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Weddings

Attributes highlighted by couples

Pristine quality
Capturing memories
Seasoned with weddings
Skilled photographer

About

Hi, my name is Melissa.

I specialize in romantic and soulful wedding photography for the intrepid couple.

Rooted in authentic documentary, with a background in photo-journalism, I'm all about telling the story of an entire day past pretty posed portraits. I long to get back to the basics: emotive color, actual people, raw emotion.

I'm for the fiercely real, wild-hearted couple who's up for the unexpected and ready to embrace life. And by life, I don't mean perfection. Life is when things go wrong, when the weather changes, when you rip your dress and fall down and it's in this very messy life that you met the love of it. So let it all happen and let me document it. I do promise that together we will make something altogether lovely and that it is my absolute mission to make you look like the best possible version of youself on your wedding day.

If you wanna win my heart, I like Jesus, bears, coffee and conspiracy theories. And food. All the food.

Based in Iowa, but available worldwide.

XO,

Melissa

  • Hispanic or Latinx-owned
  • Woman-owned
illustration popular

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Frequently asked questions

What is the starting price for your wedding photography services?

$4,200

Which of the following are included in the starting price?

Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
Multi. Locations
One Event / Day
Digital Files

What is the price of your most popular wedding package?

$4,200

Which of the following are included in the price of your most popular wedding package?

Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
Digital Files

What primary photographic style do you identify with?

Contemporary
Natural
Photojournalism

What photography services do you offer?

Additional Hours
Boudoir Shoot
Engagement Shoot
High-Res Images
One Event / Day
Second Shooter
Wedding Portraits

What photography items do you offer?

Albums
Canvas
Digital Files
Matted Prints
Prints
illustration question

Any other questions?

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5.0 out of 5 rating
31 Reviews
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
96% Recommended by couples
M
Madison Sent on 12/17/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Every Bride's Dream!

Melissa does such an amazing job in all she does! We have known her for quite some time now and she was the first vendor we booked as I told my then fiance I just could not imagine our wedding day without her and the beauty she creates! Well-organized, thoughtful, fun to be around, and creates the most drop-dead gorgeous art. Book her, you will never regret it!
S
Stephani D. Sent on 10/17/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Hire her now!

Mel was our must-have vendor and the first one we booked when we got engaged in 2021. We'd been following Mel prior to getting engaged since we'd seen her work and fell in love. During our initial call we just vibed. Immediately you can see she truly cares about her clients and makes the day about them. The whole process was amazing. We loved having an engagement session with Mel, since it gave us a chance to get comfortable in front of the camera and also get to know Mel more. She learned our style, likes/dislikes and had fun with us.

Mel is responsive, friendly, professional and cares. She wants her clients to be as comfortable as possible. The process is about their love and not staging the day to look like something it is not. She can truly capture the most unreal shots, anywhere. On wedding day we had the pleasure of not only working with Mel, but her partner TJ. Listen here, TJ is AMAZING and cooler than all of us. He has an amazing eye for detail, made everyone so relaxed and had fun with us.

Our wedding party and guest raved about Mel and TJ. They encouraged the fun throughout the night and made everyone feel so relaxed. I cannot say enough good things about Mel. Photos are the only thing you get to take with you after wedding day. We will treasure these photos forever and remember how great Mel/TJ made us feel. Our favorite part was building a relationship with Mel and this was absolutely reflected in the photos.

If you are considering her, do yourself a favor and hire her. Best decision ever.
Morgan
Morgan J. Sent on 11/30/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Talk about above & beyond!!!

If I could give Mel 10 stars I would! Going into wedding planning is one of the the most overwhelming experiences, and Mel could not have been more supportive and helpful! From day one she was responsive, patient, and kind. Her expertise relieved so many nerves and helped guide me in the direction we needed to go in terms of planning timeline, wedding timeline, and over all wedding enjoyment!

My husband and I would not describe ourselves as photogenic or comfortable behind the camera, but Mel could not have made the process easier. She focuses so much more on capturing your true essence as a couple rather than forcing posed photos that don’t feel super comfortable, and it makes the photos turn out even better. It also helped that the second we met her it felt like we were just spending the evening having fun with an old friend!

When it came to the wedding day, she went even more above and beyond! She comes prepared, calm, and with a plan! I never had to doubt or question where to be and she did her best to eliminate any stress thrown my way from other wedding vendors. We got endless compliments from our guests, wedding party, and the venue on her personality and expertise. In addition to how incredible she is as a person, we still get compliments on her remarkable ability to capture the moment in a unique and raw way! I would recommend Mel to any and every couple who needs a photographer. She’s truly a gem.
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Awards

31
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2023 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner

Real Weddings

Mal & Matt
37 photos · 10/14/2022
Maggie & Jason
84 photos · 10/08/2022
Angela & Justin
25 photos · 02/23/2020

Deals

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Melissa Cervantes Photography frequently asked questions

Melissa Cervantes Photography includes the following photography services in the starting price:
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • Multi. Locations
  • One Event / Day
  • Digital Files
Melissa Cervantes Photography includes the following photography services in their most popular wedding package:
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • Digital Files
Melissa Cervantes Photography offers the following photography styles:
  • Contemporary
  • Natural
  • Photojournalism
Melissa Cervantes Photography offers the following photography services for weddings:
  • Additional Hours
  • Boudoir Shoot
  • Engagement Shoot
  • High-Res Images
  • One Event / Day
  • Second Shooter
  • Wedding Portraits
Melissa Cervantes Photography offers the following photography materials for weddings:
  • Albums
  • Canvas
  • Digital Files
  • Matted Prints
  • Prints
Melissa Cervantes Photography is recommended by 100% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 5.0, with the same score awarded for quality of service, flexibility, value, professionalism and average response time.
Melissa Cervantes Photography currently offers 1 special WeddingWire promotion for wedding services.

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