San Francisco Elopement Photography
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San Francisco Elopement Photography
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And only YOU can write the script for your wedding day.
So do what YOU want. Go where YOU want to go. And play however YOU love to play.
The San Francisco Bay Area sets the stage, offering iconic landmarks and breathtaking natural beauty.
Whether it’s the stunning Golden Gate Bridge, serene coastal cliffs and trails along Highway 1,
sunlit vineyards in Napa, or breathtaking gardens in castle-like or Japanese settings,
celebrate YOUR day with intentionality and authenticity.
YOU do YOU.
Nature is your perfect venue
You don't have to get married in a ballroom. A banquet hall. A function room. Or a rec center.
Look around.
There are many beautiful places out there that means something to you.
That holds a special place in your heart.
It could be the park where you first met.
The redwood trail you hiked on your first date.
The coastal town you explored on your second.
The vineyard where you celebrated your first anniversary as boyfriend-girlfriend.
Or the beach where he proposed.
Go on an EPIC adventure
Some brides might be drawn to traditional weddings. And that's fine.
But you might not be one of them.
If you don't prefer sitting in a banquet hall or a ballroom...
If the thought of 300-500 guests (some you might not even know) makes you cringe...
If the idea of spending an entire day going through the typical wedding program doesn't appeal to you...
And if spending $30,000-$50,000 for one day sounds insane to you...
Hear this:
YOU CAN BREAK THE RULES.
You don't have to do any of that.
You can go on an epic adventure, just the two of you or with a small group of your favorite people.
Reviews
Sanghi K.
Marge is simply incredible. I came across Marge's website while I was on the hunt for a photographer a month before my fiance (now husband) and I were getting married at San Francisco's City Hall back in December. Not only did her website contain an online portfolio of her work, but it also contained her awesome blog and information about the entire procedure for getting married at city hall, which I found very helpful when informing my guests on the process, where to meet, etc. After all, the beautiful architecture of City Hall can be overwhelming. I contacted Marge via email and also met with her over coffee, and I have to say that she is the sweetest! She was genuinely interested in ALL of the details, how my husband and I met, what my wedding saree looks like, how many guests will be attending, information about the guests, and the list goes on! And she has a quick turnaround time through email.
When it came to taking pictures, she gave great direction, and we absolutely loved her style. It's formal, but still quirky and fun which really brought out our personalities. She also took many pictures in so many different combinations with our families. Even when we weren't paying attention, she was in the background capturing our memories. Our ceremony was a quick - less than 5 minutes, and she took so many pictures. What's crazy is that I didn't even notice she was there! I really loved that she was so patient and kind not just to my husband and me but also to our families. A wedding day, regardless of whether it's a big ceremony or a quick and dirty one at City Hall, can be a happy, emotional, stressful, and exciting day. But I have to say that her sweet demeanor kept me calm.
And her turnaround time with the pictures was EXCEPTIONAL! I asked her afterward if she could send me one picture as a preview, so I could send it to my relatives in India, and within a few hours, I found that picture in my email. In addition, considering the holidays were coming up, I expected there to be a delay in receiving all of the pictures, but she sent them to me along with a video slideshow within a week! They were looking marvelous, and we received so many compliments. And the photobook (which looked amazing!) arrived soon after. I was able to order an extra album and prints very easily.
Thank you Marge for everything! You are just amazing!Diane L.
FUN, PLAYFUL, ELEGANT, PERFECT! Marge did such an amazing job with both our engagement pictures and our wedding day photos. Marge listened to exactly what we wanted from our pictures. On the day of the wedding, she captured all of the details that we all know took so much time to prepare for. My family and friends all have such unique personalities and Marge was able to capture their personalities in all of the pictures. The photos we received truly showed the happiness and good times we were having through the whole day and night. My husband and I have been to so many weddings, have viewed hundreds of pictures and we were extremely picky about choosing the right photographer and we cannot express enough how happy we are that we chose Marge. We all know that the range of prices for a good photographer can be extremely pricey, but Marge was affordable and her work was truly better than most photographers I've seen. Our family and friends were also pleased with all of the photos because Marge did an excellent job of getting every single person at the wedding in at least some of the pictures. We keep getting compliments from everyone that sees the pictures!
