Reviews: Rising Star Photography
I could give 100 stars!
“Darren and Erin were beyond amazing to work with, if you want a guaranteed amazing photography team that is reliable and investigated in capturing your big day in the best possible way use Rising Star. Darren always went above a beyond leading up to our big day. He always texted back promptly and made sure we were on the same page. From our engagement session to our family photos with the dogs and the wedding day Darren was invested in getting the best photos for us. Photo quality has always been consistently beyond any expectations. If I could give 100 stars I would. They both truly became like family, and I cannot wait to do more photos with them in the future.”
Katharina H.
married on 10/28/23
1000/10 Recommend
“On our first meeting, Darren was the perfect match for us! He was incredibly knowledgeable about our venue locations, very communicative, and extremely professional. He has such an amazing personality and had us laughing and smiling easily. The wedding photos he took were as bright and as beautiful as the day of our wedding. He and Erin captured our entire day and night to perfection. They were incredibly organized and communicated with both sides of the family and all other vendors perfectly on our wedding day. They were fabulous and could not be more highly recommended! The photos are so colorful, and vivid, and perfectly capture our happiness from the day. 1000/10”
Matthew S.
married on 5/20/23
AMAZING!
“First, I’ll start by saying that Darren and Erin are AMAZING! My mother in law and I found them at a booth at a bridal show. They were the first wedding vendor I spoke with, and we talked for almost an hour (maybe even longer!) and we knew right when we walked out that they were the photographers we had to have. They are so nice, funny, passionate, helpful and down to earth people. Darren communicated with us during the whole wedding planning process and even gave us suggestions for venues, locations for photos, DJ’s, and we even found our DJ through Darren because I knew if Darren loved him, we would too, and they worked so well together! We had such beautiful pictures for our engagement and we had a BLAST together! Both Darren and Erin vibe so well and I have had so many people tell us that they were amazing at our wedding and ask for their information. I can’t put into words how grateful I am to have found them and they made our big day so perfect. We had so much fun during our photos and that can be stressful (from what I’ve heard) but there was no stress at all with them and our photos are so stunning. I will recommend them to anyone who is looking for a photographer because I have no doubt in my mind that they will not regret it. Thank you both for being so amazing! We were so blessed to have found you both.”
Jordan B.
married on 2/25/23
true professionals who will take care of you
“If you have accidentally stumbled upon Darren and Erin as we did, you have found one of the best photography teams out there and need to stop looking right now. My husband and I were exhausted, overwhelmed, and really stressed about finding a photographer by the time we found Rising Star in our wedding search. After a bad experience as a wedding party member, personality was almost more important to me than the actual photos themselves. With Darren and Erin, I got both. They are the type of people who make the world around them lighter and put everyone in a good mood. While their work speaks for itself, these are the people you want on your wedding day. Erin had me on schedule in a way that made it fee easy. Darren managed our families, and our spills (oops), and kept us smiling. During the reception, they made moments just for us that we would not have had for just us if it was not for them. We will forever be grateful for just how special and spectacular our wedding really was and we credit Darren and Erin for a large part of all of that. True professionals who will take care of you.”
Elaine S.
married on 1/21/23
CANNOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS
“I absolutely just cannot say enough good things about Darren & Erin. They are both such amazing photographers & amazing people on top of that. They are so polite & fun & really listen to your ideas or concerns. Both my husband & I aren’t the most comfortable in front of a camera, but Darren immediately put us at ease. All our pictures turned out so beautifully, we couldn’t be happier! I honestly don’t think you could find a better photographer!”
Samantha M.
married on 12/3/22
absolutely incredible team
“Hands down the BEST photography!! Darren and Erin were an absolutely incredible team for our wedding! They are both very responsive, professional, and just a blast to work with! Prior to the wedding, the planning was on point. Darren is very organized and just has awesome input in making the day run smoothly and getting all the best shots! The day of Darren and Erin were so organized and just an awesome presence at my wedding! They both are truly a blessing to myself and my husband. Look no further because you found your photographer with Rising Star Photography!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!”
Nathan K.
married on 10/12/22
beautiful photography
“To say Darren did a great job with our photos would be an understatement, he truly went above and beyond with our engagement photoshoot. He went out of his way to make sure we not only looked great, but felt comfortable in the various poses, and he made sure our personalities translated through to the pictures! The sites Darren selected for our session were also incredible and provided our finished images with beautiful backgrounds. He also was extremely knowledgeable in terms of lighting and flawlessly timed our photos with the sun setting. I also have to say, throughout the entire shoot, he genuinely made it fun and enjoyable! The three of us were happy as could be the entire time. We also appreciated his attention to detail in editing the images. He noticed all the fine details my untrained eye would not have picked up on, which is simply another reason his work stands out. To summarize, we highly recommend his services as he is highly enthusiastic about his work which results in beautiful photography.”
