Wedding Photography Reviews, Testimonials, Kind words

 

It has been an honor to serve over 600 Weddings, hundreds of Families, High School Seniors, Drone and Aerial Clients, and Real Estate Clients.

Every time a Bride and Groom, family, or person takes time out of their day to review my services it is the highest compliment that they could pay to me.

Thank you to all my past and current Clients for their trust in my services. I look forward to serving thousands more Weddings, Families, Seniors, Drone Clients, and Real Estate Clients.

WEDDING REVIEWS Testimonials Paul Retherford Photography

Inn at Bay Harbor, Bay Harbor, Michigan

~”I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am with these pictures!!!  You captured us perfectly!!!  Thank you a million times over!” Jocelyn and Dan (Inn at Bay Harbor Elopement photography 2023)

 

Bayfront Park, Petoskey, Northern Michigan

~”Paul is the consummate professional and our family photos were awesome! Cannot recommend him enough.” Family Photography (Petoskey Bayfront Park 2022)

 

Bayfront Park, Petoskey, Northern Michigan

~”Paul is an outstanding photographer, he has done both my daughter’s senior pictures, and when it’s time he will do my sons also.” Senior High School Photography (Petoskey Bayfront Park 2022)

 

Eastport, Northern Michigan

~”Paul is a very talented and patient photographer…And he takes incredible photos. He led a great session for our large family group.” Family Photography (Eastport, Northern Michigan 2022)

 

Walloon Lake, Northern Michigan

~”Paul shot my surprise engagement shoot on Walloon Lake. Paul made me and my fiancé so comfortable and he was so fun to work with. I am so in love with the photos and he truly captured the love shared on that day. I highly recommend Paul!” Engagement Photography (Walloon Lake, Northern Michigan 2022)

 

Petoskey, Northern Michigan

~”Last Tuesday, Paul did a photography session with my cat, Apollo for his Birthday that is just around the corner in April. The photographs were creative, detailed and captured moments. I would absolutely recomend this service to anyone for the high quality pictures you will get.” Pet Photography (Petoskey, Northern Michigan 2022)

 

Walloon Lake, Northern Michigan

~”Paul was exceptional and fit in our son’s wedding with 4 days’ notice so that my terminally ill husband could be there! Not only was he very kind and responsive, but he is also wildly talented too! Thank you again, Paul, I cannot recommend him highly enough!” Family Photography (Walloon, Northern Michigan 2021)

 

Empire Beach, Northern Michigan

~”Paul drove a distance to come meet my family at Empire Beach. I had only reached out to him a couple weeks beforehand. I truly appreciated his responsiveness and professionalism. He transformed our evening and took creative shots. I cannot thank him enough for the memories he helped us encapsulate.” Family Photography (Empire Beach, Northern Michigan 2021)

 

Mackinac Island family photography, Northern Michigan

~”Paul is the best — we hired him to shoot our Mackinac Island wedding. Got amazing photos AND had the best time with him. He worked with us to find creative spots and offered to do a day after shoot instead of an engagement ONE since we weren’t coming to Mackinac together before our wedding weekend. We also hired Paul to take family photos for our 5-year and our 10-year anniversary trips to the island. As long as he’s willing, we’ll bring him back every 5 years!” Family Photography (Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan 2021)

 

Inn at Bay Harbor, Bay Harbor, Michigan

~”Paul is the BEST! From the first conversation we knew we found our photographer! Paul is an extremely talented photographer! His work is beautiful and he is knowledgeable regarding Northern Michigan! I would not hesitate to hire Paul again as he is a priceless investment! I would highly recommend his services!” Ally and Eric (Inn at Bay Harbor Wedding 2019)

 

Island House Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan

~”Paul is the BEST! From the first conversation we knew we found our photographer! Paul is an extremely talented photographer! His work is beautiful and he is knowledgeable regarding Mackinac Island! I would not hesitate to hire Paul again as he is a priceless investment! I would highly recommend his services!” Brieanna and Scott (Island House Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan Wedding 2019)

 

Headlands Dark Sky Park Event Center

~”We had Paul photograph our wedding in Mackinaw City and we were absolutely blown away by his professionalism, friendly personality and creative eye. He captured beautiful, candid moments of the day and we were pleasantly surprised to see such beautiful works of art…magazine quality. Thank you Paul for being such a wonderful photographer and for listening to our ideas. We are in awe of your talent and absolutely love the scenic pictures you took.” Kristina and Ryan (Headlands Dark Sky Park Event Center Wedding 2019)

 

Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan

~”We were married in May at the Perry Hotel in Petoskey and Paul was fantastic to work with! Our pictures turned out amazing! The weather did not cooperate for us much as we might have liked, but Paul knew exactly where to go and what to do to still get fantastic pictures.

We didn’t want to spend all of our time taking pictures and he kept things moving along quickly so that we didn’t have to, while still capturing all of the shots that we wanted. He kept everyone calm and laughing, especially before the ceremony when there were some nerves! He even stayed a little past our scheduled time to get some final pictures of me dancing with my grandma!

We were from out of town, so he did a phone conference with us the week before our wedding to go through photos and he also gave us some suggestions as well. One of my favorites was a group photo of all of our wedding guests on the front porch of our wedding venue. He also surprised us with a video of highlights from our wedding day that included audio of our vows and speeches….this was absolutely priceless!

We could not have asked for a better photographer, we love our photos and had a great experience!” Lisa and Scott (Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan 2019)

 

Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan

~”It was a pleasure to work with you Paul! Thank you so much for making my dream wedding so incredibly special. You captured the beauty of our wedding day so perfectly and gifted us with photos that will indeed last forever. During the commotion of the day, it is hard to remember those important details, and you did an amazing job capturing these precious moments. I am beyond satisfied with our photos and would recommend Paul Retherford Photography to anyone who wants a photographer that will go out of his way in order to capture the beauty of your special day. All around so very pleased to have chosen Paul for our wedding day at Castle Farms. Thank you and I will never forget how helpful, thoughtful, and polite you were on my special day. I was so grateful to be able to relax knowing that you had my dream wedding covered. Photos are something that last forever, and choosing the right photographer was one of the most important aspects of my wedding. For anyone who takes photography incredibly serious and want beautiful photos to look back on and relish your special day Paul is your guy.”  Claire and Seth (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan Wedding 2018)

 

Harbor Springs Petoskey, Michigan

~”Thank you again! These look amazing and you definitely made my dream come true. I cannot wait to figure out which ones to print right away! Haha.”  Kaitlynn and Jake (Harbor Springs and Petoskey, Michigan Engagement 2018)

 

Bay Harbor Yacht Club, Bay Harbor, Michigan

~”I want to say THANK YOU for being so wonderful to work with us on Saturday! Chris and I were so impressed, and our wedding party couldn’t believe how efficient you were!”  Andrea and Chris 2018 (Bay Harbor Yacht Club, Bay Harbor, Michigan)

 

Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan

~”Paul was amazing! From the initial inquiry to follow up after our wedding, Paul was incredibly professional, prompt and helpful. He was everything you could ask for in a wedding photographer. He took what we wanted into account and offered helpful suggestions to help us get through our day seamlessly. Paul also stepped in to help outside the realm of photography as we had her earl wedding questions throughout the day. As the day unfolded Paul was everywhere capturing everything without being a distraction or noticeable. He got our images to us quickly and easily and they are of wonderful quality. Would absolutely recommend Paul!”  Missy and Bruce 2018 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan

~”Paul was amazing! From the initial inquiry to follow up after our wedding, Paul was incredibly professional, prompt and helpful. He was everything you could ask for in a wedding photographer. He took what we wanted into account and offered helpful suggestions to help us get through our day seamlessly. Paul also stepped in to help outside the realm of photography as we had her earl wedding questions throughout the day. As the day unfolded Paul was everywhere capturing everything without being a distraction or noticeable. He got our images to us quickly and easily and they are of wonderful quality. Would absolutely recommend Paul!”  Samantha and Bill 2018 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

Sommerset Pointe Yacht Club, Boyne City, Michigan

~”Paul is phenomenal. He was my engagement and wedding photographer and the images he produces are nothing short of amazing. He is calm and collected and knows exactly what he’s doing. If I could rate more than five stars, I would.”  Lauren and Steve 2018 (Sommerset Pointe Yacht Club, Boyne City, Michigan)

