our backyard without any guests. Shelly was AWESOME from the first time I contacted her to get pricing and was super flexible with creating a custom package that worked for our day. We ended up doing portraits at the arboretum before a private ceremony in our backyard - and all the pictures are AMAZING!!! We actually opted not to do an engagement shoot since our wedding was so low key, but we still felt super comfortable from the moment we started taking pics with Shelly. She had made time to meet up with us a few months before to get to know our vision, and was always available via email whenever I had a logistics questions (our plans for where we would elope changed a few times). We also had a call the week of the wedding to run through our final plans and timing of everything and knew we'd be in great hands the day of.

    We ended up with a ridiculous number of beautiful pictures. We are SO SO SO happy we used Shelly and would highly recommend her as an exceptional wedding photographer.
  • Katie
    Katie Sent on 10/13/2019
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    Artistic, gorgeous pictures!

    Shelly made us feel so at ease during our engagement photo shoot and wedding pictures. She captured everything with a beautiful, unique perspective. I strongly recommend her services!! She is the utmost professional, very prepared and excellent at her craft.
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    Jacqueline Sent on 02/19/2019
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    Great experience -- love the photos

    Shelly was a joy to work with. We hired her based on the great photos on her website and in particular that she captured the joy and love very well and in a natural way. We were not disappointed. She was very easy to work with, guided us well, and most importantly, I LOVE the photos. Her pricing is very straightforward and reasonable and all the high res photos were easily available for download. Highly recommend.
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    Jill Sent on 04/19/2018
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    Shelly is one of THE most amazing and talented photographers I've ever met. She made me and my fiance feel at ease and talked us through the whole shoot so we felt comfortable and were having FUN! She had such a way of capturing us so naturally and in our element. The photos came out so natural looking and didn't have that overly "posed" look to them that most engagement photos have. She really captured the essence of us as a couple. What I also love about Shelly's photography is her editing style. It is so gorgeous - some words I would use to describe it are warm, natural, earthy, boho, timeless. I cannot recommend her work enough. She is seriously a goddess with a camera. Thank you SO much Shelly, for giving us photos that we will cherish forever.
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