Ashleigh M.
married on 6/12/22
COULDN’T HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER PHOTOGRAPHERS
“My wife and I got married in October, 2022. Darren and Erin were an amazing team! They not only took the best pictures of our day but also reduced the stress of it as well. Prior to the day, Darren was always available for questions and made the prep very easy. On the day, they helped us stay on schedule and they were so much fun they made our wedding day more enjoyable by just being a part of it. The pictures are great and we couldn’t have asked for better photographers! We highly recommend Rising Star Photography!”
Randall C.
married on 10/29/22
so much fun to work with
Darren and Erin were so much fun to work with. I can honestly say that I knew I wanted to hire them after meeting them at a bridal show and didn’t really look into many other photographers. It was so easy to communicate with Darren and ask any questions we had. A month before our wedding my husband and I met Darren in person and he went through our entire wedding day schedule with us which was super helpful. Based on his experience, Darren offered us helpful advice on pictures as well as how to get different parts of the wedding day to run the smoothest. The day of the wedding we had a ton of fun taking photos with them. They were very open to some of the fun photo ideas we came up with and all the photos came out great. The whole day it felt as if Darren and Erin were just as excited as we were. They were both so personable and easy to work with. I recommend them to anyone looking for a great wedding photographer. Thank you Darren and Erin for everything and I hope we can work with you again someday!
Abbey F.
married on 10/1/22
so personable with our family
“Darren and Erin were awesome. They made sure our wedding day went off without a hitch, were so personable with our family, and just overall so much fun. And the pictures were beautiful! They made sure we were totally prepared leading up to the day off and are so organized and responsive when we had questions. We love them! We will definitely be using them for any photo needs we have in the future.”
Nicole D.
married on 9/17/22
incredible from start to finish
“Darren and Erin were absolutely incredible from start to finish! I couldn’t have asked for better photographers to have at my wedding! They caught small details in the surroundings and made sure everything looked incredible for every picture. They coordinated with my DJ and venue coordinator all night to make sure everyone was on the same page. What really impressed me was how quickly the time went by where we were taking pictures before the wedding! The whole bridal party was having a good time and joking around with them. It made taking the pictures hassle-free (and let me tell you, most of groomsmen normally HATE taking pictures). I didn’t hear a single complaint the whole time! I was also really impressed that Darren had brought the list of pictures I requested and made sure to get every one of them. Overall, I couldn’t speak higher of these two and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for awesome photographers!”
Samantha B.
married on 9/10/22
amazing
“Darren and Erin were amazing for our day they made it such a memorable day and we will never forget them. They made our day so much fun and got so many pictures that captured each moment of our day. Darren was so great at communicating with us throughout the entire process he made us feel so comfortable and was just such a great person to work with us. Darren and Erin on your day will make it so comfortable and flow so easily and will make sure that you get everything you want. I highly recommend that you use them for your wedding day and engagement pictures because they are just such an amazing team and will truly impact you and your day in the most amazing way!! Our family and friends and bridal party all were giving us such positive comments about them!! They made our day just a day we will never forget! Thank you, Darren and Erin!”
Natalie H.
married on 9/3/22
WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND
“Darren and Erin were a so much fun to work with! They were very helpful throughout the entire process, offering advice and even suggestions of other vendors with whom they’ve worked on wedding days. They went above and beyond in many ways and always gave us their full attention and time – we never felt rushed in any of our photo sessions/meetings. Darren was always very thorough in his communication and they are both very lively and personable! They provided a full 12 hours of service on our wedding day and we are very happy with how our pictures turned out. I’d highly recommend Rising Star Photography!”
Desiree T.
married on 7/9/22
Look no further, this is the wedding team you want!
“We simply cannot say enough great things about Darren and Erin. They were such a pleasure to work with throughout our engagement pics, wedding planning, and the wedding day itself! They were easy to communicate with, they were organized, well-prepared, cooperated well with our other vendors, and brought great suggestions to our planning process to make our day work better. It was clear to us that Darren and Erin take pride in their work and treat their role as wedding photographers seriously while remaining humble. We have so much respect for Rising Star! Darren’s communication was always open and honest, even in the days following our wedding. He was flexible with my husband and I when COVID came, and that was much appreciated in such an unprecedented time. It was always easy to reach Darren for questions and planning. We met in person before the event to discuss the day-of timeline. Since Darren has worked countless weddings, he was able to recommend (without demanding) changes that would make photos or the day-of logistics work better. Not only were we extremely happy with our photos in the end, but we really felt like Darren was rooting for us throughout the whole engagement. He provided helpful wedding advice, and we could always tell he was just as excited about our wedding as we were. On the day of the wedding, he and Erin helped make the day more relaxed and it flowed seamlessly. They coordinated well with our other vendors and their excellent planning helped relieve a lot of the stress that usually comes with a wedding. Darren and Erin were fantastic at quickly talking you into poses that make for great photos! We were a somewhat shy bride and groom, but because of Rising Star you won’t be able to tell from most of our photos! Even our family and bridal party thought they were an absolute blast to work with! I still have family telling me about how great the photographers were to this day. Darren and Erin are true professionals who know how to make a wedding day fun. Working with them was the easiest part of the entire process and we cannot recommend them highly enough! Look no further, this is the wedding team you want!”