 

Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan

~”Paul is phenomenal. He was my engagement and wedding photographer and the images he produces are nothing short of amazing. He is calm and collected and knows exactly what he’s doing. If I could rate more than five stars, I would.”  Sarah and Jay 2018 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan

~”Paul was a pleasure to work with. He knew how to make us feel comfortable behind the lens as well as kids, family, and friends in the wedding. He met with us in person multiple times before the big day to gather details and get to know us as a couple. His pictures were high quality and provided a clear snapshot of our big day. He responded quickly to emails and provided us with edited wedding pictures within a week of our big day. Fast, friendly, and wonderful service!”  Heather and Matt 2018 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

Island House Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan

~”My wife Lindsay and I were married on Mackinac Island 5/27/18 and used Paul as our photographer with amazing, magazine quality results. Being from out of state and knowing nobody, we had to rely on recommendations of photographers in the area and he was highly recommended. Paul is an exceptional photographer and an all around great guy. We were only able to speak on the phone with him before the wedding day and he did an excellent job on the call of helping us plan the day and spots he and us needed to be at different times so we could maximize location opportunities. Upon meeting him on the wedding day, he was very laid back and easy to work with. He wasn’t pushy at all and let us all do our thing with minimal direction, but enough to make our pictures natural while still coordinated. He knew the island and all of the best locations as well as how long it takes to get to and from each. We were able to get around in a timely manner to as many suggested spots as possible and we couldn’t be happier about all the different views and places he chose. During the reception, it was as if he wasn’t even there. He stayed out of the way as to not interfere with anyone or distract us or our guests from enjoying their time, but was all over the place getting great pictures of everyone. We would highly recommend Paul Retherford to anyone and would love to use him again in the future. Worth. Every. Penny.”  Lindsay and Evan 2018 (Island House Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan

~”My husband and I recently got married in Petoskey, and couldn’t have asked for a better photographer. From our first phone call, throughout our wedding day, to receiving the pictures, he was professional from start to finish. Not only did he get all the shots we asked for, but completely wowed us with shots we never would have thought of, to include aerial views of our venue and gorgeous sunset pictures. He was fast, efficient, and very easy to work with. The photos came out beautifully, and were ready by the time we got back from our honeymoon. We would recommend him to anyone!”  Megan and Drew 2018 (Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan)

 

Paw Paw, Michigan

~”They are wonderful as usual. Thank you so much for capturing our family like you do! Everyone looks great and the drone pics turned out so well.” Family photo 2018, Paw Paw, Michigan

 

Raona Acres, Williamston, Michigan

~”Thank you so much for capturing every special moment that we shared.  You are a great photographer and an amazing man.  It wouldn’t have been the same without you.”  Stephanie and Stephen 2017 (Raona Acres, Williamston, Michigan)

 

Inn at Bay Harbor, Michigan

~”Thank you so much for helping to make our day so special. We were truly blessed to have you as our photographer. I can’t stop looking at these wonderful photos!!!!” Emma and Cam 2017 (Inn at Bay Harbor, Michigan)

 

Charlevoix Lighthouse and Pier, Michigan

~”Paul, you were amazing to work with! You have such a creative eye for the most gorgeous photos and you were always close by to capture every single heartfelt moment! Thank you for everything! 2017 Award for Best Wedding Photographer ever!” Kimberly and Mike 2017 (Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan)

 

Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island

~”Paul did a fantastic job with our wedding. The pictures and poses were exactly what we wanted and helped make the evening unforgettable. Paul Retherford Photography is easy to work with, dependable and will help make your wedding a success!” Adriana and Tadd 2017 (Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

Freshwater Grill, Harbor Springs

~”Paul was absolutely wonderful. Not only were the pictures amazing but he was calm and collected the whole day when pretty much everyone else around him was not. I think his prices are very competitive for the area and well worth the price. I would highly recommend.” Abigail and Kevin 2017 (Harbor Springs, Michigan)

 

Gabriel Farms, Petoskey

~”Just wanted to say a quick extra thank you for being AWESOME yesterday! You were so great to work with, and we got tons of compliments from guests on your stealth and subtle photo skills.” Erin + Chris 2017 (Harbor Springs & Petoskey, Michigan)

 

Roaring Brook, Harbor Springs

~”They are super wonderful photos and you captured our spirit so well and beautifully!  Every member of the adults have commented on you as a miracle worker and we all love them. ” Family Photography 2017 (Roaring Brook, Harbor Springs, Michigan)

 

Petoskey, Michigan

~”Thank you soooo much!!!  The pictures are amazing.   This is something we will all treasure forever.  Can’t wait for the next time we need you.” Family Photography 2017 (Petoskey, Michigan)

 

Holy Childhood of Jesus Church, Harbor Springs

~”It was such a pleasure working with you.  Our entire family agrees that your kindness, experience, and the way you seamlessly orchestrated all of the photos made you the A1 photographer of the year!  We are so glad that Erin found you!” Mother of the Bride 2017 (Gabriel Farms, Petoskey, Michigan)

 

The Homestead

~”We loved Paul. He took incredible photos and had a very calming demeanor on a day where it is needed. Would recommend him to anyone!” Allison and Blake 2016 (The Homestead, Glen Arbor, Michigan)

 

Petoskey, Northern Michigan

~”I connected with Paul to setup a family photo session this past spring. He was extremely responsive (within the hour!) with details and information, including his availability. The date we established turned out to be a cold, wintry day in May (typical Michigan weather), and Paul did not hesitate to work with us to change the date. On the day of the photos, he again was accommodating as the weather was not the best, but he had a solution for another nearby location that worked out perfectly. He had originally promised me all the edited photos within three business days. I had them in less than 24 hours, and they were wonderful. He captured some great shots, even with two little boys under the age of two. I would absolutely recommend Paul Retherford–not only for his promptness, responsiveness and photography skills, but in general for being a personable, friendly individual!” Annie 2016 (Petoskey, Michigan)

 

Harbor Point, Harbor Springs, Northern Michigan

~”Paul did our engagement photos in July. We went in thinking they would be awkward, but when we are asked how it was our response is “actually really fun!” Paul made the whole experience so enjoyable, and on top of that, we couldn’t be happier with the quality of photos. Paul is awesome to work with, an excellent photographer, and I hope we get to work with him again in the future.!” Maddie and Matt 2016 (Harbor Point Association, Harbor Springs, Michigan)

 

Mullet Lake, Cheboygan, Northern Michigan

~”Paul is the best!!! He did a wonderful job at capturing all the special moments on our special day. I am so grateful to have had him as our wedding photographer, I am able to relive our wedding day each time I go through our photos. He was a pleasure to work with and a truly talented/professional guy. Thanks for everything, Paul!” Samantha and Jorge 2016 (Mullet Lake, Cheboygan, Michigan)

 

Bay Harbor, Northern Michigan

~”Thank you so much!!! We loved having you at our wedding; everyone talked about how great you were all week and we all had a blast viewing the pictures together! It was one of the highlights of our week. Your photos were the perfect pick-me-up for all of us! We really appreciate how quickly you were able to get our pictures to us; all of our guests on Saturday were absolutely in love with them as well.” Raquel and Tom 2016 (Bay Harbor, Michigan)

 

Michaywe, Gaylord, Northern Michigan

~”Paul did a fantastic job with the photography for our wedding. He was professional, organized, thorough, and very personable throughout the event. The photos turned out great and we are very happy we decided to hire him as our photographer. We highly recommend Paul’s services” Julie and Bruce 2016 (Michaywe, Gaylord, Michigan)

 

Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Isalnd, Northern Michigan

~”Absolutely perfect! Paul was the best vendor we selected by far. From day one he was willing to work with us and answer all our questions for our Mackinac Island wedding. He referred other vendors and gave us great advice. Paul responds very quickly and I received so many compliments of his professionalism during the reception from our guests and wedding party. I would refer Paul for any occasion and his work is beautiful. I feel very fortunate to have worked with him and am obsessed with all that he captured!!” Lindsay and Eric 2016 (Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

Staffords Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Northern Michigan

~”Paul is an amazing photographer and a great guy! We are so fortunate he was able to shoot our wedding in June after a last-minute cancellation by a different vendor. So many guests and our entire wedding party complimented his professionalism, creativity, great personality and constant awareness, which allowed him to capture amazing shots from Noon till night. We couldn’t be happier with Paul’s work.” Connie and Adam 2016 (Staffords Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan)

