Your Washington DC Wedding Photographer

Shelly Pate photography is worth every penny!
Shelly is amazing! She has been so accommodating to our needs throughout the pandemic. Shelly was so proactive and flexible that we didn’t have any issues with rescheduling. She not only took care of her scope of work but also coordinated with our videographer to make sure they captured what we wanted. Shelly goes above and beyond what you expect from a vendor. She’s professional, but easy to talk to, and she makes the environment fun and comfortable for her clients. This is on top of the beautiful pictures she produces after each session =) We’re looking forward to working with her and her husband again in a few months!

manassas, va

kristine & Jeremiah

From the moment we first saw Shelly’s photos online, we knew that she was the one! It was great to get to know her prior to the wedding; I think that made the difference in being able to capture who we are.

Skip ahead to our wedding day and OH.MY.GOD. I am blown away by her talent.I have never felt more beautiful than I have in her photos! She truly captured the wonderment of that day (including getting soaked in the rain with us!!!) and I couldn’t have asked for more! THANK YOU SHELLY!

Hamilton, Va

LIV & john

I couldn't believe it is me. I see strength, power, femininity, confidence, and certainty in self that I've fought for years to find. Letting go and loving yourself looks good on anyone, trust me. I could write a book on what this session and the resulting images mean to me, but I'll just say a simple heartfelt "thank you". 

Through this experience, Shelly reminded me who the F I am. 

Hyattsville, md

megan

Shelly is one of THE most amazing and talented Washington DC wedding photographers I’ve ever met.She made me and my fiancé feel at ease and talked us through the whole shoot, so we felt comfortable and were having FUN! 

She had such a way of capturing us so naturally and in our element. She really captured the essence of us as a couple. I cannot recommend her work enough. She is seriously a goddess with a camera. Thank you SO much Shelly, for giving us photos that we will cherish forever.

salt lake city, utah

Jill & Pat

I am over the moon with Shelly's work. From the very beginning, I can confidently say that I was impressed with Shelly's professionalism, portfolio and her ability to be so personable. We reviewed our vision for the big day and Shelly totally understood it. Keeping things intimate, looking for more natural photos and less posing, capturing every guest living their best life. Yep, she got it and accomplished it!

She saw moments that I didn't even register on that big day.  Shelly offered direction to nudge us into action when we were deer in the headlights and then she took a step back when we were "on." I just want to say thank you to Shelly for being there on our big day!

washintgon, dc

Marilyn & Adam

We had an interfaith/cross-cultural wedding, and it was very important that we found someone who could capture the different aspects of our wedding. Shelly nailed it, and we cherish her photos more than we can express.

She just has knack for capturing the authentic love of the couple before her - nothing forced or awkward - just all the good, goofy, and sweet moments. Shelly is a talent, and a pleasure to work with. And shout out to her second shooter husband Patrick, who also does a fantastic job!

washington, dc

Rajni & brian

Shelly's boudoir work is AMAZING! 

Doing a boudoir session is a great way to get out of your own head- throw on some makeup, and step in front of a camera. Boudoir is an exercise in radical self love- saying I am worthy and beautiful. Even if you feel like a *potato* sometimes, you just need to someone to show you yourself through a different lens to see that beauty. 

I cannot recommend doing a boudoir session with Shelly enough! You are worth it girl! 

washington, dc

sarah

We loved working with Shelly! We had a non-traditional elopement - we got married in our backyard without any guests. Our plans changed a few times, but Shelly was always available to answer any questions and helped us create the best day. We ended up doing portraits at the arboretum before a private ceremony in our backyard - and all the pictures are AMAZING!!! We felt super comfortable from the moment we started taking pics with Shelly.

We ended up with a ridiculous number of beautiful pictures. We are SO SO SO happy we used Shelly and would highly recommend her as an exceptional wedding photographer.

washington, dc

kathryn & simon