The Best Wedding Photographers in Santa Cruz, CA

The Best Wedding Photographers in Santa Cruz, CA

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1000+ Wedding Photographers in Santa Cruz, CA

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Misha Velasquez 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA
  • Offer

INQUIRE ON MY WEBSITE TO HEAR BACK FROM ME THE QUICKEST! weddings. mishavelasquez.c0m I'm here to find the magic between the big moments, capture the emotion in the room, and the excitement that is building up to your wedding. The day is about your love, your vibe, and how your memories get to last with you, so my goal is for you to stay as present and be as much of yourself as possible. Your wedding day should be FUN, and we will find every way to celebrate. So cheers to your wonderful wedding season; I can't wait to meet you!

Awarded Best of Zola
Misha did both our engagement photos and day of wedding photos. We love every single engagement photo she took. As a couple who is typically shy (and incredibly awkward) behind the camera, she made the day fun and carefree and captured our personalities so so well. Our wedding was originally scheduled three weeks into the first "shelter in place" shut down due to COVID-19. We went back and forth on how to handle the ceremony/restrictions given the quarantine restrictions. Misha was SO understanding a flexible with our constantly changing plans. We had a last minute mini outdoor ceremony and drive by reception and Misha captured this day SO WELL. Looking back the photos bring us to tears every time.
Lauren, 4 years ago
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Sarah Fischback Photography 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $2,800
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

With a sparkling new ring on your finger & your dream venue secured - it's time to choose who you will entrust to capture the moments you will cherish forever. My name is Sarah and I am the head photographer at SFP. I have a love of working in natural light & creating bright, timeless & true tone images.

Awarded Best of Zola
Working with Sarah was such a pleasure. From start to finish she was the best. Anytime we had questions or concerns she was happy to work with us, and even give us suggestions to make the experience as painless as possible while giving us breathtaking results! The engagement photos were so much fun to take, and we are so happy with how they came out. As for our wedding photos / Video, we couldn't be happier. Every photo has such amazing quality and she really got all the pictures you could want and more. We even added in a video last minute, and were stunned at the final result. Something we will love to share for the years to come.
Joseph D., a year ago
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Maya Rose Weddings 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $2,400
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

With a passion for weddings, and an unbridled love for dance floors, I will be right by your side to make sure your day is captured perfectly for you to look back on for the rest of your lives. Specializing in weddings, elopements, and couples' sessions, I'm ready to document your day, authentically.

Maya was an amazing photographer who brought our wedding to life. Aside from being incredibly talented at capturing a perfect day, she was also lovely to work with. She made us feel so comfortable the entire time, it felt like she was an old friend i've known for years. She allowed us to be ourselves, giving us no pressure whatsoever. When I got my wedding photos from her, I was instantly in love. I’d hire her again and again!
Alexandra and C., 9 months ago
Sarah Rittenour Photography 

5.0

Santa Cruz, CA
  • Photojournalistic style

I've never been much for tradition, so you can imagine weddings were never really my "thing" when I first picked up a camera. Luckily, I found that the wedding industry has been evolving away from the old cookie-cutter format and that is what keeps me doing what I do. My favorite weddings are the ones where you & your partner's personalities show throughout the day rather than getting lost in all the things you "have" to do. I love being part of a day filled with so much love & excitement and what I aim to do is find you in all of it. Because weddings aren't about fitting into a mold anymore - they're about you getting to celebrate your love.

In our search for a wedding photographer, Sarah's artistic style caught my eye right away. She offers a blended service of candid and semi-posed photographs which matched how we hoped to capture our wedding day moments. From our first phone call and in-person consultation, Sarah put us at ease. She helped organize our style preferences and 'must-capture' moments as we planned for the wedding. Her questionnaire helped bring focus in the planning phase and on the wedding day, we knew we were in good hands. I highly recommend Sarah's services, she has an eye for the little details you want to remember and she was discrete during the ceremony and reception while snapping candids (which I appreciated as someone who gets nervous in front of a camera!). We are so pleased with our photos and had a great time working together with Sarah.
Erin W., 4 months ago
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Deanna Delgado Photography 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $1,950
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

In 2020, I took a leap and left my 9-to-5 job to pursue my passion for photography full-time. Now, as a dedicated wedding and lifestyle photographer, I’m thrilled to capture the special moments that mean the most to you. I take pride in delivering high-quality photos and genuinely enjoy being part of your big day. Based in Aptos, I also serve the surrounding areas of the Monterey Bay region, and I’m always ready to travel wherever your love story takes us!