 

Oliver Art Center, Frankfort, Northern Michigan

~”Hands down the best photographer! Not only are the photos absolutely gorgeous, but Paul makes you feel a sense of calm in the chaos of your wedding day. We got so many compliments from our guest about how wonderful he was! He took every photo we requested and then some and posted our pictures right away! Also, the photo booth was a blast. So many great props and kid and adult friendly. We can’t say enough great things!” Melanie and Marc 2016 (Oliver Art Center, Frankfort, Michigan)

 

Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan

~”Nothing but 5 stars here.  Paul was absolutely more than we could aks for in every way.  We highly recommend him!!  You will not be disappointed.  Our images are amazing and he was so easy to work with!!!  Thank you!!!!!” Jordanne and Adam 2016 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

 

Harbour View Inn, Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan

~”From our very first communication Paul was absolutely awesome to work with.  He was very professional and responded to my many, many… haha emails in a very timely manner.  Our Wedding took place in July on Mackinac Island, Michigan.  Paul is very knowledgeable of the island and was able to recommend some very lovely places to have our pictures taken besides our hotel/Wedding reception area.  Paul also gave us some insider tips of places we might like to visit on the island during the rest of our trip.  Which was very throughful and nice of him to do.  All of our pictures were absolutely stunning!!!  I could not be happier with the final product.  I would recommend Paul far any occasion you may have that you would need a professional photographer.  You will not be disappointed!  Our pictures were available to us in less than a week after our Wedding!  It was amazing!!!  And he took so many pictures.  He really went above and beyond and he captured our day perfectly!  Thank you again Paul!!:-)” Stephanie and Nathan 2016 (Harbour View Inn, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan

~”I really don’t think I can express how happy I am that we chose Paul to be our Wedding Photographer.  He far exceeded my expectations.  I feel my husband described it best when he referred to him as a “magician” because he truly helped to make our day magical.  From booking to Wedding day, Paul was great with helping us decide what was right for our day.  Since our Wedding was a destination Wedding, it was so nice to have someone who had worked with local vendors and could make excellent recommendations.  He gave some great tips and tricks to looking great in photos, as well as some insider tips on exploring area of Mackinac Island.  On our Wedding day he was everywhere taking tons of photos, and video, and we could not be more happy with the outcome!  I cannot express how wonderful it was to have Paul as our photographer, and would urge all the brides out there to book him!  You will not be disappointed!” Christina and Austin 2016 (Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

Harbour View Inn, Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan

~”Thank you for totally rocking these wedding photos!  We are so lucky to have such awesome memories from our big day.  Thanks again, ninja!” Amber and Eric 2016 (Harbour View Inn, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

Castle Farms Wedding, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan

~”One of the best decisions we made for our wedding was hiring Paul!  He is such a great Photographer!  He is so nice and personable and everyone at the Wedding had such great things to say about him.  He knows what to look for to make your pictures so beautiful and is able to think ahead and determine what spots will make great pictures.  If you are not sure of what posed to do, don’t worry because he is on top of it, suggesting things you won’t even think about.  We also had Paul’s photobooth and are so happy we choose to have that at our Wedding.  Not only were we happy with the pictures, but we are so thankful for all the help Paul was in making sure our big day went as smoothly as possible.  Paul communicates very well.  I would definitely recommend Paul Retherford to everyone!” Ashley and Travis 2016 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan)

 

Castle Farms Wedding, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan

~”The photos are amazing!  Holy Moses!  You do amazing work.  I am sooooooo impressed.  Thank you for all that you do.  Drew said repeatedly throughout the night that he was really impressed with your professionalism and loved working with you. (That’s saying a lot coming from him.  He doesn’t often dole out compliments.)  I love everything!” Susan and Drew 2016 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan)

 

Castle Farms Wedding, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan

~”Paul was an absolutely delight from our first conversation until after our wedding took place.  He was great with working with our blended family, made sure to capture the moments that meant the most to us and even the moments of our family and friends.  Paul had an eye for the perfect skies, positioning of everyone and even through the posed moments it all looked natural.  Paul also handled our curveball of me being 21 weeks pregnant with twins like a champ!  He was understanding of angled shots, moments of rest, and ensuring throughout the whole evening I was comfortable.  I’d hire Paul again in a heartbeat for any photography we needed!” Jessica and Martin 2016 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan)

 

~ “Jimmy and I can not say enough wonderful things about Paul. He is professional, calming, fun, he loves what he does and it shows! We are so excited to see our wedding photos! Thank you so much Paul for capturing every part of our wedding!” Keni and Jimmy 2015 (The Peninsula Room at Bowers Harbor, Traverse City, Michigan)

 

~ “We had the pleasure of working with Paul for our small wedding on Mackinac Island last week, and we couldn’t be happier!!! He was fantastic to work with, and the pictures came out beautifully. We absolutely recommend him and hope to use him again in the future!!” Vicky and Les 2015 (The Inn at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “We had an excellent experience doing a family shoot with Paul! He went above and beyond to capture great photos of some very, uh, spirited kids. As a photographer, he offered great suggestions and was agreeable to anything we wanted to try. He really gets little kids and does terrific work!” Sarah family 2015 (Barnes County Park, Eastport, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul was the most wonderful person to work with! He was able to capture the most incredible, genuine shots that are now priceless to us. There is no one better for these once in a lifetime special occasions!” Jackie and Matt 2015 (Howell, Michigan private residence)

 

~ “Paul went above and beyond in every regard to ensure that my wife and I had a perfect day. More than a photographer, Paul is a Jack of all trades; well versed in situational humor and always preparing us for common pitfalls on the big day. Paul demonstrated excellent communication skills by always keeping in contact with our coordinator and wedding party. Who else carries TWO cameras, and backs up the wedding photos to two separate sources before the reception even begins?! Top notch guy. We cannot say enough good things about Paul and would recommend him without reservation to any couple!” Jess and Jordan 2015 (Toledo Zoo, Toledo, Ohio)

 

~ “Thank you again for all of the hard work you did for us.  Everything looks awesome.” Barb and Mark 2015 (Boyne Mountain, Boyne City, Michigan)

 

~ “We were just married this last Sunday and Paul was our photographer☺ we are BEYOND happy with the work that Paul has done! He was professional and so helpful to a couple that were so overwhelmed by the day we couldn’t see straight! I have never met a more educated and professional photographer! Can’t wait to see our pictures! Thank you, Paul! We are so happy to have you be a part of one of the most important days of our lives!” Renae and Jason 2015 (The Inn at Bay Harbor, Petoskey Michigan)

 

~ “All I have to say is that Paul was the best possible photographer that we could have wanted for our wedding. Paul’s professionalism and demeanor was a perfect fit for us. Paul was constantly watching the changing light during our wedding day to select the best photos, he was very creative. Paul doesn’t know this, but there was a highly acclaimed professional photographer in the audience that made multiple comments about Paul’s non-stop hard work, professionalism and high quality camera equipment. Paul went above and beyond throughout the whole process, from the first time we spoke with him in the months leading up to our wedding to the weeks following our big day, he was the best! I would recommend Paul to anyone, he was great!” Kelsey and Brent 2015 (Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan)

 

~ “Hiring Paul was hands down the best decision we made for our wedding. From the second I started talking to him on the phone it was obvious that he was a total expert in his field – professional, knowledgeable, and personable. Your photographer is with you your ENTIRE wedding day – you want someone with a great personality that creates a fun and relaxed environment for people to look natural in pictures. My rowdy groomsmen were coming up to me telling me that “my photographer was awesome” and I cannot tell you how many wedding guests commented on how “cool” my photographer was – the photos show that the guests love him! So many natural shots that completely capture the tone of the whole wedding day. I referred to Paul as half photographer/half wedding planner and that’s the truth – he was teaching girls how to pose in a flattering way, putting corsages on the guys, and provided me with wedding ideas leading up to the big day (including great vendor referrals!). We genuinely enjoyed him and felt like we were hanging out with a friend all day.

