Kateri Connolly Photography — Local services in Town of Lodi

If you are anything like us - your photographer will be the most important part of your wedding day.

We found Kateri by chance when looking for a Finger Lakes based photographer within a couple of hours from Watkins Glen. Thinking we would need to look at one of the major cities and possibly pay an added travel fee - we were so lucky that she was local to the area, and super familiar with our venues.

Her experience with the vineyards and a variety of venues in the area made her a pro at getting intimate shots without ever being in the way.

In the lead-up to our wedding, we had an intro call to walk through our multi-part day, and we made a detailed plan of attack for the day. We still left her the free reign to get the candid shots we really wanted. We provided a shot list of suggested portraits and key moments, since of all of the things for our wedding day - the photography was probably our top priority.

We checked in again the week of - and actually had a major scheduling change on our wedding day requiring her to be with us at a different location more than an hour earlier than planned. She was quick to check in the morning of - and we worked through our game plan to pivot our original shot list and timing.

We had an additional scheduling change during the day, to due the weather - and a third location added to our day that wasn’t part of the original plan - all of which she rolled with, and she made a point to get even more shots for us at each location.

We did not have a wedding videographer, (tight-space on a rocking sailboat…)- so we were incredibly reliant on Kateri to capture the key beats for us to remember, and she was able to capture more than we could have ever hoped.

She provided us with hundreds of pictures that are literally magazine quality, and she has taken some of the nicest pictures we have ever seen of our family and friends during the day.

The photos speak for themselves - we cannot...

The fact that Kateri was available with less than 12 hours' notice to photograph my vow renewal: Awards her 5 STARS ON ITS OWN. I am a photographer as well, and when my friend (the originally hired photog for my renewal) had a last-minute emergency, she pointed me to Kateri. Never having met in person and getting through one of the most awkward things for me (having MY photo taking) was an amazing first experience. Not "okay" or "good" no.... Amazing. I, without having seen a single photo yet, can CONFIDENTLY tell you that Kateri literally OWNS lifestyle/documentary type family photos. This is the most patient and efficient woman I have ever seen. She was constantly moving with everyone and interacting in a way that wasn't rigid and allowed our kids to be their feral selves. Just, you know, adjusting between different lighting situations and focal lengths like it was no big deal. Constantly adapting. She was super engaged with our children and kept us (two very anti-camera people) feeling natural. The session came and went and she doesn't even realize how much I learned from her professionally, yet but more importantly, also as a mom. Her go-with-the-flow energy left me feeling stress-free and just in the moment with my wife and kids. She made me remember how important it is to get IN the PHOTO once in a while, too.

Deciding on Kateri for my wedding was one of the best and easiest decisions. She has a calming presence, which is a treasure in of itself on a hectic day such as a wedding, and she does some kind of magic in seeing people at their best. Working on a limited budget, photography was one of our top 3 priorities and upon seeing our gallery, my partner and I were uplifted in ways beyond expectation. Her work gave us a lifetime of happiness revisiting the moments captured on this special occasion. We are grateful for her genuinely phenomenal ability that captured the emotion and spirit of the day.

We had a couple calls together to share a timeline, as well as concerns that we had (like sweating on a hot day) and she took these to heart and quenched any issue (we ended up taking pictures in shaded areas at the warmest hours). She also arrived at the venue early, outside of her contracted hours, to get a sense of the environment and create backdrop ideas for us. It was sincerely easy and efficient working with Kateri, and having coordinated with other contractors, this is a treasure in of itself.

Kateri cannot be recommended highly enough, and I (along with my friends and family) can attest to her incredible talent and we believe that each and every client will feel the same magic too. Her website and instagram provide real examples...