Awarded Best of Zola
Deanna was truly the most amazing photographer for our wedding! Neither my husband nor I had ever taken professional photos before, and to be honest, we’re both pretty awkward and camera-shy. But from the moment we booked her, she made the whole experience feel effortless. She even offered an engagement session, which helped us get comfortable in front of the camera. By the end of it, we were blown away by how beautiful the photos turned out—far beyond what we had imagined! On the wedding day, Deanna was more than just a photographer; she was a calming presence amidst all the excitement and nerves. Her ability to guide us through poses felt so natural—never forced or uncomfortable. She has such an incredible eye for capturing genuine moments, and the photos reflect that in every frame. Deanna didn’t just document our wedding; she became a friend along the way. I can’t express how much we appreciate her talent, kindness, and professionalism. We’re already looking forward to working with her again for future milestones and photo sessions. Thank you, Deanna, for capturing our special day so perfectly—we couldn’t have asked for more!
Christy K., a month ago
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Destinations with Dana 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $4,900
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

As a wedding photographer, my connection to my couples is more important to me than anything else. Serving couples getting married in dreamy wedding locations, whether it’s a vineyard in Carmel Valley or a beach wedding in Monterey, fills my heart with so much joy. It’s always a thrill to return to venues I love, but with nearly 100 weddings in my portfolio, it still surprises me how different each and every wedding day truly is. The menu you choose, the music you dance to, the color palette that inspires you - it all comes together on your wedding day to tell your story.

Awarded Best of Zola
Dana is absolutely incredible with her craft! She was nothing but professional and fun from the initial contact! We decided to hire Dana for our wedding for her light, magical photo style and we decided to add an engagement session to our package. We were so impressed with our engagement session the first time we met that I then asked her to do a mini shoot for my 30th birthday! For all three occasions Dana provided beautiful, timeless, classic photos in a timely manner! She is so fun and makes you feel comfortable and at ease. Dana was also patient and kind--with COVID we had to postpone our wedding and plans changed, she was willing to work with us through it all and provide us peace of mind. Dana's personality shines through just as bright as her pictures! We have decided she is our "family" photographer for all special occasions! I highly recommend her!
Sierra, 3 years ago
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Asilomar Photography 

5.0

  • Editorial style
  • Starts at $2,600
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

Welcome! With over a decade of experience, I've had the privilege of capturing beautiful moments at weddings and events across the country. I approach each celebration with dedication, aiming to not only take photographs as they unfold in front of me, but also create an enjoyable experience for you. My photography style combines photojournalism and elegant portraiture to produce images that genuinely reflect the personal details, emotions, and uniqueness of your special occasion.

This October, I worked with Elope in Monterey to have a small wedding with my immediate family in attendance. I feel so unbelievably lucky that Catherine was my photographer! I showed up to my wedding without ever meeting Catherine, but her warmth and friendliness made me feel comfortable immediately. As someone who is pretty shy in front of the camera (same goes for my partner), I was surprised by how comfortable I felt in front of Catherine's lens. She really let us be ourselves and joyfully captured all the silliness that makes us who we are. I also really appreciated her helpful directions and tips for posing, which she always delivered kindly. Catherine really made us feel like she was so happy to be there and for me, that really made my experience so pleasant and memorable! Even though our package only included 60 minutes of photography, she never made us feel rushed and she really went the extra mile to get us a large variety of shots and made sure we had many photos in various configurations of our group! I've received our photos, and they are stunning! I cannot thank Catherine enough for capturing the joy of our special day!
Kelly, 14 days ago
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Carlos Rosales Photography 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $2,100
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

Carlos Rosales Photography is a wedding and lifestyle photography company operating out of Salinas, California. Owner and lead photographer Carlos is a talented storyteller that strives to provide exceptional service to every couple he works with. He creates one-of-a-kind collections that allow his clients to relive their joyous day again and again for years to come. His work is vibrant, intentional, and evocative, encapsulating the essence of every event.

We booked Carlos to photograph our wedding, and had an amazing experience with him. His attention to detail really stood out for us, as we both wanted to have as many detail shots of our wedding as possible. During our time with him, you can really see how passionate he is with his craft, and we are so happy that he was a part of one of the most important days of our lives.
Lian S., 10 months ago
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Jenni Ritchie Photography 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $2,200
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

Hi, my name is Jenni. I am a wife, and Mama to two little boys. I am based out of Scotts Valley, California. One thing that sets my work apart is the creative use of light, and the way it is used to evoke emotion. Please reach out with any questions or inquiries, I'm happy to help!