Aaron P.
married on 6/11/22
CAN NOT RECOMMEND DARREN & ERIN ENOUGH
“I cannot recommend Darren and Erin enough! Darren was incredibly easy to work with in the planning stages and always accommodating with my very hectic schedule. He had never ending ideas about the timeline, locations, specific shots, other vendors, etc- seemingly an endless supply of wedding knowledge. He is full of energy and clearly incredibly passionate about making this day as perfect as possible. Erin brings the same high energy and compassion, they are truly a dynamic duo! Our photos came out better than I could have ever imagined, bright and vibrant just as I wanted. Wedding planning can be incredibly stressful but hiring Darren and Erin was the easiest decision we made!”
Jenna F.
married on 5/21/22
best wedding photographers
“Darren and Erin were the best wedding photographers we could have asked for. Darren was very communicative leading up to the wedding and helped determine our schedule for photos for the day of. He offered amazing suggestions and we couldn’t have been happier about how the photos turned out.”
Makenzie G.
married on 9/25/21
our favorite vendors
“Darren and Erin of Rising Star Photography were easily our favorite vendors at our August 2021 wedding!! They were professional, punctual, and an overall pleasure to work with. Darren quickly responds to texts and emails and offered suggestions to both get the most out of our photographs and to get the most out of our wedding day. He helped to streamline the wedding day timeline and kept us updated via text with Ohio’s changing COVID policies throughout the year. Rising Star definitely goes above and beyond and made the entire photography process on our wedding day fun and enjoyable. Darren was also open to my suggestions and completely captured the vision I wanted in our wedding photos. Darren and Erin are both so personable that I felt like they were friends attending our wedding rather than “just” our photographers. I highly recommend Rising Star Photography to anyone searching for the perfect wedding photographer!”
Amy K.
married on 8/14/21
BEST OF THE BEST
“Darren and Erin are hands down the best of the best. If we could give them 10 stars on everything we definitely would!!! They are so professional, but ensure that everyone is having a great time. My father-in-law said it best “a true class act”. We met Darren a week before the world shut down with the pandemic. He kept in contact, gave advice, but most importantly was a friend. We made the decision to postpone our reception, but still have our ceremony on our original date. They made it work with their schedule to be there for us. On our wedding day, there were transportation issues and Darren and Erin took it upon themselves to drive us back after our second location….who else would do that?! This team is incredible. When we got our photo link we were absolutely blown away! The photos capture not only our day perfectly but our personalities. Love shines through them. If we had to go back and pick a photographer again, we’d pick them HANDS DOWN. Our wedding was the best day of our life. We walked away from that perfect day married, with incredible photos, and two new wonderful friends. Thank you, guys!”
Breanna M.
married on 3/13/21
YOU HAVE FOUND THE ONE
“I don’t even know where to begin… I’ve never met someone new and had them feel like family 24 hours later. Darren and Erin are the most fun loving, easy going, on-the-ball people we have ever met. They helped my husband and I lay out our whole day and made sure it ran so smoothly. They were a complete BLAST to work with and make the whole day about US! Out of every detail of our wedding, our photographers were the thing people commented on most. How they stayed out of the way but still interacted effortlessly with guests. How they remembered everyone’s name after the first encounter. I cannot even begin to say enough wonderful things about Darren and Erin. STOP HERE IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A PHOTOGRAPHER!! I PROMISE YOU HAVE FOUND THE ONE!!!!”
Lauren G.
married on 4/26/19
PHOTOS ARE PHENOMENAL & WE FOUND OUR PHOTOGRAPHER FOR LIFE
“Words cannot express how happy I am that we picked Rising Star Photography as our wedding photographer. Darren and Erin did a fantastic job of making everyone comfortable, which was huge as my husband is quite camera shy; they even got my grandparents to smile!
To do this, both photographers meet with you to discuss the wedding day. They learn family names, help with the day-of timeline, discuss any “extra” events taking place (such as first-looks or in our case, a surprise ring for my husband during the ceremony), provide advice and options based on past weddings, and just take the time to make you feel comfortable about the entire day.
Which takes me to the wedding day… We had a themed wedding, which both Erin and Darren dressed to! When they arrived at the house, they were calm and kept everyone on track, very subtly. I’ve been part of other weddings where we were and hour behind and while the photographer did who knows what on his phone.
We had a last minute change of plans with our first look due to weather which meant our entire family was around. Since my husband is shy, Erin and Darren helped get them out of the room without offending them to allow us to have our private moment. With tensions being so high on wedding days, it is great that they are willing to step in when something needs to change.
For the ceremony, Darren and Erin give a couple pieces of advice to remember when putting on rings and for the first kiss to make sure you get the photos you want.
Along with this advice, they also give the perfect amount of direction where you are not spending 10 minutes getting into an awkward position, but are also not left with no direction and wondering if you look okay. I’ve been in both these positions at a wedding before and can ensure you that the photos do not look good and it is a miserable experience – that Darren and Erin will avoid at all costs.
