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more kind words:

"Julie was wonderful to work with and her photos are absolutely amazing! With her background in journalism, she was really able to capture the important moments and emotions! Loved working with her and couldn't imagine using anyone else!" ~ kirsten, private estate

"My wife and I used Julie Kay Kelly for our wedding in Calistoga. Julie is personable, friendly, and extremely talented. She really took the time to understand the look and vision that my wife and I liked in our pictures, and is great with the details. For our engagement session, Julie took extra time with us during the sunset hour to make sure she captured the perfect shot with the appropriate lighting. Julie is extremely familiar with Bay Area venues and knows all the great spots to capture the perfect shot. We were extremely pleased with our pictures and am so grateful we chose Julie to capture our special day." ~jerry, calistoga ranch

"Julie is so fantastic to work with. she is an amazingly talented photographer who magically works natural light and capturing candid moments. Her photography style is easy going while still being able to capture the essence of what's going on at your wedding or event. Her photos really bring out the best in the people she's photographing.  What really stands out is her attention to detail, and how much she cares about her work and her clients. She visits your venue before the big day so she can get an idea of where to get the best shots, she reviewed inspiration photos that we liked so she could get an idea of what we wanted for our wedding, and she always had time to talk with us leading up to our wedding. This included things like: day of timing, logistics, or just any small concern that may pop up as our wedding planning continued. She is so much fun and lovely to work with. And also, her photos of our wedding got us published in a wedding magazine, so yay!! All the credit for that is to her." johanna, solage

"My husband and I simply adored working with Julie. She is such a calming presence, and exudes positivity from the moment you hire her to the final photo she takes on your wedding day. Julie made herself readily available throughout the process. The day of, of course, is when she really shines, capturing the story of your wedding from start to finish, seeking out the best light and most beautiful locations, and producing memories--I would absolutely recommend Julie and could not feel more fortunate to have worked with her." ~ bethany, auberge du soleil

"Julie is a true partner and we enjoyed working with her throughout the process leading up to, during and after the wedding. When it came to the big day, Julie did a great job snapping pics without interfering with getting dressed and going through all the proceedings. She moved quickly through portraits and was gentle yet effective while getting our families into and out of formation for all the photos. 
Julie turned around the photos quickly in the aftermath of the wedding and we couldn't be happier with how they turned out. We've gotten tons of compliments on our wedding photos and would highly recommend Julie to anyone looking for a photographer for their big day." jake and emma, dawn ranch

"to say that we are grateful is an understatement.  julie was such a joy to work with during the entire experience.   From the first phone call, where we discussed expectations, goals and planning, to the follow-up calls and emails, Julie was professional, communicative and responsive. On the wedding day, her calm, professional and light-hearted demeanor was so helpful in making the day a success. The final images are stunning.  Julie comes from a journalism background; her training and experience are evident in the photos.  She captured relaxed, happy and intimate moments which we will treasure forever.  It was an investment that was worth every penny.  We are so grateful and highly, highly recommend her." ~lynn, healdsburg private estate

"I spoke with at least 6 photographers and Julie had the best portfolio.  She asked me a series of questions that helped us both understand the style of photographs my fiance and I wanted.  Julie helped us figure out our timeline as well for the day which really helped.  The photos turned out great.  The style and emotion that she captured is priceless." lindsay, br cohn

"Julie's beautiful wedding photos were truly a highlight of our wedding process. She was so kind, helpful and willing to listen. Her talent is beyond impressive and we absolutely love all of our pictures! The best Napa Valley wedding photographer!" ~katie, auberge du soleil

"We used Julie to photograph our Sonoma wedding and I can't say enough wonderful things about her work. Our great experience started at the beginning, with the planning and discussions about how we envisioned the pictures of our big day turning out. She was quick to respond to our emails and open to hearing our thoughts. When the big day rolled around, everything went off without a hitch. Julie and her assistant were professional, yet super friendly. Our friends and family had nothing but great things to say about them both. I held off on writing this review until we got our pictures back (which came 6 weeks after our wedding, right on time). And what a special moment it is, to look at the 500+ pictures of the best day of your life and love every single one of them. Julie and her team are truly talented and I would recommend them to anyone looking for have their special day photographed beautifully." ~ rashell, jacuzzi vineyards