I recently had the pleasure of working alongside Jenni as a videographer, and I can’t recommend her highly enough! Her creative vision is truly remarkable; she has an uncanny ability to capture stunning visuals that tell a story. Every shot feels intentional and beautifully composed. What I appreciated most was her easy-going attitude. She fosters a collaborative environment, making it a joy to work together. Whether we're brainstorming ideas or in action shooting, her positivity keeps the energy high and the creativity flowing. Her professionalism is also commendable. She is punctual, organized, and communicates effectively, ensuring that everything runs smoothly. It’s clear that she is passionate about her craft, and that dedication shines through in her work. If you’re looking for a photographer who combines creativity, a relaxed vibe, and professionalism, Jenni is the perfect choice!
Tenaya F., a month ago
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Picturist Photography 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $5,500
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

My style of photography is rooted in photojournalism, influenced by the fine arts. The result is creative, clean, and crisp wedding photography that’s romantic, emotional, and lively. I transform your wedding day mementos into personalized works of art while also capturing subtle yet powerful expressions as they naturally unfold.

Awarded Best of Zola
I had read in a wedding magazine that you should hire a photographer who feels like a friend so that you are happy they are there on the day. Danieka met me for coffee in Monterey before we signed our contract and she was SO nice. Once we signed the contract, she started to send me recommendations for other vendors, suggested wedding timelines, and little pieces of advice she had picked up from other weddings (not too often - just 3-4 really informative emails throughout the year that we were planning and she was really responsive if I had questions). On the wedding day, she was prompt, really kind and struck an incredible balance between making sure that we had the pictures we wanted, but also that we were able to enjoy the day and not spend too much time taking pictures. I felt so happy she was there. Now, one week after our wedding, with just the pictures to look back on, we are SO happy that we booked her.
Nicola W., a year ago
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Flora Gibson Photography 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $9,900
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

I’m Flora and I'm a California native who loves to travel and chase the light in Big Sur. I love to ski, snowboard, hike, kayak and explore new locations. I pair best with couples who seek adventure and give me their trust to capture their moments. I want to capture the wind in your hair, the way your hand reaches for your partner and the real way you embrace. I don’t want to be just another vendor on your list, I will be by your side all day, from lifting your dress so you can pee to patting down that stray piece of hair, let’s be friends while we do it! I would be honored to join you !

Flora was the perfect choice for our intimate elopement. From the moment we first connected, Flora's friendly and personalized communication style put us at ease. Her intuitive suggestions for our elopement location and venue, as well as her recommendations for the area, were invaluable - they led us to our wonderful officiant and resulted in a dreamy day that perfectly captured the feel of our special occasion. Flora's incredible talent and eye for style and tone were evident in the breathtaking photos she delivered, which were worth every penny. She was so much more than just a photographer - her knowledge and insights truly shaped our entire day, making it a seamless and unforgettable experience.
Jessica W., 25 days ago
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Christina Molina 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $5,500
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

Colorful Wedding Photography for Ocean Lovers On Dry Land. Let's document what inspires you, what brings magic into your lives. As a professional freediving instructor and wedding photographer based in Monterey, I'm here to celebrate your passions and love for each other in photos of a wedding day that reflect the things you care about most.

Awarded Best of Zola
I truly could not recommend Christina more! This is now the 3rd wedding she has done for my family and it’s clear why we keep going back to her. She has the most amazing personality and takes stunning photos. She made my husband and I feel so comfortable taking pictures throughout the whole process. She works so hard and I truly could not thank her enough. She helped keep us all on schedule throughout the day and captured the sweetest moments. Do not hesitate to book her for your wedding.
Katie W., a month ago
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Drew Zavala Photography 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $3,800
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

It's your friendly neighborhood photographers, Drew & Jackie, here. Celebrating 7 years married this year, we have had the pleasure of capturing weddings in and around the Monterey Bay and all sorts of events together for the same amount of time. We are excited to meet you and your better half, your family, and all of those that you care about the most! Send us a message!

Drew and Jackie captured our dream wedding! We knew we made the right decision to pick them as our wedding photographer and videographer! They listened to what we wanted for our wedding and more! They made sure that we are comfortable and they are super easy to work with! They're the dream team and so so happy about our pictures and video!
Grace B., 6 months ago
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Gypsy Tales Photo 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $4,200
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

HI! I am Anastasia (she/her), your Northern California elopement and wedding photographer and so much more. My passion for photography began when I was a child. It started as a hobby when I fell in love with photographing families and babies. Over the years I realized I adore documenting couples, in all stages of their relationships. I know they say we should specialize in one type of photography, but I am not sure I can ever do that. I love to create and I get bored with only doing one thing.