Throughout the reception, photos were taken of me that I had no idea took place, which is great because everyone was able to be themselves. There is nothing worse than having a camera thrusted in your face while you are dancing, which I have had happen to me at other people’s weddings.
Our photos are phenomenal and we found our photographer for life. Rising Star Photography is exactly what we wanted for our wedding day and I have provided their contact information to friends as a recommendation.”
Julie G.
married on 3/16/19
NO-BRAINER DECISION TO HIRE RISING STAR
“There really are no words to describe how absolutely amazing Darren and Erin are! When we first started looking for photographers for our wedding, we were so nervous that we wouldn’t find the right fit. After meeting with a few photographers initially, we didn’t really feel comfortable or excited about any of our options. Then we met Darren and Erin. We immediately clicked with them because of how down-to-earth and friendly they were. Not to mention, the examples of prior wedding photos they brought with them were nothing short of phenomenal.
After making the no-brainer decision to hire Rising Star as our wedding photographer, Darren and Erin were amazing with their communication and flexibility. For our engagement photo shoot, there were a few specific styles of pictures we really liked, and Darren and Erin made it a priority of theirs to make sure we got those exact styles and were happy with them. During the engagement photo session, they both made us feel so at ease and we had an absolute blast with them! The engagement photos ended up being better than we could have ever imagined!
We met with them about two weeks before the wedding to finalize all details and get ready for the big day! They were so organized and helpful during that session, giving us some much needed advice about how to make the day go a little smoother (and they were absolutely right!).
We had a very early start to our wedding day, but that was no problem for them at all! They made our morning so special, and because we were so comfortable with them, it helped us feel calm on a very stressful day! We really did ask a lot of them, but not once did it ever feel like there was going to be a problem. Erin was so sweet and helpful with my bridesmaids and I, and Darren and my husband, Gavin (and his groomsmen), had a blast! We asked for a long day of pictures, but it honestly flew by because of how much fun we had! They both did an amazing job getting every picture we wanted, and had some very creative and fun ideas!
We seriously could go on and on about Darren and Erin! They made our day even more special than we could have ever imagined! Thank you both so much!!”
Kaylee F.
married on 3/2/19
BEST CHOICE FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
“I cannot say enough how happy I was to find Darren and Erin for my wedding photographers. We met at the IX bridal show, and honestly, we clicked right away! They were personable and funny and super kind, and my now husband and I knew we were going to pick them. Darren and Erin both were not only great photographers, but they were both SO helpful on the day of. Erin even got me water when I was in the middle of family photos! I want everyone to know that Rising Star Photography is 100% the best choice for photographers, for weddings and other events as well! You can trust that your pictures will be amazing and they will not let you down. I love them both so much!”
Angela K.
married on 1/5/19
UNMATCHED SERVICE
“Darren and Erin were two of my favorite vendors to work with for my entire wedding. Not only are they amazingly professional in the breadth and scope of their photos, they really took the time to get to know me and my now husband as individuals. They let us set the pace and tone of the day, and remembered every request and concern we had given at our final meeting before the wedding. They gave us great direction to get the perfect shot and angle, but also allowed our emotions and personalities to shine through. Their efficiency and productivity is unmatched, and allowed us to stay on schedule the entire day. They cared about us and our relationship on a personal level and made us feel like the most special couple in the world. In addition to being an amazing pair to work with on the day, they got us our edited photos back in record time and took the time to schedule an in-person meeting to give us the media. The photos are gorgeous not only in the framing, lighting, and color, but in the way they managed to capture the emotions and feelings in every moment, for us and others. We’ve even had several friends and family members brought to tears by the gallery! Rising Star Photography offers unmatched service and care at an unbeatable price, and they make me want to get married again just to get the chance to work with them one more time. Thank you to Darren and Erin for capturing the best day of my life!”
Meagan S.
married on 12/28/18
100% recommend, you won’t be disappointed!
“We will never be able to say enough amazing things about Darren and Erin! Picking a wedding photographer is one of the most important things when planning a wedding, and we are so happy we entrusted our big day with Rising Star! We met with Darren a few times before the big day, and he is so personable, accommodating, and genuine. He has become a friend to us! He would respond to emails and texts very quickly, and made the whole process very stress free. He answered all of our questions and checked in throughout the year. When it came to the big day, Darren and Erin made the whole thing so fun and enjoyable for us! They made us all feel so comfortable and made sure we were all having fun the entire time. They truly became our friends and we were so happy to have had them there on our wedding day! As if our amazing experience hadn’t been enough, once we got our pictures back, we knew it was the best choice we made. Every single picture is amazing and we don’t have any bad ones at all! We can’t thank Darren, Erin, and rising star enough for this incredible experience! The week after my wedding, my sister booked them to do her wedding because they’re just that amazing! 100% recommend, you won’t be disappointed!”
Julia S.
married on 10/6/18
PERFECT CHOICE
“We loved Darren and Erin! I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for an awesome, fun, outgoing photographer! They have the best price for everything they offer. You will not be disappointed. I am so happy we chose to have them for our wedding. I even booked my venue and date around when this photographer was available because we wanted them that badly! Perfect choice for your wedding!”
