Allison Stoddard Photography

Best of Weddings (3x).

Northern California based -- open to travel

About this vendor

Hello!, I'm Allison Stoddard -- a San Francisco based wedding photographer with a focus on the natural and candid moments of your day. I am here to capture your story, to pay attention to all the hugs, laughter and little moments that happen during your day so you come away with a collection of photos that bring you back to that special moment in time.

Details

Business Attributes

Woman-owned Business

Destination Weddings

Destination Wedding Packages

Photo Shoot Types

Bridal Portraits
Engagement

Photo & Video

Digital Files
Second Shooter Available

Photo & Video Styles

Documentary
Lifestyle

Wedding Activities

Getting Engaged
Rehearsals & Parties
After Party
Wedding
After Party

Awards and Affiliations

3-Time 'Best of Weddings'

2024.2023.2022.

out of 5.0

28 reviews

Search reviews

Weijia S

We are beyond grateful to have had Allison capture both our engagement in April 2023 and our wedding day in August 2024. From the very beginning, she had an incredible ability to d...

ocument our moments so naturally—never interrupting the magic but rather seamlessly blending into it. Her approach made us feel completely at ease, allowing us to be comfortably present in front of the camera while she worked her artistry behind the lens. One of our favorite things about working with Allison was how she would gently steal us away from the crowd for a few intimate moments, giving us the space to soak everything in while capturing the emotions so beautifully. Looking back at our photos, we’re transported right back to those feelings of love, joy, and excitement. If you’re looking for a photographer who truly sees and preserves the heart of your special moments, Allison is the one. We can’t thank her enough for giving us timeless memories we will cherish forever!

Claudia T

Allison is absolutely the best! She captured both our engagement photos and our spring wedding in Napa Valley with incredible skill and artistry. Her calming presence and immense t...

alent made our wedding day feel even more special. The photographs she took are truly timeless, and we will treasure them for the rest of our lives—and for generations to come. I recommend her wholeheartedly to all my friends, and we can’t wait to work with her again whenever we have the chance!

Regan H

The fact that I’m writing this review almost two years later (I feel so terrible about it; life has been beyond crazy) and still think about Allison just goes to show how good hear...

ted of a person she is and how beautiful her photography is. Nowadays when I see her posts on Instagram, it brings me back to our July 2022 wedding in Sonoma and just how fun it was to be photographed by her. I never thought I’d EVER say that I liked my photo taken, but by Allison it’s just different. If you’re anything like me and my husband who are so awkward in front of the camera then have no fear; I’m convinced Allison has magic powers. We had Allison photograph our rehearsal dinner the night before and it happened to be the first time we worked with her (which was such a bonus!). My husband actually said directly after our rehearsal dinner: “Wow, that was actually so fun, I can’t wait to do more tomorrow.” If you knew him… a timid Swedish guy who doesn’t like being in front of the camera. You get the idea. Her attention to detail and just pure talent for art is truly incredible; it speaks for itself. It was so special receiving the photos after…the kind of thing that you will actually cherish and keep on your coffee table forever and think of those wonderful memories. Allison, thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing the best day of our lives to life through your art and helping us to enjoy it so much. Do yourself a favor and reach out to Allison and I promise you won’t regret a thing xo

Melina M

If you have the opportunity to work with Allison, you absolutely should!! Her work speaks for itself - it is stunningly gorgeous, and Allison captures the essence and feeling of a ...

day so beautifully. She is truly an artist. She is also the loveliest person, and is a calming presence on a hectic day. It was a joy to work with Allison from start to finish, and cannot recommend her highly enough!

Katie F

Allison shot at our Sonoma County wedding in July of 2023. She was an absolute DREAM to work with from beginning to end. She is so professional and made us both feel very comfortab...

le being in front of the camera. Our wedding photos are perfect. She was able to capture the entire day so well that when I look back on the photos it feels like we are reliving the entire day (which is exactly what you want)! She also did a mix of both film and digital photos which we loved. I showed her my Pinterest board before the wedding for photo style inspiration and she gave us exactly what we asked for. We also had a pretty large group when it came to formal family photos. I thought it would be stressful but Allison was very organized and prepared making the family photos quick and easy. We really only have amazing things to say about Allison. I cannot recommend her enough! If you are looking for a sign to book her, THIS IS IT <3

Katie E

Allison shot our engagement in November 2022 and rehearsal & wedding in August 2023 and we loved working with her. Allison was recommended to us by a close friend and her style was...

a great fit for us; she captures the feelings & the tender moments without feeling posed/rehearsed. Allison was responsive & easy to work with from the start; she has a robust intro packet filled with photography tips, her style, and package offerings. She was flexible with add-ons as we approached the date as well. Our final gallery was stunning and you could feel the warmth. There were also little touches like the final gallery box & prints that made us feel like she went above and beyond. We'd trust Allison again & again with our big day. Thank you Allison!

