Cate was great for our wedding! She understood what my spouse and I were talking about when we told her about being a queer and polyamorous couple, and that our wedding wasn't going to have a lot of the traditional elements (like a ceremony, first look, first dance, wedding attendants, cake-cutting, etc.) - it was a relief to get to describe what we wanted to a vendor who was part of the community and familiar with different kinds of queerness and relationships. She made sure to ask about who in our party was out, and to what degree, just in case a sticky situation arose. Cate managed to capture both formal portraits and nice-looking outtakes from in-between formal portraits; got photos of all our guests, and took a lot of candid photos from the dance floor without us even realizing she was there until we saw the album afterwards. She captured all of the detail shots that we had asked for, and innovated a couple of her own that were much appreciated. Both of us have terrible memories, and rely heavily on photographs to remember even really important events. Cate understood this and did a great job photographing things so that we would be able to remember them without worrying. We paid for six hours of just Cate working, which included time spent on the formal photographs, and resulted in just over 700 photos processed and sent to us far faster than we had expected! I think it took her a month or two less than her estimated timeline. Her rate isn't cheap, but she was absolutely worth it, and we were happy to have her working for us for the day! She's been enthusiastic the whole way through, great at adjusting on the fly, and stellar about following up with us. (This review is for our wedding a year and a half ago - I just found the draft I'd written in 2023 and realized I never posted it anywhere!) read more

I found Cate when searching for photographers who can capture candid moments at home and really loved the intimate, authentic vibes in all of her work. From the moment we reached out to inquire about her availability, Cate has been super responsive and we could tell she was genuinely interested in our story as well as how we wanted to tell that story through photos. The session went as well as I could have imagined - Cate made us feel so comfortable to be ourselves in front of the camera by connecting with us, listening to our wishes and offering so many ways for us to relax, focus on each other and feel pretty. And the final photos! are! gorgeous! The intimate vibe we loved and wanted to capture is there in our photos, but it also feels unique to us and isn't just a replica of Cate's previous work. There isn't a photo in which we faked our smiles - they're all eye-squinting nose-wrinkling happy laughs and giggles and tender moments because we had that much fun during our session. Her edits were beautiful and when I had an additional request, she was very accommodating as well. Now my only regret is that our wedding isn't remotely close to Connecticut so that we could have Cate as our photographer. She's amazing at what she does and if you have a chance to work with her, I'd 100% go for it. read more

5 stars isn't enough to show how happy we are with Cate and her team! We met Cate a few years ago for a couples shoot, then when we got engaged, there was no question about it!! We NEEDED her! Not only is her work amazing, but she is the most down to earth and genuine person. She makes you feel comfortable while having fun and getting all the best shots at the same time. We've recommended her to friends who couldn't have been happier with their experiences as well. I could go on and on for days about her!! You will NOT be disappointed when choosing Cate to photograph any of your special or important moments! read more

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TL:DR - Cate is the absolute best wedding photographer and she was a joy to work with every step of the way. As anyone reading this review already knows, looking for wedding vendors is not an easy task. Not only do you have to find folks that are available, but you need to navigate the waters of having the right fit to capture your special day. We originally had contracted with another vendor to do both video and photography, but thankfully that vendor double-booked us and bailed. When Cate first reached out I could tell that she really cared about us. She asked about us as a couple, what this day meant to us, what our story was, and what our vision for the day was. Most vendors we spoke with got right to business talking about pricing and packages, and it was all very transactional. Not once did we ever feel like Cate cared about anything more than helping us make the right choice to capture the day. Working with Cate was a delight from start to finish. She was organized, on-time, and always calm + collected during some of the more hectic moments. Not only did she help us get all the family pictures we wanted, she kept us so efficient that we even had time for more photos we didn't think we would have time for. Cate was gracious with her time and even more gracious in her follow through. We received our photos quickly, and they were nothing short of perfection in every single way. I cannot recommend Cate enough, and want to thank her so much for being such a wonderful person to work with. Thank you so much, Cate! read more

I truly can't recommend Cate highly enough. When my wife and I were looking for wedding photographers I kept thinking that so many of the pictures looked either like stock photos or the Goodfellas poster, and Cate perfectly matched the exact opposite of that energy. We literally rescheduled our wedding around her availability and would do it again in a heartbeat. She was a delight to work with; if she weren't photographing the wedding, we probably would have invited her as a guest after the first few times we chatted over Zoom. And the pictures, of course, were incredible--both in quality and in sheer numbers. Five stars, 10/10, no notes. read more

