Candid
wedding photography
santa barbara, california
Hello
I’m happy you’re herE
Hi, I’m Matt! With 15+ years behind the lens, I’ve been the eyes behind over 500,000 unforgettable wedding moments.
Based here in Santa Barbara, I have a deep-rooted knowledge of this enchanting city, from its charming Spanish architectural nooks to its scenic vistas and palm-lined beaches.
I've had the privilege of photographing weddings at nearly every venue in Santa Barbara, granting me an intimate understanding of each space. Having an insider's insight into the intricacies of our local wedding venues has helped me get the most out of each location; from understanding how light plays on their distinctive backdrops at various times of the year to uncovering the best spots for breathtaking photos.
Rewind
The Moment
My photography style takes a candid, photojournalistic story-telling approach that focuses on capturing the natural you in the moment. The best photos are when you feel like you’re not being photographed.
I’m drawn to capturing authenticity. Real moments make a photograph timeless. Candid photography shows your true personality and the personalities of the people you love the most that surround you on your wedding day.
Santa Barbara
wedding venues
There are so many amazing wedding venues in Santa Barbara. After 15+ years of photographing weddings, I’ve photographed at most of the wedding venues in and around Santa Barbara. I’ve listed a few of Santa Barbara’s many beautiful wedding locations below.
Santa Barbara is a top destination wedding location. The romantic elegance of the city wrapped by the mountains and pressed against the California coast makes our little city the perfect wedding weekend getaway for your family and friends. Our historic Spanish architecture blended with Moorish elements comes together against the palm trees to create a beautiful canvas to create an incredible wedding experience.
Santa Barbara Courthouse and Sunken Gardens
Historic 1929 Spanish-Moorish architecture with three garden ceremony locations and an inside site located in the iconic Mural Room
Dos Pueblos Orchid Farm
Elegant glass house and a ceremony overlooking the ocean
Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
Sunsets overlooking the Santa Barbara beach and Stearns Wharf
Montecito Club
Spectacular ocean and harbor views
The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Santa Barbara
78 acre oceanside Mediterranean inspired village overlooking the ocean
Hotel Californian - Santa Barbara
Luxury Boutique Hotel in The Funk Zone of Santa Barbara’s wine and art district
Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort
Luxury Montecito resort with seaside setting
Villa & Vine
In the heart of downtown Santa Barbara
Moxi Santa Barbara
Contemporary museum focusing on interactive exhibits with a rooftop ocean view
Sunstone Villa - Sunstone Winery and Vineyards
Private Villa in the heart of the Santa Ynez wine country constructed from salvaged limestone and reclaimed wood beams with a sweeping view of the 52-acre Sunstone Estate
Roblar Winery and Vineyards
Grapevine-laden winemaker’s pergola and the Tuxedo Barn on a one-acre farm
San Ysidro Ranch Montecito
Privacy, peace, and tranquility amongst cascading gardens and a mountain view
Rincon Beach Club
Events By Rincon hosting weddings on the beach or in the garden
Santa Barbara Zoo
Palm Garden ceremony, hilltop reception site, and guests feeding the giraffes
Rockwood Women’s Club
Capturing the elegance of Santa Barbara’s architectural style
Words
from past couples
“The photos are absolutely, unbelievably stunning. I knew you were going to make us look good, but I didn't know just how well you were going to capture every single molecule of our big beautiful day! We are SO beyond thrilled with this final product, and that there are SO MANY! Lucky us that we got such a great photographer and so many excellent images from our big day.”
- Robin & John
“Wow, Matt, these are absolutely stunning. You made us so incredibly happy. These beautiful photos totally captured how happy we were that day. We can't thank you enough for taking pictures of every moment and every person. We love them all!!!!! Truly, we will treasure these forever.”
- Shawn & Jeff
“I am beyond amazed, thankful and so very grateful for you! The photos are absolutely breathtaking and we are forever thankful for your time and talent. My mother text me while she was looking through the gallery which said, "I am sitting here at work crying tears of joy recalling the beautiful moments captured in these photos. Stunning." She could not have expressed your talent and the memories you captured for us better. All of the moments we wanted to remember for a lifetime were perfectly captured. I just can't say enough how talented you are, how beautiful the photos are, how amazing you are to work with and how blessed we are to have had you to be apart of our wedding day. Thank you, thank you, thank you times infinity!”
- Jaclene & Gideon
“Thank you so much for the photos! I am blown away by how amazing they are and I love every single one. Words cannot express what I great job you did from start to finish. We are so impressed with your work and I will be recommending you to everyone I know!”
