When we discovered Mendocino, we knew its where we wanted to have our elopement. The magic of the redwoods, the oceanside cliffs, and the beaches all lured us in, but we had no idea where to start. As we did research, we found Joyce. She was easy to communicate with, highly knowledgable of the area and had all the recommendations we could ask for to help us in choosing all sorts of things: officiants, florists, dining, things to do, etc. She even chatted with me when I was choosing my gown about how it may look in the photos depending on which one I went with. Ultimately, we shared photos of what we loved in Joyce's work, and handed her full creative freedom to lead us where felt right. She was careful to have us as we naturally were, she didn't pose us one time (which made me nervous during the shoot!). In the end, we couldn't be more grateful for the vision she brought to life. Our wedding day was captured so gorgeously; every shot is a love letter to our day -- luminous, timeless, majestic. Here are some quotes from friends who reached out after seeing the photos: "Congratulations! Wow, these pictures are amazing! You look like an ethereal princess" "The photos look like you're in a fairytale!" "Absolutely stunning." Thank you Joyce, for your dedication to your craft. read more

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We chose Joyce because we loved her journalistic style and the way her photos captured not just the couple, but also the landscape, atmosphere, and emotion of each moment. We were married in Mendocino in August 2025, with a small, intimate ceremony that included just my husband's kids. From the start, we wanted a photographer who could beautifully capture the casual, candid moments of our family walking to the bluffs and exploring the charming streets of the village -- and Joyce did exactly that. Her photos were everything we hoped for -- natural, artistic, and full of feeling. Many of our friends said the images looked like they came straight out of a magazine spread, and we completely agree. Looking through our gallery takes me right back to each special moment: a whisper in my husband's ear, laughter during our ceremony, and the joy of walking down Main Street toward the ocean cliffs where we said our vows. Working with Joyce was effortless. She made us feel comfortable, offered great direction, and understood what was most meaningful to us. She perfectly balanced our desire for wide, scenic shots with her recommendation for close-ups and traditional portraits, which we're now so grateful to have. The blend of sharp detail with softly blurred backgrounds gives every image a timeless quality. I would recommend Joyce wholeheartedly to any couple looking for a photographer who can capture not just how your day looked, but how it felt. We're already looking forward to working with her again for a future family photo session. read more

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Joyce was absolutely fantastic and I highly recommend her for any engagement photo shoot. She was fantastic with helping me plan the location at the Menodcino Botantical Gardens. She was extremely helpful in not only taking the photos, but as well as helping me calm the nerves a bit to get an absolutley beautiful memory that we will never forget. Getting engaged to my fiance was absolutely perfect and I credit Joyce for helping coordinate everything and capturing the moment with utmost skill. We did a surprise photo shoot, and my fiance was so surprised and appreciative of the gesture. Reviewing the photos just warms our heart so much and we love these captures so much. Thank you Joyce! read more

In honor of our 15th wedding anniversary we arranged for a professional photo shoot with Joyce Perlman. Joyce is quite well known in Mendocino for her fine photography of weddings and family gatherings. Since it was just the two of us being photographed in our home, we chose a more casual session that Joyce created called the Porch Series. Joyce is totally engaging and fun to spend time with as she is clicking away. We felt as though we were chatting and laughing with an old friend. The results are just spectacular. Joyce is truly a fine artist and a delight to work with. We whole heartedly recommend J Perlman Photography! read more

We are absolutely obsessed with our wedding photos from Joyce (J.Perlman Photography). They capture the emotion and natural beauty of our wedding day at Spring Ranch in Mendocino, CA and have brought us so much joy as we've looked at them and shared them with our friends and family. If you are looking for a documentary style photographer to capture your special moments, I highly recommend Joyce. In addition to her stunning photos that captured the magic of our wedding day, we have appreciated her quick communication and her site that makes it easy to share photos with friends/family and to order great quality prints. read more

We had our October elopement photography done by Joyce of J. Perlman Photography. Our ceremony was at Heritage House outside of Mendocino, CA. We also did some additional photos at Big River beach. Joyce did a wonderful job making us feel comfortable and capturing beautiful moments between us as well as fun moments with our families. Joyce was very creative with her suggestions and also found the most beautiful backdrops for the photos. We also appreciated Joyce including our dogs in some cherished photos. She made the process very easy for us and her professionalism and knowledge helped to create some wonderful memories. read more