Jessica B

We got to work with Allison for our wedding in May 2023! I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend Allison as your photographer! Prior to getting married, I didn't think about how much ti...

me you spend actually taking photos and being with your photographer. One of the true highlights for me was the time we got to spend taking the photos on wedding day. It was some of the only times we were pulled away from the larger group. Allison is not only so talented with the exact taste/look in photography we were looking for, but is super down to earth and genuine and made the time together taking photos lighthearted and most importantly fun. Allison took so much time and care in her communication with us, the quality of photos, and made our day even better. We also loved that she shot in both film and digital. Thank you so much Allison!

Gabe F

Allison is such a great photographer and is so amazing to work with! My wife and I would recommend her to anyone! We've only seen the previews so far but we are so happy with our p...

ictures

Mikenzie D

Allison is an incredible photographer, we are so glad we booked her for our October 2022 wedding in Santa Barbara. As a wedding videographer myself, booking the right photographer ...

was very important to me and it took me about 6 months to find and book her. I was disappointed by how pretentious so many photographers were in the inquiry process; many of them act as if the photography is more important than the wedding itself. Allison, however, is kind, communicative and professional. Her pricing is very reasonable, especially for the quality of her art and service. My husband and I both work in filmmaking and are very uncomfortable in front of the lens, but Allison's direction helped us to relax and make us look good in the photos. We were especially impressed that she used both digital and film cameras, we really loved her film photos and she gave us some beautiful prints of them in a glass box along with a beautiful flash drive of our digital photos. Overall, she is an incredible artist and professional and we highly recommend her!

Jen C

We were so lucky to have Allie photograph our engagement photos and wedding day. She absolutely crushed it and we couldn’t ask for more beautiful photos. She made everything so eas...

y and fun and always made us laugh to help break us out of any awkwardness. Her style is classic, elegant, and timeless and that’s exactly what we were looking for in our wedding photos. So happy we have such amazing photos and memories from such a special day!

Kate w

I recently had the pleasure of having Allison as my wedding photographer for our elopement and celebration with my friends and I cannot say enough good things about her work! She i...

s professional, attentive, and captured all of the special moments of our day perfectly. Her calmness makes everyone feel at ease! Her eye for detail and creativity truly shined in our photos. I would highly recommend Allison to anyone looking for a talented and trustworthy photographer for their wedding or any other special occasion. She is also open to travel! I got married in Southern California and had a wedding celebration in NY!

Paris O

When thinking about planning a wedding, both my fiance (now husband) and I were NOT excited. It sounded like a lot of money and not worth the expense. But the ONE thing I knew I wa...

nted was a great photographer that would be able to produce timeless, classy, chic photos for both our engagement and wedding - And Allison was PERFECT. I had browsed the internet and looked through dozens of instagram accounts to find a photographer. When coming upon Allison's work there was no hesitation. I immediately messaged her and she only had one open date in October and it was the one we had chosen for wedding. Some would call that fate. When you meet her you instantly feel her calm energy and light heartedness. She puts you at ease and genuinely is happy to be there and curate this special experience for the both of you. What I loved most about her is that she finds the beauty in things that are deemed "ordinary" and she is able to capture their magic. When looking through the photos it was amazing to see how she captured not only our essence and energy, but that of our friends, family, and wedding itself. It's not often you get photos where both you and your partner feel beautiful/hot. You will not regret going with Allison. Thank you Allison for capturing one of the most beautiful moments in our life. Many more will come, but we will certainly not have these kind of photos to remember them by.

Lily H

Allison is an absolutely fantastic photographer and overall great person - she made us feel comfortable with her warm, positive and easy going presence and made our day even more s...

pecial. Her photos are absolutely beautiful and ones we will cherish forever, we could not recommend Allison more highly.

Leah S

There aren't words to explain how lucky we feel to have had Allison as a part of our wedding day. From the start, she was welcoming, clear, and easy to communicate with. She made u...

s and our families feel so comfortable throughout the whole day. Her photography is so gorgeous and we could not be happier with how our photos turned out. I cannot recommend Allison enough.