On top of everything, she has an extremely quick turn around for the photos (1 week!!!), which is amazing because we all know you look forward to looking at the pics ASAP and hate waiting months to receive "proofs." Overall, no matter what you need a photographer for, my husband and I recommend Marge to everyone and will surely use her again for future events!Bridget G.
I can't say enough how happy I was with Marge! From the very beginning she was so easy to communicate with and made me feel very at ease. Her prices are beyond reasonable to begin with, but when you add in her knowledge of City Hall weddings it was almost like having a coordinator as well. We followed every piece of advice she gave us and I wouldn't have changed a thing. I would (and have already) recommend her to a friend!
Tia S.
Marge is UNBELIEVABLY AWESOME!!! I found Marge on Yelp a few months ago. I sent her an email explaining that my boyfriend (now HUSBAND) and I were eloping to City Hall in San Francisco. She replied promptly requesting info about the date, where else we'd like to take photos, advice about when City Hall is less crowded, and wanted to know more about who'd be coming with us. I felt that she was genuinely interested in our details. Getting married at City Hall in San Francisco was incredibly easy with Marge's help!!! On the day of our wedding, the driver that I'd hired NEVER SHOWED! I texted Marge to let her know we'd be running late! Marge was already there, and was able to tell the judge that we were coming. This is notable because their info says that if you're late, you could miss your appointment, and have to re-schedule. When we showed up, Marge greeted us and briefed us on what our time with her would be like. She took pictures from the very beginning of our appointment with the clerks in the office, AND served as our WITNESS. She knows so much about the building, and because of the days and times she suggested, we were able to secure the Rotunda for our ceremony. During the ceremony, I never noticed her! When we got our pictures back, I was just in complete awe of all the angles she took of the ceremony. This woman was everywhere!!
After the ceremony is where Marge truly shined!!! We'd originally agreed upon 1 location outside of City Hall but Marge was able to squeeze in 2 - Crissy Field and the Palace of Fine Arts. She took us to some of the most stunning locations within these areas. We wanted a mixture of both posed and casual and she was able to set us up for both types of pictures. She made us laugh, and laughed with us. Did I mention how AFFORDABLE Marge is?? Seriously, when I compared her price along with the incredible quality of her photographs to what other SF photographers are charging, it was a no-brainer. A week after we got back to North Carolina (our home) from California, our pictures arrived along with a photobook. Did you get that? HER TURNAROUND TIME IS ONE WEEK!!! Our pics are amazing. EVERYONE wants to know who the lovely photographer is behind these pics!!! Marge was able to capture the happiness and excitement we felt on that day.
Marge, you and your work are exceptional! You made our day so special! Thank you for everything!!! BOOK HER NOW!!!Sarah H.
We got married on June 15th at City Hall and had Marge as our photographer. She was absolutely amazing and made us feel super comfortable. She knew every inch of City Hall and where and how to get the best pictures. Speaking of pictures, our pictures turned out more amazing than I could have hoped for. Everyone was blown away by how great they are! I was originally a little concerned about paying for a photographer that I wouldn't meet until the day of, but she returned every one of my emails, answered every question, and had a plan for every minute on the day of. For a crazy planner like me it meant a lot. Her prices are reasonable and she makes the most of every minute you have with her. We ended up finishing our pictures a little early and she refunded us the money for the time that we didn't use. She did this without us asking which made us feel good. I highly recommend Marge for any pictures, but especially if you are getting married at SF City Hall!
Rachel D.
Amazing!!! Marge was so wonderful to work with!
