The 12 Best Wedding Photographers in DC

Hoping to discover the work of the best DC wedding photographers working today? Then you’ve come to the right place! Weddings are more than the celebration of two people’s commitment to spend the rest of their lives together. They’re also reminders to everybody in attendance – the couples’ friends and relatives – of their own personal love, dreams, pasts, and futures. The love, nostalgia, and hope that everyone brings along with them are what lend the best weddings an almost dreamlike quality. And the best wedding photographers are able to capture the little moments, the small perfect things that add up to make all the difference.

The 12 best Washington DC wedding photographers – and their respective teams – are those types of photographers. They’ll capture your wedding not just the way it was, but the way it felt. And in the process, you’ll be transformed into a work of art. 

1. Ken Pak

Though he appears to photograph a wedding nearly every day, Ken Pak’s photos prove that he never tires of capturing the once-in-a-lifetime. His Instagram feed is a never-ending stream of jubilant couples, proud crying fathers, laughter, champagne, white dresses, and kissing couples from all walks of life.

Of course, he has a style that is all his own – but it’s equally clear that his photos all set out to capture the personality of the couple, as well as that of their friends and families. As such, his photos show a remarkable range. Consider Ken Pak if you want your wedding photos to burst with energy, joy, color, and emotion. He’s one of the best.

2. Roman Grinev

Roman Grinev and his team of skilled photographers have an impeccable reputation in the DC area. Roman Grinev Photography has won numerous awards, recognizing them for their outstanding quality and reliability. 

From the beginning, their team remains extremely available to their clients, quickly responding to emails and calls. And on the wedding day, they’re skilled at capturing all the needed photos — both the candid and posed shots — quickly and skillfully, so as not to interfere with the natural flow of events. You can hire one photographer or a team. 

They’re not the most Instagram-forward bunch on the list, but don’t hold that against them. They’ve been winning awards and recognition for their wedding photography in the DC area pretty much since they set up shop over two decades ago. 

3. Mason Photography

Adam Mason is on a mission to faithfully document your wedding day with a style that suits your vision and your love story. And believe us, he is one of the best DC wedding photographers for achieving this goal every…single…time. Mason Photography is also one of the most popular wedding vendors in DC, and you can see why by looking through their Instagram. These are photos filled with passion, vibrancy, and authenticity. It feels like you’re right there with the happy couple, smiling along at one of the biggest moments in their lives.

Adam and his team are clearly talented, yes. However, they are also uniquely talented at understanding their couples and making them feel comfortable in front of their lenses. And that’s not something every photographer can manage.

4. Sam Hurd

Sam Hurd likes to say he’s not on any top-10 lists — but now he’s made a top-12 list. Hey, Sam! Joking aside, Sam’s photos are engaging and dynamic. He does a lot of interesting work with reflection — capturing a couple’s reflection in the face of a grandfather clock, for example — and with symmetry, which really serves to capture the idea of two people with remote backgrounds joining together.

With his uses of color, contrast, motion, and framing, his photos are among the most Instagram-worthy on the list. If you want some creative photos like nobody else’s wedding photos, Sam’s your guy. He’s a relentlessly creative explorer. 

5. Terri Baskin

Terri Baskin is a destination wedding photographer who also lives in and serves the DC area. It’s her home base. Her wedding photos are elegant, romantic, and classic. She makes great use of simplicity to really bring her happy couples to the fore. Her photos deal a lot with color — the whites, blacks, grays, and blues — that make up most wedding attire.

She’s able to find the richness and warmth that radiates from the traditional. Her photos are, of course, very much new, rich, detailed, with vivid accurate color — but they’re also classic, like your parents’ wedding photos and their parents’ photos.

6. Katie Stoops Photography

Katie Stoops is another on this list who’s widely recognized for their wedding photography — having been featured as one of Martha Stewart’s best wedding photographers — before she moved all the way up to our list here.

Nice contrast, uses of highly saturated color, as well as slightly washed-out colors to create a sort of retro-contemporary style. You know what we’re talking about. The kind of pictures people are going for with their Instagram filters, but she gets them with great, in-the-moment camera work.

7. Vicki Grafton

Vicki Grafton’s photos make you look like the subject of a tasteful fashion-forward magazine spread. Her portraiture is especially striking, capturing the unique beauty of everyone she trains her camera on. Not only is Vicki an artist, but she’s also extremely experienced in the wedding game. Online reviews of her services show that her connections with other wedding vendors in the DC area have come in handy more than once. 