Lauren C.
married on 9/29/18
GENUINELY FUN TO WORK WITH
“We knew we wanted Darren for our wedding from the moment we met him and saw his work, and we were not in any way disappointed in the result. Darren was completely professional throughout the entire process, and genuinely fun to work with on the wedding day. He was willing to work with us to give us exactly what we wanted throughout the day, and he had plenty of great ideas for excellent pictures. He did a fantastic job of capturing every aspect of our wedding day. His turnaround time was just as fast as advertised, and we just had an amazing night reliving our wedding day through his work. We want to continue to use him for all of our photography needs going forward, and can confidently recommend him for your big day!”
Jen C.
married on 9/1/18
BEST CHOICE
“First of all, all I can say is if I could give them more than 5 stars I would. They made our wedding a huge success! From the very beginning of meeting them we knew they would be a perfect fit for us. They made us feel extremely comfortable through the entire process and were very prompt with getting back to us with any questions that we had. I can honestly say that Darren and Erin were more than photographers on that day, they were friends that were photographing our wedding. They made the whole day stress free and they scheduled everything so I didn’t have to worry about anything. Erin felt more like a bridesmaid with how much she cared about the placement of my dress and just making me feel beautiful! All of my guests RAVED about them the whole night! We still have people that comment of how amazing they were and how they captured every detail with the guests barley realizing they were there! Not to mention we got our pictures one month from our wedding date and they turned out AMAZING! Hiring them for your wedding would be the BEST choice that you can make! We love them like they are family and had the best day of our lives with the help from these amazing people!”
Cassandra V.
married on 8/25/18
SUCH A JOY WORKING WITH HIM
“I highly recommend Rising Star Photography. Darren is the absolute best. It was such a joy working with him. We first got together to do our engagement photo shoot which was a BLAST! My husband and I learned how to be in front of the camera while Darren took note as to how we worked together. It was such a great experience. We had so many laughs! Darren had some great ideas and poses and also took all my ideas into play. He is so easy to work with. We were so happy with the outcome of our engagement shoot that we couldn’t wait for our wedding day.
Darren and Sarah were both there to capture all the amazing moments of our (very long) day! It couldn’t have gone any better. They were very helpful with everything and went above and beyond their duties of photographers. The pictures turned out amazing and we got them back super quick!
Throughout all the planning, I was able to ask Darren for help/advice/opinions. He is very knowledgeable, confident and so honest. We appreciate this very much.
I cannot thank him enough for all he has done for us these last two years. It was such a blessing working with him and I plan to use Rise Star Photography in the future!”
Deena A.
married on 8/4/18
BLOWN AWAY
“My wife and I got married on August 3rd, 2018 and used Rising Star for our photography. Darren and Erin were the photographers and truly made our experience with them SPECIAL. When we first met Darren we were blown away by his legitimate interest in our love story. He asked questions about how we met, how long we had been dating and what we envisioned for our wedding. He made such a great first impression and we were blown away by his professionalism and honesty. Throughout the entire process, Darren and his team made us feel so valued. My wife and I both felt that Rising Star Photography wanted our day to be an event of a lifetime. Whenever we had questions Darren always emailed back promptly with answers or suggestions which helped with the stress of planning a wedding. On our wedding day, Darren and Erin were so professional and FUN. You could tell they LOVE what they do! They worked so well together and had wonderful ideas for our photos. Additionally, they made sure to get all of the shots that my wife and I wanted. They asked us multiple times throughout the day if we needed anything which was so thoughtful and caring. Darren and Erin felt as if they were family the way they connected with us, our wedding party and most importantly our family. When we got our photos back we were blown away by how wonderful they all came out. It was so much fun reliving every moment through our amazing pictures. When our family saw them they said the same thing! We could not have picked a better photography team and in our opinion Rising Star Photography is the absolute best. If you are planning your wedding and value photography, Rising Star Photography is the only choice due to their professionalism, ability, personality, and willingness to go above and beyond to make your wedding day spectacular.”
Mike M.
married on 8/3/18
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
“Darren was wonderful to work with throughout the whole wedding planning process. He was always prompt in responding to questions and emails. Sarah, who was Darren’s assistant for our wedding day was great as well. She took time in talking with each of my bridesmaids and both of the mothers. She instantly blended in with the group and was an absolute blast to have around as all the girls were getting ready. Both Darren and Sarah were present for the large majority of the day, they didn’t put any pressure on us with hour constraints, like many other photographers would have done. Both took their time in capturing the moments, but also knew how to have fun and get creative, which made the picture session much more enjoyable. Another thing that we both appreciated was that both Sarah and Darren sought us out and asked us individually (my husband and I) if there were any other pictures we wanted them to capture before they headed out for the night. It said a lot about them ensuring that they met our expectations and that they hadn’t missed anything of importance to us. I highly recommend their photography services to anyone looking for an amazing photographer, while still staying within a wedding budget! ”
Christina R.