Obviously, the most important thing is that we LOVE our pictures. They are truly beautiful – I honestly was in awe of them. He missed nothing – he knew every shot I wanted and he was constantly looking for the best light and trying to capture every moment. The equipment he has is down right cool – he even used a helicopter drone to capture ariel images. A week after my wedding, I get a link to 2500 edited photos and each photograph is beautiful. Any photographer can take a couple great shots out of thousands – but Paul will give you a thousand beautiful shots that are all frame worthy. You won’t regret your decision in hiring him – you will have no worries on your wedding day with Paul as your photographer. Paul is a class act and worth every penny and then some. Thank you so much Paul – we would recommend you to anyone!!” Jordyn and Matt 2015 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul photographed my sister’s wedding last year and my fiance and I were so impressed with him that we hired him for our wedding as soon as we started planning (even before we had a venue)! I could not have been happier with that decision. Paul is not only a true professional and amazing photographer, but an amazing person. We had so many compliments from our wedding party that our photographer was awesome and so much fun to work with. He also went above and beyond with the services he offered and the images we received from our wedding were absolutely beautiful!” Lauren and Nate 2015 (Oak Pointe Country Club, Brighton, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul was amazing!!  We did an engagement session with him in addition to the wedding. Our pictures are incredible and he was so easy to work with. He has a talent of getting everyone to have fun during a somewhat hectic day. Great value as well.  I could not be happier with my pictures and I am so glad we went with Paul!” Maria and Justin 2015 (Harbor Lights Resort and Elberta Life Saving Station in Frankfort and Elberta, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul is so easy going, friendly, and flexible to work with!! He went above and beyond for our special day! He showed up early, stayed late, and was extremely accommodating to our rowdy wedding party. On top of that, he offered us an amazing rate on LABOR DAY WEEKEND…… With an automatic photobooth station!!! ANDDD he had all of our wedding photos back to us before we returned from our week long honeymoon! But that’s not all, when I messaged Paul with problems downloading the photos on my computer he apologized for the inconvenience and said he would mail me all my photos on a USB! What a great guy!! If you want a dependable, friendly, professional wedding photographer Paul is your guy!” Ashley and John 2015 (Northern Shore Lodge, Hillman, Michigan)

 

~ “Professional at every level ! Gave us directions and captured every moment! You will not be disappointed with Paul, I promise. 😉” Jessica and Shade 2015 (Harbor Lights Resort, Frankfort, Michigan Beach Wedding Wedding)

 

~ “An awesome person with great taste. Very quickly received pictures and were extremely happy with the quality. Thank you for your hard work!” Jessica and Nickolai 2015 (Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul was great! We hired him for our late July wedding in Petoskey and we’re so glad we went with him. He was so incredibly knowledgeable about the area – where to take the best pictures, with the best lighting, etc. that we feel like we didn’t have to even think about much. He also gave us so many helpful planning tips and recommendations which all turned out to be great decisions including ideas on ceremony locations. I even trusted Paul’s thoughts on where to get my hair and makeup done – he’s worked with so many brides in Northern MI that he knows every in and out! His all-around expertise and knowledge of the area and wedding industry was such a bonus to us considering we were planning the wedding from California.

During the wedding, he was so attuned to every detail and I felt completely confident that he was getting all of the important shots – I seriously felt like I didn’t have to worry about a thing. He also did so many things that day (and in delivery of the files) that I really consider above and beyond what we expected and hired him to do, which I feel really grateful to him for. Our pictures turned out amazing (which he got to us what felt like immediately) – months later, people are still commenting on the images and how incredible they are – he is really good at his craft and based on what he did for us, I would guess that he is more advanced technology wise/out of the box thinking than the average wedding photographer. And not to mention, he is a really cool guy that we genuinely enjoyed talking with and being around. Hire Paul for your date before someone else does!” Kelsey and Brent 2015 (Bay Harbor and Perry Hotel Wedding, Petoskey, Northern Michigan)

 

~ “Paul made our surprise engagement perfect! Paul was very friendly and professional! He got the pictures to us that weekend and they were very beautiful! I would recommend him highly!” Ryan and Bridget 2015 (Sunset Rock at The Inn at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “I cannot say enough good things about Paul! We just got married last weekend at Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island, and I couldn’t have asked for a better photographer. Not only did he help me PLAN things (since he practically knows everybody), but he also had hundreds of our pictures posted within 2 days after the wedding!! He as so helpful with everything, knew what he was doing, and was very quick to send us our lovely package afterwards. Definitely recommend Paul Retherford as your Photographer!” Megan and Steven 2015 (Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul was wonderful to work with. He responded quickly to any questions we had and was incredibly helpful and informative. He really worked hard to capture any photo we might want!” Nicole and Joe 2015 (Island House Hotel, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul donated his services to my husband and I as part of the military wedding giveaway at castle farms. We could not have asked for a better photographer. He got all of the shots that we asked for plus so many more. Viewing his album of nearly 2000 pictures was truly like watching a play by play of the entire evening. He captured every moment perfectly. We expected to have to wait weeks to see the pictures taken at our wedding, but paul had them posted on his website and facebook for viewing by Monday morning after our friday evening wedding. Paul is personable and professional and definitely a great choice!” Andi and Dwayne 2014 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan)

 

~ “Paul Retherford was our wedding photographer on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Both me and my husband totally enjoyed working with him. Besides providing very professional photography services, he also gave us his recommendations and advice as to the best photo locations, was extremely patient during the bride&groom photo shoot (it was very cold and I (the bride) had a hard time walking in my shoes during the photoshoot!), and made us both feel completely relaxed and comfortable. Paul was very professional with the guests and helped keep everything on track. We were really impressed by the fast turnaround – we received all of our photos and video on a flash drive right after we came back from our honeymoon (approx 10 days after the wedding). And just recently I received my wedding album custom designed by Paul. The album is leather-bound and the quality is great. It was made taking into account all the edits and comments I made. One thing I guess is the improvement opportunity – for me making edits and reviewing the wedding album turned out a bit more complex (and took more time) than I expected. I’m sure there’s a way to improve the followup and give more directions as a way to simplify the process. Overall, if you are looking for a great wedding photographer, Paul Retherford is the one I would highly recommend.” Lydia and Brad 2014 (Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, Northern Michigan)

 

~ “We hired Paul Retherford to photograph our Mackinac Island wedding at the Inn at Stonecliffe. Paul was very professional and personable in his approach at photography as well as being very helpful in keeping the guests and wedding ceremony on time. He was very knowledgeable of current trends in wedding photographs and styles and knew the wedding location very well. He made us, the bride and groom, feel completely at ease throughout the day and went above and beyond his duties to make sure we had our wedding photos for a large family reception just one week after our wedding ceremony. We are grateful to have had such a great wedding photographer and would highly recommend his services!” Michele and Stephen 2014 (The Inn at Stonecliffe, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul is an amazing photographer, he has such a great eye and captured the perfect moments of the wedding. Paul was great to work with we got married at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, he met us at a house we rented, took pictures there, was open to different opportunities and knew exactly how to pose us and where to take the pictures. He had a great list to ensure he doesn’t miss a picture whether it was friends, family, or the entire wedding. Paul had a great personanable personality and was a joy the entire night – I couldn’t of asked more from any photographer he truly is top notch and his pictures are amazing.” Sarah and Galen 2014 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan)

 

~ “We had the pleasure of having Paul shoot our engagement pictures last fall, and our wedding photos at the Perry Hotel this past summer. We are so pleased with his work! So many people have told us one regret they have about their wedding is that they didn’t get enough pictures. With Paul, having too little photos will not be a concern. He captured the whole day beautifully. The pictures were unique, had great lighting, and they captured people’s emotions and the scenery around them in a stunning way. I am so thankful we have these photos as memories we can keep forever!” Megan and Keith 2014 (Stafford’s Perry Hotel, Petoskey Michigan)

 

~ “Paul was incredible. He is professional and has an amazing personality. He makes sure to find out what is important to you, he makes sure things go smoothly, I cannot say enough good things about him. The photos were gorgeous! He made my day fun and less-stressful. If having amazing photos that will last for generations is important to you go with Paul, he was the best investment I made that day(besides my husband).Thank you Paul!!!” Rebecca and Danny 2014 (Mission Point Resort destination Wedding)

 

~ “Thank you so much Paul! You are an amazing photographer and all around great guy!! We had a blast with you!!” Amanda and Andy 2014~ (Mackinac Island Wedding Grand Hotel and Chippewa Hotel)

 

~ “We hired Paul for our wedding at Castle Farms in Charlevoix, MI.