-Alana & Ryan
“We first want to say thank you so much for all your hard work and effort you put in throughout the whole process of working with us from when we first talked to you on zoom to now…We appreciate you being a part of our special day and making it so memorable and awesome through your presence and photos! We want to express how much everyone, especially our bridal party, our family and us enjoyed how professional, kind and easy you were to work with. The way you directed us and positioned us, we really loved your work ethic and people-to-people skills. We’ll definitely recommend you to all our friends!”
- Daniella & David
“Where do I even start because a thank you just doesn't seem like enough!!! I've had a look through and have already teared up multiple times. You not only captured the day in its entirety but you captured the FEELINGS! I truly cannot thank you enough and I mean that.”
-Nicole & Oli
"The photos and you are simply AMAZING!!! This is fantastic and we are overwhelmed with the quality of your work!!! Thank you so much for your artistry, time, skill, immense work and creativity. We are so grateful for the gift you have given us!!!."
- Thea & Boris
“WOW, WOW, WOW. You are amazing, we simply don't have words. Sunday was so special in so many ways. Thank you for capturing our day and just going above and beyond. We are just decompressing and having so much fun going through our pictures and reminiscing on the day. We are so grateful for your guidance and knowledge. You made us feel at ease and were able to just enjoy being together in our moment. Every person at our wedding mentioned to us how WONDERFUL you were and we couldn't agree more. You are top notch and we are so in love with the moments that were captured.”
- Hayley & Trevor
“We are absolutely blown away. They are UNREAL!!! Seriously.. more than we could've hoped for. THANK YOU so much for your expertise and truly capturing the day how we remembered it (and capturing the parts we didn't get to see). We are so grateful.”
- Danielle & Blaze
“OMG,OMG,OMG…Wow you are amazingly talented!!! Thank you so!!! Receiving this email has brought my week to the to perfect closing. I’m speechless for all that you have done and how beautiful the photos turned out… I literally almost cried just receiving this email but opening the album did it.”
- Jillian & Chris
“Matt! You are a genius. These are the best photos I have EVER EVER seen. We are just thrilled ….you captured everything! This should be published in a magazine!!! … You are by FAR the most creative photographer with an eye like no other.”
- Emily (MOB)
Collections
& pricing
I also offer two different engagement sessions as an add-on to any wedding collection for couple’s who would like engagement photos. The traditional engagement session is what most couples book and includes two different looks (outfits) and two locations. My traditional engagement session is loosely around an hour and a half long. The save-the-date engagement session is for couple’s who need a small handful of photos for their save-the-date cards and includes only one location and look (outfit). My save-the-date engagement session is a quick 30 minute shoot.
Engagement sessions are a good excuse connect and play together in front of the camera before your wedding day. I find that couples love to incorporate an engagement session when they are visiting Santa Barbara to finalize their pre-wedding plans, catering tastings, and hair and makeup trial.
For full weddings, I would love to hop on a video call to meet you both and create a photo timeline together. This will not only help us frame out your wedding day early in the planning process and inform the next steps, but will also provide you with an estimation of how many hours of photography coverage you will need on your wedding day.
Please click the links below for more details.
Whether your big day is a big bash or a cozy affair with just a few of your family and closest friends, I have collections tailored to fit you.
I believe in keeping things straightforward and I'm upfront about keeping my pricing public. No need to inquire to find out how much I cost. With my complete collections and pricing below you can see exactly what you're getting and how competitive I keep my pricing.
All of my collections are straightforward and include what I would want if I were getting married - There is no upsell. In every collection you get all of your photos in high resolution, digitally enhanced and ready for print. Your online gallery makes it easy for you share and print your photos as much as you want, wherever you want. Full weddings include myself and a second photographer. Elopements and micro-weddings include just myself.
The only difference in my wedding photography collection is how many hours of photography coverage you need. To calculate a total, multiply my hourly rate x the number of hours of coverage you need. I keep the process simple. Additional time can be added at any point in the planning, even on the day-of the wedding, without needing to re do the contract. You can venmo the balance for additional time after the wedding.
Full weddings
50+ guests
Most couples average 8-9 hours
7 hour minimum
ELOPEMENTS & MICRO WEDDINGS
<50 guests
1 1/2 hour minimum
ENGAGEMENT sessions
I offer two different engagement sessions depending if you want one or two looks (locations/outfits).