Cate is truly talented, from her warm personality to her artistic eye, she's everything you need to capture the biggest day in your life. When choosing a photographer it is so important to pick someone who you feel comfortable with because they're essentially spending the whole day with you, and from our first phone call I knew she was the one! You won't find anyone more passionate and thoughtful than her. Even when we had a small blunder at the venue she stepped in and helped us out without hesitation. She captured the essence of our day and I'm so happy with how our wedding album turned out. I would hire her again in a heartbeat! read more

Cate and her crew were phenomenal! We met Cate and saw her work firsthand at a friend's wedding. The photos came out so well that we hired Cate for ours, and they came out great as well. Cate is an incredibly kind and warm person with a great eye. Not only did they catch the right shots, but the post-processing was really great too. Cate has an eye for contrast and color. At our wedding, two of our dear friends are professional sports photographers and they were commenting very positively on everything Cate was doing too. You can't go wrong - THANK YOU! read more

We can't say enough good things about Cate and why she is simply the best photographer you could find. We are delighted with the photographs from our wedding. We received a huge sneak peak just 5 days after our wedding. Cate's photos beautifully capture all of the warmth and joy and wonderful moments of the day. More than that, Cate brings a great energy with her. She is an absolute professional when it comes to managing time and large, unruly families. She is also a fun, calming, easy presence to have around on a day with a lot going on. Her second shooter Kieran was equally professional and took some truly phenomenal photos of the groomsmen. Cate's dedication to making wedding photography inclusive and comfortable for everyone truly shows through in her photographs. We can't recommend her enough for your engagement shoot, wedding, or life moments. read more

Cate Barry is simply wonderful all around! We were fortunate to have Cate shoot our engagement session - she made us feel comfortable, super flexible to fit our needs, and made the day extra fun! Cate is a sweetheart and she really seemed to care about getting the right shot. The resulting images took my breath away and we instantly knew she was the one to shoot our wedding. We got married during Covid, and Cate was a breath of fresh air during a stressful time. She captured the day better than expected and will cherish these photos for the rest our our lives. HIRE HER! She is kind, down to earth, and passionate. I feel like we made a friend out of Cate - we loved her services and know you will, too ! read more

Cate is amazing!! My wife and I booked her for our wedding and we honestly could not have asked for a better experience. She was so easy to work with from day 1 and she did such a great job of making us feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. Her photos are stunning and she absolutely captured all the emotions of the day, all without anyone noticing she was even there. Our family and friends were equally impressed! She helped make our wedding day exactly what we wanted and looking at her photos puts us right back in that moment. We would 100% recommend! read more

I cannot possibly say enough good things about Cate and her team. Throughout all of the chaos, stress and changes of plans with the wedding itself, Cate provided me and my wife a sense of comfort and peace. She has such a calming, yet confident presence which reassures you that everything will work out as it should - allowing you to relax and enjoy the magic of your day. From the initial meet to planning sessions to the delivery of the completed photos, everything was absolutely perfect. If you don't book with Cate, you're missing out! read more

Cate made our small Covid-ized wedding a memorable experience! While is was only a few guests and the ceremony was short and sweet she made sure to remind my husband and I to savor the special moments. This truly made all the difference! I never felt awkwardly posed or uncomfortable, much the opposite actually! Lots of laughs and love all around. For the short time Cate was with us we have hundreds of pictures! These pictures truly captured the feeling of the day, all of the candid moments. I feel transported back to our special day every time I look through them. Her work is pure magic! I can't recommend her enough! read more

Cate Barry Photography - Event Photography Near Me

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As a queer couple, it was important to us to have a photographer who understood gay magic. We didn't want staged, posed, traditional photos because that's not who we are and not what life (and marriage) is about. Cate's photos of our wedding captured the beauty of genuine laughing faces, vulnerability of a hand gripping a speech behind his back, and the honesty of candid moments between friends. Hiring Cate was the SECOND best decision I made that day! read more

We cannot recommend this incredible woman and her company enough. We've worked with Katie directly and seen the product of her work in many contexts. She's a great photographer, an incredible presence, and one of the most supportive individuals you could find yourself working with. We met Katie in 2011 in Wisconsin, and love and trust her work enough that we asked her to help shoot our wedding weekend in California last year. The pictures were incredible, and some even brought us to tears. We have memories now for things we never even would have thought to ask for. We will also pay her to come to S. Carolina and do work for us here if we ever need it. She's that good at the whole experience--not only with the outcome (pictures). We cannot recommend her highly enough. read more

