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Joe Appel Photography Reviews

Joe Appel Photography

Joe Appel Photography

Pittsburgh, PA
5.0 out of 5 rating, 21 Reviews
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Reviews

5.0 out of 5 rating
21 Reviews
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95% Recommended by couples

Awards

21
  • Anna
    Anna R. Sent on 04/06/2023
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    Beautiful photos, 3 years in the making

    Friends of ours recommended Joe, and they certainly did not lead us astray! Joe shot our engagement photos, elopement photos, and our reception along with a second photographer. We were drawn to Joe’s portfolio because of his passion for candid photos. He did an absolutely fantastic job of capturing emotion and special moments, in addition to a wide variety of portraits. As two typically shy individuals, Joe’s calm demeanor eased our nerves so that we could truly be ourselves. His attention to detail and creativity lead to a series of truly fantastic photos. He also recommended and worked well with our videographer, Entwined Cinema.

    Joe Appel Photography's reply:

    Thanks Anna! It was so great to work with you guys. Crazy that it took three years but in the end you had an amazing wedding!
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    Jacqueline M. Sent on 08/29/2019
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    Wonderful experience!

    Joe was a complete professional from start to finish and told our story in pictures beautifully! Highly recommend him as he was a joy to work with and made this part of wedding planning stress free.
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    Christine Sent on 01/03/2019
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    Beautiful Storytelling Photos and Great Personality

    Photographs were really important to us and we were so pleased that we chose Joe Appel. From the first time we met with him, we knew he would be great to work with; we felt relaxed and confident every time we spoke with him. He truly cares about the couples he works with for weddings. We are incredibly happy with how our photographs turned out - he captured beautiful portraits and fun poses, but the highlight were the storytelling moments from throughout the day. Our family and friends continue to comment on how beautifully our photos turned out! Joe was also just great at making our bridal party feel comfortable and natural with a full day of photos, and it really shows in everyone's natural smiles.
    • illustration stars

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  • B
    Bridget Sent on 08/11/2018
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    Joe is simply the best. He was the first vendor I contacted after getting engaged, and was a pleasure to work with throughout the process. He goes above and beyond and his work is outstanding. He captured every moment of our day, and our rehearsal dinner, perfectly. I am completely in love with all of our photos, and I would recommend Joe to any person getting married. Family and friends even took the time after the wedding to tell me how much they liked him because aside from his photos, his personality is a joy to be around. If you are getting married-book him immediately!!
  • D
    D Sent on 06/19/2017
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    Joe is an AMAZING photographer who put my fiance and I at ease from the start. We loved his approach to capturing authentic moments, the laughs and tears that we remember most from our day and not as much of the posed moments (though he took some phenomenal shots of those as well!) We opted to have Joe and his assistant Lisa photograph our wedding to maximize the number of angles captured that day. Even our guests were impressed with how quickly they both moved everywhere and seemed to be at-the-ready for every important moment. Yet, we absolutely never felt like Joe or Lisa were "in our face." Everything turned out great, and my fiance and I have no idea how we will pick our top photos for an album! Of the 900+ shots we received, every photo is great!!
  • C
    Casie Sent on 11/20/2016
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    Joe Appel Photography was recommended to us by he team at Seven Springs since that is where our wedding was located. We could not have asked for anyone better to capture the events of our most important day! He was extremely professional and he was EVERYWHERE! I don't know how he did it, but he was everywhere. He was very easy to work with from the first conversation and very accommodating to what we needed.
  • A
    Abby Sent on 06/10/2016
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    Joe photographed our wedding and everything from beginning to end was seamless. He was organized and quick to respond to e-mails during the planning process. He wasn't phased by the pouring down rain on our wedding day (which also put me at ease) and had a great plan to take photos outdoors in a covered area. He not only takes wonderful photographs, but he is fun to be around! We felt comfortable around him, which made our photos natural. We would highly recommend Joe!
  • User1956402 Sent on 12/07/2014
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    One can tell by Joe's work that he has a vast amount of experience and a talent beyond measure. His portfolio on his website drew us in but his professionalism and generous personality is what made me want to write this review and recommend him to anyone planning a wedding or event. Joe has a easy-going attitude which made working him a breeze. He happily took on board our ideas for photos (for instance, heading out in town before the ceremony to do photos) and then filled in the blanks with his talented eye. We cannot wait to see the finished results. No doubt Joe's photography will seal the memories of our wedding day for decades to come. Thank you so much Joe! - Megan and Matthew
  • E
    Ed Sent on 10/22/2014
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    Joe Appel and Annie O'neil photographed our wedding. My partner and I had so much fun and they mad the day so special for us. We spent 8 hours with Joe and Annie starting with pictures of us getting ready in the hotel room. They made us very comfortable and fun.

    They did a great job of catching us it moments while getting ready and seeing details in our rooms like how our ties were arranged on the bed with our silk pocket squares and shoes. Despite the fact is was raining on and off, we managed to get great shots on the Northside of Pittsburgh along the river.

    The setup for the ceremony was not intrusive. We went through the whole ceremony and didn't notice they were there. We had our ceremony at the warhol. After the ceremony, we darted up to the balloon room and took pictures. It was so much fun!

    For the reception, Joe brought in a third photographer. The attention to details, lighthearted approach, and the extras like created a instagram album for us makes this experience a 5/5 stars.
  • Kara
    Kara Sent on 10/09/2014
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    Joe is a class act. He is extremely kind and easy to work with and was extremely flexible and willing to work around my crazy work schedule. We loved our engagement photo session with him and could not wait to work with him again at the wedding.