married on 7/21/18
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
“My wife and I couldn’t be happier with the quality, professionalism, and genuine love we received from Darren and Erin of Rising Star Photography. From the moment we met them, all the way to our big day, they were nothing but the kindest and most helpful people we had the pleasure of working with. These are people who truly, without a doubt, love what they do. Their experience with countless weddings was a huge help to us as we planned everything out. They were able to walk us through our whole day’s itinerary, start to finish, giving us valuable advice that allowed our day to run flawlessly. The actual photos we received were absolutely stunning but we were not one bit surprised. Just seeing all of the work and planning that they put in leading up to the wedding as well as the level of professionalism they showed from start to finish, we had no doubt that the final product would be flawless. By working with Rising Star, we did way more than just hire 2 photographers, we found 2 truly amazing people to celebrate our wedding day with.”
Joseph G.
married on 6/30/18
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! (pt 2)
“My husband Joseph has already left a wonder review for this great business, but I believe that he left out some very important details that I would like to bring to light. On 6/30/2018 I got to marry my best friend, seven months prior to that day my little sister had passed away suddenly. How are we supposed to finish planning a wedding that we are completely putting together ourselves after something like this? My little sister was also one of my bridesmaids. After Darren had learned of what had happened on Facebook he contacted me with his condolences, and asked if we could meet for coffee. During our meeting Joseph and I expressed that I was going to turn the handmade bouquet that I made for Blaire into a wreath that will be walked down the aisle in her place. We told him that this was one of the biggest moments that we wanted captured. He was more that happy to accommodate our requests. He even gave us the great idea of having an isle at the altar to place the wreath on. Throughout friendly conversation we had expressed that it was very hard putting together a wedding ourselves after something so tragic happened so close to our wedding date. We were having a hard time finding a videographer to capture our day and all of the moments that celebrated Blaire. When we got home we received an email from Darren containing of all of the videographers that he knew. Unfortunately, each and everyone of the businesses he recommended were already booked. A few days later we received another email from Darren. This email contained links to other videographer in the area that had the date available for us. He expressed to us that he had never worked with any of the businesses, and he couldn’t vouch for them. Darren, it was the thought that counts, we were able to book the videographer for our wedding because of what he had done for us out of the kindness in his heart. Darren and Emily had done more for Joseph and I then just take our beautiful wedding photos. They were able to assist us in every way that that they possibly could while we were grieving for my sister and planning our wedding. I am happy to say that besides that fact that they will be taking our family photos for the rest of our lives, they will forever be our friends.”
Bailey G.
married on 6/30/18
ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR DAY
“Darren was an essential part of our day! He made sure we were taken care of and our pictures came out absolutely beautiful!! I would recommend Darren and his team every time to someone looking for a photographer!!”
Rachel J.
married on 6/23/18
INCREDIBLE
“I’m not even sure where to start. Darren and Erin are incredible. To say that they go above and beyond would be such an understatement. From the very first phone conversation that I had with Darren, I knew that he was the one that I wanted for our big day. It’s crazy to think that, with my high expectations, they soared above them effortlessly. Darren met with me and I immediately felt like I had gained a friend. He thoroughly explained everything to me, answering all of my questions along the way. We then set up a meeting with him and Erin for a date before the big day. Since we were doing a “first look”, it was important that we feel comfortable with our photographers. After we met with them, we felt like we had been to dinner with our closest friends. Then the wedding day happened. They showed up EARLY, and didn’t miss a beat for 12 hours. I can’t explain to you how important it is to have photographers that arrive early and help in every way to make your day run exactly how you wanted it. Erin was with me most of the day, and she was a rockstar. From her positive attitude, innovative ideas, and incredible support all the way to her emergency pack containing eyelash glue, (yes, girls! EYELASH GLUE!), she really helped everything run smoothly. Now let’s talk about Darren. This guy is passionate, extremely talented and has an incredible amount of experience. He loves his job more than anyone I have ever met. He got us access to a country club close by (in a beautiful gated community) where we took our first look pictures and pictures with our wedding party. Seriously, this place was amazing. This team really knows how to roll with the punches and get the job done. They were moving tables, standing on chairs, lying on the wet ground (because it rained THE WHOLE day)… They would literally do anything to get the perfect shot. And it really paid off. Our photos are AMAZING! We had them back in TWO weeks, since it was a winter wedding, and we have been in awe ever since. Everyone from our wedding can’t stop talking about these two, either. They were just blown away by how awesome Darren and Erin are, and so am I. Darren and Erin, thank you for making our day so special. We will be forever proud of the photos you took for us, and we can’t wait to use you again in the future. We love you!”
