The 6 Best Wedding Photographers in Huntington Beach, CA (2026 Guide)

By YK Editorial Team · Published Thu Nov 05 2026 · Updated Sat Nov 07 2026

Huntington Beach weddings fight the same thing every weekend: wind off the water, a marine layer that can burn off at 9 a.m. or linger past noon, and a pier that pulls a crowd of tourists into your ceremony backdrop whether you invited them or not. A photographer who's actually worked this stretch of coast knows how to read the light off the water, time golden hour around the tide, and keep a stranger's selfie stick out of your first-look shot. A photographer who's only ever shot inland ballrooms is guessing.

That's the bar for this list. Every name below has a real, checkable wedding in Huntington Beach or a verified local presence, not just a listing that says "serving all of Orange County."

How we ranked them

We checked four things for every photographer: review count and recency across Yelp, WeddingWire and The Knot, how clearly they publish pricing, whether they carry business insurance (required for most HB venues and for a beach permit), and whether we could find a real Huntington Beach wedding in their portfolio, not just a stock-looking gallery. Studios that only claimed the area without a specific local credit didn't make the cut.

The 6 best wedding photographers in Huntington Beach

1. Steven Nguyen Photography

Reputation: 5.0 stars on Yelp (23 reviews) and on WeddingWire (14 reviews), as of October 2026. Style: Light and airy, natural-light fine art. Price range: Wedding coverage starts at $3,300 (as of October 2026, source). Best for: Couples who want a photographer who actually lives and works in Huntington Beach, not a studio that drives in. Good to know: The $3,300 starting price isn't broken into hour tiers on the site. Get the exact hours and deliverables in writing before you book.

Links: Website · Instagram · Yelp reviews

2. Three16 Photography

Reputation: 4.9 stars on Yelp (229 reviews), with specific client reviews naming a Red Horse Barn wedding in Huntington Beach, as of October 2026. Style: Documentary-leaning with posed portrait sets, run by a multi-shooter studio team led by Jerrick O'Connor. Price range: Wedding packages start at $3,000 (as of October 2026, source). Best for: Couples who want a bigger studio with backup shooters and video add-ons under one roof. Good to know: Because it's a team studio, confirm in your contract exactly which photographer shoots your date.

Links: Website · Instagram · Yelp reviews

3. Forget Me Knott Photography

Reputation: 5.0 stars on WeddingWire (27 reviews), recommended by 100% of couples, as of October 2026. Owner Brian Knott has shot weddings since 2007. Style: Natural and candid, with a landscape-photography background that shows in his outdoor work. Price range: Packages start at $1,995; engagement sessions start at $400 (as of October 2026, source). Best for: Couples who want one dedicated shooter, not a rotating team, and nearly two decades of Huntington Beach experience. Good to know: The published packages don't list a default second shooter. Ask directly if your guest list needs two cameras.

Links: Website · Instagram · WeddingWire reviews

4. Ryan Morris Photography

Reputation: 4.9 stars on Yelp (30 reviews) and 5.0 on The Knot (8 reviews), as of October 2026. Based in Huntington Beach since 2011. Style: Fine art and documentary, with a surf-photography background that shows in his handling of ocean light. Price range: 4-hour packages from $1,390, 6-hour from $1,690, 8-hour from $1,990, listed as limited-time sale pricing (as of October 2026, source). Best for: Couples on a tighter budget who still want someone who's read Huntington Beach's light for over a decade. Good to know: "Sale" pricing can change. Lock your rate in writing, and ask exactly what a second photographer (+$60/hour) adds for your package.

Links: Website · Instagram · Yelp reviews

5. Vienna Rose Photography

Reputation: 4.9 stars on Yelp (194 reviews), as of October 2026. Husband-and-wife team with 12 years in business. Style: Bright, editorial Orange County wedding photography. Price range: Pricing on request. Best for: Couples who want a heavily reviewed OC studio with a documented real wedding at a Huntington Beach hotel (Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach). Good to know: Pricing isn't published online. Ask for a full written quote before you fall for the portfolio.

Links: Website · Instagram · Yelp reviews

6. Jesse Madison Photography

Reputation: The Knot Hall of Fame recognition for photography and video, as of October 2026. Style: Candid, non-obtrusive documentary coverage; also offers videography. Price range: Pricing on request. Best for: Couples marrying at a Huntington Beach hotel like the Kimpton Shorebreak or the Hilton Waterfront, since Jesse has already shot those exact properties. He documented Angela and Brian's February 2023 wedding at the Shorebreak. Good to know: No published price list. Ask whether bundling photo and video costs less than booking each separately.

Links: Website · Instagram · Facebook

Price range at a glance

For the full LA and OC picture, our wedding photographer cost guide breaks down pricing by coverage hours and album add-ons across the whole county.

The catch: the beach itself is permitted, not free

If your ceremony photos are just an engagement session or a few portraits on the sand, you don't need a city permit. But an actual ceremony held on the beach in Huntington Beach requires a Beach Wedding Ceremony Permit from the Community & Library Services Department: a $110 non-refundable application fee, plus a $325 ceremony fee for 75 guests or fewer ($500 for 76 or more), plus proof of general liability insurance. The permit has to be complete at least 5 business days ahead, and insurance has to be approved at least 30 days out (as of the city's current Beach Wedding Ceremony Permit application).

A few beach rules catch couples off guard: alcohol is banned on the sand and pier, amplified sound can't disturb nearby beachgoers, and beach weddings are only allowed between Beach Boulevard and Seapoint Street. Ask your photographer and planner whether they've pulled this permit before. One who has will already know where the light works inside those boundaries.

What to do now

Book 9 to 12 months out if you want a Saturday between May and October, when Huntington Beach's beach and hotel venues book up first and the photographers above fill their calendars earliest. Ask every photographer on this list for their full-resolution gallery turnaround time in writing, not just their sales pitch, and confirm liability insurance if your venue requires it (most hotel venues do). If your ceremony is on the sand itself, start your city permit application the same week you book your photographer, since both run on their own timelines.

Ready to keep planning? Browse more LA and OC wedding vendors on YK, see who else serves Huntington Beach, or check our countywide wedding price report for what couples are actually paying this year.

Wedding vendors in Huntington Beach · Browse all LA & OC vendors