    Joe was always quick to respond to any email I sent him. The day of the wedding he was punctual, professional, and efficient. Because we had limited time in the church to take photos after the ceremony he helped orchestrate everyone so that we could get in and out and on with our day.

    While we have not yet seen our final wedding photos, I know they will be spectacular as all of his work is.
  • K
    Kariann Sent on 11/11/2013
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    Joe was wonderful to work with! I'm so excited to see what sort of shots he got, especially when my bridesmaids and I were running back inside before the ceremony since the groom had arrived! I love that he captured that unscripted moment that I will get to keep forever. I definitely recommend him!
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    Marisa Sent on 08/27/2013
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    I don't think I can say enough positive things about Joe! Joe is the epitome of professional. You can tell Joe takes great pride in his photography. Not only is he quick to respond to e-mails, easy-going and flexible about meeting times - he's also just a genuinely nice guy to work with. We certainly didn't mind having him around all day & night! We searched website after website looking for the perfect photographer for our August 17, 2013 wedding, and when we stumbled across Joe's blog, we looked no further. We are so glad we booked with Joe Appel Photography for our wedding!
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    Melanie Sent on 01/26/2013
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    From the moment I saw Joe's work on his website, I knew he had to do my wedding. Since I was in Florida, most of our communication was via email; however, when I made trips home, Joe was always available to meet. On our wedding day, Joe helped out in more ways than just taking pictures; he made sure I ate before going to the church, he made sure the guys had their boutonnieres on, he checked on us during the reception to make sure we had what we needed..etc. He was a pleasure to work with, and showed that he really cared about us. Joe is not only a wonderful photographer, he is an amazing person as well! Thank you for everything Joe!
  • K
    Kara Sent on 10/24/2012
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    You cannot go wrong with Joe Appel Photography! Joe is very attentive and his photo journalism background takes his work to a higher level. He did a great engagement session with us, and he and his sidekick for the day Phil were awesome at the wedding and reception. They were right in the action, but at the same time unobtrusive. We cannot wait to see the photos! Joe offers great album options which he went over with us prior to booking, a studio credit in his fee, and breaks the payments into 3 parts which is very convenient. You can be confident you will have great photos and great service with Joe Appel Photography.
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    Chris Sent on 10/19/2012
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    Joe was their for over 8 hours and we cannot wait to see the final proofs, The engagement pictures were beautiful
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    Amy Sent on 01/14/2011
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    My wedding pictures are truly amazing! Joe did a fantastic job of capturing the day…I was able to relive every moment again!

    I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better photographer. THANK YOU JOE APPEL!
  • E
    Lauren Sent on 02/21/2010
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    We are so pleased with the photographs that Joe took of our wedding. Upon meeting him, it is easy to see that he wants to take the photographs that you will cherish forever. He is an extremely talented, professional, and likeable individual. He is easy to talk to and easy to work with. Our photographs are absolutely fantastic! We look them over time and time again. Every time, without fail, we pick up on little details that bring back such fond memories. We are so impressed with how perfectly Joe captured it all: from the preparations to the ceremony to the festivities. Everything, from the still shots to the candid shots, was spot on. His photos will definitely help us to remember our weding day in the years to come. We highly recomend him to anyone in need of beautiful photography for their event.
  • B
    Jessica Sent on 01/16/2010
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    Joe was the most professional and friendly person involved in our entire wedding. He was extremely accommodating, flexible, and cheerful throughout the experience. He also had a way of making us feel incredibly special - just what you want on your wedding day.
    In addition to all of that, the quality of his photography is tops. He has a great eye for color, scene, and event. He can create a picture or capture a candid one. We would highly recommend him to anyone for any event.
  • R
    Ryan Sent on 12/29/2009
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    Joe was definitely the best person we worked with on our wedding day. He was very flexible with our photo locations and was very willing to try everyone's ideas. We enjoyed is easy going personality and his focus on getting everything perfect. He was very responsive to our questions via email. His pictures turned out great and the wedding books were awesome. He takes pride in his art and it shows in everything he does. We highly recommend him!
  • Yuanyuan
    Yuanyuan Sent on 08/16/2021
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    Story-telling Photography

    Joe Appel’s photography tells stories — the main reason we chose him. We had a satisfying engagement photo session in April 20121 so we knew that we are in great hands. He has experience with Phipps (and many venues in Pittsburgh) and super easy to work with! The results turned out to be wonderful!

    Joe Appel Photography's reply:

    Thanks Yuanyuan! You and Simon were a delight to work with! And that first dance - wow! Best wishes to you guys :)
  • K
    Kristin Sent on 10/15/2017
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    Joe was absolutely fantastic. He is warm and friendly and makes you feel totally at ease. We got married in July at Armstrong Farms on a rare, perfect summer day just outside of Pittsburgh. Joe was on our shortlist, but we went with him because of his portfolio of beautiful outdoor shots and candid action shots. And he did not disappoint! My husbands hates taking photos and I knew I did not want to 1) take a bunch of really cheesy couple/bridal party photos and 2) did not want to miss out on my wedding day taking pictures! Joe was a perfect fit for us and captured some really lovely photos of the two of us. What I loved the most was that he really captured fantastic photos of the whole atmosphere of the wedding and lots of us and our guests just having fun - I really feel like I can relive the day through his pictures. Took just about 6 weeks to get the final edited photos back and Joe created a really great slideshow and sample album layout. We are VERY happy!
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