I found Marge online and loved her photos. We were working with a small budget so I was so excited to find so many package options. The day of the wedding she showed up early and got right to work! Marge is so professional, she had gone to both our ceremony and reception sites before to scout out the perfect shots! We just wanted to have a fun wedding, nothing formal but we did need family pictures for the moms and Marge got so many fantastic ones. She captured so many great ones of our doggie too!!!
Once we got to the reception (party on! it was a blur), she was in candid mode. When we received her email (exactly five days later!) we were so excited to see the amazing shots. Our friends and family having so much fun, Marge captured it all!
I cant stop carrying on about Marge! She was fantastic and I want the world to know!Megan S.
I'm very excited to add another five-star review for Marge. My hubs and I met her for the first time two years ago at City Hall, when she not only took gorgeous pictures of our ceremony, but also helped us navigate our morning from beginning to end. Last week we met her at Golden Gate Park with our baby boy for our first pictures as a family of three. I started writing this review before we even left the park, until I realized I should probably wait until I saw the pictures first! I couldn't be happier with them. Taking pictures of a 6-month old is no small feat, but she captured his smiles and many other expressions perfectly. Marge is kindly spoken, professional, and knows how to pose families easily and naturally. We will continue to ask Marge to take our pictures as long as she has a camera in hand!
Janet M.
We just had our City Hall wedding last Tuesday, and we hired Marge as our photographer. It was such an easy process! Payment was able to be taken online through her website, and her prices are amazing. She was very prompt getting back to me with any questions we had and was very easy to get a hold of. She was already at City Hall when we arrived and she knew the building so well! We were on a tight schedule for our own reasons (not hers) and she got us through the building quickly, hitting all the best spots. We got our photos back today (one week! just like she said) and they turned out beautiful! She had a very kind, easy-going quality about her that made taking pictures not so stressful. We can't recommend her enough!
Capri H.
We came up from San Diego to get married in San Francisco City Hall (just the two of us). I did a tremendous amount of reseach in choosing a photographer given that we wanted these pictures to be treasured memories that we could share with our family and friends. I looked at well over 10 other photographer's portfolios and pricing and chose Marge based on her beautiful pics and the best pricing I found by far. Everything was done via email and I told her that we would book an afternoon time slot on a Friday and she (very wisely) told me to change that to the morning, before it gets filled up with people. This turned out to be the most invaluable advice as it appears that we rented the place to ourselves. We met Marge and instantly had a great feeling of being taken care of. She whisked us away to get pictures before the ceremony and we could tell, she knew all the right angles and lighting. She was such a professional with a calm, sweet demenor. It felt as though we had known her for years. We received our pictures back within a week just as she had promised and they were amazing!!!!! We showed the slideshow and pics to our friends and family and everyone has the same reaction of "Wow, your photographer was incredible!!!" It's at that time that I brag about the price!! It truly is the most incredible value for what you get. BOTTOM LINE IS IF YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT USING MARGE MAGHONEY AS YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER.....DO IT!!! You will be EXTREMELY pleased with the results!
Carrie T.
We chose Marge to shoot our wedding in August. After reading her website, looking at her past work and getting a sense of the personality I thought it would be a perfect fit. We are so pleased with the way that our photos turned out and the special memories she captured. I found myself wanting to find her to get a shot but she was always already there and ready to go without my direction. I love that she got so many great pictures and is super stealth like, she was not all up in our business but still got up close and amazing shots. The turn around time was great too - we got to look at some of the pictures while we were still on our honeymoon - AWESOME! The payment plan option was also super helpful for those of us on a budget! She far exceeded our expectations! I would highly recommend her!
Monica L.
Me and my husband can't say enough good things about Marge. When we decided to have a private wedding ceremony at SF City Hall we decided to splurge on a good photographer to capture the moment for our families. Marge was above and beyond our expectations. Not only is she extremely reasonable, but she is by far the best photographer out there! Our pics are beautiful. We got them back so quickly too. We were still on our honeymoon and when we watched the video storybook we were in tears at how beautiful it looked. I also appreciated that she helped us in getting through City Hall smoothly so that we would have the exact location we wanted for our ceremony.