8. Liz Fogarty

Liz Fogarty’s portfolio site says her love for photography all began with a puppy, Oodles, whom she was so in love with, she pretty much immediately bought tons of top-level photography equipment and started taking photos. From there, somehow she’s turned into one of the most talented and sought-after wedding photographers in DC.

A testament to both innate talent and the amazing bond between one and one’s dog. Liz’s photos are quite classic, with clear colors needing very little editing, tight and symmetrical framing, and warm, happy smiles. 

9. Brittany & Johnny of Bee Two Sweet Photography

Bee Two Sweet Photography is a husband and wife duo Brittany and Johnny, photography team extraordinaire. Brittany’s photography is filled with striking color and incredible lighting. This is not surprising considering her pre-photography career was as a lighting designer. And it’s clear she brings a great understanding of light, shadow, and photo composition to tell a story.

She describes this style as something between “artistic photojournalism” and “traditional portraiture”.  And Johnny’s photos elicit a sort of sweet, unrestrained romanticism. This is not at all surprising considering his love of photography actually started with a wedding (his brother’s) and he’s been shooting wedding photos pretty much ever since. Together, these two really capture the true texture and joy of a wedding.

10. Steve & Bernadette Dalgetty of An Endless Pursuit 

Steve and Bernadette Dalgetty — the husband-and-wife team that makes up the photography team “An Endless Pursuit” – are highly sought-after photographers in the DC area, often booking out their schedules about a year in advance.

Their photos use classic and modern techniques to capture truly timeless photos, with soft light and shadow, and striking depth. An Endless Pursuit’s wedding photography customers say, over and over again, that Steve and Bernadette’s work exceeds all expectations.

11. Carl Elixir Photography

If you were going to take a photo from just one photographer on this list and blow it up to like three feet tall — Carl Elixir might be the one. Take a look at his website and Instagram, and you’ll see a variety of stunning and dramatic shots. There are beautiful laughing close-ups, followed by pictures of kissing couples under enormous night skies.

Carl Elixir’s photographs capture not only the magic of your love and wedding but the sense that everything around you, all the natural and manmade beauty, is joining in to celebrate. He’s got that kind of almost-magic eye.

12. Anji and Pete Martin of Potok’s World Photography

Anji and Pete Martin, the husband-and-wife photography team that is Potok’s World Photography, have a unique style. There’s a timeless elegance to their photos, which is the first thing you notice. Their use of shadow, reflection, and focus are the epitome of classic wedding photography, and yet they bring something else, too – perhaps it is their experience from shooting weddings all over the world – that makes each photo seem new and alive.

Anji is from Germany, Pete’s from Minnesota — and together, it just works. If you want photos that show everyone how in love you are, check out Anji and Pete. They’re quite adept at capturing just those types of moments.

Bonus: Margaret Wroblewski

Of all the DC wedding photographers, we happen to think that Margaret Wroblewski has one of the most distinct styles. In fact, she has more of a fine-art photography lifestyle, playing with close crops, light, and shadow in her compositions. When exploring her work, we couldn’t help but notice that some of her images have a vintage flair to them while others are thoroughly modern. We have a feeling this may be because Margaret finds inspiration in the couples themselves, which then guides her posing, editing, and of course, the moment she snaps the button.

Margaret specialties in elopements and smaller weddings, likely because she appreciates the intimacy these types of weddings provide access to. Look through her work. We think you’ll also love her documentary style makes it easy to preserve your treasured memories best.

Peerspace appreciates all the DC wedding photographers

We’re sure if you’re reading this list, you’ve already done plenty of research. You’ve probably been living at The Knot, right? But for our two cents, these 12 do an amazing job. Give their work a look, and if you like what you see, why not reach out? One call or email is all it takes to get the ball rolling.

Remember, your wedding is going to be beautiful. And all the planning and fretting — it’s going to pay off. Our 12 photographers here will make sure you can remember every moment of it. One last bit of advice before we go, as these are 12 of the best wedding photographers DC has to offer, you’ll need to book them as far in advance as you possibly can. So don’t delay! 

Once you do, come back here to Peerspace and book a dreamy meet-up space to talk with your photographer, photoshoot location, and of course, wedding venues! As the largest online marketplace for hourly venue rentals, you’re sure to be impressed with our hidden gem venues that suit your taste and budget to perfection.

Find a unique wedding venue in Washington D.C. on Peerspace