Melissa Habegger

About Melissa Habegger

I’m a documentary-style wedding photographer, known for capturing what I lovingly call the “marriage-themed dinner party”. I work with couples who plan their weddings from a place of gratitude for their community; who believe that good food and hospitality are the best ways to share their love.

Documentary wedding photography is observant and story-focused. It lets you be yourself. I show up to create honest photographs - I’m fully present and un-interrupting.  I shoot in a way that lets you, your partner and your community act and react naturally; to forget that you’re being photographed and instead just be. It’s a quiet, centered method of shooting: no bossing around, no comedy bits.

Weddings are a lot of things, but at their core they’re about bringing together the people you love to celebrate your commitment to one another. Gathering around the table to feed your community, to express gratitude for what you have in each other and to share hope for the future is all I really think your wedding day needs. Whether you’re on a vineyard with sweeping valley views, at a tiny restaurant on the edge of the Pacific, or in your own backyard; whether you serve the meal of your dreams or the meal that’s a meeting of your cultures (or maybe those are one in the same), that’s up to you - that’s how you personalize it and make it your own.

In addition to photographing weddings I do a smidge of commercial work for designers and small businesses, and I cover a small number of chef-driven events every year. This work gives me a chance to know and support my community here in Northern California. I work locally throughout the Bay Area, and regularly in Mendocino, Los Angeles, New York City and the Hudson Valley - all places I used to call home.   

I am grateful to serve all of my clients, and work hard to do so in a way that is loving, inclusive and self-aware.