We have absolutely nothing but great things to say about him and his services. Not only did he make us feel comfortable, but we were amazed at his photography and images he captured of our day. He was professional, yet fun and easy to work with. Numerous guests kept coming up to us throughout the night complimenting our pick in a photographer.

In addition to his photography skills, he also was a wonderful helping hand and great advice giver in other area of our wedding. In the future, we already know we will take our family back up to his area and have him do our family photos” Kelsey 2014~ (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Northern Michigan)

 

~ “Paul is the absolute best! We looked around at photographers for months and finally found Paul! We just had our engagement photos taken yesterday and he already sent them to us, less than 24 hours later! We highly recommend Paul!” Jess and Jordan Engagement 2014~ (Detroit Metropark)

 

~ “Paul is the best of the best. We did 3 photo shoots with Paul and love every single image. People are blown away by our photos and Paul was so easy to work with. We loved every moment of it.” Emily and Derek 2014~ (Mexico Destination Wedding Isla Mujeres Zama Beach Club)

 

~ “Our wedding was a destination wedding so we had no friend referrals when hiring vendors.

The photographer was the most important hire we made in our planning process. I spent months searching for the “perfect” photographer from 100’s of miles away. We could NOT have made a better decision when we hired Paul and his staff. I had 100 questions for him, and he answered every single one. He even let me email him pictures I’d found on Pinterest so he could recreate them.

He was early the day of the wedding, walked in a disaster created by the reception venue, and a very stressed out bride. He jumped right in, helping where he could. It was freezing cold the day of our wedding and Paul was out running all over Leland with us (literally running at times).

Our guest have still, two months later, not stopped talking about him. Even before anyone had seen the pictures, our guest were blown away by personality and overall workmanship. I just was back at the salon yesterday that did everyone’s hair. The first thing my hair stylist and the girls who traveled with her said was how great our photographer was and how amazing our pictures were. They do a lot of wedding and complemented Paul over and over again because he was so easy to work with. They said that they typically struggle when it comes to trying to work with photographers in the same space. They said Paul was so helpful and respectful.

I just created photo books for our moms and the quality of the pictures is amazing!! We were very lucky we have two great cakes, a beautiful ceremony and reception site, and great food but time after time people talk about how great Paul and his staff were when talking about the wedding.

I am so pleased with our choice. He checked before leaving to make sure there were no more photos I needed taken. Which allowed for me to grab one last family photo and a high school friends photo. I feel like I am going on and on but we couldn’t be happier with our photos.

You cannot go wrong in picking Paul. You will be so happy with your choice. He really went above and beyond his job title to make our day so amazing and we can’t thank him enough!!!” Kristi and John  October 2014~ (Leland, Michigan Wedding at Leland Lodge and the Old Art Building)

 

~ “Thank you for your amazing photography work! Because of YOU we are on the Petoskey brochure and will have a feature article in the Up North Bride Magazine!!! Your work is amazing and we are so excited for everyone to see what a great photographer you are!

I wanted to apologize for not writing you sooner. I don’t know where the past year has gone. Matt and I had many things going on in our life during our wedding and I want to thank you for the pictures you captured of our special day!

From the very beginning of wedding planning, I knew that the wedding photography was going to be one of the most important vendors. I did a lot of research for our destination wedding in northern michigan and my research lead me to you. We knew from the moment we met you the first time that we just had to book you for our special day! You were someone we trusted from the beginning to capture the most important day of our lives! This is one of the best decisions we made for our wedding!

You made the engagement pictures fun and we are beyond happy with the images you captured of us for our Mackinac Island engagement shoot! You have an amazing talent that is passioned by every image you captured!

We cannot tell you how much we appreciated all your help and company on our wedding day! You have extreme talent with photography and we are so lucky you captured our day! We will never forget how you enormously added to our wedding day. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the turnaround time you had for images the next morning printed out to share with my father-in-law, who was too ill too make it to our wedding.

Our families have not stopped talking about how great of a photographer you are and we have been showing off many of your spectacular images from our wedding! Our wedding album is absolutely amazing! Everyone we show it to loves the pictures, the layout, and the quality!

It has been a pleasure for Matt and I to get to know you through the process of our engagement and wedding. We will definitely be using your photography services in the future and we recommend you to everyone planning a Northern Michigan Wedding!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all you did for us and for your generosity! It truly was a night to remember, and you were a huge part of that. Any bride and groom would be lucky to have you as their wedding photographer!” Alissa + Matt  ~ (Petoskey Michigan Wedding at St. Francis Church and Perry Hotel)

 

~ “I can not stress enough or tell you enough how happy and thankful we are that we had you as our photographer. We received so many compliments from our parents, guests, and bridal party about how amazing you are. I fully intend to do a formal review but just haven’t had the time yet! You made our day and are so talented. Thank you thank you thank you!!”  Erin + Steve Wedding June 2014 ~ (Shanty Creek Resort Wedding and St. Lukes Catholic Church in Bellaire, Michigan)

 

~ “I just wanted to let you know that we received the AMAZING photographs from the wedding! They absolutely took our breath away, and we had a great time working with you! We cannot tell you enough how much we appreciate your hard work and artistry!”  Shannon + Jared June 2014 ~ (Charlevoix and Petoskey Wedding Venue ~ Perry Hotel)

 

~ “Thanks so much for sending these… how fun!  It was so nice to meet and work with you.  We truly enjoyed it! ”  Ann + Chris June 2014 ~ (Vow Renewal Mackinac Island at Windermere Point)

 

~ “If you are looking for a phenomenal photographer, look no further than Paul Retherford of Petoskey, Michigan. Paul recently photographed our daughter’s wedding and we are beyond thrilled with the content, quality, and artistic beauty of his work! Paul captured the entire day (12.5 hours with all of its sentiments, joy and loveliness) to perfection! When seeking a photographer, everyone’s featured work looks wonderful, so it is difficult to know where to begin. An acquaintance told me that not only was Paul’s photography exceptional, he was also very client centered. We met him and hired him immediately so as not to lose him. In addition to being client-centered, we could see that he was very well versed and experienced in shooting images in multiple settings with varying lighting conditions. He came through with flying colors on the wedding day as he went seamlessly from artificial lighting and mirrors in the hair salon; to the outdoors; to the church setting with multiple lighting challenges and opportunities; to Northern Michigan sun and water; and finally to the reception held under tents with twinkle lights. We are still amazed at the equipment and tricks he had up his sleeve to capture memories from when he couldn’t be in two places at once or when he wanted to capture moments from different vantage points.  He was extremely organized and efficient which allowed for flexibility and creativity. His images showcase not only the people, fun, and emotion of our special day, but also his artistic eye.  His work is exquisite! Paul’s easy going personality and kind sense of humor put everyone at ease the whole day. His communication and helpfulness with us prior to and after the wedding, was superb, as well as his prompt delivery of his images.  For such an important day that cannot be recreated, we feel incredibly blessed to have found and hired Paul. We had high hopes and expectations and he exceeded them all!  Paul is truly the “complete package!””  (Mother of the Bride 6.7.2014 Wedding Charlevoix and Petoskey, Northern Michigan)

 

~ “We truly appreciated your humor, talents, approach and professionalism. ”  Sarah + Charlie May 2014 ~ (Mackinac Island ~ Little Stone Church & Mission Point Resort Wedding)

 

~ “Joe and I absolutely love all the photos we have seen so far.  I started off thinking I would just tag a “few” of my favorites…I think I may have exceeded that.  Thank you for letting us see some of the photos so early! Thank you for being a part of our day and making it so special!”  Amber + Joe May 2014 ~ (Castle Farms Wedding in Queen’s Courtyard and East Garden Room)

 

~ “Seriously…I’m still obsessing.  🙂  Everybody that has seen our images is still obsessing.  haha.  THANK YOU for everything.  We felt like the most special people on that planet.  I would give anything to relive the day…which is why I’m SO glad we have our images.  🙂  :)”  Megan & Cade April 2014 ~ (Castle Farms Wedding ~ Bay Harbor day after Wedding Photography)

 

~ “My husband and I just had our wedding on the small Island of Isla Mujeres in Mexico January 8th, 2014.