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It's been nearly seven months since our wedding, and though we are just getting around to writing this review (honeymoon, new jobs, new city, and general pandemic craziness), we wanted to make sure that Joyce, Randy, and the world knows how happy we are with our photos. Framed pictures, thank you cards, Christmas presents to our parents, our new "wedding celebration" website/invitations, the background picture of our computers and iPhones -- we are still absolutely obsessed with our photographs. When our original wedding plans in Mexico City fell through due to COVID, we scrambled last minute to re-plan an "elopement." Luckily we were able to book Joyce and Randy directly through our accommodations and wedding venue, The Elk Cove Inn. To begin, our initial communications with Joyce and Randy were very positive and we were able to work out the details of the wedding package with our venue that fit all within our budget. They were very prompt with their responses and they answered all of our questions. On our wedding day, we were lucky to have Joyce and Randy. They were at the venue prompt, on time, in a great mood and unintrusive the entire time. We didn't even know they were there for the ceremony! Everyone raved about how fun the team was and how great they were to work with. My father was particularly impressed with Randy's background, as he spent time capturing the famous guitarist Michael Hedges. Since Joyce and Randy were familiar with the venue, they were able to quickly and seamlessly pick the best locations and areas with the best lighting, which included many different settings (the ceremony, family pictures, cutting of the cake, gazebo, garden, and beach pictures). They captured absolutely stunning pictures of us on the beach during sunset. The entire time they were excellent at giving us advice on how to pose, where to stand, and what to do with our hands (in our defense, we couldn't stop looking at our rings). They took their time editing and developing the photos, which was good, because they ensured everything was perfect. The pictures were well worth the wait. The photos and editing were incredible. Joyce and Randy were masterful in piecing together the most important moments of our big day. Seven months later and we are still absolutely stunned and couldn't be happier. We are forever grateful for Joyce and Randy for capturing our special day. They contributed to making our wedding day perfect and we cannot thank them enough for that experience. We would work with them again in a heartbeat. If you are debating on who to shoot your wedding in Northern California, look no further. read more

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Joyce is absolutely the best! J.Perlman Photography took our family photos this summer in Carmel Valley, CA and we were a rowdy group of 18. She did fantastic with our kids of all ages. She was also our wedding photographer 14 years ago. We LOVED our photos and loved working together. I can't recommend her enough. You'll be so happy with your photos and your experience working together. read more

"I want to thank you for documenting our special wedding day in Mendocino at the MacCallum House so thoughtfully. You were so easy to work with and you knew exactly what we wanted. We are thoroughly overjoyed by the results! The haunting drama of the cliffs... the playfulness of our moments together, and the dancing was amazing. Thank you for giving us such quality memories to cherish." --Grant and Kyrsten read more

Joyce was great to work with and highly recommend her! On our wedding day, we had to deal with a couple of challenges. For starters, our original photographer canceled on us just hours before the wedding ceremony and the weather turned out to be cold, rainy and windy. We reached out to Joyce since we had previously seen and liked her work in hopes that she would be available and willing to do a last-minute job on a rainy day. She very graciously accepted and saved the day! Joyce showed up on time and with a great disposition and attitude. She made us feel at ease and comfortable. She did a really good job at capturing the essence, energy and emotions of the day - even though, we did not have any prior conversations about our expectations. She guided us and took us to scenic, local spots which allowed for us to have stunning photography with various backdrops and beautiful landscapes. Joyce was very professional, responsive, reliable, easy to communicate with, and an amazing storyteller. We'll forever be thankful to her for saving the day, and delivering gorgeous and heartwarming photography. We hope to work with her again in the future. Thank you Joyce again for everything! read more

Joyce did our wedding photos 6 years ago. We were so happy with the photos that when we recently took our two young children up to Mendocino, we asked Joyce to do a family photo of the 4 of us. She got some great candid photos that I just adore. As well as a classic Christmas card type photos that we also wanted. She's so kind and sweet, and I couldn't recommend more working with Joyce! She's a true professional. read more