Cate is absolutely amazing. We worked with her for our engagement and wedding photos and I highly recommend her. We also had the pleasure of a second photographer, Kieran, for our wedding, They are top notch photographers. They were punctual, got every shot we asked for and more, and are both so easy to get along with. The photographs we received were beautiful and could not have been more perfect. We hate getting our pictures taken, but Cate makes it so fun that we are eager to book more sessions with her in the future. She is especially amazing with the LGBTQ+ community, which was so important for us. If you are looking for the best photographer, she is the one you need. read more

Cate Barry is AMAZING at what she does! Her photos are so beautiful, and she truly has a talent for capturing real emotion and moments of connection between people. On top of that, she is so kind, genuine, and fun. My husband is not at all comfortable when cameras come out, and hates having his photo taken. Through her own brand of magic, Cate was able to get so many photos of his real smiles and expressions, and he felt relaxed and comfortable the whole time. When my husband and I look at Cate's photos of us, we can see and feel all the emotions we had in those moments, and we're not in the standard or cliched poses, we just look like us, having fun and being in love in a gorgeous setting. If you are looking for beautiful candid photos that center emotion and show you authentically, and a photographer with crazy talent, true professionalism, and infectious enthusiasm, I would 110% recommend Cate Barry! read more

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Cate has been amazing to work with throughout the whole wedding process. We did a package with an engagement shoot, so we were able to meet Cate and spend an afternoon with her months before our wedding. She was so nice and easy to get along with. She made my husband and I feel comfortable and is really your cheerleader when photographing you. On our wedding day, Cate and her team were awesome. My family members kept mentioning how they loved Cate and her ability to direct everyone with a calm demeanor. Throughout the wedding, Cate and her team got great shots, but they did so in a way that we hardly knew they were there. Cate's photos are full of color, and she gets some great creative shots, like using reflections in water. She did a great job with our family portraits and gets so many candids that are a blast to look at when the party is over. :) In all Cate was one of our best vendors and I highly recommend her! read more

Working with Cate was a dream come true. She did our engagement photos and our wedding. We loved her work so much that when we had to reschedule our wedding due to COVID, we picked our new date around her! Cate incorporates lots of natural movement into her photo sessions, which helps even those of us who feel awkward being in front of the camera feel more comfortable. The photos she made of our wedding not only perfectly capture the spirit of our wedding, but are beautiful works of art. She asked us in advance of the wedding about important aspects of the ceremony and other details that we wanted documented and sure enough, she got them all beautifully. She thinks about everything - from detail shots, to sunlight, to wind, to family dynamics, to COVID personal-space boundaries. The second-shooters she works with are also top-notch people and photographers as well. Nothing about her work cheesy or cliche like so much out there in the wedding industry. With Cate's work, every single photo in the album is stunning which makes it so hard to choose what to print, frame and share! read more

It's hard to put into words how amazing Cate and her team was at our wedding in July 2022 and throughout the whole process. From the first zoom call with Cate we knew she was the photographer for us - she was warm, inviting, genuine and really wanted to get to know us. From there we never looked back. Cate was open to helping with all "problems" during wedding planning, we definitely leaned on her for advice related to photography and not because she has seen it all. I cannot thank her enough for listening to our silly ramblings, offering advice and helping to iron out details to make sure our day ran as smooth as possible. I even included a thoughtful piece of advice she gave us in my vows because it was that meaningful. The actual wedding day was a complete dream. I'm sure Cate makes all of her clients feel like superstars but from the moment she arrived she was my hype woman - I already felt great about the day but Cate just took it to the next level. Her entire team made our day absolutely perfect. Cate had such an impact on us that by the time we got to the wedding we could not imagine her not being there, she truly rounded out the day and gave us the best gift of all - pictures that we will treasure for the rest of our life! I would not hesitate to hire Cate again for any of life's big occasions and I hope we are able to! read more

Seriously, the BEST decision you can make is booking Cate! She is nothing short of incredible. We booked our engagement shoot with Cate and could not be more thankful we did. My fiancé and I were nervous going in because we have never been naturals in front of a camera. But let me tell you, Cate made the whole shoot feel nothing but natural. And the photos she took are STUNNING. We love each and every one. We had so much fun with her and also had so much fun as a couple. I just can't recommend her enough! She is not only amazingly talented, but also incredibly kind and just a really good person. So do yourself a favor and book her now! read more