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KIND WORDS

Wesley Harden Photography

Intimate Yosemite Wedding and Adventurous Elopement Photographer

Taft Point Yosemite National Park Elopement | Jocelyn & Jonathan

Taft Point Yosemite National Park Elopement | Jocelyn & Jonathan

My husband and I exchanged vows in Yosemite National Park and were looking for a photographer to capture those magical moments. The one thing we really needed was a photographer who was patient and flexible due to the COVID pandemic, the last-minute permits, and just made us feel special on this day.


While looking for a photographer, we had some bad experiences and we were left in a pretty sensitive state when choosing a photographer. We're a diverse couple and wanted to make sure our photographer worked with people with darker skin tones. I could hardly find any portfolios with diversity so it was a little disheartening during our search. However, when I came across Wesley's Instagram from another photographer's page, I KNEW THIS WAS OUR GUY! I immediately felt the good vibes from our first phone call and knew this was going to be the photographer we longed for. He helped us through every step of the way when Yosemite National Park added additional regulations and permits. He was communicative and so patient in walking me through the process. The day of - Wesley even helped me get dressed for our first look, which I really appreciated since I had no family or friends there. He took us to all these awesome scenic sights and told us how to pose (we're an awkward couple). I'll forever be grateful for Wesley's talents. It has given my husband and everlasting memories. I've already recommended him to a few of my friends who are planning to Elope!

Mt. Rainier Seattle Washington Intimate Elopement

Mt. Rainier, Seattle Washington Elopement | Katie & Eric

 

Our experience with Wesley was downright awesome. From the get-go, he wasn't just a photographer; he was like the ninja of capturing moments. Sorting out the details for his trip to Washington? Wesley nailed it. Found the best deals, made everything easy. And the trail he picked for our shoot? Pure magic. He's a trooper too – our hike was no walk in the park, but Wesley stayed chill and supportive throughout. No awkward poses, no wondering what to do; he guided us like a pro. Communication was a breeze, online and in person. Quick responses? Always. And get this – he was totally cool with holding onto our photos until our wedding, four months later, just so we could keep them a surprise. The photo turnaround? Blink, and they were in our inbox. The pics? Mind-blowing. Opted for a photo album through Wesley, and it's basically a work of art. If you are here wondering if Wesley is the right photographer, the answer is yes. He is organized, so sweet, and damn good at what he does. Our Washington vow reading was epic, and he played a huge part in making it unforgettable.

Ocean Beach San Francisco LGBTQ+ Intimate Wedding | Hannah & Zayda

Ocean Beach San Francisco LGBTQ+ Intimate Wedding | Hannah & Zayda

We cannot express how much we adored working with Wesley! He gave us a BEYOND fantastic experience on our special day and captured everything so beautifully. Working with him was like working with a dear friend. Sure, we were excited about our wedding, but we were even more excited that Wesley captured the day! If you are in the Bay area, Turlock, or Yosemite National Park, Wesley is 100% your BEST CHOICE and is the MOST talented photographer out there! We love you, Wesley!

Yosemite National Park Valley Elopement | Ruel & Karren

Yosemite National Park Valley Elopement | Ruel & Karren

I love how Wesley arranged a meeting with me and my husband days before the wedding and explained his plans. He personalized the whole idea together with our ideas and preferences. He is very professional and he uses both our times wisely since he planned out where and when to go around Yosemite. We enjoyed our time making wedding memories with him through his camera! I would really recommend Wesley as your photographer on your wedding day!

Yosemite National Park Glacier Point Elopement | Ashley & Truett

Yosemite National Park Glacier Point Elopement | Ashley & Truett

Wesley is an absolute GEM. After multiple calls with several other photographers, I was started to feel uncertain about eloping in Yosemite, but after finding Wesley and talking with him, he really put all of my worries at ease.

After my first phone call with him, I knew he was the right photographer for my husband and me. Wesley is extremely passionate about his work. He absolutely loves Yosemite and knows the area extremely well. He gave an entire run down of what to expect so there were no surprises, and even gave advice on what to bring since we would be hiking to Taft point for photos as well. He went over every detail that you could possibly imagine, was extremely communicative, and very polite. He even helped us create a timeline since we had no idea what we were doing, and he made sure that we included, and allotted time, for everything that was important to my husband and me.