Meghan F.
married on 4/24/18
cannot recommend them enough
“Words can never describe how thankful my husband and I are to Darren and Erin with Rising Star Photography! I could go on for pages on all of the amazing things they do and are, but here are some of what I feel are most important to someone choosing who is going to capture the best day of their life! Darren goes above and beyond to find out about you and your future spouse to make sure that he captures your personalities perfectly. For example, my Husband and I are HUGE sports fans along with a special love for Cleveland sports. Darren helped to ensure that at both our Engagement shoot and Wedding photo shoot, we captured all of that (see pictures below). Next, Darren worked so well with all of our other vendors that day. They interacted amazingly with everyone, all Vendors they had not met before, and helped make sure everything ran smoothly and on schedule. Their photos speak for themselves, but I feel it is still important to comment on just how incredible of a vision they have when it comes to their photos! They were able to capture some of the most amazing photos and capture the love we have for each other, perfectly. Along with their amazing talents, they are incredible people as well. Fun, easy to be around, easy to interact with, caring, and compassionate for you and their work.
As I already said, words can never describe the gratitude we feel for both Darren and Erin. We absolutely cannot recommend them enough to help capture your day as well as they did ours!”
Olivia M.
married on 11/17/17
HIGHLY RECOMMEND RISING STAR PHOTOGRAPHY
“I highly recommend Rising Star Photography. My husband and I are not very photogenic people but they did a great job showing us how to stand and coaching us how to capture the best pictures for us. They also did a great job with reading the situation and making everything feel so comfortable. We felt like we were working with old friends. They were one of the very first vendors I spoke with at one of the bridal shows. Compared to other photographing companies I spoke with, you could tell Darren is so passionate about his work. He was more interested in getting to know who me and my husband were, what our thoughts were for our wedding and what he could do for our wedding rather than just trying to sell his service (which I felt other companies tried to do). I could go on and on but to put it simply, they cared about what they were doing, worked hard and were invested in producing the best pictures for us and it shows in every single one. You will not be disappointed!”
Ashley B.
married on 10/14/17
THEY CAPTURED EACH MOMENT
“Darren and Nikki from Rising Star Photography made the day the best it could have been. They captured each moment of the day and night perfectly and the best part is that they had fun doing it. As we were shooting, it was basically like they were just a part of the bridal party, laughing and having fun with us!”
Katie F.
married on 9/02/17
BEST DECISION WE MADE
“Darren and Nickie were honestly the best decision we made in our wedding-planning process. I can’t say enough about how spectacular they are. As soon as we met, we just clicked! The entirety of our day, they kept us laughing and stress-free. Our wedding party had a blast which resulted in such amazing photos! They have the ability to make everyone extremely comfortable during such a busy day which was a breath of fresh air. So many people have asked who our photographers were because they liked them so much. Darren took note of some must-have shots we suggested at our meeting and made sure to capture them all. They have such great creativity, attention to detail, and just a positive vibe about them; it’s hard not to smile when you’re in their presence. You can tell they really love what they do. Darren was super responsive to my emails and truly cared about our day. The experience felt like they were part of the family. Our guests had nothing but wonderful things to say about how well Rising Star worked with everybody and captured the day flawlessly. The quality of the photos is insurmountable. We’ve gotten so many compliments on how gorgeous each and every picture is and we wholeheartedly agree. We honestly cannot thank them enough for the incredible job they did capturing these memories. My husband and I highly recommend Rising Star! Darren and Nickie, we love you guys and can’t wait to work with you in the future!”
Nicole Z.
married on 6/24/17
Simply amazing
“Darren and Nickie are so incredible I feel there are no words for how amazing they made my wedding day. Fun, organized, professional, passionate, are just a few words to describe them. They were so incredible every step of the wedding planning process. From the minute we met with them they were genuinely excited to be a part of our big day! Darren was so helpful in regards to recommending locations for our pictures, to having a consultation 2 weeks before the wedding to go over everything to ensure a smooth day. And smooth it was!! The chemistry Darren and Nickie have is amazing and they really bring that to you for the day of your wedding. Not only are they amazing photographers, they are amazing people who you just want to be around. For weeks after our wedding we still had people coming up to us saying, “who were your photographers, they were awesome!!” Our pictures turned out better than I ever could have imagined and it is so fun looking through the album and reliving the wedding that they did such a great job at capturing. Simply amazing!”
Liz I.
married on 12/31/16
COULDN’T HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER PHOTOGRAPHERS
“Darren and Nickie were fun and professional from the beginning. When we sat down with them to go over what they offer, they listened closely to what we wanted, and on our big day they made it happen. Our pictures were beautiful and our guests couldn’t stop talking about how fun and professional they were. We could not have asked for better photographers to capture our wedding.”