Anastasia was simply amazing to work with. She values her customers and she absolutely takes pride in her work. Anastasia was communicative with us from beginning to end and we valued Anastasia’s honest and knowledgable feedback about our venues (we ultimately dodged a bullet with our first selected venue). We were highly impressed that she provided us our sample gallery in record time! And we received our full gallery in the promised timeframe. We hope to do a couples session with her when we return the Monterey area!
Michelle, a year ago
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Michelle Alexandra Photography 

5.0

  • Editorial style
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

Michelle Alexandra is a wedding and editorial photographer based in Monterey, Ca and has traveled across the US to capture some of the most beautiful love stories and fashion editorials. Michelle is passionate about creating imagery that is authentic, emotional, and timeless. With a love for fashion and editorial imagery, Michelle has become know for her unique take on wedding photography. You can see it in her compositions, her use of lighting and the way she captures her subjects. Her work has been published in magazines such as People, Marie Claire, Elle, Dare Magazine and most recently Harper's Bazaar.

There are so many things I loved about working with Michelle. She is a super easygoing person and has a calming demeanor that made us feel really comfortable when taking our photos. She was on top of her stuff; always prepared and even going above and beyond like traveling to shooting locations and showing up early to capture photos, like during our welcome pool party, that weren’t even included in our contract. She is extremely talented; her shooting and editing style is perfect in my opinion for wedding photos - soft, clean, and timeless that will never go out of style. And she is just a lovely person in general. Let her work speak louder than these words though - seriously, just check out her website or instagram photos and you will see what I mean. With both our engagement and wedding photos, we were overwhelmed with how many we loved which made choosing which to share and print so hard! That’s definitely a problem you want to have :) Thank you so so much for everything, Michelle. We loved working with you and appreciate everything you did for us more than we can ever say! These photos will be a constant reminder of the love and fun we felt throughout our engagement period and wedding. If we could get married again and start all over, we would do it without hesitation and would choose to work with you every single time.
Kelsie M., a year ago
JeLau Photography 

5.0

  • Classic style
  • Starts at $6,000
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

Hi, I'm Jenn Petty. I'm a wedding photographer based in Monterey, California and I travel worldwide capturing all people's love stories. I believe in equality, representation, and being kind to everyone. I believe in promoting self-love, confidence, body-neutrality, and general badassery into each of my clients. You don't need to always love your body or the way you look because that's just not realistic. But you shouldn't let it hold you back from enjoying life because you're so amazing and so so much more than your weight

After we took our engagement photos with Jenn I knew it was a match made in heaven…. She was such a professional and made us both feel very at ease. We aren’t huge on posing for pictures for hours, but Jenn and her team made it super fun and relaxed! She gave us plenty of tips and direction on how to pose, but also allowed us to have some really genuine moments that were captured absolutely perfectly!! After working with her for our engagement session, I felt so at ease leading up to the wedding knowing she was going to capture everything I wanted (plus more!!). She truly made my wedding day run so smoothly, it wouldn’t have been nearly as relaxing and stress free if it weren’t for her. From helping with timelines, to making adjustments for a rainy morning…and stepping in literally wherever she was needed, I truly felt like she had my back! Jenn and her team (shout out JoJo and Leslie - y’all are the best!) are truly amazing and I would recommend them to anyone and everyone!!
Jessie, a year ago
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Eivan's Photo & Video 

4.9

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $1,149
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

We offer a personalized experience backed up by more than 33+ years in business delivering high quality, creative photography and video on time and within your wedding budget. We are experts in photojournalism, offering couples an unmatched level of value for their wedding photography and video services.

Awarded Best of Zola
Hiring Eivan’s for our wedding was a great decision! Our photographer Gregory I was professional and FUN! He kept us smiling throughout the day with his quirky personality! My fiancé does not care for photos so I’m happy we had someone working with us who could make him comfortable. He made sure to get multiple images even if it was just “one more”, it was never one more! We had actually hired a different photographer and we replaced him with this company. Worth the stress and money! If I had any tips for the company, it would be to have your photographers give a 30 minute warning before their contracted time is up. Weddings are so busy for the bride and groom, it is very easy to lose track of time. I think clients would appreciate a little heads up just so they can try and capture any photos they may have missed. Other than that, I have ZERO complaints. Such an amazing experience! 10/10 highly recommend :)
Melanie T., 15 days ago
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Sound Originals Photo & Video 

4.9

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

Sound Originals Photo & Video is a team of EMMY award winning storytellers. Our photography and videography packages are tailored to you, customizable and perfect for every wedding. We offer engagement photography, wedding photos, highlight films, wedding coverage and more.