We had excellent wedding planners, who were quick to supply us with a list of local talent to shoot our wedding. To us, wedding photos were one of the top priorities and one of the items we didn’t want to ‘settle’ on at all. I wasn’t overly impressed by the local photographers portfolio’s. It wasn’t until I saw one of Paul’s images on a hotels website on the island that I asked my wedding planners to see if he might be available. (His work really stands out among the rest). Not only was Paul quick to respond, he was personable, friendly, and more than fair in his pricing and time that he would put aside for us. We ended up doing THREE different photo shoots with Paul (one the day before the wedding, during the wedding, and a beautiful sunrise shoot two days after the wedding.)

Paul knew every shot I wanted by heart and captured it all and then some! He is so creative and so artistic! Paul’s backlit technique was aw-inspiring! When we were able to see the photos for the first time we were both beyond thrilled with each one.  They are elegant, professional, creative & artistic.

I cannot begin to express how happy we are, not only with the outcome of an absolutely beautiful array of photos that we will have forever, but with how easy it was to work with Paul, how comfortable he made us feel, and how personable and friendly he was for each and every moment we worked with him. After the wedding, all of our guests expressed how wonderful and friendly Paul was, and how he truly was a master of his craft.

I would also like to say that Paul stayed WELL beyond the time we had booked him for, just to capture more beautiful moments for us! He also spent countless hours editing our photos and had them to us during our honeymoon the following week, which was such a wonderful treat!

We honestly and truthfully can’t say enough positive things about Paul as both a photographer and as a person. We felt as though we were close friends by the end of our trip!

From beginning to end, Paul’s services were incredible!  We would both highly recommend him to anyone that is looking for high quality wedding photos from someone that makes you feel at ease and comfortable throughout the entire process!”  Emily + Derek January 2014 ~ (Isla Mujeres, Mexico Wedding at Zama Beach Club and Privilege Aluxes Resort)

 

~ (recent 2014 booking referred by past bride) “Jamie has told us great things about you and says we must use your services.  She says your the best and on the most important day we need the best.”  Jessica + Blaine (2014 Bride and Groom)

 

~ “I just wanted to say again you did an awesome job on our Wedding picture!  We couldn’t be happier!  Nicole + Steve (The Inn at Bay Harbor Wedding 10.5.2013)

 

~ “These are awesome!!!  We love them…Wow!” Erin + Steve (2014 Bride and Groom at Shanty Creek Resort)

 

~ “I just wanted to let you know that we received the images yesterday, and the Engagement photos exceeded our expectations in every way.  They are absolutely beautiful!  We love them!  You did an unbelievable job, and we couldn’t be happier!  Thanks so much for everything!” Shannon and Jared (2014 Bride and Groom at the Perry Hotel in Petoskey, Michigan)

 

~ “Shannon and Jared’s Engagement photo are just beautiful!  I absolutely love the overall artistry involved, especially with the lighting.  The settings are gorgeous and the variety is wonderful.  Shannon is thrilled and she is very fussy about liking pictures of herself.  Thanks so much!”  Mother of the Bride (2014 Wedding at Perry Hotel in Petoskey, Michigan)

 

~ “You do great work and I feel very confident we are in good hands for your wedding day!”  Lindsay + Boone Engagement Photography (Wedding 2014 on Walloon Lake near Bay Harbor)

 

~ “Thank you so much and thank you for the wonderful job you did for my daughter. Nothing but complements  on all the photos.  Happy holidays to you and your family. Hope to work with you again in the future.”  (Mother of the Bride, Stephanie + Chris 10.25.2014 Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

~ “We met Paul once after viewing some of his work online, and we were convinced he was our photographer.  Since we were getting married out of town, he made it easy to communicate with him through emails.  He was well organized and attempted to take all our ideas/examples into account.  We had several guests rave about how he was working all night and everywhere they turned.  He captured the entire evening with professionalism and friendliness.  He was great with the kids too, even the 5 year old that was more interested in making goofy faces than smiling.  We ended up with great family shots, beautiful landscape pictures highlighting our venue, and great candid shots to capture our Wedding.  Paul’s work speaks for itself!  Hopefully we will find other reasons to use Paul’s service in the future.”  Amanda + Zach 9.13.2013 (Castle Farms in Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul is an excellent photographer and a pleasure to work with.  He truly captured the moments of our wedding day.  He worked with us to get every picture on our list and stayed till the end of our wedding to capture the sparkler send off.”  Rebecca + Kevin 9.20.2013 (Mission Point Resort Wedding Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “Working with Paul was a fantastic experience, both for our engagement photos and our wedding photos.  I found Paul to be very creative in the shots that he took.  I am very impressed with his work.  Paul is friendly and easy going too.”  Amanda + James 10.12.2013 (Ste.  Anne’s Church Wedding and Grand Hotel Wedding reception on Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “Thank you for helping to make our day even more perfect.  We LOVE all of the images!”  Nancy + Mark 9.22.2013 (Little Stone Church, Mackinac Island, Michigan)

 

~ “Thank you so much for the beautiful photography and wonderful Montage wedding video!  You do beautiful work and it was a pleasure working with you.  Our special day was made even more special by you!” Marianne + Bob August 9, 2013 (Bay Harbor Yacht Club in Northern Michigan near Petoskey, Michigan)

 

~ “Thank you so much for all of the beautiful pictures of our wedding.  You were amazing to work with and helped our day go smoothly!  Thanks again.  Anna + Andy July 27, 2013 (Emmanuel Episcopal Church and Perry Hotel in Petoskey, Michigan)

 

~ “People are going crazy over your photos, people I haven’t spoke to in years are commenting all over Facebook!  Most are saying that they are the most beautiful wedding photos they have ever seen!  You do amazing work and we are so thankful for you!  Thanks again!”  Amy + Terry 9.28.2013 (The Inn at Bay Harbor Wedding Venue Northern Petoskey Michigan)

 

 

~ “Paul! The pictures are amazing! Thank you so much for capturing our special day! Dave and I will be recommending you to any and everyone we know!” Kathryn & Dave 9.7.2013 (Columbus Beach Club on Burt Lake ~ Indian River, Michigan)

 

~ “You were wonderful!!!! I have quickly glimpsed at the wedding photo’s here and there and cannot wait to look at all of them this weekend. From what I have seen and what I have been told, they are BEAUTIFUL.

Thanks so much for being our wedding photographer!!! ” Celeste and Matt 8.17.2013 (Beachwalk Resort ~ Michigan City, Indiana)

 

~ “We absolutely LOVE these. They turned out fabulously..” – Lisa 9.6.2013 (Castle Farms Wedding, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

~ “We had a wonderful experience with Paul, and we highly recommend him. He is centered out of northern Michigan but shoots destination weddings all over the world. He is personable, professional, and great at what he does.” – Elena

 

~  “We received our video montage, usb and brag book yesterday.  They are amazing and I am amazed at your promptness!  Thank you again for all of the time and effort you have put into our special day.  You are a true professional and absolutely amazing at what you do!  My friends and family have been raving about you and your work.” – Stephanie 7.6.2013 (Castle Farms, Charlevoix, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul exceeded our expectations! He did an absolutely amazing job at capturing our winter wonderland fairy tale wedding!!  His talented work is of utmost quality and I absolutely recommend him professionally. Thank you Paul for always going above and beyond, we are forever grateful.  Much love, ”  -Erica & Tommy 12.30.2012 (Bay Harbor Yacht Club)

 

~ “At our recent daughters wedding I was given the only assignment of selecting the photographer, because I am a photographer myself. Paul Retherford exceeded all of my expectations. His preplanning, organization, very creative eye and pleasant personality made for a great experience for our family. The detail of his work is fabulous. Paul had all of the images processed in on week and in our hands. I would highly recommend him for any of your photography needs. Paul will be sharing some of his techniques teaching a class for the Charlevoix Photography Club.” -Mike, father of Erica

~ “Paul Retherford is a professional photographer I highly recommend. He is patient, kind and truly takes the bride and her family’s wishes to heart.”  -Denise, mother of Erica

 