"i am so happy that we went with Julie. The photos really are the only thing you have after the day is done and it was so important to have beautiful photos to bring us back to that amazing day. We received so many comments from family and friends about how amazing our photographer was. Thanks Julie for your attention to detail and your beautiful photographs! We can't wait to work with you again in the future!" Abby, San francisco wedding

"julie was absolutely professional, relaxed, and was able to capture exactly the feel of the day in her stunning pictures!! We were so excited to see the final results and definitely we were not disappointed when we got the preview pictures and then the final product! We are thankful for her easy-going nature and attention to detail, and are so happy with our wonderful pictures!!" ~ amy, napa wedding

"Julie was our photographer in San Francisco and we couldn't be more thrilled with her as a presence at our wedding and the photos she took before and during the reception. We had several people come up to us and comment how great she was at being in the moment, but not being intrusive and I couldn't agree more. Plus the photos... the end result. Wow. I have to say that throughout the planning and implementation Julie was professional, communicative and fun - I simply love her." ~ erin, san francisco wedding

"julie's photos truly are a miracle. Even now, as time passes, her photos still bring tears to my eyes. If I could go back and do my wedding day all over, there are definitely things I would do differently. I would have chosen a band instead of a DJ, and double checked the menu with the caterers. But the one thing I'd never change--truly the only thing that remains after the wedding besides the love and commitment that my husband and I have for each other--is our choice of Julie Kay as our photographer. Because of her photos, which you really have to see and experience to understand their depth and artistry, our wedding lives on as a perfect memory. A memory I can relive anytime, with the joy and exhilaration of our perfect day captured forever in Julie's images. I cannot recommend this brilliant photographer any higher."~ kaia, berkeley rose garden

"Julie is amazing at her job for so many reasons. I think her actual photographs speak for themselves... she is able to capture the best of moments in a way that will make you feel like you're right back in that moment every time you look at them. She's also one of the kindest, sweetest and hardest working people you'll meet. She takes great pride in her work and it's important for her to get to know her bride and groom and once she knows you, the wedding becomes very personal for her too. She wants to do everything in her power to allow you to cherish and enjoy your wedding forever. And again, the woman is ridiculously hardworking. She came to our wedding, which was an all day affair, 8 months pregnant! She was standing on chairs and ducking under tables and doing all kinds of crazy things just to get the perfect shots. She's amazing. She'll be your favorite vendor if you hire her and she won't disappoint! She'll wow!" ~ valerie,san francisco wedding

"julie did a fabulous job. she is a sweetheart. From my first contact with Julie up to today, working with her has been a pleasure and she's made the whole process painless. If you're looking for a first-rate photographer in the Napa/Bay area, look no further!  Julie's your gal :)." ~lindsay, brix

"Julie photographed our August wedding last year and she did such a great job.  We love our pictures!  My husband and I loved that her pictures were natural and she caught a lot of "in the moment" shots.  Julie was easy to talk to and made us feel comfortable from the initial meeting to shooting our engagement and wedding pictures.  She was always very professional and quickly responded to my emails.  It was great pleasure to work with her!" aimee, livermore wedding

"My husband and I are so glad that we hired Julie as our wedding photographer.  It was very easy to communicate with Julie - she was a good listener.  Julie always promptly returned my e-mails and calls.  A very professional photographer - she visited the ceremony and reception places before our wedding day (and didn't need me to schedule any appointments with either the church or reception coordinator - she was very proactive). On the wedding day, she was very positive and calm. She and the second shooter photographed our wedding ceremony and reception in a very non-intrusive way.  But, her pictures (from the teasers) capture light, brightness, and moments in a very beautiful way.  They tell the story.  My friends were amazed with those pictures." ~ adriana, officers club