We had a wonderful experience working with Sound Originals for our wedding photographer vendor. Our photographer did such an amazing job, he took so many beautiful photos, it's difficult to pick our favorite, lol. Which, is definitely the kind of problem you want to have. The entire process was so easy, it really removed a huge stressor from planning/the wedding day. We had so much fun working with Steve. I highly recommend Sound Originals for wedding photography needs!
Bobbilyann C., 3 months ago
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George Street Photo and Video 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $1,295
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

George Street Photo and Video has one story to tell: Yours. With over twenty years of experience, our award-winning team has been lucky to capture thousands of weddings for our couples across the United States. Specializing in both wedding photography and videography, we offer affordable and customizable packages starting at $1295 that are designed to suit your unique vision and budget. We even offer a fun style test to help us match you with a photographer that aligns with the vibe of your day.

George street did an amazing job matching us with a perfect photographer! The process was easy, super user friendly and our photographer, Kyran, did an AMAZING job! He went above and beyond to make our wedding day, one of a kind.
Elizabeth T., 8 days ago
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Drzazga Photo 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $3,450
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA

We're husband and wife destination wedding and elopement photographers and videographers based in Cleveland, Ohio, traveling as much as possible. We’re here to be your photographic memory, capturing you honestly and naturally so you can give your attention to the people and moments that matter most. We want you to have stunning images and the best day of your life and we do everything in our power to deliver both.

Awarded Best of Zola
We LOVE Carly and Kasey! From our engagement photos, to our big day, they went above and beyond and were so easy to work with! They a gave us everything we asked for and more!!! They have exceeded our expectations from the start!!!! We will never need another photographer ever again for any future photo sessions because the Drzazga’s are simply the best!
Kelly W., 3 years ago
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Sophia Osborne Photography 

5.0

  • Photojournalistic style
  • Starts at $3,000
  • Serves Santa Cruz, CA
  • Offer

Hi, I'm Sophia, a 26-year-old wedding photographer based just outside DC in NoVA. Capturing love stories through my lens is not just a job but a profound joy that I cherish with every wedding I photograph. It's been six years and I've photographed close to 100 weddings which seems unreal! The photography gene runs in my family, my great-grandfather had his own photography studio in Panama and from there, knowledge of photography was passed down through the generations of my family to me. I believe in always having fun and prioritizing an stress-free lifestyle which translates into my photography style — vibrant, authentic, and joyful.

Awarded Best of Zola
We were thrilled with Sophia Osborne Photography for our wedding photos. Sophia was extremely professional in all of our communications leading up to the big day - she was organized, responsive, and helped us feel at ease. On the wedding day, she captured so many beautiful candid moments with her vibrant, creative style. The colors and lighting in both our portraits and reception photos are gorgeous and realistic. We were so excited when we got our sneak peek photos - they perfectly capture the joy and love from our special day. We can't wait to receive the full photo package and relive more memories.
Miranda F., 5 months ago

Location flexible? Discover photographers near Santa Cruz, CA

About wedding photographers in Santa Cruz, CA

How much does a wedding photographer typically cost in Santa Cruz, CA?

A Santa Cruz, CA wedding photographer ranges from $400 to $20,000 and averages at $3,000. The cost reflects the number of hours included, if there is a second photographer, any prints or albums, and, most importantly, the experience of the photographer. But every snapshot they take is a priceless memory of your big day — way better than your bestie's blurry smartphone pics, right?

Do most photographers include a second photographer?

95% of photographers in Santa Cruz, CA offer a second photographer, although it typically depends on the package you book! Second photographers are helpful because one person can’t be everywhere at once, and the second photographer ensures all the details are covered.

Which are the most popular photographers in Santa Cruz, CA?

Some of the most popular photographers in this area include ozan ulucan photography, SweetEmms Photography and Ashley Cynthia Photography.

What else should I keep in mind when booking a wedding photographer?

Are you interested in an engagement shoot as a test run? Drone photography? Wedding albums? All helpful things to ask about when you’re considering which wedding photographer to book!

What types of photographers are in Santa Cruz, CA?

What other Santa Cruz vendors will I need?

What other photographers are nearby?

What other wedding services are nearby?