My husband and I have been together for six years and have never had professional photos taken. Neither of us our photogenic, but Wesley made taking photos one of the most comfortable and enjoyable experiences. We both look absolutely amazing in all of our photos!

Wesley came up with so many ideas for our wedding day, and was quick to find creative ways to include things, like my grandpa’s motorcycle, into our photos (which I had never even thought to include). He made our day that much more magical and personal. Wesley is caring, fun, extremely creative, and his attention to detail is phenomenal. He’s also just a complete blast to be around, and his outgoing personality made it feel like being around a longtime friend. Several guests thought that we had known Wesley for years, and were shocked to find out that our wedding day was the first time we had ever met him in person!

We lucked out with Wesley on our wedding day. He not only gave us beautiful photos that we will get to enjoy for a lifetime, but he also made our wedding day an experience that we will never forget. He definitely exceeded all of our expectations, and we cannot recommend him enough. We are already trying to figure out when our next big event is so that we can hire him again!

Yosemite Sunrise Elopement at Sunrise at Glacier Point.

Sunrise Elopement Glacier Point Yosemite National Park | Angela & Ankur

It was a pleasure working with Wesley. It was our first-time photo shoot experience, but Wesley made us feel comfortable during the whole shoot. The whole experience felt natural, he made a few posing suggestions but nothing felt fake.
Additionally, I contacted about 10 photographers and Wesley was the most timely and responsive. Very professional! My husband and I are also picky with punctuality, I was so surprised that Wesley was at the meeting spot earlier than me. I'm normally the first one everywhere I go but Wesley beat me haha
Such a professional and fun person to work with. Lastly, we received our pictures and they are amazing. I cannot stop looking at them :).

Cruise Elopement in San Francisco.

San Francisco Intimate Cruise Wedding | Ana & Ben

Not only are Wesley’s photographs bursting with talent, but his behind-the-scenes attentiveness and professionalism make him amazing to work with. We contacted him a few weeks before our small wedding in the San Francisco Bay and, with his signature enthusiasm, he quickly hopped on board for the entire experience. With his radiant amicability, Wesley also did a wonderful job of helping us feel relaxed and comfortable from before the ceremony up until the very end of our wedding weekend.

We are so grateful for the images he captured from our big day. He has such an eye for color and candid moments! My family still speaks highly of Wesley to this day for what a positive impression he left from our wedding. Not to mention the breathtaking PHOTOS that we will forever cherish. We love Wesley!!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Taft Point Yosemite National Park LGBTQ+ Elopement | Bret & Beau

When we made the decision to elope, we knew finding the right photographer was essential to the experience. With the date quickly approaching, we discovered Wesley via his Instagram account and wasted no time in contacting him. If his portfolio wasn't already enough, after speaking with him, we knew he was the man for the job. Professional, spirited, and talented hardly say enough. Wesley not only captured our day, but provided us with a plan that went above and beyond. His attention to detail blew us away, and the final results speak for themselves. We are forever grateful for Wesley and his many talents!

Vacaville Wedding Ceremony with flowers being thrown at couple walking down the aisle.

Vacaville, CA Backyard Wedding | Nicole & Kyle

My husband and I can’t speak highly enough about Wesley! Quick response, helpful, informative, and clearly passionate about photography.


I was able to message him anytime and he always responded and answered any and all questions I had. Wesley is an amazing photographer that went above and beyond to make sure everything went smooth.

Orthodox_Christian_Wedding_Sacramento_CA_Photos_Ceremony_In_A_Church_Reception_Photos-120.

Orthodox Christian Wedding | Maggie & Thaniel

Wesley is such an amazing photographer, we loved having him do our engagement and wedding photos so much!! He is very flexible and goes with the flow and helps you out so much with positions/posing. He got us sneak peaks right away and the rest came so fast and they were BEAUTIFUL! I cannot even describe how gorgeous they were. Wesley even sent a thank you box with our names engraved with a couple of printed photos. He adds such amazing touches like this to make you feel so special!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Yosemite National Park Valley Intimate Church Wedding | Becky & Sam

Wesley did a fantastic job for our Yosemite wedding in early April. From the onset, he was extremely professional and considerate in regard to our timeline. His excitement for us really shined through on our big day, and now we consider him part of the family!