I connected to Joyce and Randy from J. Perlman R. Lutge Photography through the fine folks at Heritage House as I was planning a secret engagement proposal for my now fiancee on the property of Heritage House in Mendocino, California. Joyce and Randy were amazing to work with from the very beginning - we got on a quick call to discuss the details of the proposal and they immediately became my partners in planning the event so I didn't feel like I was on my own. I was nervous about the proposal because I'd never seen the property before, but Joyce and Randy are long-time residents in Mendocino and knew the perfect places on the property to stage the surprise proposal. They provided a detailed overview of what their service included and I was pleasantly surprised that we'd have access to edited photos as well as an online portal where we could share photos with family and friends. Leading up to the special day, Joyce and Randy kept me in the loop and were so helpful with the process. Even as my plans changed, they were quick to adapt and problem-solve. And they went above and beyond to make the trip to Mendocino special by giving us amazing recommendations for hikes, restaurants and wineries in the area! They even helped me come up with a credible excuse to get my fiancee out to the site of the proposal, and had a brilliant plan to disguise themselves and take photos (they brought binoculars to look like normal tourists)! And Randy had a brilliant idea to capture the audio of the proposal by keeping my phone on in my pocket, so now I have that live audio captured forever! On the day of the proposal, Joyce and Randy were ahead of schedule which was great because I was so nervous that I was ahead of schedule as well! We couldn't have asked for a better day, and they captured the moment of the proposal so perfectly, including the total surprise of my fiancee as I got down on one knee! After the moment, we got a bunch of time to get photos around the property and they knew exactly the right places to go. Joyce and Randy have this effortless way of making you feel comfortable in front of the camera combined with incredible expertise with framing the perfect shot. We have so many wonderful and varied photos to choose from as a result (great candids and non-posed photos, amazing landscape combos and beautiful formals). After the day of taking photos, Joyce and Randy responded within just a few days with a selection of highlights that we could immediately share with friends, and we had the huge full collection shortly after that. I sincerely and wholeheartedly implore you to partner with Joyce and Randy from J. Perlman R. Lutge Photography for your proposal or wedding photography! They helped me dispel the anxiety and nervousness around the proposal, and they captured this unforgettable moment wonderfully. I'm so grateful for having connected with them and am so happy they were part of this important moment in our lives! read more

My husband and I eloped to Elk Cove Inn & took the Inn's recommendation to use Joyce as our wedding photographer. I had no idea what to expect since I've never been photographed professionally but certainly had high hopes going in. Even with our minuscule wedding party, the day was eventful & buzzing. It was so nice that Joyce had a wonderfully calm demeanor & she just flowed along with the action, capturing prized moments all afternoon. She thoughtfully framed shots, was aware of items in the periphery that might not look great in the photo, she noticed when my dress needed some straightening out, offered gentle direction for some poses but largely just captured us "being us"... We ended up taking longer than we planned on for photos due to wanting many different backdrops (& the ceremony ran longer that intended as well lol) but for a once in a lifetime day, we decided to book the additional hour. We are so happy that we did because we came away with SO many beautiful photos. The lighting and clarity of the shots was exactly what I was hoping for as well. We have designed a 30 page 12x12 coffee table book that will have our favorite pictures since there's definitely not enough wall space in the house for them all haha! I also am grateful that she captured beautiful shots of the other guests - absolute keepers! Thank you Joyce for being part of our day & for the stunning photos! read more

Joyce and Randy did an incredible job responding to a last-minute request to capture our engagement. They worked with me on finding a beautiful location, and were responsive and friendly while planning the whole thing out. The engagement was a surprise, and they discreetly got beautiful shots during that part of the day. After those candid photos, they took some time with us to shoot portraits. The whole process was comfortable and easy. The best photos were sent within a couple days of the shoot, and we had the whole collection to download soon after. The wedding industry can be scary and difficult to trust, but Randy and Joyce were fair and trustworthy people who take incredible photos. I'd recommend them to anybody planning a big moment in California. read more

Working with Joyce is always such a pleasure. We have known her for many years, and the grace with which she leads you in front of the camera feels effortless and very natural - and it also creates disarmingly intimate portraits. She will put you at your ease! While at the same time capturing sharp, hidden moments again and again. I am always amazed by the creativity Joyce brings to every shoot, and the sheer variety and originality she is able to draw out of even a simple idea. Her photos are breathtaking, and the moments she captures become memorable for having shared them with her. read more

Joyce captured our VERY SPECIAL day at the Elk Cove Inn and we are very satisfied with the results. Your images on the beach and in the garden at The Elk Cove Inn in addition to the images along the Mendocino coast have brought both of us so much joy. We will never tire of looking at them. You were an absolute pleasure to work with - before, during and after the wedding. You not only made us comfortable being photographed, but confident that our photos would be stunning. read more