Eden G

We booked Allison for our engagement photoshoot and immediately knew we needed her as our wedding photographer. Her easygoing personality makes her incredibly fun to work with, and...

she exudes this calm demeanor even in the midst of a crazy wedding day. Not only does she make you feel comfortable in front of the camera, but each pose feels candid & effortless. When we asked for film photos at the wedding, she showed up with two different film cameras sent our previews in 1 day. Even though we had a large wedding, each photo still felt intimate & sweet. Looking back, our photos were everything we hoped for and more. We are soo grateful for Allison and her incredible work!

Eileen K

Summing up Allison's talent in one small review is so hard because she is THAT good. Allison shot our engagement photos in August 2019 and was scheduled for our March 2020 wedding,...

but COVID had other plans for us. She was so flexible as we postponed our wedding multiple times and eventually traveled to Seattle to capture our Mount Rainier elopement. Allison's calm and personable demeanor easily melded with our family and she truly became more than just a photographer, but a friend. Allison's photos are beyond stunning. She captured the candid emotions of our elopement, the most beautiful and sentimental details, and SO many incredible portraits. To say we're obsessed is an understatement. Looking back at Allison's photos immediately transports us back to our favorite day so we can relive every moment. We can't wait to have Allison shoot our wedding reception later this year. 12/10 recommend.

Sarah L

We couldn’t have been more thrilled with our experience working with Allison. We engaged in working with Allison in late 2018 when we got engaged and were originally planning on ge...

tting married in 2019. However, the pandemic threw a wrench in things but Allison was along for the ride and so responsive with every twist and turn I threw at her. Day of the wedding, she was amazing! She captured all the little details, all the special and hidden moments and even had some fun with us on the fly in some really creative ways. As someone who produces ads and campaigns it was really fun to be the subject and made me feel more at ease. When the gallery was finally sent, I cried looking back on what she captured. I got to relive the whole day again! Upon sharing with my family everyone was blown away with what she captured. Regardless of her talent, which must already be apparent to you having gotten this far— Allison is a really special human and truly cares about her brides/grooms. I would recommend her a thousand times over!

Alyssa O

Allison is amazing! I began planning our wedding in August of 2020 and had trouble finding a photographer available for our 2021 Fall wedding. Another photographer referred me to A...

llison, and after looking at her portfolio and Instagram account, I knew I wanted her to capture our special day! Allison’s work tells a story, and I love the candid moments that she captures. Her photographs are a work of art! Allison was extremely friendly and responsive throughout the planning process. Allison made time to meet with us before the wedding to tour our venue and find all the best spots for photos. On the day of the wedding, Allison was a life-saver! She helped us to keep to our schedule and ensured we had all the photos that were important to us. Allison helped us feel confident in front of the camera and gave us prompts to help with posed portraits. We have not yet seen our full gallery, but the previews that Allison sent over are gorgeous! We are so happy that we hired Allison!

Sam S

Allison is fantastic, and words can't even begin to scratch the surface of articulating her talent, but I will try!! I got married in March 2021, after the pandemic foiled 2 prior ...

attempts at a celebration. I looked for months until I came across Allison, and knew immediately from her photos that she was the person I wanted capturing our day. From our first conversation, she was kind, professional, and easy to talk to. Each time our wedding plans were dashed, Allison adjusted her schedule for us, never charging us extra for circumstances beyond our control. We trusted her completely; in turn, she honored and rewarded our trust throughout every interaction. Allison is creative at every step. I didn't want engagement photos, so Allison shot our rehearsal dinner instead (best decision ever!). On the day of the wedding, somehow Allison was everywhere at all the right times, always capturing the perfect photo, yet never interrupting the flow of the day. She is a master of candid photography: finding the in-between moments, the side conversations, the subtle glances, and the love between family and friends that truly defined our day. She even found a way to make posed photos look perfectly natural. Allison was the perfect person for the job, and we will cherish her photos of our day forever. Allison is the best. My advice would be to book her ASAP and figure out the rest of your plans later :)

Katelyn K

I knew from the moment I saw Allison’s work that I wanted her to photograph our wedding, and she exceeded every expectation I had! My husband and I do not consider ourselves to be ...

photogenic- Allison made us feel so comfortable and captured the perfect mix of natural and staged photos of our day. On top of being incredibly talented, she is so kind and easy to work with. We’re incredibly grateful to have had the chance to meet her and highly recommend to anyone looking for a wedding photographer!