~ “We could not have been happier working with Paul from the pre-wedding planning through the delivery of the photographs. It is truly a pleasure to work with him. He is flexible and accommodating. The pictures that he took are natural and amazing. He is the consummate professional. We will be recommending him to all of our friends.” – Amanda & Michael 10.2012 (Perry Hotel, Petoskey, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul is AMAZING! We are so happy we chose him to shoot our wedding on Mackinac Island. I’ve worked with alot of photographers in my career and Paul is definitely one of the best. Here’s why he rocks:  He’s laid back, he’s super professional, and not the “in your face” type of photographer. I never even knew where he was the whole night and he captured so many awesome moments throughout the entire day. Alot of candid shots which I love. His style is creative and unique and I’m in love with all the images. To all you brides out there….stop looking because you found your photographer!” – Sara & Jason (Mackinac Island Ste. Anne’s Church and Community Hall Wedding)

 

~ “Loved him and loved his photos! Amazing photographer. Very fun and friendly guy, professional and very fast! We received our photos within a week!” – Keely & Dakota

 

~ “Paul really was a key part in making our wedding perfect! He provided lots of insight into our location (Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island) and had wonderful ideas for photos that really captured the moment! For myself, what stood out the most was that working with Paul was so easy, as a bride I was relaxed and actually had fun! Paul effortlessly guided us though the process and took all the worries out! I just knew we were in good hands. The pressures of the day melted away and I was able to enjoy the moment with my new husband and take in the beauty of the day. Paul has a way of being there to take the perfect photo and yet not being noticed to the point that you are worried about posing for the camera. To me that is quite extraordinary! Paul is a kind, polite and friendly. We talked at length prior to the wedding, so he had a true feel of what we wanted to capture. As for the photos he took…STUNNING!! We love them all, But the biggest compliment to his work came from my sister when she showed them to friends at work and said ” Look at them, you can see in these photos they just adore each other!” Isn’t that what every bride and groom wants? I can’t thank Paul enough for his outstanding professional work and making our special day one to always remember!” – Cindy & Tim (West Bluff Mackinac Island Wedding Ceremony)

 

~ “Paul did an exceptional job photographing our wedding ceremony and reception. He was extremely personable and friendly and made us all feel very comfortable. When I received the images, they were more than I could have ever imagined. When I showed others the pictures, they could not stop talking about the quality of the shots. I highly recommend Paul to anyone looking for a top-notch photographer.” – Laura & Kevin

 

~ “I couldn’t imagine my wedding day with a different photographer. He was easy to speak with and get a hold of before the wedding date and it made it so much easier come wedding day. We just got our wedding photos back and we had so many good shots that we didn’t even know he took. He didn’t get in the way and he really listened to what we wanted. Also take a look on his website for some cool ideas of some pictures to take on your big day. We definitely think he was worth every penny. When it comes to your wedding day all you have after the event is pictures and what you remember at the end of the night (which flies by). Seeing the pictures he took were amazing and we were very pleased.” – Sara & Kevin (Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Wedding)

 

~ “Paul did an amazing job! He captured so many beautiful moments from our wedding!  Not to mention, he is a fun photographer that made everyone feel at ease! :)” – Molly & Ryan (Shanty Creek Wedding)

 

~ “I could have gotten married anywhere and none of the details mattered that much to me. The only thing I was really concerned about was my photographer because to me the pictures that we would have to look back on and take us back to that special day were important. My first choice photographer was already booked so I started looking around. When I came across Paul Retherford I really liked the look of his pictures so I called him and booked him. We were on a tight budget and he was willing to work with us on a package that worked for us. He went over all our likes and concerns on the phone closer to our wedding date and I was so excited to have him there. So time to walk down the isle and queue the rain…My dress and everything got wet, it was a downpour. Honestly Paul’s demeanor and attitude and infectious smile was contagious and my husband and I had the best time getting wet and taking pictures. Honestly our amazing photographer saved our day and our amazing pictures prove it! I just want to say i could not have been happier that my first choice photographer was already booked. I can’t wait to have another reason to book Paul Retherford.” -Lauren & Chris (Mackinac Island Harbourview Wedding)

 

~ “Paul was excellent and the photos were beautiful! Couldn’t have hoped for anything more. Thanks, Paul!” -Leanne & Daniel (Leland, Michigan fishtown Wedding)

 

~ “Paul was great! We have so many wonderful pictures from our wedding day that we don’t even know what to do with them all! He was a lot of fun to work with and made everyone feel comfortable all day long.” -Penelope

~ “Paul was wonderful to work with. The quality of the images he took at our wedding is amazing. He’s a true professional.”   -Steve (Grand Hotel Mackinac Island Wedding)

 

~ “Paul is a great photographer, very professional and was a joy to work with! I would recommend his work to everyone.” -Kari & Mark (Mission Point Resort Wedding | Carriage House Hotel Iroquois Wedding Reception)

 

~ “Two grandparents getting married made our wedding very special. Our wedding party was our eleven grandchildren (oldest 7yrs.) and our guests were our children. It was organized chaos and Paul captured it all with his photography. He was flexible and creative. Our pictures truly feel like the wedding, no staging and lots of memorable photos. I would highly recommend him.” -Susan & Randy (Crouse Memorial Chapel Bay View, Michigan)

 

~ “Paul is AMAZING. He was a great communicator before and after the wedding, and made sure we were very comfortable with everything before the big day. On the wedding day, he showed up hours before the wedding to make sure the getting ready process was captured.

He was one of the gang and it was very natural to have him around.. not at all awkward. Which is good because we were all sitting around in spanx 🙂 He also made my husband feel comfortable, and he HATES taking pictures.. it was amazing to have him work with us both to take beautiful images of our most important day yet.

The guests really enjoyed his presence at the wedding and he made sure to capture every single person who attended in at least a couple of photos. He sought out pictures of us when he saw something fabulous happening (the sun setting, a freighter sailing past, etc), took all the pictures we requested, and captured every amazing moment that happened throughout the day and night.

I received my photographs only TWO WEEKS after the wedding.. such an amazing turnaround and just mind-blowing photos to boot. If I had to do it all over again, I would book Paul again. He is a fantastic photographer AND was awesome to have at the wedding. Brides, book quickly… Paul is in hot demand!!!” -Jess & Michael (Mission Point Resort outdoor Wedding)

 

~ “Paul was awesome to work with! He made the day so special and stress free! I wish I could use him again and will if any need comes up.” -Heather & Ben (Mission Point Resort Wedding)

 

~ “Paul Retherford was AMAZING! He is a very creative, professional, and responsible photographer.

My husband and I were married on Mackinac Island on May 27, 2012. Since it was a destination wedding we were not able to meet with our venders until the day of the wedding. We chose Paul Rutherford photography because of his excellent portfolio online.

From the beginning Paul was quick to respond to my many questions and even went as far as to help me choose some of my other wedding vendors (since he had seen many of them first hand). A week before our wedding Paul called to go over the timeline and discuss ideas for photo opts. He was thorough and patient with me as I picked his brain.

During the wedding ceremony and reception Paul was on top of the best photo opts without being obtrusive. He was discrete, but didn’t miss a beat. He even stayed longer than we had contracted just to be sure he didn’t miss any of the dance floor action. Paul did a wonderful job balancing the time he spent taking traditional photos and more photo journalistic as well.

By the time we returned from our honeymoon our wedding photo album was already ready for us to view online AND Paul had created our wedding/moving announcements and had them in the mail. He also had the rest of our wedding package goodies in the mail to us less than a month after wedding.

My husband and I highly recommend Paul Retherford for your special day. :)” -Christine & Aaron (Grand Hotel Wedding Mackinac Island)

 

~ “I’m absolutely speechless when it comes to Paul Retherford’s photography! I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I have spent an endless amount of time looking at the many images that Paul had captured of our special day..over…and..over…and..over- they turned out so beautiful, I can’t stop looking at them! 🙂

In planning our wedding, finding the perfect photographer was my first priority, after coming across Paul’s website and talking to him in person, choosing him as our photographer was the easiest & best decision we made in terms of wedding planning. Paul has a special talent of making you feel comfortable, being in the room without you knowing, capturing every special moment candidly.

Paul is very adaptable, we had a winter wedding in frigid weather. Paul scoped out some beautiful areas in the surrounding town we were in (prior to our wedding day) and had many ideas for capturing many “cool” outdoor images as possible. Paul never let on that he was cold or miserable, he rolled/slid well 🙂

I’d also like to mention that we received all of our images a week after our wedding day!! Paul posted some highlights of our images the day after for a sneak peak, & the fusion video 5 days after our wedding -this was such a wonderful surprise, it was so nice to have a “flash-back” of our wedding day so soon after, we’ll cherish these for the rest of our lives!