Katy G.
married on 11/5/16
OVERJOYED WITH THE QUALITY OF SERVICE & PHOTOS
“I cannot begin to explain how wonderful Darren and Nickie were to work with! We were referred to Rising Star by some friends that were overjoyed with the quality of their service and wedding photos. A photographer is truly the most important vendor a couple can invest in for their wedding day- and having TWO photographers makes it even better! Having both of them there made it possible for us to get photos of moments we would not have otherwise gotten with just one person covering our wedding. Darren and Nickie have made it a reality for us to relive our wedding over and over again with the most breathtaking photos. Beginning with our first meeting, then engagement shoot, the pair took the time to get to know us, so by the time our wedding came around they knew what we liked, what we didn’t, and what photos/poses would work for us. They go above and beyond to coordinate multiple meetings to ensure everything is perfect before the wedding. They are extremely organized with notes of shots to get and a detailed itinerary, that we honestly never worried about a thing the entire day. Darren and Nickie work so well together- we never stopped laughing any time we were with them! From the personal service to the beautiful photos, my husband and I could not be happier with what Darren and Nickie had to offer”
Miranda E.
married on 9/5/15
so much fun and a blast to work with
“Darren and Nickie were so professional, flexible with our busy schedules, and personable during our interview, engagement shoot, and wedding day. Both brought positive energy, creativity, and an inspiring and laid-back sense of humor to the table when working with them; so many laughs! Besides offering their creative perspective and vision during both the engagement and wedding day, Darren and Nickie will inspire, motivate, and capitalize on your thoughts and ideas too! They were a great and hilarious photography team that captured all our milestones and special moments, and we are truly grateful and blessed. Their unique eye for beauty is displayed throughout our entire house, and each picture tells our love story perfectly. We plan on using Darren and Nickie again in the future for other milestones such as anniversaries and baby photos. You guys were so much fun and a blast to work with over the course of the year. Jeff and I look forward to working with you both again in the near future.”
Michelle B.
married on 6/26/15
BY FAR OUR FAVORITE WEDDING VENDOR
“We are forever grateful for choosing Rising Star Photography for our wedding!! First off, Darren and Nicki are simply amazing! When my then fiancé and I were looking for photography services for our wedding day, we wanted someone who could capture not only the most special day of our lives, but someone who we also personally connected with. Darren and Nicki had amazing, energetic, fun and outgoing personalities that not only made the experience fun for us, but they made it fun for our family! Think about it, your wedding is only 1 day- but pictures from the day last forever. Giving someone the responsibility to capture the special moments throughout the day is huge. The fact that there are two photographers; this allowed Nicki to be with the girls and capture the special moments before walking down the aisle and Darren was able to be with the guys, giving me the opportunity to see pictures of what the guys were doing all morning! It worked out perfect. Having a photographer who not only has top of the line cameras and equipment but also has the ability to make you feel comfortable and make you feel as if you are the only couple they will be shooting for the year, is hard to come by. My husband and I attended a bridal event just to look and get some ideas and the first people we met were Darren and Nicki. From the moment we met them, we connected instantly and still to this day, 4 years later after meeting them we still keep in touch. They have made the entire wedding experience beyond what I pictured. They were so willing to adjust and change things specially to meet our needs. They truly make you feel like the most special couple in the world. I honestly wouldn’t say these things if I didn’t mean them but they just deserve the highest review possible. They were by far our favorite wedding vendor that we connected with throughout our wedding experience. The passion, kindness, and joy that Darren and his team will give you on your most special day will make a world of a difference. We consider them our friends! I wish I could rate them a 10/5. Please consider their services and get to know their team, you won’t regret it!!”
Cady S.
married on 5/16/15
COULD NOT BE MORE GRATEFUL
“Meeting Darren and Nickie was one of the great things we were blessed with during our wedding process and we could not be more grateful for that. We cannot thank them enough for capturing our timeless moments that will now never fade from our memory. Instead of just giving us photographs, they gave us a story that we can share with our children and grandchildren someday. A vivid picture of the love we felt and the beautiful chain of events and details that took place on our special day. Your wedding day will fly by and most of it will be a blur. The most important thing you can do is choose the right photographer as at the end of the day, it is the only thing that you will have to left to look back on and truly re-live those amazing moments. You will not just get phenomenal photographs with Darren and Nickie but you will get two people that genuinely love what they do, care about their clients and their personalities are above any I have ever seen. The friendship we gained was the greatest gift of all and we will treasure it always. Look no further for a wedding photographer…With Rising Star Photography, you’ve hit the Wedding Jackpot! Love you Darren and Nickie!!!!”
Julie S.
married on 11/8/14
THEY ARE THE BEST
“My wife already wrote a review on this site for these wonderful people. They are well deserving to have me write one as well. From a guy’s perspective: the picture part is always most important to the bride and as guys, we follow along to make them happy. From previous experiences of being in weddings, photos can be tedious and instead of focusing on the moment, you are just thinking about how you can’t wait to be done. It was not that way at my own wedding with Darren and his crew. They make it fun and easy and, I’ll be honest, I didn’t mind taking the photos one bit….I actually enjoyed it. They shot our engagement photos, maternity photos and now photos of our new baby. We will use them for life as they are the best! We consider them good friends now. 5 stars are not enough! 10 all the way!”
Ryan S.
married on 11/8/14
EXCEPTIONAL & PERSONABLE SERVICE
“Rising Star provided exceptional and personable service at my wedding. We couldn’t have been happier with the results of the photography. Darren was able to capture moments of our wedding that we would never have thought of on our own. All we had to do is follow his directive and we have memories forever. I highly recommend using Rising Star Photography for your wedding photos. You won’t be disappointed!”
Diane R.
married on 6/12/12