Marge was unbelievable AWESOME! If you are contemplating booking a photographer stop and just book Marge. Also I'm soooo glad I decided to upgrade my package to include an additional location. She took us to Clarion Alley...Our family watched the video last night...they were in tears...Marge is the best!!!Krysta C.
Marge is AMAZING!! I was browsing the Internet about a year out from my wedding date and came across her website. Within seconds of reading her BIO, I knew I found our perfect match. She was very quick on getting back to me and thankfully had our date open. Leading up to the wedding we emailed ideas, pictures and important guest info. Out of all the vendors we used, I felt most confident and at ease knowing I had her to be there on our big day. Wedding day was a big blur for me but not even a week later and I already have edited, BEAUTIFUL photos. I am so impressed by how fast we got our pictures and we LOVE them. I hope I have a reason in the future to work with Marge again!
There's a special reason you're here
With over a billion websites out there, the internet's a crowded space. And yet here you are.
It's easy to skim through things and move quickly onto the next without pause. We often don't stop to consider why we end up where we do or the paths we choose to explore.
But I like to think there's a reason behind every connection. And for some reason, out of all the websites you could have visited, something brought you here. Maybe you're sneaking in some quick wedding research at work, killing time in a parking lot, or maybe you’re cozied up at home working on your guest list on a Friday night.
Whatever the reason, I'm glad you're here.
How it started
July 28, 2008 was when I first stepped foot in America. Thirteen hours in the air after I left Manila, I arrived in San Francisco. Nervous yet overwhelmed with excitement to experience this new place. This was the first time I left the Philippines and at 31, there were so many possibilities I knew were there but remained concealed to me. It was supposed to be just a month's vacation but when I gave my dad one last hug when he dropped me off at the airport, I had a feeling that I wasn't going to see him for much longer than that.
That temporary stay turned into something permanent when I met my now husband, John. It was a whirlwind, moving in together within a month since we met. We've been inseparable since. All I had was $3,000, some clothes in one suitcase and my camera. It was supposed to be just a holiday. A break from my life in Manila.
After a few months when it was decided I'll be staying, I knew I had to work. Having had no experience in the U.S., I looked at my camera and thought I always wanted to be a photographer. I had no professional experience nor went to school for it but I had taken thousands of photos for leisure and sanity, for friends and family. If something in my reality wasn't so pretty, I could always count on finding something beautiful behind the lens. From something random. Something far removed from my day-to-day.
The newness of it all being in America gave my heart the boost it needed to take a chance. I had a blank slate starting over in a new environment and something told me that here, I can also be a new me. One Craiglist post turned into my first booking, a wedding at Lake Merritt in Oakland. I worked Craigslist over and over and over. Jumped on social media, all of them at the time, and learned everything I could online from editing to marketing to creating websites. I went from zero to over 300 gigs in just a few years and became one of the busiest photographers for San Francisco City Hall weddings.
I'm a bit weirded out talking about all this today. In disbelief that that crazy turn in my life actually happened and at the same time feeling like I've always known that this is where I belong. This is now my home. It's where I was able to make my dream a reality, with icing on top. Capturing beautiful things from behind the lens in the jaw-dropping landscape of the San Francisco Bay.
Your story
At this point, I'm supposed to tell you what makes me the perfect choice to be your photographer, showcase my expertise, tell you how many events/weddings I've covered, how many years I've been in the business and other things I'm supposed to be great at.
But I don't consider myself an expert and I believe that's my best asset. I approach every event, every client, every location, every project, every subject as something new. When you act like an expert, or even believe you are one, you tend to think you know it all. That just because you've done this a thousand times, you think you got it all covered and act on routine.
But each event, each person, each moment is one of a kind. I'm aware of this the moment I shake your hand, or give you a hug or first step foot at your venue. I approach every encounter with fresh eyes and a curious spirit, mindful that there will be something new that will catch my eye, allowing me to not let these moments pass me by just because I've been at a similar event before.