Words can not express how thankful we are for having Paul as our wedding photographer. If your considering choosing Paul to capture images of your special day, you can’t go wrong! Check out his website and Facebook page for some of his past work, this is what I did & as I previously said it was the easiest & best decision I made in terms of wedding planning.

Paul Retherford, it was such a pleasure working with you, we can’t thank you enough for capturing our special day! Your simply amazing!” -Melissa & AJ (Bay City Michigan Hilton Wedding)

 

“Words cannot describe how wonderful Paul was at our wedding and how beautiful the pictures came out. He was very professional and fun….very relaxed taking non-traditional photos which we truly loved. He took so many pictures capturing all of our special candid moments. I didnt even know he was there! It has been a long time that I have taken a picture that I liked and Paul made me look beautiful. I wish he could follow me around!! :0) Paul sent all my pictures and video within days of our wedding. I would very highly recommend him! Thanks Paul!” -Dawn & Bill 1.7.2012 (Castle Rock overview Pictured Rocks Lakeshore Wedding)

 

~ “We are so lucky to have found Paul! We loved his work at first site, and his prices were very reasonable for his quality of work. We recently finished our engagement session with him, and are truly amazed by the moments he was able to capture! We can’t stop looking at our pictures! Each one is so unique and beautiful in its own way. Besides being an awesome photographer, he is also a great person. I have to admit I was a little nervous since I hand’t had professional pictures taken since my senior year of high school, but Paul made us feel right at home. He even posted pictures on Facebook that same night, and we receieved our images within one week. We’re very much looking forward to working with him again on our wedding day. Don’t hesitate to go with Paul!” -Kelly & Derek (Traverse City, Michigan Engagement Shoot)

 

~ “Paul is an excellent photographer to work with. His response time is amazingly quick, and he worked closely with us to make our day perfect. He went above and beyond the signed contract to capture every moment of the day. Additionally, his photography skills are excellent. We have had an extremely challenging time deciding which photos are our favorite as there are so many beautiful captures.” -Mandy & John (St. Joseph, Michigan Beach Wedding)

 

~ “Paul was amazing to work with for our July 23 wedding and all of our pictures blew us away. Paul understood exactly the style we wanted, was flexible, had great suggestions and ideas and many of our guests commented on his professionalism. We were so happy and would definitely recommend Paul for any occasion.” – Kristie & Todd (Grand Hotel Wedding)

 

~ “Wonderful experience with Paul! He familiarized himself with our outdoor photo locations before meeting us; arrived 45 minutes early at our hotel and started taking pictures immediately; helped our limo driver to the location (we got lost on the way, thank goodness for Paul!); took awesome candid and posed photos and made everyone feel comfortable with him right from the start; had photo slideshow available for guests to view during reception (of pictures he had just taken before the ceremony); photo booth ran smoothly and was easy to use, provided endless humor and entertainment for our guests throughout the night; we used Paul’s photo booth props for other fun moments during the reception; many guests approached us the next day asking about our photographer and commenting how he never stopped shooting throughout the night, how great the pictures were turning out, and how great he was to get along with. Paul also stayed later during our reception because we were a little bit behind schedule and needed some more important moments to be captured. He is worth every penny. We highly recommend him for future weddings and/or other events. THANK YOU PAUL!” -Liz

~ “Paul is undoubtedly, hands-down, one of the best photographers I’ve ever come across. He knows what he is doing and knows the shots he needs to get. DO NOT hesitate to hire him. You will be pleasantly surprised in every aspect that he is involved in. He adapts to situations and captures anything and everything. Armed with more than one camera, I often noticed him shooting with one camera, then hip shooting to another shot somewhere else at the same time. A TON of photos were ready for initial viewing in under 24 hours. Also, his photo booth was an absolute hit; do not pass this part up. Amazing overall!” -Dustin

 

~ “Paul is AMAZING! He’s so easy to work with and very talented. Normally, photographers make me feel uncomfortable but Paul’s great! I highly recommend him!” – Stephanie & Ed 5.2011 (Bay Harbor Golf Club Wedding)

 

Hartland River Birch Lodge Wedding Nicole & Chris

~ “I wanted to tell you how absolutely amazing all of the slideshow, images, and videos are that you created!  We never had any doubt in your creative abilities but you have far exceeded our expectations!  On Sunday after the wedding we went to an airport suite to try and get a couple hours sleep before leaving for our honeymoon and then it all started… you posted the first of the images from our wedding! AAAAAHHHHHH!!!  It was so exciting to see the first pictures and they were so awesome!!!  And then you posted more, and more, and more!  Needless to say we didnt get much sleep but it was so exciting!!!  And while we were on vacation you posted more for us to see.  Waiting for more images to be posted and reading the comments was so much fun!  And the final video is amazing, a tear jerker for sure!

Returning home to the proofs and the cool little keepsake album was a pleasant surprise!  We spent several hours looking at them.  And the next day the memory stick came!  Even better! You run a first class operation Mr. Paul Retherford!” – Chris & Nicole 4.2011

 

~ “Paul Retherford’s services far exceeded my expectations in every singe way. In fact, the day after the wedding I couldn’t sleep and woke up extra early chatting away about everything that happened the day before. The first thing that came out of my mouth was that the best wedding decision I made was to hire Paul as our photographer (after tons of research). He was so organized and on the ball that every time I had a wedding question, or needed to get things moving with the festivities I would notice Paul was already taking care of it. He went beyond his duties of Wedding Photographer and really kept the whole day balanced and worry-free. As for his photography, it is amazing. Everyone was comfortable and had a blast.”  – Emily & Norm 9.2010 (Traverse City Golf and Country Club)

 

~ “Paul did an awesome job with my pictures!!! I think I received excellent picture quality and service, he is worth every penny and more! A couple in our wedding party had gotten married two months before us and they told me during the reception that they wished they had hired Paul because he far exceeded their photographer, and they spent the same amount of money. He was the one person I hired, from church to band to flowers to reception and more, that had exceeded my expectation. He was the one thing for sure that went right at my wedding. I just can’t stop looking at my wedding photos. Thanks Paul! :)”–  Kristen & Andrew 7.2010 (Little Stone Church Mackinac Island)

 

~ “Paul took fantastic, artistic images that truly captured the spirit of our day. He was very helpful and congenial throughout the day. We were so glad he shot our wedding as we’ll have great memories forever in our pictures.” – Erin & Jon 6.2010 (Petoskey Fairgrounds Wedding)

 

~ “Without hesitation I would recommend Paul Retherford Photography. Paul was a great person to work with! My husband and I were thrilled with the photos he shot from our day. We LOVE our flush album, there is nothing like it!” – Tara 4.2010

 

 

~ “To all any engaged couple’s looking for a photographer for your special day. Paul Retherford is your man!! Paul did a awesome job for Dennis and I! We could have not asked for any better photographer he is professional, he takes tons of pictures, and if you happen to be lucky enough to get married on Mackinac Island,MI like Dennis and I did you will be so happy with Paul ,very creative in taking photographs lots of before and after the wedding shots and many during the ceremony and then make sure you have hired a white horse drawn carriage ride after the ceremony because Paul gets on his bicycle and follows the carriage and takes hundreds of pictures of the bride and groom all over the Island.Paul is personal with the bride and groom and finds out what kind of pictures you are looking for. And talk about being quick he had our DVD’s ready in two days!!!!! And the cost is excellent in my opinion, believe me ladies I did my homework and did a lot of shopping around for a photographer and Paul Retherford came out ahead of all of them as far as price, professionalism,quality of pictures and a very very nice person to work with and that meant so much to Dennis and I. Paul’s website is excellent as well , very professional and gives you lots of great ideas for pictures for your wedding day. Ladies please give Paul Retherford an opportunity to make your special day a day that you will always remember in the pictures!!  P.S. You will not be sorry if you hire Paul!!!” – Shelley & Mike 6.2010 (Elberta Life Saving Station Wedding)

 

Please see more reviews at Paul Retherford Michigan Wedding Photography REVIEWS.