Do yourself a favor and go ahead and book with Wesley. He will go above and beyond for you, and you’ll be ecstatic with the results!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Sacramento, CA Wedding | Taryn & Tyler

Wesley was our photographer for an engagement session and for our wedding day. He did an absolutely amazing job. He was professional, kind, flexible, responsive, and punctual. He did a phenomenal job and we are extremely impressed with the photographs that he was able to capture. Not only did he take amazing photographs, he was also very personable and made us feel comfortable while he took our pictures. We definitely recommend Wesley to anyone who needs a photographer; he is the best!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Nine3Nine Modesto, CA LGBTQ+ Wedding | Angel & Axel

Weddings take planning and money. Of course, the list is long, but I'll stick to these two. It became apparent quickly that getting a quality photographer was pretty important. My beau and I don't have many pictures together, so capturing our special day was especially important. I cannot rave enough about Wesley. It was easy to get a sense of his style and personality from his website. The photos and testimonials convey his dedication to an event. Being a first-time groom, I appreciated his insight and help not only during our initial contact but through his entire involvement in the wedding. He worked well with my crazy and loud family. The wedding went by 1,000 miles a minute, but Wesley had no problem getting beautiful shots and helping keep things run smoothly. The photos were truly amazing. He captured all the moments I wanted to and will cherish. He exceeded all my expectations and will always have my gratitude. Please don't hesitate to book this wonderful professional.

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Arnold, CA Forest Wedding | Cheyenne & Joe

Wesley was amazing to work with! From the very beginning, he was always responding promptly and answering all questions with professionalism. He was always on time for phone calls and photo shoots. Anyone can tell from looking at his photos that he is a skilled photographer and does amazing work, but he was also easy to work with and made us feel comfortable. He is extremely knowledgeable about lighting and poses, but also takes into consideration anything you want specifically. I would defiantly recommend Wesley for any photoshoot! Thank you Wesley, we love our photos!!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Surprise Proposal Yosemite National Park Glacier Point | Dylan & Molly

Wesley photographed my proposal to my girlfriend in Yosemite while we were traveling this summer. I cannot say enough about how professional, helpful, flexible, and personable Wesley was throughout the whole process. We spoke on the phone multiple times leading up to the proposal, easing my nerves and answering any questions I had. He helped me select a perfect location, time frame, and helped make sure the whole proposal (and our photo session) went smoothly. I would recommend Wesley to anyone that is looking for a photographer in the Yosemite area and beyond! Our photos turned out beautifully and will give us a chance to remember that day and moment forever. THANK YOU WESLEY!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Sacramento, CA Wedding | Stephanie & Chris

Wesley was a joy to work with! He did our engagement shoot as well as our wedding. He runs his business professionally and it shows! He is very talented and easy to work with, and he is very passionate about his work. And we love our photos!! We would recommend him in a heartbeat!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Taft Point Yosemite National Park Night Elopement | Colin & Alicia

Wesley did an amazing job with our special day. He gave great instructions to let us get the best pictures but was also very flexible whenever we wanted to try something out. Our day was filled with chaos and Wesley was the one smooth thing. Expert in Yosemite and the spots and was able to plan out our timing and spots for us which was a huge relief.

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Shaver Lake Winter Elopement | Jem & Huy

Wesley gave us such an amazing experience! My husband and I did not plan to get married during the pandemic but later saw it as a great opportunity to have a small, intimate wedding with just a few loved ones that we actually wanted to invite. After we decided to go through with it, we realized that we only had 6 days to plan the wedding.

 

We chose Wesley because of his experience with capturing special moments between couples with nature as the backdrop. We had a winter wedding so although it was cold and snowy and a little challenging with my wedding dress in that environment, he managed to make the pictures look magical. Wesley made the whole experience stress-free. He was responsive and constantly communicated with me, he drove 2.5 hours to get to us, and his great personality made the whole experience so much fun! We would definitely hire Wesley again in the future!

Bay area and Yosemite National Park Wedding Photographer.

Yosemite Valley Engagement | Sari & Austin

Wesley DELIVERED on our engagement shoot from our and all I can say is… AMAZING 😊👍🏼My Fiancé and I are very happy with them and are even more excited about the wedding 🙏🏼!! Wesley, you sir, are a force to be reckoned with, thank you.

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