I treat each project as my first. And I don't try to tame the excitement that that novelty brings. No two events are alike. No two brides the same. No two venues are identical even if they're both decorated with the same flowers and flooded by the same music.
What makes it different is you. Your vibe. Your spirit. That's why I try to get to know you as best as I could so I can live up to telling your story on this one day you'll keep coming back to.
Why me
And now we've reached the part where I'm supposed to double down convincing you to hire me. I can do it blatantly or in the quiet pretense of humility as I drop hints here and there of my accomplishments as a photographer.
But I won't do that. I don't want to. I'd rather lay myself bare telling you my story as I have and let you decide if you and I can have some fun together.
Getting along with your photographer is quite underrated. But it's up there side-by-side with talent. You've probably seen a bunch of photographer websites at this point. There are a lot of good ones out there. But more than their work, do you feel more or less on the same wavelength? You can get a feel for it reading their bio, their blog, the way they talk on social media. You have to feel that you can get along.
Why? Because you want someone who gets you. Someone you like. Someone you trust. Someone you'll listen to when they tell you to pose this way or that. Someone you'll allow yourself to be guided by on the day of. Someone who can effortlessly bring you to your comfort zone. One you can relax around. Because when you're unguarded, when you don't feel nervous or insecure or feel the need to put on a face, that's when your best images are captured. That split second when you crack up because of what your sister said. That moment when you tear up letting your dad's hand go and reaching for your fiancé's. Or simply the joy in your eyes the moment you exchange "I do's".
Candid and semi-posed portraits are hands down the best. The not so perfect, the raw, the unrehearsed moments are what produces photos that tell a unique story, your own.
Now what
So what's next? If you somehow stumbled here from a photo you saw on my Instagram, TikTok or Pinterest page, or maybe one I took and shared by a friend or relative of yours on social media, nice to meet ya.
Or perhaps you're here because you're actually looking for someone to take photos of an event you're planning or your portrait or your pet's or your family holiday photos. I give you the same warm welcome.
If you feel you've found the one, let's get the ball rolling. Send me a message at marge@maghoney.com with the following (just copy and paste it and add the missing info):
1. Your name
2. Your photo needs (is it for an event or something else?)
3. Event date
4. Event time
5. Event location
6. Your fiancé/fiancée's name (if it's a wedding or engagement)
7. Your cell #
8. Something about yourself and your soon-to-be-spouse (if it's a wedding or an engagement session), how you met, what you guys are into, how you envision the photo shoot...(feel free to blab).
9. If you have a Pinterest board for inspiration, share the link with me (if you're comfortable).
10. If you have inspo photos for the shoot you've saved on your phone or your computer, share them too.
11. If you have a photo of your wedding dress, I'd love to see it for more wedding vibe inspo.
Then we'll start from there. If you have any questions or any special case scenarios, let me know. Prices are listed here. Trust me, this is going to be fun. :)
Process
1Introduction
Send your name, wedding date and location to marge@fengshui-weddings.com. Attach a photo of you and your partner and share a little bit about who you are, how you met and what you envision for your wedding.
2Getting to Know You
If I'm available on your wedding date, you'll receive a response to your initial email with a questionnaire. Complete the questionnaire and submit.
3Phone Consult
This is when we get to know each other better and touch on the event details so I can tailor fit and gather inspiration from who you are as a couple for the photography.
4Booking
A 50% deposit and signed contract are required to secure your date. Full payment is to be completed a month prior to the event date.
5Initial Deliverables
Delivery of your Zen Wedding digital guidebook (and bridal gift box for Premium and Elite packages only).
Note: I will be in touch and checking in during the the entire process.
6Engagement Session
Applicable for only for the Premium and Elite packages.
7Wedding Day
8Final Deliverables
Delivery of photo links and album.
Maghoney Photography
San Francisco Elopement Photography Services
San Francisco Bay Area, California
Copyright © 2024 Maghoney Photography