Thank you Joyce and Randy for doing such an amazing job capturing our wedding last summer at the MacCallum house in Mendocino! You guys were amazing with our guests and did a fantastic job of capturing the spirit of our celebration as well as organizing the many many specific photos that we asked you to in advance. I would easily recommend you to anyone looking for a wedding photographer, especially in the tricky lighting in the Cypress Grove/Mendocino where summer days can end up being quite foggy like during our wedding. read more

Our first priority was photography when deciding to elope in Mendocino. It was just the two of us with no guests and we wanted to make sure the photos we were going to share told the story of our marriage. We came across J.Perlman R.Lutge Photography while researching photographers through Elope Mendocino. We wanted photographers that captured amazing photos at the Cypress Grove and Joyce & Randy exceeded our expectations! We had our initial phone call with Joyce & Randy to go over the location and amount of time needed to take our photos. We decided on two hours and two locations (our ceremony at the Cypress Grove and beach shots at Jug Handle Beach). They were wonderful to chat with and took their time listening to our wants and concerns as well as giving excellent advice. Trust me, they are the professionals and know what they are talking about! On our wedding day the winds were up to 25 mph with gale force wind warnings. IT WAS WINDY and you would not even know it with the photographs. We are very awkward in front of the camera, but Joyce and Randy took us through the motions with ease and calm. They beautifully captured our elopement and we could not have asked for better. Thank you Joyce and Randy! Your easy-going demeanor and professionalism made our wedding day so fun and memorable. read more

A Great Photography Team... Priceless! There's nothing more beautiful than a sunny day after a rain storm at the ocean... Joyce & Randy of J.Perlman R.Lutge Photography, gently guided Meghan and Daniel to a private location over looking the ocean in the tiny town of Mendocino CA. The tree lined bluff and shimmering ocean was their stage and the beginning of their special day and life together. From the embrace of the first glimpse, to the romantic, playful journey across bluffs and out to the sea, Joyce and Randy seamlessly captured every moment, just as if no one was watching. An intimate MacCallum House wedding on the lawn followed with a reception in the South Dining Room. My daughter says that this was her best day ever... and we speak often about replaying this perfect day. We are grateful to Joyce & Randy for capturing the true essence of this special day and allowing us to relive it through their photography. We recommend them highly! Holly Myers, Mother of the Bride, MacCallum House Inn, Mendocino read more

J.Perlman Photography - The Bride & Groom! - Event Photography Near Me

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Joyce and Randy shot amazing photographs at our wedding in Mendocino at the Heritage House! We were so thankful to get to know this warm, friendly couple beforehand with an engagement shoot at our favorite Fort Bragg beach. They are so easy to connect with, communicate with and fit seamlessly into our families. Very professional, and FUN! We loved the variation in photography (lots of in the moment shots that were not posed and lovely formals). Even with our wild fire flare (we're fire spinners and requests some photos of this) they took it in stride and we loved the pictures! So thankful to have met them and kept the connection. Awesome documentarians of our coastal wedding! Thank you both so much - Becca & Colby read more

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I spent a long time researching wedding photographers for our intimate ceremony at the Cypress Grove in Mendocino and reception at the MacCallum House. I decided to reach out to J.Perlman R.Lutge Photography based on their portfolio and among everyone I spoke with their portfolio was the most professional and well scoped. I did not choose Joyce and Randy on their portfolio alone. These two were professional, focused, and so fun to have around on the wedding day. They were very organized and efficient when gathering our guests for group shots. My husband and I had so much fun going with the individual shots where we traveled to several locations in the Mendocino area. Brides, just a side note: If you are doing shots at any of the beautiful outdoor locations in Mendocino your dress will not remain pristine. My husband and I really wanted to have a few photos taken amongst the redwoods. The light can be very difficult to capture but Randy and Joyce took the challenge and worked with us to get our coveted redwood shots and they turned out as perfectly as I could have imagined. We received our photos back faster than I expected and my husband and I were blown away with the images. Typically I don't like how I look in photos but Joyce and Randy were able to capture beautiful candid shots that are extremely flattering. We have a huge selection of images and we will be working with Joyce and Randy to have an album created. I will be so happy to display our wedding photos for years to come. They will be something our family will cherish from such an important moment in our lives. read more