Megan M

My fiance and I had such an amazing experience with Allison having our engagement photos taken. We were initially a little concerned that we'd be awkward and look unnatural on cam...

era -- Allison helped so much in getting us to relax and loosen up and I absolutely loved the photos. The day we picked ended up being cold and foggy, but the pictures are absolutely stunning. There were so many that I loved I struggled to trim down the selection for our wedding website. Allison also sent us a gorgeous flash drive with a few wallet-sized selections of our favourite photos which I shared with our families :) An awesome experience and we really hope to work with Allison again! Highly recommended.

Miki C

I can't even begin to describe how amazing Allison is. I talked to at least 20 different photographers in Bay Area about my engagement photos and had the feeling she was the one. I...

booked her without meeting her. I was nervous, thinking if we would look awkward and stiff. But Allison truly captured the “real us”. She made everything so fun and made us feel beautiful. Not only is she amazing at what she does, but she is truly just amazing person in general. She makes sure we get to know each other so she can build a personal relationship with us. It was so easy to talk to her and she made us feel comfortable, which I feel is really important since she is with you during some of the most intimate moments. The photos have been spectacular! A magic. It is so wonderful to be able to see what our love looks like and Allison gave that to us. Even after 2 years since the shooting, we continue to rave about how amazing she was and are so grateful to have her work with us. Thank you Allison! 100/10

Bianca G

This review is long over do! Words can not express how talented Allison is. During the mist of Covid, my now husband and I decided to elope in October. Within two weeks we planne...

d a mountain top wedding on Mount Tamalpais, which over looks San Francisco. I remember calling Allison a week before our wedding asking if she happened to be free the following weekend for our 10.10.2020 wedding. She was and it was meant to be. The day of our wedding, it rained and all 10 of our guests were soaking wet (including Allison). Allison came to the rescue. She was able to capture the most beautiful photographs ever. I am beyond grateful for the work she did. She turned a rainy wedding into a romanic life memory, that I will cherish forever. Thank you so much Allison. You truly are something special.

Nicole S

Allison was definitely in the top 3 best choices my husband and I made for our wedding back in November of 2019! From the initial phone call, the walkthrough, and the big day, Alli...

son was there to support us with not only photography stuff but coordination of other things too. I don't like being in front of the camera most days, but Allison made me feel comfortable and the photos came out so nicely. Our big day was POURING rain but she and her husband tag teamed and made it work smoothly. She made the rain an accessory and made the photos so beautiful. My husband and I both agreed that we wanted to choose a photographer that captured emotions through the event; and when we look back on our pictures, it takes us straight back. The cold, the rain, the laughs, the warmth of our friends and family...:) You know how you take a picture of something and you're like, "That doesn't look like how it looks with my eye..."? Not with Allison's photos! They look like as if you're there. I know that's a weird way to say she's skilled but, I hope you get the point. If you're reading this, I strongly recommend Allison and I hope you consider her as your photographer! :)

Alexandra S

Allison took our pictures for our wedding day in the middle of such a crazy and unpredictable year. She was the best partner we could have asked for and was such a joy to work with...

. She gave the best direction when taking our formal portraits and made us feel comfortable every step of the way. When we received our photos back, we could not be happier with the end results! Not only were our photos beautifully edited, but she captured the day and intimate moments in a very special way. We cannot recommend her enough.

Durga J

Allison photographed my partner proposing to me. She exceeded expectations on all fronts. She is so personable and warm, and made us feel comfortable in front of the camera. Alliso...

n even delivered previews to us in just 24 hours, and went overboard to deliver far, far more photos than discussed. She has an eye for lighting and detail, and is a magician with the camera. Don't think, just book Allison! She is the best and we will definitely be working with her again!

Kelsey R

Allison took our engagement photos and she is truly amazing! I’m not comfortable in front of cameras so she had my fiancé and I play cute games to get candid shots. Allison made su...

re that we were enjoying our session and it flew by. She has such a great eye for details and captured beautiful moments.

Alexandra I

Allison, thank you for capturing every detail of our wedding day. We are so lucky you were able to spend this special day with us and recreate all of the memories through your phot...

ography. The pictures are unbelievable. Your personality made us feel so comfortable. You captured not only Damon and I's joy, but the happiness of all of those around us. We will cherish these photos throughout our lifetime! For anyone looking to book Allison, do it! She is professional, takes amazing, candid photos, uses natural lighting, and spends time getting to know what her clients want out of the photo session. Her bubbly personality is infectious and you'll be happy to know her! Thank you for everything, Allison!

Contact

Northern California based -- open to travel

Allison Stoddard Photography's photos

Allison Stoddard Photography

Wedding vendors in San Francisco